Yahoo Movies See stunning POV video of Disney World's new Tron roller coaster zooming through movie locales
Confirmed: When Tron: Legacy star Jeff Bridges first spoke about life moving us "past wants and hopes," he was actually talking about the highly anticipated opening of Disney World's new Tron Lightcycle Run roller coaster — which the Florida resort finally unveiled a stunning POV preview of over the weekend.
The attraction begins as riders board the coaster's titular vehicles, before approaching a neon-tinged launch track that catapults guests to nearly 60 miles per hour ahead of traversing a giant banked curve housed under a massive outdoor canopy.
Disney's video cuts off just as the ride enters the large indoor show building, which features digital screens that further immerse guests into the Tron movie world.
Identical to another coaster that opened at Shanghai Disneyland in 2016, Tron Lightcycle Run lifts thematic inspiration from the franchise, which debuted in 1982 via Steven Lisberger's feature film. Following the release of Joseph Kosinski's 2010 blockbuster Tron: Legacy, the series birthed a short-lived TV series that ran for one season between 2012 and 2013. Jared Leto is also working on bringing a third Tron film to screens alongside Maleficent: Mistress of Evil helmer Joachim Rønning.
Operating next door to Space Mountain inside the park's famed Tomorrowland section, Tron Lightcycle Run was manufactured by Vekoma, a Dutch company that previously partnered with Disney on Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest and several Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coasters currently operating at Disney parks around the world.
Disney See Disney World's new Tron Lightcycle Run roller coaster.
Tron Lightcycle Run is part of Disney's wide-reaching initiative to beef up the ride lineups at its Florida parks, which also includes an overhaul of Epcot — complete with the upcoming opening of a Moana-inspired walkthrough attraction and a new Guardians of the Galaxy-themed coaster.
The Magic Kingdom park recently closed its popular Splash Mountain flume ride ahead of an extensive refurbishment to transform it into a new experience based on the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog. The previous ride had long drawn criticism for elements that were inspired by the 1946 movie Song of the South — a film long accused of perpetuating racist stereotypes.
Disney World has set the Tron Lightcycle Run opening date for April 4 at Magic Kingdom, following cast member previews currently underway. Watch a preview video of the new roller coaster above.
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