Tron roller coaster construction glows bright at Magic Kingdom

The next major step of the Tron Lightcycle / Run roller coaster, the nighttime view. The original Shanghai coaster became famous for its unique design and vibrant LED roof display. Now, here in Florida, the roller coaster construction is illuminated.

Tron Lightcycle / Run roller coaster during lighting tests.

The Tron roller coaster, seen above, is known for its incredibly iconic structure design. If you are going to place a major ride next to Space Mountain, it has to stand out. Ride testing has been happening for months. With this view, we can see the illuminated canopy, some ride track, and the new wavy ramp leading up to the coaster.

Much like the new lights on Spaceship Earth, this roof canopy is really something to see in person. The colors are bright and vibrant, and, during this limited testing, we saw subtle color waves and light level changes.


TRON Lightcycle / Run Roller Coaster Nighttime Lighting Tests

Nighttime rides on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover give a great overview of this coaster’s construction.


GIF of TRON roller coaster lighting tests.

As you can see, the lights add flair and personality to this already structurally impressive roof canopy. We have talked about this roof canopy before, with details on why it is called the Upload Conduit.


Close-up of Tron upload conduit roofing canopy.

In the past, we have attempted to guess the opening date of this coaster. Due to Covid and apparent ride construction delays, those have consistently been off. But, some rumors suggest that the coaster could open later this year. Magic Kingdom’s 50th anniversary celebration is lasting for 18 months, and started the actual 50th date of October 1, 2021. This would have the coaster potentially open after the 50th anniversary year, but still during the big celebration.


Disney has also released some PR images of the lighting tests. In these shots, you can see better under the canopy and get an idea of what a beautiful light display this structure will be. Tomorrowland will definitely have an improved nighttime look. And, it makes us wonder if Space Mountain will also get a lighting upgrade once the Tron roller coaster is complete.


Tokyo Disneyland: Space Mountain Lights and Tomorrowland BGM Choreography 東京ディズニーランド: スペース・マウンテン

As you can see, Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain has a sophisticated light setup. Perhaps Florida’s Space Mountain, the world’s first Space Mountain roller coaster, will get a light update like this in the future. But this look won’t last for long in Japan. Tokyo Disneyland will soon dismantle their Space Mountain for an entirely new ride setup with a new ride structure. Rumors indicate this new Tokyo Disneyland Space Mountain could use the same ride system as Epcot’s new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster.


Sizing comparison for TRON roller coaster construction.

This photo helps put the ride size into perspective. If you haven’t been to the Magic Kingdom recently, you may not fully understand how large this roller coaster is. The Tron roller coaster takes up some serious theme park real estate. In fact, some of the Tomorrowland Speedway had to be modified to accommodate this big new thrill ride.


TRON Lightcycle Power Run Nighttime POV Shanghai Disneyland

The Tron Lightcycle / Run roller coaster was announced in 2017. Now, in 2022, we are hopeful it can open this year. If you can’t wait to see what this new coaster will look like, take a view of the video above from our ride on Shanghai’s version.

How excited are you for the new Tron roller coaster? Do you think it will win the current Florida roller coaster war with Iron Gwazi, Ice Breaker, VelociCoaster, and Cosmic Rewind? Which of these amazing new coasters is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.

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