The opening on TRON Lightcycle / Run is so soon!

On April 4th, the new coaster in Magic Kingdom officially opens, and we are pumped! We’re getting NEW Tron-themed food, tons of fun TRON merchandise, and a new interactive experience. (And possibly even a new character sighting on opening day?). But one of the coolest things we’ll get to experience is the lit canopy that shines in blues and oranges at night, representing Team Blue and Team Orange, while the lightcycles speed by underneath. So does that mean that TRON is a much better experience at night? We’ve been lucky enough to ride a few times so we are bringing you the details.

Seeing as the canopy is only lit up at night, you might be thinking that you have to ride it late — but there are actually a few things to keep in mind when trying to figure out when you should ride.

Riding TRON at Night

First, let’s take a look at some of the reasons you might want to ride at night. The lit-up canopy is so pretty, and getting to ride at night comes with a few benefits. The portion of the ride that goes under the canopy is a thrilling, super-quick experience where you get to see the hexagon lights follow you as you battle Team Orange under a color-changing canopy, and it’s definitely a fun thing to get to see.

If you time it out right, you might also get to see the fireworks while you ride! There’s a clear view of the castle through the canopy, so while it would be a quick window that you view them — it would be pretty magical!

Lastly, the PhotoPass opportunities at night get a little more exciting. The Light Disc that you pose with lights up at night, so it has much more of the TRON vibe that you’ll see throughout the indoor portion of the ride.

So getting to ride at night is pretty special, but keep in mind that even if you don’t get the chance, you can still stand under the canopy and get night-time photo ops, even if you’re not riding it then.

Riding TRON During the Day

Even though we preferred TRON at night over the daytime ride, we have to admit that this coaster is thrilling no matter when you ride it.

If you ride during the day, you’ll get a great view of Cinderella Castle and the rest of the park as you race under the canopy!

However, we noticed that it took a bit for our eyes to adjust during different parts of the ride when we rode during the day. The ride starts indoors, so you’ll launch out into the sunshine after being inside for a while, which means your eyes have to adjust to the bright atmosphere and then adjust again when the ride goes back inside.

Can You Choose Which Time You Ride?

So let’s talk about how you actually get to ride TRON. It’s not just as simple as walking up to a standby line. You’ll have 2 options to ride — Virtual Queue and Individual Lightning Lane.

You will have 2 chances during the day to request to join the Virtual Queue, one at 7AM and one at 1PM. At 7AM, you do not have to be inside Magic Kingdom, but you will have to be there for the 1PM chance. Because you are requesting to join the Virtual Queue, you don’t get to decide when you’ll ride (and sometimes might not even get to at all). While requesting a spot during the 1PM slot is more likely to get you a later time, there’s no guarantee! Not to mention, it would be risky to wait to request one then, since you might miss your chance and then be out of options.

However, if you’re staying at a Deluxe Disney Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa, or select other resorts, you’ll have an additional chance to get a spot at 6PM on days when Extended Evening Hours are offered at Magic Kingdom — so this might be something to consider when you are booking your resort! If riding at night is important to you, this might be a solution.

TRON also will offer Individual Lightning Lanes that you can purchase through Disney Genie+. While this paid option offers a little more flexibility, as you will select a time slot that works for you, you still can’t guarantee a timeslot that you want.

So with both of these ways to get on the ride — there’s not a lot you can do to guarantee a late spot! And if you do, it might conflict with other plans, like seeing the fireworks.

There is possibly one other way to ride TRON at night that hasn’t been confirmed yet. At Disney’s After Hours Events, you get to experience a lot of Disney attractions after the main guests for the day have gone home. There’s still no word if TRON will be operating during these events — but if Disney does announce that it will be, it would be a great way to get to ride at night.

Riding TRON at night was a really fun experience that we look forward to doing again, but it might not work out on your trip, or be the best thing for your family. Either way, we think you’ll have a good time, regardless of the time of day you ride!

We’ll continue to keep you posted on all the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

Click here to see how TRON could RUIN your Disney World Trip

Have you had a chance to ride TRON Lightcycle / Run yet? Let us know in the comments below!