TRON Lightcycle Run is switching to standby, and the choice to hitch an everyday line can have enormous ramifications on park technique and itineraries for Magic Kingdom. This publish covers when to do & keep away from the curler coaster, with suggestions for Early Entry, rope drop, noon, ExEH, Finish of Line, and extra.
In case you missed it, Walt Disney World introduced that beginning September 9, 2024, a standby queue shall be accessible at TRON Lightcycle Run. A digital queue shall be in place for TRON Lightcycle Run from now by September 8, 2024.
That is the primary time since Remy’s Ratatouille Journey {that a} main new trip dropped its digital queue. Clearly, this implies main adjustments for the right way to method TRON Lightcycle Run in addition to different headliners in Magic Kingdom. The aim of this publish is offering tentative technique, zig after they zag recommendation, and so forth.
For starters, we wish to warn you. TRON Lightcycle Run is dropping its digital queue within the coronary heart of Walt Disney World’s low season. Earlier this week, our newest wait instances report coated the Lowest Crowd Stage Month & Week at Walt Disney World Since 2021! Though it needs to be evident from the title alone, the parks are actually sluggish proper now.
That’s not going to vary by September 9. However on the identical time, there’s an ever-growing variety of locals who wish to be the primary to expertise something, and that’ll embody TRON’s standby line, for no matter cause. In order that creates this bizarre dynamic the place reporting on this change will largely occur in the course of the low season, but in addition as high-knowledge locals rush to expertise it for the primary time.
What I’m saying is that day 1 of TRON Lightcycle Run’s standby line shall be nothing like day 8, which shall be nothing like week 8. Due to this, I’ve zero intentions of testing any technique or publishing subject stories for TRON Lightcycle Run’s standby line till the mud settles. The outcomes from September merely gained’t be dependable for the vacation season or 2025. As a substitute, I’ll be ready till mid-October and November, at which level I’d anticipate extra consultant outcomes.
The excellent news, I suppose, is that I spend approach an excessive amount of time doing and fascinated with these things and have already got a reasonably good concept of how TRON Lightcycle Run’s standby line will play out. Right here’s a rundown…
Tiana’s Bayou Journey – The obvious and fast affect of TRON Lightcycle Run dropping its digital queue is that the already aggressive Tiana’s Bayou Journey VQ turns into much more difficult.
We extremely, extremely advocate being up at 7 am for the primary drop. Sure, there are occasions when the afternoon entry time is way simpler and stays open for minutes or hours. However there are additionally instances when TBA doesn’t open in any respect for the day till afternoon, and like 17 individuals whole are capable of be a part of the 1 pm VQ. Gamble on this at your personal danger.
Early Entry – Earlier than Magic Kingdom formally opens for the day, there’s Early Entry, which is provides 30-minute entry to company staying in on-site accommodations at Walt Disney World. (See our Information to Early Entry at Walt Disney World for more information & technique.)
Magic Kingdom normally opens at 9 am, which places Early Entry at 8:30 am. Magic Kingdom is the most well-liked park at Walt Disney World, and this 8:30 begin time doesn’t current a ‘barrier to entry’ for most individuals. This implies MK has the most important crowds for Early Entry, rendering the perk virtually ineffective for the most well-liked trip–up till now, Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare.
Compounding this downside is the truth that, throughout Early Entry at Magic Kingdom, solely Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open, relatively than your entire park. This consolidates the (bigger) crowd to 2 lands of your entire park. It ought to go with out saying, however extra individuals and fewer rides is a recipe for bigger crowds and longer strains.
To that time, there are two “beginning factors” at Magic Kingdom the place crowds are held till Early Entry formally begins–the bridges to Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Usually, there are exponentially extra company ready on the Fantasyland Bridge–I’d say about 90% to 10% of your entire crowd (it’s actually that imbalanced). And roughly 90% of that 90% are planning on doing Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare.
For now, it seems that TRON Lightcycle Run won’t be open for Early Entry regardless of being positioned in Tomorrowland. My guess/hope/wishful pondering is that this can change, and shortly. That Walt Disney World scrambled to make the digital queue change (instructed by the lower than per week between announcement and implementation) as a consequence of visitor complaints about Tiana’s Bayou Journey and TRON Lightcycle Run each utilizing digital queues. That they merely don’t have the Solid Members scheduled to open TRON throughout Early Entry, however that can change.
No matter whether or not that’s true, TRON Lightcycle Run will completely change the dynamic throughout Early Entry. This may occur even when it’s not working! That’s as a result of TRON Lightcycle Run would be the #1 precedence for a lot of company, and there’s the belief that half-hour isn’t sufficient time to do each Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare and be on the entrance of the pack for TRON. So proper off the bat, that 90% quantity is dropping to 75%, maybe much less.
The most important affect within the near-term is a barely bigger crowd for Area Mountain. On regular day, it’s attainable to be out and in of Area Mountain in below half-hour throughout Early Entry (our common is about quarter-hour–it takes a bit to stroll the queue), so we’d anticipate that to inch up with extra individuals heading this manner. However in all chance, numerous company aren’t going to do something throughout Early Entry. Paradoxically, they’re going to race to Tomorrowland to do nothing however rope drop TRON. (“Hurry up and wait” as my military-man father likes to say.)
We all know this as a result of we’ve witnessed exactly this conduct with Radiator Springs Racers in Automobiles Land at DCA throughout its Early Entry. A whole lot of company make no effort to do something–and even arrive at or earlier than the beginning of Early Entry. They merely stroll up round quarter-hour into the perk, head to Automobiles Land, and wait. It would appear to be a waste, but it surely’s actually sound technique–and it’ll undoubtedly be replicated at TRON Lightcycle Run if the trip isn’t open for Early Entry in the long term.
If or when TRON Lightcycle Run does function throughout Early Entry, we’d anticipate nearer to a 50/50 combine. Regardless of TRON being the newer attraction, there’s a flooring below Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare by advantage of its extra family-friendly nature and the goal demographic of Magic Kingdom. That means that many company merely can not or won’t do TRON, in order that they’ll persist with SDMT. Nonetheless, everybody wins in such a state of affairs. Spreading out the group ought to make the dreaded SDMT Shuffle rather less insufferable–guess I’ll must give you a brand new “intelligent” title for it.
Rope Drop – In any other case often known as official park opening time, when a rope is dropped permitting common company to entry all of the lands of Magic Kingdom, rope drop (clearly) happens after Early Entry. Which means that on-site company will already be in Tomorrowland, and nearer to TRON Lightcycle Run.
It doesn’t matter what the curler coaster’s eventual Early Entry standing, rope drop shall be an objectively poor time for off-site company to do TRON Lightcycle Run. The straightforward truth is that they’ll be behind resort company by hook or by crook. We’ve numerous examples of how this works in apply, with wait instances peaking for headliner sights throughout the first hour of the day–notably at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Slinky Canine Sprint is an imperfect, however nonetheless fairly good proxy for TRON Lightcycle Run.)
Needless to say there’s additionally the chance price of rope dropping TRON Lightcycle Run. Which is to say that even in the event you can hit it at rope drop with a 90 minute posted wait time versus a 120 minute wait later within the day, you’re sacrificing Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Huge Thunder Railroad as walk-ons and can as an alternative be doing these later within the day when their posted wait instances are a lot larger. Suffice to say, off-site company ought to proceed concentrating on Adventureland and Frontierland relatively than being tempted by the siren’s tune of TRON. It gained’t be value it.
Noon Magic – There shall be a lull in some unspecified time in the future for TRON Lightcycle Run in the course of the center of the day. There all the time is for these headliners. The “when” of that is really probably the most tough–really, unimaginable–prediction to make of something on this listing. It varies for different high tier sights, and we’d anticipate the identical right here.
For probably the most half, the lull happens someday between mid-morning and lunch. It happens as a little bit of an accordion impact, as individuals begin seeing the posted wait time imbalance and avoiding the attraction in query. After which all of a sudden, it drops dramatically. (For instance, Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare can have a 90 minute wait at 9:30 am whereas virtually each different attraction is at half-hour or much less. The logical visitor thus avoids SDMT and does one thing else. That occurs en masse, producing the aforementioned dynamic.)
My guess is that candy spot with TRON Lightcycle Run will happen between 10:30 am and 11 am most days. However that is only a guess, and I’m far much less assured on this than anything. One factor I’m sure about is that the daytime parade gained’t have a lot, if any, bearing on TRON Lightcycle Run wait instances. Once more, the demographics are completely different.
All-Day Wait Occasions at Different Rides – One of many nice underrated issues about digital queues ending is that wait instances ought to lower throughout Magic Kingdom’s different sights. It’ll be very slight, however it should occur.
It is because each digital queue system (or comparable–like FastPass/Lightning Lanes/DAS/and so forth.) permits company to be in two locations without delay. With standby strains, whenever you’re in line, you might be all the time bodily standing in line–occupying just one spot within the park.
When company use digital queues, they aren’t merely skipping the road. The extra correct rationalization is {that a} “phantom model” of the visitor is ready in a digital line for his or her flip to trip. The actual model of the visitor is doing one thing else. TRON dropping the VQ means these company are not ready just about for it.
It in all probability gained’t appear to be wait instances have decreased for different Magic Kingdom sights as soon as mid-October rolls round and fall break is in full swing. Simply take into account that you aren’t experiencing the counterfactual, and that issues can all the time be worse. (In some methods, that’s been the mantra of Walt Disney World for the previous couple of years.)
Publish-Fireworks – The plaza round TRON Lightcycle Run is a enjoyable and immersive location for fireworks viewing. That is not so good as the center of Fantasyland, but it surely’s new and distinctive, with TRON’s lightcycles whizz by overhead and the dancing lights of the Add Conduit cover. Whereas we don’t advocate it on your first or solely viewing, it’s considered one of our favourite “secret” or “low-stress” areas for fireworks viewing in Magic Kingdom.
In the direction of the top of the fireworks, we advocate shifting in direction of the close by TRON Lightcycle Run entrance. Disregard the posted wait time–it’s reactive and only a few individuals are getting in line for the curler coaster in the course of the fireworks. Once more, we all know this because of the precedent set by Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare. It’s typically the case there that the posted wait time shall be 60+ minutes, and the precise wait round then shall be 15-20 minutes–typically much less!
Finish of Line – Equally, there’s the tried and true method for any headliner attraction: 1 minute earlier than park closing. That is just like the reverse rope drop, or ‘rope rise’ possibility. (We like to consider it because the “buzzer beater” method.)
Walt Disney World doesn’t cease strains for sights till park closing, which suggests you’ll be able to queue up proper till the clock strikes midnight (or normally in Magic Kingdom’s case, 10 pm or 11 pm). This successfully extends your day and is when the precise wait time is lowest for TRON Lightcycle Run.
Once more, it would be best to ignore the posted wait time. Not solely is it reactionary, but in addition as a result of Disney intentionally inflates wait instances on the finish of the night time to discourage company from getting in a single final trip. The extra individuals who soar in line for the thrill beater method, the longer it takes to clear the park, which suggests extra $$$ for Disney in staffing.
We’ve completed the ‘buzzer-beater’ method to Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare dozens and dozens of instances. Virtually each single night time we do Magic Kingdom, in reality. There have been a handful of instances that we’ve waited 20 minutes or extra, however the overwhelming majority of the time, our precise wait time has been between 10 and quarter-hour. There have been instances when it’s a walk-on!
DO NOT EXPECT THIS WITH TRON LIGHTCYCLE RUN. Sorry for screaming that, however we worry followers can have unrealistic expectations. The excitement beater method is an open secret amongst Walt Disney World diehards. It’s not some daring technique that solely readers of this weblog find out about.
The explanation it really works is essentially due to visitor demographics. As soon as once more, Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare is family-friendly, and skews a lot youthful than TRON Lightcycle Run. Kids are likely to have earlier bedtimes, so even one of the best laid plans for beating the buzzer on SDMT typically ends in failure.
That won’t be practically as true with TRON Lightcycle Run. It skews considerably older. Teenagers and different younger adults who skip Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare as a result of it’s “a child coaster” will completely be making an attempt to beat the buzzer on TRON Lightcycle Run. Once more, a greater comparability right here is Slinky Canine Sprint, however even that’s extremely imperfect as a result of crowds filter at DHS in the previous couple of hours of the night time. That doesn’t occur at Magic Kingdom.
There’s additionally the truth that TRON Lightcycle Run is well known as being higher at night time. Even the typical visitor is aware of this. The result’s {that a} good variety of individuals gained’t even try and trip TRON earlier within the day, and as an alternative will wait till night. And as soon as they see triple digit posted instances at 7 pm, many shall be incentivized to attend even longer, till after fireworks.
Accordingly, our expectation is that TRON Lightcycle Run will see 45+ minute precise wait instances with the buzzer beater method on common days. It’ll be longer in the course of the peak season, and will eclipse an hour. Walt Disney World actually gained’t need this, so anticipate to see a method of massively inflating the wait time and stacking the queue exterior the attraction entrance as much more of a deterrent.
Despite the fact that it stays to be seen how the ‘Finish of Line’ technique will play out with TRON Lightcycle Run, we’re inclined to advocate queueing up ~quarter-hour earlier than park closing. The frenzy on the final minute might make that the optimum method. (That is knowledgeable by a number of years in the past at Avatar Flight of Passage–lengthy earlier than the COVID closure.)
Prolonged Night Hours – There’s actually not a lot distinction with Prolonged Night Hours and common park closing. Based mostly on what we’ve seen elsewhere, my expectation is that this can have an analogous dynamic with actually lengthy strains on the very finish of Prolonged Night Hours. It is a perk for night time owls, and so they gained’t be discouraged by the later hour.
However, you need to completely soar into line for TRON Lightcycle Run on the very finish of Prolonged Night Hours. Even when the road is shorter earlier within the occasion (and it in all probability shall be!), alternative price is as soon as once more the secret. Doing TRON within the first hour of ExEH will eat a ton of time–time that could possibly be spent strolling onto different sights. As a substitute, soar in line on the bitter finish, successfully extending Prolonged Night Hours and pushing your wait–no matter that may be–past the top of the providing.
What Would Tom Do? – Glad you requested, means lots to me. As you would possibly know, I’m an aggressive gambler relating to park touring technique. So though I’ll not advocate this in our “official” itineraries, I’ll allow you to in on my meant method with an ordinary “don’t do this at house in Magic Kingdom with sluggish or danger averse individuals” caveat.
Magic Kingdom is at present open till 10 pm on regular nights with Fortunately Ever After at 8:30 pm. Which means that, by 8:50 pm, you possibly can be in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare. It’s greater than affordable to anticipate you possibly can be completed with that by 9:15 pm. From there, you possibly have time for Peter Pan’s Flight, however even when not (in all probability not–it sees an enormous rush post-fireworks and also you’d be behind that crowd), there’s undoubtedly time for Area Mountain. After doing that, I assess the scenario, probably doing a lap or two on the TTA PeopleMover. Solely after that do I get in line for TRON Lightcycle Run, ideally with not more than 10 minutes left earlier than park closing.
I’m virtually constructive this isn’t the optimum method for TRON Lightcycle Run. That getting in line instantly after the fireworks could be sooner. However I’m not viewing this in a vacuum–I’m optimizing for the park as an entire and the final ~2 hours of the night at Magic Kingdom are far and away probably the most worthwhile of the day. If I spend most of that point in line for TRON, it’s a waste. So as an alternative, I push TRON till the Finish of Line, say “who cares concerning the wait time” because it’s primarily after park closing, and backfill all the things else I can match previous to then. I don’t care a few barely longer line if I’m in it after park closing, as that point is lower-value. I’d really feel in another way if Magic Kingdom closed at 2 am, however I don’t wish to go to mattress this early.
I then exit the attraction to an empty Tomorrowland, benefit from the colourful neon and brisk air earlier than heading onto Most important Road to see the nice and cozy glow of the popcorn lights and nostalgic music filling the air. I’m reminded of why I fell in love with Walt Disney World within the first place, and really feel that magic as soon as extra. Now that is how I do TRON Lightcycle Run, and whereas the specifics are nonetheless shaky, I’m 100% assured within the fundamental contours of that method.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your optimum method and time of day to trip TRON Lightcycle Run? What would you advocate to Walt Disney World first-timers? Will you stick with standby at one of many ideally suited instances or purchase a Lightning Lane Single Go for TRON? Do you agree or disagree with any of our technique? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
