Walt Disney World's Tron Coaster Starts Test Runs

May 12, 2022, 8:56 PM · Walt Disney World's Tron Lightcycle Run has taken its first test run.

Disney posted a brief video of the roller coaster's test run to its TikTok account today. The Vekoma custom family coaster that fans first saw at Shanghai Disneyland is expected to make its Magic Kingdom debut next year, though Disney hasn't given us an official opening date yet.

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Tron is going next to Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland, giving the east side of the world's most popular theme park a compelling one-two punch for coaster fans. If you'd like more of a taste what to expect when this coaster opens, check out our POV video from Shanghai Disneyland.

Disney is on a roll with coasters right now (sorry... couldn't resist) with the new Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind in previews, getting ready for its official opening on May 27. Here's our reaction from that new indoor coaster's media preview last week - Ride Review: Disney's Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind.

Replies (16)

May 13, 2022 at 5:43 AM

2017 - Animal Kingdom - Flight of Passage
2019 - Disney's Hollywood Studios - Rise of the Resistance
2021 - (Pandemic Construction Delayed)
2022 - EPCOT - Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
2023 - Magic Kingdom - TRON: Lightcyle/Run

Absent the pandemic, they'd be opening a gate-crasher every two years.

What's Next? Well the Play! pavilion and Mary Poppins are still waiting in the wings at EPCOT.

Everything else seems like whispers and rumors. With construction costs increasing at an unprecedented rate, I imagine we won't see another E-Ticket until 2025/2026.

May 13, 2022 at 6:15 AM

@TH:

I was wondering about the Mary Poppins attraction just the other day. Is it still rumored to be built? I thought it had read somewhere it been shelved indefinitely. I was also wondering if we know what type of attraction it was supposed to be?

May 13, 2022 at 8:18 AM

Chapek and D'Amaro haven't said a peep about Mary Poppins since before the pandemic started, so I doubt it's even in the development pipeline anymore. When Disney released revised concept drawings for EPCOT recently, showing the elimination of the 3-story observations tower, Mary Poppins was not mentioned or referenced at all. At least Play Pavilion has gotten some mention to account for not being included in the concept drawings, but even that project sounds like it's a few years off.

The only near-term additions to EPCOT guests should expect should be the new performance and exhibition space in the center core of what was FutureWorld, the Moana splash pad, and removal of most of the construction walls that have been hampering guest flow through the park for nearly 3 years now. I would not get my hopes up for Mary Poppins, which based on the initial concept drawings wasn't going to be more than a C/D ticket attraction in the UK Pavilion.

May 13, 2022 at 8:27 AM

I am super excited for tron. I do like the IP, and the videos from Shangai looks Amazing. The only down point i can see is the very short run time for the ride ( about 90 seconds ). How ever i havent been in Orlando for 2-3 years. So plenty to see. And tron is one of my main draws

May 13, 2022 at 9:02 AM

Tron has been running for 2-3 weeks, on and off. We watched it running last week when we were on the people mover. Hopefully it won’t be long before we get an opening date. There’s still a lot of work to do around the ride though, especially with the train tunnel. But all encouraging signs.

May 13, 2022 at 9:33 AM

I have Play! opening in 2024. Mary Poppins will arrive when the winds are in the east and there's a mist coming in.

May 13, 2022 at 10:47 AM

New Disney Parks C-Suite theme song: "We Don't Talk About Mary."

May 13, 2022 at 10:53 AM

So Mary is like Disney's 'Fight Club'?

May 13, 2022 at 12:20 PM

To be fair on Mary Poppins, you can build at least three parks out of the planned and announced attractions that never get off the drawing board.

May 13, 2022 at 12:50 PM

Right MikeW, and to be fair the Mary Poppins concept drawings were extremely "blue sky", and didn't even reference any actual attractions - rumors were all over the place from a small traditional omni-mover-style dark ride to a Enchanted Tales-style walk-through/show to a simple carousel.

I'm still not sold on Play Pavilion, and would not be surprised to see the concept shift dramatically between now and when it actually debuts (if it actually debuts under that name). What it sounds like they're trying to execute will be very challenging as technology continues to expand and advance at such a rapid rate. IMHO, that's what was so great about Innoventions, since Disney could try out all these new concepts, ideas, and technological systems on a smaller scale to see how they appeal to guests and how those systems react under stress - it was like a year-round incubator for Imagineering with real live test subjects every single day. However, creating a named pavilion that promises similar micro-scale attractions that are not hidden behind corporate partnerships and thus have to stand on their own merits will be quite difficult. We all know how Disney Quest ended up (and NBA Experience for that matter), so hopefully Disney learned a thing or 2 from those failed projects and can take those lessons learned to make Play Pavilion a success.

May 13, 2022 at 1:11 PM

You Tube will have Disney Channel specials or bits from early 90s talking on everything from rides for Beauty and the Beast and Dick Tracy to a Russia pavilion at EPCOT to Japan having a Matterhorn-like coaster. So many close to getting put together but never happening so not surprised this becomes one.

May 13, 2022 at 3:22 PM

I tought the Mary poppings Was soupossed to be a musical theater using live dancers and proyected animations With the soundtrack, from both the original and the sequel. Oh well probably Just another rumor that came and went.

May 13, 2022 at 4:38 PM

From my Shanghai Tron experience, just stick to the night rides.

May 13, 2022 at 4:41 PM

Tron looks amazing, though I can see why sxcymike's comment makes sense--the part where you go into the daylight kills he vibe.

Can's wait! And please cue one up at Disneyland in place of Autopia!

May 14, 2022 at 2:50 AM

I'm looking forward to this, but Disney really needs to clone the world class dark rides which are currenly, unfortunately, only available overseas: Shanghai Pirates and Mystic Manor. Pirates could go in DHS, and Manor in Epcot. Fans would bust the door down to experience those rides...

May 14, 2022 at 8:45 AM

Stillafan. People is busting the door for the jungle Cruise with a vacant trader Joe and a couple New ( old ) jokes. Sigh.

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