Tron Lightcycle / Run construction seen from inside Magic Kingdom
There is no missing the work on the upcoming Tron Lightcycle / Run attraction in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom. This launching roller coaster will be a near-exact copy of the original version in Shanghai Disneyland. But, unlike in Shanghai, we get to see this one load-up in front of our eyes.
Much like how so many would ride Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge under construction, many now enjoy the Tomorrowland Speedway for the ride and the close-up views of this coaster work.
This will be the first roller coaster addition to Magic Kingdom since Seven Dwarves Mine Train opened in 2014, and will located directly next to Space Mountain. Space Mountain has been entertaining guests for over 45 years! Now, it will share the thrill ride spotlight with the newest form of indoor roller coaster.
Seen from outside Magic Kingdom, Tron Lightcycle / Run continues to grow next to its sister coaster. Space Mountain was the first roller coaster in the world to completely enclose riders in darkness for the majority of the ride. Tron Lightcycle / Run also uses a huge structure to enclose guests indoors for a majority of the attraction.
The video above is a full POV at night of the coaster in Shanghai Disneyland.
While a majority of the coaster is indoors, the first portion—the launch—takes guests outside for a set of sweeping twists and turns. Ever since the big walls went up, this is basically all that we can see now of the ride’s construction.
Even though this coaster goes outside, that doesn’t mean it won’t be covered. In fact, the striking design of this attraction’s architecture is partially what made it such a big hit in Shanghai Disneyland.
This wavy, organic design will be a stark difference against the sharp angular look of Space Mountain. This concept image also showcases the scale of the roof and how it will keep riders covered during the duration of the experience.
This roller coaster will take riders soaring above the park, flying past Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway and above the Walt Disney World Railroad. In a previous article, we discussed how the railroad track would be slightly changed to accommodate this new attraction. Since that article, much of the train track in this area has been totally removed.
The missing train tracks heads all the way back to the Storybook Circus Station. In fact, work on the train track has been seen all around the park. It is imperative to Disney to have the Walt Disney World Railroad up and running again before the 50th anniversary of the park.
Looking at the current supports for the roof, you may think they look quite industrial and ugly – and don’t feel bad for feeling that way, because they are. That is because these are not the actual supports for the roof and are only a temporary measure to help build this superstructure.
Part of the actual roof can be seen in this image on the right. It looks quite like white roller coaster track, but in fact, it will be an intricate assembly of structural steel, roofing materials and themed lighting. Once this is complete, the brown colored steel will come down.
Portions of this roofing structure can be seen here next to the cranes. Numerous sections like this will continue to be added and assembled until the full roof is in place. It is assumed that work on the Walt Disney World Railroad underpass cannot continue until this roof is fully assembled.
Due to the closures and construction delays, we currently don’t have an exact opening date yet. Disney did originally slate this roller coaster’s opening for the 50th anniversary year of Magic Kingdom. For now, we can only watch and hope for work to be on track (but while we wait, we can take coaster construction selfies, of course).
Have you been to Magic Kingdom recently to see this major construction project? Do you think this will become your new favorite ride at the park? Let us know in the comments below.
