Just about one month ago, Disney gave us the news we have been waiting five years for. It was finally announced that TRON Lightcycle/Run will open in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort on April 4. Disney first announced TRON at the D23 Expo back in 2017, with construction to begin in 2018. The plan was to have the ride open in time for Walt Disney World’s 50 Anniversary celebration. Unfortunately, things fell way behind schedule — especially with COVID — but, finally, after waiting on pins and needles, the ride is about to open to the public.
There’s just one BIG problem — a lot of people don’t fit in the ride vehicle.
If you are unfamiliar, the TRON vehicles are designed to look a lot like motorcycles. You climb onto the bike, and a harness comes down on your back, while another harness secures your legs in place. Because of this coaster design, certain body dimensions will not fit on the attraction. In fact, TRON Lightcycle/Run has been called Disney World’s least inclusive ride to date. Before TRON, Avatar: Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom was considered the most restrictive.
Sadly, when you hear a lot of people say they can’t fit on a theme park ride, the immediate response of many is, “Well, just lose weight.”
While that comment shouldn’t be said under most circumstances, it is especially true with TRON. TRON’s restrictive nature does not seem to lie in its mid-section area, but in the leg restraints that come down. Most people have said that the back harness comes down with ease, despite their height or their waist size. However, the leg restraint won’t come down far enough because of the size of their calf. Most people, even if they lose weight, won’t see a dramatic shrinking in their calf size. That means that they just won’t be able to ride in the regular seats no matter what, if any, weight they lose.
Thankfully, Disney designed alternative seating in the last row of the coaster. Guests can sit in a more traditional seat and still have an amazing time! There are rumors that Disney did not adjust the dimensions of the attraction – which opened in Shanghai Disneyland 2016 – for a larger American audience, but that can’t be confirmed.
When TRON officially opens on April 4, there will only be a virtual queue available, meaning no standby queue. If you are unable to join the virtual queue, then you can try to purchase Lightning Lane access, but you have to be fast, as they will most likely sell out quickly.