TRON Lightcycle Run looking increasingly unlikely to open in 2021

Posted: Monday October 19, 2020 9:57am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

TRON Lightcyle Run looks like it will miss its originally planned 2021 opening at the Magic Kingdom, and will instead move to a 2022 opening.

Work continues on the exterior canopy

According to a post on the WDWMAGIC Forums from a reliable poster who is involved in the supply chain for the construction of the coaster, construction will come to a halt at the end of the year, and will not resume until October 2021.

The plan is to complete the exterior canopies prior to the halt in construction, which will at least provide a visually clean sightline at the back of Tomorrowland.

Numerous factors have contributed to the likely delay in opening. Construction came to a complete halt during the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and although it has resumed, COVID-19 physical spacing for workers has greatly reduced the numbers of people on site. Disney is also seeking to minimize expenditure during this time, and would like to see a return to a more stable financial picture.

Revised August 2019 TRON concept art

TRON was originally to be the centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom's 50th anniversary celebrations.

Discuss on the Forums

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Surferboy567Sep 16, 2025

The MCP in story is likely Ares, this is set 14 years after TRON Legacy. Where the programs of the red Dillinger grid are invading the blue ENCOM grid.

truecoatSep 16, 2025

They should install a screen above one of the gates with the old school MCP spinning, then stopping and looking at the cycles menacingly as you go under.

mattpetoSep 15, 2025

I am in interested to see if the overlay runs during the parties. I’m assuming yes, but will know by tomorrow night.

TheMaxReboSep 15, 2025

They used to do a parade for every new movie for a while, I believe that cost was funded by the budget for the movie though - not sure that would work nowadays

PurduevianSep 15, 2025

I'm all for Disney trying to get their movies into the parks super early... It used to be a big thing that would keep the parks constantly fresh... off the top of my head I think: -Space Ranger Spin opened before TS2 (before Zurg was a big thing) -BatB live opened the same day as the movie -Aladdin had a parade that opened the same day as the movie It would stop us from building an Encanto ride, set to open 6 years after the movie premiered

ToTBellHopSep 15, 2025

Listen. It’s not just lights. It’s also music. They charged us an extra $40 to turn the lights OFF at Space Mtn. New, expensive red lights and NIN music are worth at least $75 ($69.99 for APs in August and September). Wait til you visit the Grid at Christmas. You’ll be asking “Ho ho how many more of these movies will Bob approve before he accepts no one watches these movies?”

HauntedPirateSep 15, 2025

Surely changing the light color at Tron is worth at least a $10 if not $20/ticket bump. Plus they can claim “something new!!!”.

Disney AnalystSep 15, 2025

Needs more popups that won’t stop popping up no matter how many times you click “x”. Now that would be truly horrifying.

ToTBellHopSep 15, 2025

Should definitely consider this as a MNSSHP-exclusive next year.

jah4955Sep 15, 2025

classic Disney synergy...build hype for the movie by updating the ride first...hope it's worth the hype!

Surferboy567Sep 15, 2025

For a limited time thing, this is cool. I prefer Daft Punk but it’s a cool change. I think this could work well for a Halloween overlay. Excited to see the movie.

TheMaxReboSep 15, 2025

They just said Limited Time - maybe it will depend how it is received? The movie opens Oct 10th, figure at least through mid-October, but we shall see We are there early November, hope it is still going then