Since opening in April of 2023, Tron Lightcycle Run has been a difficult attraction to experience. Like most new Disney attractions, Tron was locked behind a virtual queue. That means you couldn’t just walk up and hop on line the way one could with something like Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train or the Haunted Mansion.
Tron Lightcycle via Disney Parks YouTube
Instead you have to be up and on your phone at 7 am SHARP to enter into a virtual queue system that will then dictate when you can ride. If this system gives you an early boarding group but you weren’t planning on getting to the park until 11 am or later then that’s too bad. You only have a one hour window from the time your boarding group is called. If you arrive after, it’s at the discretion of the cast members whether you’ll be allowed on. There’s also a 1 pm opening for virtual queues, but that’s subject to availability and sometimes never opens at all.
This flawed system exists to prop up Disney’s Lightning Lane system, backed by what was formerly known as Genie+. Since late July its been known as Lightning Lane Multipass.
Tron Lightcycle via TPMvids YouTube
What does that mean?
If you missed out on a virtual queue, you can buy your way onto the ride at an additional cost for each member of your travel party.
Tron Lightcycle via TPMvids YouTube
Disney’s official reasoning for this system is to control crowds around new attractions. In the past, guests have swarmed to anything remotely new with wait times in excess of 90 to 120 minutes. However, when Tron Lightcycle Run switched to standby queue only on September 9th, we learned quickly that demand for this attraction might not be what Disney originally believed.
Crowds around the attraction surged first thing that morning, with rope drop guests rushing to the Magic Kingdom coaster in the back of Tomorrowland. However, by mid-day, a time in which the parks see a pick up of traffic from park hoppers and late starters, Tron could barely muster a 30 minute wait.
Only a 30 minute wait for Tron on its first day of virtual queue. Either it has an insane capacity or just isn’t drawing in the crowds anymore pic.twitter.com/vqvla7lj0h
— Park Mind (@AParkMind) September 9, 2024
This trend continued throughout the day. Many believed Tron would be the busiest attraction in the park, however it seems as though that distinction still falls to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. For context, the Mine Train opened as part of New Fantasyland in 2014.
Happy first day of Tron being standby and it’s currently not the highest wait ✌🏼 pic.twitter.com/eEOHkeGZ02
— It’s Kortnee B**ch ✌🏼 (@kortneejohnson7) September 9, 2024
In the early morning when Tron had a 70 minute wait, it showed something fascinating. In Walt Disney World’s hey day, you’d see a new attraction like this at 70 minutes with several other big attractions also seeing high wait times. However, when Tron Lightcycle Run hit 70 minutes, just about every other attraction in the park had little to no wait.
Tron is up to 70 but look at these other wait times!!! Makes me want to hop on a plane to @WaltDisneyWorld.
Most rides are sitting at 10 min or less and Seven Dwarfs is only 40 minutes. 😮 pic.twitter.com/zxm6H8x7eL
— Tarah Chieffi (@tarahchieffi) September 9, 2024
READ: New Casey’s Corner Cast Costumes Sap Even More Theming From Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
In the post above you can see a 15 minute wait for Space Mountain with Pirates of the Caribbean being a walk-on. Haunted Mansion is also listed at 13 minutes. However, that’s the time Disney lists the haunted house ride at when there’s no wait whatsoever.
What does this mean? Is no one interested in Tron Lightcycle Run? Or has Disney’s overall attendance level fallen so far that we’ve returned to the time of empty Septembers?
Walt Disney World sign via Orlando Streets YouTube
This was a phenomenon experienced in the late 2000s, when Walt Disney World attendance was down during a period of national economic hardship. Weekdays in September and early October were shockingly light, with nearly every attraction in the Magic Kingdom having little to no wait. To combat this, Disney would issue promotions like a free Disney Dining Plan to all resort guests. Eventually, the fall became a popular time for vacationers from Europe, who often stay for two or three weeks at a time.
The era of Walt Disney World’s “slow season” had ended. But it seems that the state of the US economy coupled with a series of decisions made by the Walt Disney company that many find questionable have brought us back to those days of an empty theme park and walk-on attractions.
Cinderella’s Castle in Walt Disney World via 4K WDW YouTube
However, this isn’t a problem specific to Orlando.
On the other side of the United States, Disneyland guests are also experiencing historic low waits, taking to X to showcase empty queues for E-ticket attractions like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
This is the current situation at the best ride in Disneyland pic.twitter.com/LNT1Semdsg
— Matt Desmond (@DisneyScoopGuy) September 10, 2024
One has to wonder what, if anything, Disney will do to combat this attendance issue. The company doesn’t often lower its prices, but desperate times may call for desperate measures. During times like these in the past, Disney often attempts to sweeten the pot by offering special promotions aimed at local residents and annual passholders. It will be interesting to see whether attendance will continue to drop the closer we get to the Holiday season and what Disney might do to try and win these crowds back.
It will be even more interesting to see how this trend shifts when Universal Studios Orlando opens its brand new Epic Universe theme park in 2025.
Mickey walks down Main Street USA at Disneyland. (Credit: Mortimer Productions)
Are you surprised at the low wait times for Tron Lightcycle Run? What do you think Disney will do to try and win back the hearts and minds of park patrons? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
Marvin The Movie Monster Montanaro is a YouTube commentator and personality specializing in movies, TV, video games, and professional wrestling. He can be found on his channels Tooney Town TV and Tooney Town Wrestling with daily content and weekly livestreams. He can also be found on That Game Place, the That Park Place video game channel.
NEXT: Disney World Cast Members Allegedly Leave Disabled Family Exposed to Thunderstorm and Stuck on Ride
