Disney World officially brings the digital world of the “Grid” from movie theaters to Tomorrowland when TRON Lightcycle/Run official opens Tuesday.
The roller coaster infuses next-level technology and speeds near 60 mph to guests on “Lightcycles” resembling those in the TRON science-fiction film franchise.
TRON Lightcycle/Run is being billed as the Magic Kingdom’s fastest ride and among the fastest at any Disney park, matching its twin built at Shanghai Disneyland in China.
To compare, neighboring Space Mountain maxes out at 27 mph. Meantime, Epcot’s Test Track hits 65 mph and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind goes 60 mph.
The attraction “immerses guests into the world of TRON,” says Missy Renard, creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering.
Based on 2010’s “TRON Legacy,” the new attraction “launches” with “high-speed twists and turns” to the outdoor portion of the Grid, a computer platform designed by character Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges).
From there, guests travel through energy gates that Flynn’s son, Sam, opened. Each gate is a digital marker that users compete to “capture” against opposing riders, digital beings who live on the Grid.
Before even approaching the 10-acre attraction, guests will notice its “beautiful, curving canopy that complements the architecture of Space Mountain,” Renard says.
The Lightcycle track runs longer than 3,000 feet beneath a canopy that tops off at 105 feet. Each cycle incorporates onboard audio and lighting, as well as a “specially crafted” safety restraint that allows riders to lean forward, according to Disney World.
The attraction also includes bench-style seats in the back row of two Lightcycles. Riders must be at least 48 inches tall.
Guest can access the ride through the TRON virtual queue or by Individual Lightning Lane entry.
In 1982, Disney released the move live action-digital film TRON that inspired video games, comic books, an animated series and the 2010 sequel.
The ride “brings a new vibrancy to Magic Kingdom’s skyline with an iconic structure that sits on the edge of Tomorrowland," Renard says.
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