Disney: TRON Lightcycle Run

Believe it or not, Disney announced TRON Lightcycle Run for Magic Kingdom within weeks of Universal's acknowledgement of the end of Dueling Dragons. The difference is that unlike the unknown ride that would become Hagrid's, Disney fans knew exactly what to expect given that the first TRON Lightcycle Run had opened at the brand new Shanghai Disneyland a year prior. Of course, given that Disney's first mainland China park tends to be the one that most hardcore Disney fans don't expect they'll ever get to visit, the ride's duplication in the U.S.A. was still a victory.

Of course, the story of Magic Kingdom's TRON will forever come with an interesting asterisk: between the first soil moving and the ride's official opening, 1,875 days passed. That's five years, to build a clone of an existing ride. Sure, the pandemic interfered with construction timelines... but remember, TRON and Hagrid's essentially began construction at the same time, and Hagrid's managed to open before the pandemic struck at all. TRON, meanwhile, was put on the back-burner, then slow-walked to market while Disney instead focused on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

When the ride officially opened in April 2023, it offered exactly what fans had suspected thanks to YouTube videos of Shanghai's ride. In short, it's a ton of fun, and filled with visual splendor. Riders board unique, blue-light, straddle-style trains resembling the iconic glowing Lightcycles from 1982's TRON and its 2010 sequel, TRON: Legacy. Like a real motorcycle, guests lean forward, grasping handlebars as a restraint lowers against their back. It's a very dynamic, compelling position to ride a coaster in, and contributes to the ride's wow factor immensely.

From there, trains are loaded into place in a glowing, pulsating landscape, then immediately accelerated into the ride's signature launch, from 0 to 60 miles per hour. In a blur, the digital world melts into the real one as riders blast outdoors, racing up into the translucent panels of the "Upload Circuit" canopy that serves as the ride's visual anchor in Tomorrowland. Then, they enter a showbuilding, where the rest of the ride takes place. The fairly simple layout inside sees guests turn and dip, passing glowing, digital scenes and diving between curved projection screens in a simulated race against the orange team.

Like Hagrid's, it's a just-right thrill level that feels intense, but not too intense. Music also plays a major role in the experience. But to be sure, TRON definitely has its weaknesses. For one, the ride is undeniably lacking in the "length" department. From beginning to end, it's about a minute and 30 seconds – half of Hagrid's runtime. (It's exactly 60 seconds from launch to brakes.) There's no question at all that TRON is a ton of fun. But among fans, there is question as to whether Disney should've opened TRON before Guardians of Galaxy rather than the other way around, since the two rides are easily comparable. 

Your Thoughts

But now, we want to know your thoughts... It's Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure versus TRON Lightcycle Run... So altogether, as a full, complete experience, which comes out on top?

Well, according to our poll, at the current time of writing we have a clear winner with Universal getting 80% of the vote with Disney getting a somewhat embarrassing 13% with 7% voting it a tie. So, Universal is victorious with Hagrid's Magical Creature Motorbike Adventure without a doubt winning the battle of the straddle coaster. At the moment, it doesn't look like Disney, however hard they try, can rise above the continuing dominance of Universal and with Epic Universe set to open in 2025, we await news from Disney of how they will lay down their gauntlet in this relentless battle. 

If you haven't voted yet, there is still time to vote and let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.

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