LightCycle Run Doing Test Runs at Magic Kingdom

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Nearly 5 years ago, Disney announced that it was bringing a new roller coaster to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. That roller coaster would be TRON Lightcycle/Run, which was going to be a replica of the one that was in place at the Shanghai Disneyland Resort. The roller coaster was to be built in Tomorrowland and would be built near another popular roller coaster, Space Mountain. The plan was to have the new TRON coaster built in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary — which kicked off in October 2021.

Unfortunately, as most Disney fans know, all of those initial plans were forced to be changed. The Walt Disney World Railroad closed in 2019 as TRON’s construction expanded, and things were going along as planned. Then COVID hit. Everything was forced to shut down and construction came to a total stop. It was able to pick up after about 6 months, but it seems as though the pause was enough to make everything a complete mess.

Tron

As Disney’s 50th Anniversary date quickly approached, Disney removed all mention of a potential opening date for TRON Lightcycle/Run. The 50th kickoff came and went, and still nothing. Now we are in 2022 and still none the wiser when it comes to the attraction’s opening date. Construction has been moving along at Magic Kingdom Park, but it’s mostly on the outside, so it’s been nearly impossible to tell how things are coming along on the inside.

Tron

However, that is now changing in a big way! Just a couple of days ago, Guests riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover were treated to a sight never before seen. A test run of TRON! One Guest had their camera out and managed to catch a video of the magical moment.

You can watch the video — which was shared by Attractions Magazine — below.

As you can see, there is still a lot of work being done on the Disney Park ride’s canopy, but the track looks like it may be complete. The cars are joined together and are seen gliding along the track.

At this time, we still do not have a timeline for the opening of TRON Lightcycle/Run. But it is a giant step forward that the ride track seems to be complete. While it is unlikely that the theme park ride will be open and operational for peak summer crowds, it may not be completely crazy to think that it might be able to open in time for the 2022 holiday season.

TRON Lightcycle Power Run

Investigation finds Seat Sensors Changed, leading to death of teen at Orlando drop tower

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Via DisDining.com

The State of Florida has released a report of findings from its investigation into the death of a 14-year-old boy at a Central Florida theme park in March.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) released a report today that details the findings of an engineering firm hired by the State of Florida in the investigation into the death of Tyre Sampson, a 14-year-old boy who died after falling from the Orlando FreeFall drop tower attraction at Orlando’s ICON Park on International Drive.

The agency is the entity responsible for amusement ride accident investigations, among its many other responsibilities.

According to the report, written by Quest Engineering & Failure Analysis, the operator of the Orlando FreeFall attraction changed sensors on specific seats on the ride manually. The manual adjustments rendered the drop tower attraction unsafe.

In the report, the engineering firm states that the manual changes made by the operator allowed the safety harnesses on those seats to open to “almost double” the normal range, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner, Nikki Fried.

Fall from Drop Tower Icon Park Orlando Raises Questions of Industry Safety

Tyre Sampson was only 14 years old when he boarded the Orlando FreeFall drop tower attraction on Thursday night, March 24, taking a seat on the ride with friends. Sampson reportedly weighed approximately 340 pounds, exceeding the drop tower ride‘s maximum weight.

“These misadjustments [by the operator] allowed the safety lights to illuminate and properly satisfy the ride‘s electronic safety mechanisms that allowed the ride to operate, even though Mr. Sampson was not properly secured in the seat,” Fried said.

The day after the tragic accident, John Stine, a spokesman for the Slingshot Group, owner of the Orlando FreeFall attraction, talked about how the attraction works, saying the ride would not be operational if a harness is not locked in properly.

“Our harnesses have to lock in, and they have to lock or else the ride will not operate, so this is what we are looking into,” Stine explained.

Commissioner Nikki Fried held a brief press conference shortly after releasing the engineering firm’s report, but she didn’t take any questions from the press. During the conference, Fried did not say whether the ride operator would face criminal charges, but she said that the agency was looking into what she called “potential penalties.”

NO SEATBELTS: Private Ride Safety expert reveals the reason a teen fell from drop tower ride and died - Disney Dining

She did not mention whether the ride operator could potentially face criminal charges in the case but said the agency was looking at “potential penalties.”

Fried said that these findings are part of the initial phase of the investigation, and that the investigation is still ongoing.

Nikki Fried further stated that the engineering report names “many other potential contributing factors” in the tragic accident. The commissioner also said that the drop tower ride will remain closed indefinitely.

Playlist, Villain Revealed for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Anyone who’s watched the “Guardians of the Galaxy” movies knows Peter Quill (a.k.a. Star-Lord) loves music more than just about anything. Classic pop tunes are woven into the fabric of the films and characters so much, and there will also be a great playlist for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind when this new attraction debuts May 27 at EPCOT.

When Disney Imagineers were developing this family-thrill coaster, they came up with a list of more than 100 potential songs for the Starjumpers’ onboard sound system. The team rode the attraction over and over again testing how various tracks fit with the spirit and the movement of the coaster. They finally settled on this “Awesome Mix” of six songs, in their classic versions:

  • “September”
  • “Disco Inferno”
  • “Conga”
  • “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”
  • “I Ran”
  • “One Way or Another”

Guests won’t know which track they’ll hear until they actually blast off with the Guardians on an intergalactic chase through time and space. Guests will need all the encouragement they can get, too, because the Guardians are asking for help to stop Eson, the Celestial seen in the image above, from completing a nefarious plan. Eson is powerful, ancient, and seems poised to grab our planet in one hand.

Whatever his intentions, at least the Guardians are on our side – awesome tunes and all. Come help them save the galaxy (again!) beginning May 27 when Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind officially opens at EPCOT as a major milestone in the park’s historic transformation and another big moment in the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration.

Child Climbs Massive Restricted Temple

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Resorts

When at Walt Disney World Resort, there are a ton of ways to enjoy your magical vacation. Guests can go visit Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here there are attractions like Slinky Dog Dash, Haunted Mansion, Frozen Ever After, and DINOSAUR which will give Guests an experience of a lifetime. Plus, there are a lot of food options for any budget, as well as infinite amounts of shopping to be had. Add on entertainment and the ability to meet all of the characters you have seen in Disney movies for years, from Mickey Mouse to Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and you already have a jam-packed schedule.

But what about the days you aren’t in the Parks? Well, Disney Springs is always available for Guests to enjoy, or you can explore your very own hotel. Every Disney hotel is perfectly themed and, oftentimes, sprawling, meaning Guests can spend as much time as they want to take in the details of their Resort. Not only is their decor to admire, but there are different food options to taste, gift shops to explore, and of course, multiple pools to enjoy. So, as you can see, it is so easy to have fun when you are at Disney, however, you must always respect the rules and regulations of the Resort.

coronado pool

Although your pool may have a ton of theming involved, it does not always mean you are able to climb all over it. For example, if you went to Disney’s All-Star Music and went to the pool with the Three Caballeros, you can stand next to Donald Duck, but climbing on him would be incredibly dangerous, especially with water involved. Recently, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, home to Grand Destino as well, a terrifying incident occurred when a child climbed up the temple at the main pool of the Resort. The temple is incredibly steep with water running down it, and is meant as a showpiece, but not something to explore.

disney coronado springs pool

Streaming the Magic took to Facebook to post a video of a young child scaling the temple. Thankfully, the child made it to the top without injury (as it seems) but coming down would be a challenge considering the steps are slim and the water is running down a steep decline. We can see multiple adults were at the base of the temple, seemingly worried for the child. One adult went up and grabbed the young child and carried the child down.

You can watch the full video below.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=544686267084768&t=4

Disney Removes Offering From Costly Starcruiser Experience

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Hollywood Studios

For Star Wars fans, one of the most exciting new additions to Walt Disney World Resort has been Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. After recreating iconic aspects like the Millennium Falcon and X-Wing, and bringing characters like Rey, Kylo Ren, Vi Moradi, Chewbacca, Storm Troopers, and more to life, Star Wars fans were affirmed that Disney knew how to bring the immensely popular George Lucas-built franchise to life.

The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser has been described as a unique, immersive experience that Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek had promised will leave Guests “blown away.” The Halcyon has already made multiple trips to a galaxy far, far away, and when bookings opened, the $6,000.00 experience (prices may vary) began to sell out! Everyone wanted to secure their spot on the ship, but then, things took a turn.

Disney released more promotional material, including new video footage of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which quickly garnered negative press. The material was then deleted by Disney, but not in time to stop some Guests from canceling their reservations. It seems that some Guests were ok with losing their deposit instead of paying full price for the experience that some deemed to appear as lackluster.

Previously, we reported that at Disney Springs, the bus signage had been updated to include spot 18, which is for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Guests only. A special shuttle has been built to take Guests to Batuu for one of their excursions, which makes sense for the storyline as the ship will land there, but it was a little more jarring on how the ship would arrive at Disney Springs.

starcruiser gaya star wars

Now, we have seen that the signage for the bus service is no longer in view at Disney Springs. Perhaps Disney is changing their method in terms of this transportation to and from the Halcyon, however, with the bus service removed, it seems likely that Guests were not utilizing the service enough during their stay to keep it in use.

If you want an even deeper look into the ship, you can check out what Good Morning America had to say, here. You can see a first look of an R2 Astromech droid unit — similar to the legendary R2-D2 — in the Atrium of the Corellian starliner, and more!