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A nostalgia trip into the future
Our Northern American editor Susan Storey reports on Walt Disney World’s Tron Lightcycle / Run, inspired by the cult classic movie franchise
N
ostalgia from a video game-themed science fiction film meets today’s generation of video game-playing thrill seekers as Walt Disney World welcomes guests to experience its newest attraction,
Tron Lightcycle / Run. Fittingly found in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, Tron seamlessly
extends the themed section of the park, nestled beside Space Mountain. Spanning 10 acres, it is the largest expansion to the 52-year-old park since Fantasyland opened in 2012. The first thing guests notice when approaching Tron Lightcycle / Run is the
incredible canopy. The futuristic covering is quite a sight, gracefully creating a steel wave visible from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover and the Tomorrowland Speedway attractions. More than just an addition to the Magic Kingdom skyline – and temporary cover from Florida’s spring rain showers – the canopy begins guests’ entry into the futuristic game world. Officially called ‘The Upload Conduit’ according to Steven Miller, senior manager, corporate social responsibility, Walt Disney World Resort, it serves as “a digital bridge into The Game Grid.” Whatever you want to call it, the massive covering is an attraction itself,
covering more than 50,000 square feet, reaching a height of 105 feet and features more than 1,200 lights that follow the path of the Lightcycles as they transport guests into the Grid. “The canopy is the mainstay of this attraction,” shares Randy Fox, principal
show lighting designer for Tron Lightcycle / Run at the Magic Kingdom. “At night it is absolutely gorgeous and is actually one of my favourite parts of working on this project. The lighting fixtures react to your Lightcycle as you are speeding along the upload conduit. They are also synchronised with the music
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you hear, so the emotions of the music are represented in the lighting.” Guests waiting in queue and nearby bystanders are enveloped by the
canopy as the Lightcycles burst out of the incredible building, literally soaring above and around them. Large hexagons dance with light in their wake, creating mere seconds of wonder and imagination as the Lightcycles disappear, fully out of sight. As each new train whizzes by, excitement builds and the glow of the lights entices and inspires. The story of Tron began in 1982 with the original movie. The cult classic’s
story was continued with the sequel, Tron: Legacy, helping inspire Disney Parks to transport Tron from screen to theme park. Tron Lightcycle Power Run debuted with the opening of Shanghai Disneyland in 2016. The success of the ride in China inspired Walt Disney’s Imagineering to create another ‘gateway’ to the Grid, in the Magic Kingdom, extending the storyline and delighting new guests.
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