How TRON Compares To Other Disney World Coasters — What To Know Before You Ride | the disney food blog (2024)

Thrill seekers! Are you ready?!

TRON Lightcycle / Run officially opened on April 4th, 2023, after welcoming guests for a short while via previews.Disney fans have waited YEARS (literally) for this ride to open, and there are many questions surrounding the highly-anticipated coaster. One of those is how TRON compares to other Disney World coasters!

Disney World is home to several fan-favorite coasters — Expedition Everest, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — so how does TRON compare to the rest? We have already ridden TRON Lightcycle / Run many times, so here’s what to expect compared to other Disney coasters you may have been on!

How Smooth is the Ride?

Let’s start by discussing the smoothness of TRON! As is the trend with many newer coasters, TRON Lightcycle / Run is definitely on the smoother end of the spectrum. As far as the feel of the track goes, we would probably compare it to Slinky Dog Dash or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

Don’t worry — you’re definitely not going to ache like you might after Space Mountain, and it’s not bumpy enough to pass a kidney stone (like some people say about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!). The cars are practically gliding along the track on TRON and there aren’t any jerky turns or sudden lurches like some other rides have.

How Fast is the Ride?

Do you have the need…the need for speed? If so, TRON should be on your list! It’s not the fastest ride in Disney World (that title goes to Test Track, which tops out at about 65 MPH), but it’s pretty close. During the initial launch, TRON riders get close to hitting 60 MPH.

Essentially, it’s about as fast as if you were riding a motorcycle on the highway. But since you’re curving and going up and down some hills, it feels a bit faster than that. The launch definitely makes it more intense!

How Intense is the Ride?

And speaking of intensity…how intense IS TRON? Well, the launch will remind you of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which starts out the same way. The main difference between the two is that TRON Lightcycle / Run doesn’t have any inversions.

We’ve found the ride to be most intense in either the front or back rows, and if (as an adult) you can handle Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, you can probably handle this. We would classify it as less intense than Expedition Everest or the inversions on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, but more intense than the more “family” coasters like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Slinky Dog Dash.

How Long is the Ride?

In length, we’ll once again compare the ride to Rock ‘n’ Roller at Hollywood Studios. It’s not very long, actually only lasting about a minute from launch to end. But it’s definitely an action-packed minute!

You start inside the ride building and you’re immediately launched out. The final portion of the ride is back indoors and in the dark, speeding through set pieces like you would on Rock ‘n’ Roller or Cosmic Rewind.

What Do the Seats Compare To?

We get asked a lot of questions about the seats on TRON Lightcycle / Run, and they’ve caused quite a stir for not being entirely size-inclusive. You’re essentially riding a bike when you board this coaster, except you’re leaning forward. It’s most comparable to Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom, but even still, it’s pretty different.

With Flight of Passage, the main restraint comes up behind the rider’s back. On TRON, the restraint that is most restricting is behind your calves. If you have larger calves, you may have trouble fitting on the bike. However, there is a test seat at the top of the hill by the ride entrance if you would like to try it out before getting in line. Even if the “bike” ride vehicles don’t work for you, you can still ride TRON. Some of the ride trains have adaptive seats that are more of a traditional bench seat — ask a cast member about the adaptive seating if it will work better for you.

Should Your Kids Ride TRON?

And finally, let’s talk about the little ones! If your child can handle Slinky Dog Dash, the next step up in coaster intensity would probably be TRON. There are no inversions, but the launch can be a little scary if they haven’t done something like that before, and inside the show building things are pretty dark, so that may be frightening for younger riders.

If they’ve successfully conquered Cosmic Rewind, TRON might be the next move, but keep in mind that the first hill after the launch is very tall. The height is where Slinky Dog Dash would compare. Ultimately, it’s up to you and what you think your child’s comfort zone is. Don’t push them beyond what they can handle. To ride, your little one will need to be 48 inches tall.

So there you have it — that’s our full guide to TRON and how it compares to other coasters and rides in Disney World. If you’re visiting soon, make sure to check out our video to see what it’s like!

VIDEO: See What It’s Like to Ride TRON Lightcycle / Run in Disney World

What isyour favoritecoaster inDisney World? Tell us in thecomments!