'Good Morning America' Reveals First Look of Major New Disney World Ride
Team Blue scored a major victory when Good Morning America boarded Disney's TRON Lightcycle Run ahead of its official opening at Disney World. As GMA viewers waited for the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade broadcast to begin on Dec. 25, the ABC morning program revealed the first official look at the upcoming attraction, which is based on the Disney sci-fi film TRON: Legacy and was first announced in 2017.
GMA's first-look footage of the ride gave little away as it showed the co-hosts walking the load area wearing special jackets with "Tron" on the background. They were met by the ride's operators, who wore safety vests and hard hats. The hosts then boarded the ride, which blasted them off a high-speed adventure across the Grid, "the dark, computerized world with no horizons from TRON." As the ride concluded and they returned to the loading area, a computerized voice congratulated them as it announced, "a championship performance and victory for Team Blue."
Here's the clip that @GMA shared this morning of TRON Lightcycle Run, the new roller coaster set to open at Disney World in the spring. pic.twitter.com/J6w39z8LgB
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) December 25, 2022
While the GMA footage gave little away about the ride, it did seem to indicate that it is extremely similar to the Tron Lightcycle Power Run in Shanghai Disneyland Park, which debuted back in 2016. After that ride quickly became a top attraction, Disney announced an identical ride would open at its Orlando park in 2017.
"Lean forward into the ultimate race of survival! Leave the real world behind and join Team Blue in an epic quest across the Grid-the dark, computerized world with no horizons from TRON. Here, there's no limit to the excitement," the official description for the ride reads. "Climb aboard your very own Lightcycle and take off on a high-speed adventure, racing against the Grid's most menacing Programs. Surge past your fierce opponents as you attempt to cross through 8 Energy Gates and secure your team's victory-so you can survive to race another day."
TRON Lightcycle Run was initially set to open during Disney World's 50th anniversary – The World's Most Magical Celebration, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, construction was delayed. Currently, fans can catch a glimpse of the ride at Magic Kingdom Park when they ride the recently-reopened Walt Disney World Railroad. The rollercoaster does not yet have an official opening date, though Disney says it is scheduled to open sometime in spring 2023.
