Pulsating electronic beats build up the tension as you line up to be digitised and enter the Grid. Part of Team Blue, you will take on the almighty Team Orange in a heart-pumping bid to pass through eight Energy Gates first.
Leaning forward into your very own Lightcycle – a neon-stylised motorbike of sorts – you brace yourself for the race. And then it begins...
You’re catapulted on to the track before surging through a series of twists and turns at speeds of up to 60mph in a digital dash for victory.
TRON Lightcycle/Run is officially the fastest roller coaster in Walt Disney theme park history – and you’ll feel it instantly. Mind. Blown.
Inspired by the 1982 cult sci-fi film TRON and its 2010 sequel TRON: Legacy, even as you queue you are thrown into an otherworldly video game where analogue reality is put to the test.
The 78ft high ride, in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.
A short ride for sure, it’s worth it just for the adrenaline rush and the unique digital-style experience alone – and it’s definitely worth riding both during the day and at night – at night more than 1,200 lights and lasers really reach their full potential. It really stands out as one of Magic Kingdom’s biggest and most thrilling rides to date. Whether you’re a TRON fan or not, you’ll certainly be impressed by its sheer scope and white-knuckle fun.
The ride joins a stellar line-up of attractions at Disney’s main parks, including the super fun and fast Guardians Of The Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom.
Disney’s so-called Imagineers have always been magical geniuses but it really does feel like they’ve hit a creative stream right now.
It can only bode well for the upcoming Journey Of Water, Inspired By Moana, due later this year at EPCOT, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, formerly Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom, which is set to open next year.
TRON Lightcycle / Run might be one of the most expansive rides ever, but it is not the only new addition to Disney World this year. Guests at Magic Kingdom can now experience the fan-favourite fireworks display of Happily Ever After.
Featuring a dazzling array of colour, light and music, it’s a beautiful and emotional celebration of some of Disney’s greatest heroes. With a revamp now including projections that extend from the iconic Cinderella Castle down to Main Street, USA, it’s one of Disney’s most technologically advanced projections and is sure to make even the most casual of Disney fans feel emotional.
With Disney World coming to the end of its ambitious 50th Anniversary Celebration, all eyes are now on what else could be in store and there’s plenty more already in the works.
Meet and greets with Figment at EPCOT and Encanto’s Mirabel at Magic Kingdom are on their way later this year, while Moana is greeting guests for the first time at Animal Kingdom, to coincide with the park’s 25th anniversary.
On my visit, I elevated my time at Animal Kingdom by staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge hotel, which offers a truly unique experience for the whole family. With a Savanna view room, the opportunity of waking up to see giraffes and ostriches outside your window in the morning is a moment that will never be forgotten and really made the trip feel special.
The on-site Boma restaurant, which is open to all whether you’re staying at the hotel or not, features both a family-friendly breakfast and dinner buffet, while the quick-service restaurant Mara offers both African-inspired fare and American favourites.
Foodies will also find something to enjoy at each of the Disney World parks too, from cheeseburger spring rolls in Magic Kingdom and tamarind-braised short rib at Tiffins in Animal Kingdom, to frozen margaritas at EPCOT and spaceghetti & shrimp at Space 220. There’s a new delight waiting each time you visit.
Speaking of which, the immersive Roundup Rodeo restaurant at Toy Story World in Hollywood Studios is now open. The family-friendly western restaurant, where guests become toys, features menu delights such as Slinky Doooooooooog Mac & Cheese, Cupcake à la Forky and a decadent hand-sliced beef brisket which is smoked and slow-cooked for hours at the restaurant’s onsite smokehouse.
The restaurant also offers rootin’-tootin’ cocktails in the form of the Snake Eye Margarita with watermelon and smoked chilli, and there’s the frozen Grown-up’s Peanut Butter & Jelly, featuring peanut butter whiskey.
And children can opt for the brilliant Partysaurus Tex, which combines chilled lemonade with a strawberry puree and is topped with gummy snakes.
The ambitious restaurant is sure to go down a treat, especially with a delicious range of plant-based options on offer too.
‘Toys’ will also get to experience a number of unique interactions each time they visit, whether it’s from raving it up with Rex or being instructed to stay as motionless as a toy while Andy comes walking into the room.
This year’s newest additions once again prove that the magic is well and truly still alive at Disney World.
With the already-popular Avatar-inspired Pandora land at Animal Kingdom, which features the stunning Flight Of Passage ride, and Hollywood Studios’ Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land, it really does feel like the Florida theme park is reinventing itself once again.
TRON Lightcycle / Run is the latest state-of-the-art experience to truly showcase that and demonstrate where the future of the parks could be heading.
While the TRON Lightcycle / Run ride is not for the faint-hearted, it’s intense and exciting in the best kind of way and a genuine game-changer.
More proof that there’s always something for everyone at Disney World, whether you’re five or 65.
Book the holiday
Walt Disney Travel Company offers a seven night stay at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida from £1,614 per person, based on two adults and two children (aged 3-9) sharing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Includes flights with Virgin Atlantic from Heathrow to Tampa on September 20 and Disney 7-Day Magic Ticket for the party. disneyholidays.co.uk
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