Walt Disney World Announces Big Change to TRON Lightcycle / Run Ahead of Opening

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Guests have waited patiently for Magic Kingdom’s newest attraction, TRON Lightcycle / Run, to open at the Walt Disney World Resort since 2018, and soon it finally will… With a major change that just debuted on the Disney Parks Blog.

Set to be one of the fastest rollercoasters offered at any Disney Park, the predecessor to TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland will bring Guests into the Disney sci-fi film TRON: Legacy (2010). In both TRON (1982) and this sequel, the Flynn family grapples with obstacles in a digitized gaming playground known as The Grid, where “users” on Team Blue compete against antagonists from the interface’s Team Orange in simulated combat via games such as Lightcycle racing, allowing them to “speed across a world with no horizons in a high-stakes race.”

When the ride opened at China’s second Disney theme park in lieu of Space Mountain to great success, plans began to transfer it to Florida just two years later. Once again, Disney Parks and Walt Disney Imagineering have brought this completely pixelated mode of transportation into the real world, this time at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland.

Despite extended delays due to the Covid-10 pandemic lockdown in 2020, construction is now nearly complete. In addition, Walt Disney World Cast Members have already experienced the nearly finished rollercoaster attraction through Cast Previews, with the ride fully opening to all Guests on April 4 of this year.

TRON Lightcylce / Run at Magic Kingdom

While some riders have criticized the ride for its lack of accessible seating, others praise the unique special effects like projection mapping and screen technology, which combine with immersive onboard audio to create a better-themed entertainment experience. However, further controversy arose over the ride’s use of a sponsor.

For instance, the Enterprise rental car company logo appears on the main queue entrance sign, causing some fans to claim it dampens the ride’s immersion with ties to our reality. Now, Disney has taken that corporate connection one step further with a new post-show experience.

a green lightcycle with black accents behind a barrier in the tron queue

Although the queue’s Hall of Opponents features two other teams in addition to Blue and Orange, previous competitors Team Yellow and Team Red, it’s Team Green that shows up in the post-show exit, which has intrigued Guests due to its connection to the Enterprise sponsor.

Presented by Enterprise, the Team Green space will include displays relaying the “culture, capabilities, and values of Enterprise” along with the “impressive programming” for the team’s real-life Green Lightcycle, “the latest and “most-advanced iteration to join the competition.” Furthermore, alongside this dynamic photo opportunity, the post-show will share rotating backstories for all twelve Team Members for Users to enjoy on future visits to the Grid.

Viral Video of Smoke-Filled Magic Kingdom

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

A now viral TikTok video posted by a Guest while on vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom shows Cinderella Castle surrounded by smoke.

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is a source of delight for all who enter that happy place, granting it the official title of The Most Magical Place on Earth. The first of the Orlando Resort’s four Disney Parks, Guests can enter realms of Fantasy, Adventure, the Frontier, and Tomorrow while enjoying classic attractions and new offerings like the TRON Lightcycle / Run Coaster alongside some of their favorite Disney characters.

Moreover, fans love Magic Kingdom for its picturesque Main Street, U.S.A., where they’ll find the beautiful Park icon, Cinderella Castle, waiting at the end of the hub. In fact, the towering structure is one of the largest at Walt Disney World, standing a full 189 feet of majestic royal architecture.

However, many Disney fans felt only horror and fear rather than being filled with wonder upon seeing Cinderella Castle seemingly on fire in a video recently shared by TikTok user @sachaofficialmusic. As reported by Inside the Magic, the clip, which now has over 2.5 million views on the social media platform, shows a view of the Castle on a sunny day under a bright blue sky.

Cinderella Stock Photo

In contrast to the lovely day, plumes of smoke rise amongst the Castle turrets, a shocking sight. “Is it just me or is the Castle at Disney World on [fire ]” asks the caption, leaving many to worry something had gone wrong.

@sachaofficialmusic

POV: Is it me or is the Castle at Disney World on 🔥😳 #POV #Disney #DisneyWorld #MagicKingdom #fyp

♬ Oh No – Kreepa

Upon closer inspection, the smoke streaming up behind the Castle came from the Magic Kingdom Park’s daytime fireworks display, which is a normal occurrence conducted by trained pyrotechnicians for safety each time. It’s likely the combination of wind blowing some of the smoke forward and a shadow cast by the bright sunlight onto the Castle facade gave the impression that the icon itself was on fire when captured on the user’s camera.

cinderella castle

Moreover, Walt Disney World employs Cast Members and its own fire department to remain on standby during fireworks shows if an accident occurs to ensure the fastest response time. Luckily, the flaming Cinderella Castle was a false alarm, with no harm coming to Guests or Cast Members.

Although this scene certainly frightened Disney fans online, rest assured the Most Magical Place on Earth, and its iconic Cinderella Castle are doing just fine and ready to shine on your next visit to the Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney Parks TikTok Previews TRON Lightcycle / Run

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

A new video uploaded to the Disney Parks TikTok offers viewers an exclusive POV of the new TRON attraction, set to open on April 4, 2023.

TRON Lightcycle / Run, one of the fastest rollercoasters offered at any Disney Park, allows theme park Guests to “speed across a world with no horizons in a high-stakes race based on the Disney sci-fi film TRON: Legacy (2010).” In the TRON franchise, real-life individuals visit a futuristic virtual reality known as the Grid, host to “users” playing for Team Blue against the computer’s nefarious Team Orange within competitive simulations.

POV videos are popular online at the moment, intended to bring viewers into the creator’s point of view, immersing them in a virtual experience. In the TRON POV, viewers experience the new racing coaster attraction as if they are on their very own lightcycle inside TRON’s world until the “feed” seems to glitch, cutting out a large majority of the experience and skipping straight to the end.

The video formats its caption like a computer transmission message, similar to those found within the Grid:

>◎//: Welcome programs. TRON preview testing has begun. 404 error detected in footage. Enter the Grid on 04/04/23 🥏

Of course, Cast Members have already experienced the new roller coaster during Company previews, with many enjoying the new ride.

Tron Legacy

However, the new attraction’s experience has not satisfied all preview riders, leaving Disney fans worried that the long wait was not worth it. In fact, within the comments, a TikTok user named Christopher asks, “is that it?,” noting that he thought the ride experience would be longer.

In typical Disney fashion, the Company brand remains “in character” regarding all things TRON, going the extra mile in the replies to keep up the immersive element: “Error 404 detected, footage missing. Remaining footage unrecoverable and in person simulation required for footage retrieval.”

TRON Lockers at Magic Kingdom

Of course, the “in-person simulation” mentioned is telling Guests that they won’t be able to fully enjoy the new ride via screens, ride-through videos, or other forms of virtual content, which is ironic given the storyline of TRON. Even so, Walt Disney World as a whole seems to be moving towards prioritizing Guest Experience over visitors who film theme park content, with fans wondering if TRON Lightcycle / Run itself implemented its locker system to prevent the use of cameras and cellphones.

You can watch the video for yourself below to get a taste of what Guests will experience when TRON Lightcycle / Run opens at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland at the Walt Disney World Resort:

@disneyparks

>◎//: Welcome programs. TRON preview testing has begun. 404 error detected in footage. Enter the Grid on 04/04/23 🥏 #Disney #DisneyWorld #TRON #POV #RollerCoaster #Ride #Coaster #Orlando #FirstLook #MagicKingdom #Lightcycle

♬ original sound – Disney Parks

Just remember, to get the complete ride experience, you’ll actually have to step into the Grid.

Disney Reveals New Storyline for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Splash Mountain has closed at Magic Kingdom, and work is underway to transform the attraction into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Disney has revealed new storyline details for the upcoming attraction that is set to open in late 2024.

From a Disney Cast Member;

At a young age, Tiana developed a deep passion for cooking, and began to dream of one day owning her own business. Her father, James, taught her that good food brings folks together. One of the most exciting parts of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is that we’re going to see where Tiana’s life has taken her following the success of Tiana’s Palace, a restaurant she had dreamed of owning and worked so hard to make come true.

Walt Disney Imagineering is creating an original, next chapter story for Tiana. Within the attraction queue, guests will discover that she continues to grow her business with Tiana’s Foods – an employee-owned cooperative. Combining her talents with those of the local community, Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand.

The endeavor began when Tiana purchased the salt mine and the area surrounding the large salt dome it operated from. With the help of her mother Eudora, Naveen, Louis and fellow owners of the cooperative, Tiana revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land, growing a wide array of vegetables, herbs and spices for her recipes.

This multi-faceted enterprise has turned the aging salt mine into a space that has come alive. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces.

Tiana wants to give a big thanks to her family and friends and the entire community for all the support they’ve given her by throwing an amazing party during Mardi Gras season. When it turns out there’s been a bit of a mix–up with the party preparations, Tiana invites us to meet her at Tiana’s Foods to help with the missing ingredient for the party.

When we arrive, we may see that Tiana spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists. Food for the party is being prepared and beignets are being loaded into crates for the celebration. All kinds of preparations are underway for the journey into the bayou with Tiana, along with new and familiar friends from the animated film.

Picking up where that story left off, Tiana continues bringing people together with Tiana’s Foods, another treasured meeting place to spend time together and celebrate a diverse community. Tiana is also working with cooperative members to teach gardening and cooking to children of all ages, and inspiring other women to run successful businesses as the brand grows nationwide.

The Honor of Splash Mountain’s Emotional Final Ride

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

Splash Mountain has taken its final bow and with it a piece of Disney history is gone forever. Thousands flocked to the ride yesterday to be among the last to ride the beloved classic. None of them got to be the last though, that honor went to a very special group of people who absolutely deserved it.

It was a late night at Magic Kingdom last night as people flocked to Splash Mountain all day long and well into the night. Disney’s policy is “anyone in line before the ride closes get to ride.” While Cast Members will cut off the line once the park is closed to prevent others from joining the line, they will not make guests who were already in line leave the queue once the park is closed. When Magic Kingdom closed at 11:00 pm last night, the ride still had a 175 minute wait. Once the last guest exited the ride, at nearly 3:00 am (per social media reports), it was time for the laughin’ place to welcome one last group to its briar patch.

The Cast Members who worked the ride got to hop on board and be on the very last logs to take the plunge! After working tirelessly all day to make magic for guests hoping to experience the nostalgia one more time, we can’t think of anyone more deserving to enjoy that last ride before Splash Mountain closed forever. These Cast Members have worked day in and day out to make magic for us, and we are so glad that they got to have their very own special moment.

They had quite an audience too! Scott Gustin posted a video on Twitter showing crowds of people cheering for the Cast Members as they rounded the bend after that final drop. You can check out the video above, but fair warning: you may want a box of tissues nearby!