Before TRON Lightcycle / Run, the plot next to Space Mountain was set aside for a Florida version of Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds. It never got built, and now the train runs under a glowing grid instead.
Magic Kingdom almost had its own Matterhorn.
The land where TRON Lightcycle / Run now sits, right next to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland, was a plot “that Imagineers had originally set aside for a never-built Disney World version of Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds,” per TouringPlans.
That Swiss mountain never came to Florida. Decades later, the spot got a giant glowing canopy and a launch coaster that hits nearly 60 mph instead.
Why doesn’t Magic Kingdom have a Matterhorn?
It was planned, then left on the shelf.
Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds opened in 1959 and became one of the park’s signature rides. At some point, Imagineers set aside land in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland for a Florida version, per TouringPlans. It never got past the planning stage.
Magic Kingdom got Space Mountain in 1975 instead, and the land next door waited decades for its big ride.
When did TRON Lightcycle / Run open at Magic Kingdom?
April 4, 2023, per Wikipedia.
Disney first announced it at the D23 Expo on July 15, 2017, and construction started with land clearing in February 2018. It was supposed to open for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in fall 2021, but COVID-19 pushed it back about a year and a half.
The ride is a copy of Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON coaster, which opened with that park on June 16, 2016.
How fast is TRON at Magic Kingdom?
Fast. The launch takes riders up to 59.3 mph, per Wikipedia, on about 3,169 feet of track. The whole ride lasts roughly a minute.
The famous canopy over the ride stands 105 feet tall and holds about 1,200 lights, per Celebrations magazine, and the build used about 1,900 tons of steel. The full project covered roughly 10 acres, Magic Kingdom’s biggest addition since New Fantasyland in 2012.
Does the Walt Disney World Railroad go under TRON?
Yes. The train now runs through a tunnel that passes under the attraction.
The Walt Disney World Railroad closed in December 2018, partly to make way for TRON construction, per The Unofficial Guides. It stayed down for four years and came back just before Christmas 2022 with a new route. Now “the train enters the newly built tunnel past Tomorrowland’s E-Tickets,” the Unofficial Guides wrote, and the tunnel even plays a sci-fi sound clip tied to the ride.
One catch if you’re visiting soon: the railroad closed again for refurbishment on Sept. 28 and is scheduled to be down through Oct. 29, per WDWMagic, citing Disney’s park calendar. Once it’s back, a lap around the park takes you right under the Grid.
Is Disneyland getting a new Matterhorn?
That’s the latest rumor, and it’s only a rumor.
This month, WDW News Today reported a rumor that Disneyland’s Matterhorn Bobsleds could be torn down and rebuilt in a new spot as part of a Tomorrowland reimagining. Disney hasn’t announced anything like that. It has only said, at D23 this year, that a new Tomorrowland is in development.
What’s the best way to ride TRON at Magic Kingdom?
Check the My Disney Experience app the day you go. Disney has changed how TRON’s line works more than once since opening, from a virtual queue to other options, so the app is the only reliable answer.
The ride is short, but the launch is the best part. And now you know you’re launching across the spot where a snowy mountain almost stood.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
TouringPlans, the Matterhorn land plan and groundbreaking
Wikipedia, TRON announcement, construction, opening date, ride stats and Shanghai
Celebrations magazine (Nov. 18, 2023), canopy, lights, steel and acreage
The Unofficial Guides (Jan. 19, 2023), the railroad closure, reopening and tunnel
WDW News Today (September 2026), Matterhorn rebuild rumor
WDWMagic (Sept. 28, 2026), railroad refurbishment dates
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