Disney World was forced to delay many new projects due to the global pandemic but of everything that fans have been waiting for, nothing has taken quite as long as Magic Kingdom's new Tron roller coaster. The Lightcycle/Run, as it is officially known, as been under construction for years, and while we still don't know when we'll be able to ride it, that day just got a lot closer, as the coaster just had its first full speed launch test.
In a new video released on Instagram by Walt Disney Imagineering, we get to see the launch test, and watch the ride vehicles move through the track. If you've been waiting for this ride, it's very exciting to watch.
This is certainly an important milestone in the life of this roller coaster. The simple fact that cars are on the track and moving at all is a big deal if you've been watching the slow progress of this attraction. One assumes the test went well. It certainly looks beautiful.
The new Tron roller coaster has been under construction since 2018. The pandemic certainly played a part in the Tron coaster taking this long. If the attraction hadn't already been under construction it might have died entirely as some Epcot attractions did. Of course, the other part is that the coaster is just a massive construction, so it was going to take a long time regardless.
Disney World fans have been frustrated with things taking so long for a couple of different reasons. One is, of course, that people want to ride it. While an identical version of the coaster exists at Shanghai Disneyland, most of us haven't made it there, so this will be our first chance to ride what appears to be an excellent coaster.
The other reason is that construction has closed the Disney World Railroad for years. I'm not sure I realized just how popular the railroad was, but with its extended closing, because the new coaster is being built over the existing track, fans have become very frustrated.
As far as when TRON Lightcycle/Run will actually open, that's still anybody's guess. Many are hoping we could see it open before the end of the year, which might be technically possible. Disney World is just about to open Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, and while one might expect the resort to put a bigger gap between grand openings of roller coasters, it would certainly help balance crowds a bit more if there were two popular new attractions at different parks.
Still, it feels more likely that Tron Lightcycle/Run is more likely to see its grand opening in about one year, making it the big new attraction for 2023, the way Cosmic Rewind is for 2022. That way, Disney World can get those planning trips this year to come back next year.
