When a new roller coaster inspired by the cult favorite TRON films was announced, many Disney World fans and roller coaster enthusiasts were intrigued. Walt Disney World Resort and Walt Disney Imagineering certainly took their time when it came to the actual inception of said ride, but Magic Kingdom guests were excited to try out the thrill ride when it did finally open for business.
Enjoy the Ride…If You Can
Unfortunately, many guests found that there was an unforeseen flaw in the ride's design: the high-speed “bikes” on this ride don't really allow larger Magic Kingdom visitors to experience the ride, because they can't fit into the seats and comfortably wear the safety restraints.
Disney World has a test seat located near the Magic Kingdom ride (which is actually a parallel to the Shanghai Disney Resort coaster, which was also inspired by the 1982 TRON movie), so that prospective TRON: Lightcycle/Run passengers can try out the Tomorrowland roller coaster's usual seating option beforehand and find out if they will fit in the seat.
Guests who don't fit can then try to fit in the alternative seating options — and although factors like a person's weight might cause them to choose that option, there are also plenty of Disney guests who prefer those seats regardless of their weight and body type.
It's Official…
In the Safety, Accessibility, and Guest Policies portion of the ride's description on the Walt Disney World Resort website, Disney World's site team has now added the following statement: “The seating and restraints on this attraction may prohibit Guests of certain body shapes or sizes from riding.”
Even though we've heard enough reports from Disney World guests about TRON: Lightcycle/Run and its seat size issues to be unsurprised by this addition to the ride's profile online, it may still feel like a strange policy in the eyes of many Disney fans due to Disney World's concerted efforts to be more inclusive in recent months.
Disney's inclusion of the passenger limitation in its TRON: Lightcycle/Run policy also serves as a clear indication that Disney World and Walt Disney Imagineering have come across a plethora of negative chatter (both online and within Disney crowds) about the ride's seating and sizing challenges.
Is This Disney's Best Effort?
Using a test seat and offering an alternative seating option does seem like a real effort to maintain inclusivity on Disney's part, but some Disney fans will still probably take issue with Disney's wording when it comes to the limitations involving “guests of certain body shapes or sizes.”
Do you find this official Disney World policy to be offensive or reasonable?
