Is Disney World’s newest ride…controversial?!

When TRON Lightcycle / Run first opened in Magic Kingdom after several years of construction, there were some mixed thoughts from fans. While some loved the new coaster addition in the park, others were upset by the virtual queue rules, the seating arrangements, or the length of the ride. And now that the initial opening hype has died down a smidge, we reached out to our readers to find out why they’re SKIPPING this ride!
On Facebook, we asked our AllEars followers this question — “Is TRON Lightcycle / Run a must-do or a skip on your next trip? Why or why not?” And let’s just say, they had some THOUGHTS!
Is TRON Lightcycle / Run a must-do or a skip on your next trip? Why or why not?
Posted by AllEars.Net on Friday, May 19, 2023
While several of our readers were excited to ride the coaster or had ridden it already and loved it, others were a bit more skeptical. Let’s talk about some of those concerns.
Length of the Ride
Probably the most common complaint we got from our readers who had been on the ride before is that it’s too short for their liking. The ride is less than 90 seconds long from start to finish (in our experience), so it’s definitely on the shorter end of Disney ride lengths.

One person said, “We rode it with virtual queue a couple weeks ago. Very cool but short.” They added that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was more a of a must-do in their opinion. If ride length is a big factor for you, that makes sense, since Cosmic Rewind is the longest indoor rollercoaster currently.

Even some of our readers who loved the ride said that it wasn’t long enough, including one who commented, “Unique ride configuration, absolutely thrilling “launch,” smooth, and just fun. ONLY downside is it’s way too short.” Since the ride still operates on a virtual queue system, it can also feel like a fair amount of “work” to do to get on a ride that only lasts a little over a minute.

Visitors may also want to keep in mind that you’ll still have to wait in a standby line with the virtual queue. We’ve seen the line at the attraction be anywhere from a walk-on to an hour depending on the day and time. That may influence your answer as to whether or not TRON was “worth it.”
The Seats
The second primary concern is with the seating configuration. Disney was in a bit of hot water when TRON first opened because the seats are motorbike-style and feature a restraint that comes down on the back of your calf. This setup can be difficult for those who have larger legs, even if they’ve never had issues with fitting on other Disney rides.

There are adaptive seats on some of the ride vehicles, but you have to wait in a separate queue to access them. And even for those who fit on the bike seats, some have described them as uncomfortable.

One of our commenters said, “Would have to try the before ride bikes. Not sure if I’d like the way it holds your legs.” Thankfully, there are test ride vehicles outside the ride entrance, so you can try out the seat beforehand if you would like to see how you fit.
Thrill Factor
And finally, we’ve got to talk about the thrill factor. One person shared the following — “A group of ours rode it this evening for the first time. All roller coaster lovers. Consensus was that they loved take-off, but after that, it was a bit disappointing. Since they’ve experienced it once, they would rather ride Space Mountain.”

This has been a fairly common opinion among our commenters as well. The launch is generally considered the “best” part of the ride, but the indoor track after that point may not be as thrilling for you if you’re used to big coasters. There are no inversions and there aren’t really any major drops, but you do get the effects of going at a fast speed in the dark.

This is really something that you’ll have to judge for yourself after actually trying out the ride, considering we also had readers who called TRON Lightcycle / Run “very thrilling” and “a great ride.” It just comes down to personal preference!

So there you go — some of our readers’ chief concerns with TRON Lightcycle / Run. If you’re planning on heading to Magic Kingdom soon and want to ride, make sure to check out our guide to the virtual queue!
Click Here for Our Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Virtual Queue for TRON!
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Have you ridden TRON Lightcycle / Run yet? Tell us in the comments!
Ride length seems short. Same as rock n rolller coaster and 30 seconds shorter than slinky dog so not totally off base.
Ride is fun. But…way too short for the effort to get to ride it.