TRON Lightcycle Run Virtual Queue Strategy
TRON Lightcycle Run is the newest roller coaster at Walt Disney World, and is also difficult due to no standby line. In this ride guide, we’ll answer questions about the virtual queue, boarding groups, Lightning Lane, and answer FAQ about Magic Kingdom’s most popular thrill ride. (Updated July 27, 2023.)
To many first-timers, a lengthy guide for “successfully” riding a roller coaster might seem excessive. After all, isn’t it just a matter of “lining up, waiting, and sitting down”?! Unfortunately, it is not. TRON Lightcycle Run the biggest addition to Walt Disney World’s most popular park in a decade, instantly one of the most in-demand attractions anywhere.
Not only that, but Magic Kingdom restricts demand by using a free virtual queue and ‘pay-to-play’ access via the Individual Lightning Lane. These systems are nothing new, as TRON Lightcycle Run currently operates in exactly the same way. Before that, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure had similar systems.
Nevertheless, all of this has been confusing even for longtime Walt Disney World fans. Our goal here is to help you avoid similar frustrations. If you show up to Magic Kingdom, thinking you’ll be able to ride TRON Lightcycle Run, you’re in for colossal disappointment.
To the contrary, you’re almost guaranteed you won’t be riding if you simply show up at the official opening time. Hence this ride guide and FAQ, so you can plan accordingly, beat the crowds, and have a magnificent day at Magic Kingdom!
Before we dig in, one final note: the virtual queue dynamic is always evolving. Walt Disney World tinkers with policies, demand rises & falls, and so forth. It’s entirely possible that the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue process will “evolve” and will end up differing–or not existing at all–within the coming months.
If you want all of the latest updates on the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue–or notification when the ride’s standby line is announced–subscribe to our free Walt Disney World email newsletter. We also share other news and on-the-ground reports from the parks, when discounts are released, and much more.
Speaking of which, we have an update on the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue as of July 27, 2023…
TRON Lightcycle Run Virtual Queue Status Report
Before we dig into the details of joining the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle Run, we wanted to share a status update that should help relieve some stress and pressure. The new roller coaster has now been open for a few months, and the afternoon virtual queue is typically easier to enter.
Since the start of Summer 2023, the 1 pm virtual queue has stayed open until after 2 pm approximately 50% of the time. That means you could Park Hop to Magic Kingdom and still join the TRON virtual queue! However, the massive asterisk there is that the overwhelming majority of those days with post-Park Hopping availability came before July 5. Since then, the virtual queue has been open after 2 pm only on a handful of occasions, almost all of them Saturdays or Sundays.
Nevertheless, the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle Run has typically stayed open for 8-15 minutes the vast majority of days in July 2023. The good news is that means you could easily join so long as you’re in the park and make an effort to do so on time–no speed strategy needed!
In the near term, this trend is likely to improve. August and September are typically the slowest months of the year, so the virtual queue could get even easier during those months. (Although the earlier closings and displaced crowds during Party Season might throw a monkey wrench into that.) Peak season dates (school breaks and the weeks around holidays) in October through December 2023 will likely be a return to the virtual queue filling up in seconds or minutes.
For now, the 1 pm virtual queue being easier to enter is also good news for those wanting to potentially reduce their time waiting in line. Although TRON Lightcycle Run uses a virtual queue and technically doesn’t have a standby line, you will likely be waiting–and potentially for a long time–after returning to the attraction when your boarding group is called.
This was something brought to my attention by readers, some of whom reported waiting 45 to 90 minutes in the outdoor overflow queue during the day before boarding a lightcycle. After dropping in to check things out for myself midday, I can confirm that the physical line looked bad on the virtual queue side.
I can’t speak to the average wait time, but if it’s outside the attraction entrance, you’re looking at 30 minutes at the very least. If the Lightning Lane is backed up, virtual queue return wait times of 60-90 minutes are entirely plausible, as priority is given to paid Lightning Lane users.
With that said, the reason this was not on my radar and I cannot speak from personal experience is because I always do the 1 pm virtual queue drop and I always hesitate and wait for a few minutes after 1 pm (between 1:05 pm and 1:15 pm based on my perception of crowd levels–or right at 2 pm if I’m Park Hopping).
I started doing this because I prefer TRON Lightcycle Run at night. I’ve continued doing it because the return line is almost always shorter after 8 pm. (Honestly, I would’ve continued it regardless, but the long daytime lines solidified my decision.) When possible, I try to ride TRON Lightcycle Run immediately after Happily Ever After or around park closing. I’ve gotten “unlucky” with a few 7 pm return times, but even that was not terrible.
For what it’s worth, my experience has been about the same with day vs. night return times at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. I had gotten so used to doing Cosmic Rewind after 7 pm with a nearly empty queue that I was quite taken aback when the line was “backed up” to the Galaxarium on a recent afternoon.
Not to bore you with the nitty-gritty, but there are probably a few reasons for the line being shorter at night. The first is guest burnout–a lower percentage of guests make it to 7 pm or later than 4 pm. The second is dinner–no matter how coveted a TRON boarding group, some people aren’t skipping mealtime to use it. Finally, it’s deliberate on Disney’s part–fewer boarding groups per hour are typically called later in the day, unless there was above-average ride downtime earlier.
Finally, I should include the caveat that I’ve done TRON Lightcycle Run dozens of times at this point, so I don’t mind taking my chances on being shut out of a boarding group. I’d rather ride at night with a shorter line or not at all. If you’re a TRON Lightcycle Run first-timer, your risk tolerance probably is (or should be) far lower than mine. In other words, this stunt is performed by a trained professional, do not try this at home Walt Disney World!
With that update out of the way, here’s what you need to know about riding TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom…
How to Enter the TRON Lightcycle Run Virtual Queue
What is the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle Run?
The virtual queue is one of two main ways to ride the TRON Lightcycle Run roller coaster.
Rather than a standby line, you join this virtual line via the My Disney Experience (MDX) app and are notified when it’s your turn to ride. The process requires a few clicks in-app, but it’s pretty intuitive.
What are boarding groups for TRON Lightcycle Run?
If the virtual queue were like a lottery (it isn’t exactly), the boarding group would be like the ticket. The method versus the means.
Stated differently, boarding groups are the means of organizing guests into groups when it’s their turn to ride. Rather than a specific return window of 2-3 pm as is the case with Lightning Lanes, you might be in boarding group 71. Your return time is not specified in advance, but rather, as an estimate.
When can we enter the virtual queue?
You can join the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue at 7 am or 1 pm via the My Disney Experience app.
The first of those times can be joined by anyone who has a Disney Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom that day. The second can be joined by anyone who has tapped into Magic Kingdom that day.
Is there any difference for on-site v. off-site guests?
Not with the regular TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queues at 7 am and 1 pm. Everyone is treated equally, without regard to their accommodations.
What about Extended Evening Hours?
An additional opportunity to request to join the virtual queue for TRON Lightcycle Run is available at 6:00 pm during Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom. For those unfamiliar with it, this is a benefit for registered guests staying at a Deluxe Resort, Deluxe Villa Resort, or other select hotels. Guests with this benefit do not need to be in Magic Kingdom to request to join at that time.
Extended Evening Hours guests need valid admission and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same day to experience Extended Evening Hours—or they may experience Extended Evening Hours if they have a ticket or Annual Pass with the Park Hopper option and first enter the park for which they made their reservation.
What is the process like for joining the virtual queue?
The steps are identical to past virtual queues and similar to the FastPass+ or Genie+ selection processes, if you’ve done either of those.
Here’s a quick run-through:
Start by hitting the hamburger button on the lower right corner of the My Disney Experience app.
From there, select the “Virtual Queues” tile.
Then “Join Virtual Queue.”
There’s a shortcut from the home screen on My Disney Experience if you just scroll down a little bit. Sometimes all of the tiles take a bit to load on here after you first open the app. (It appears above your PhotoPass images.)
You’ll have the option of confirming your party starting at 6 am, or an hour before the virtual queue opens.
Click the blue button to confirm your party, ensuring that everyone visiting with you is selected for the virtual queue. So long as tickets are properly linked and everyone has a Disney Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom, this process should be smooth sailing and self-explanatory.
Once you confirm your party, you’ll see the above screen until 7 am.
Use the “fast finger” strategy below to get the timing right, and then either hit the refresh button or pull down to refresh at 7 am on the dot. You’ll then see the “Join Queue” button. Tap that and you’re done!
This shows your estimate waiting time, which will be several hours into the future (and not necessarily accurate) at 7 am since Magic Kingdom isn’t even open yet.
Once the park is open, this same screen will show you which boarding groups have been called plus a more accurate estimate wait time. Even then, return times can fluctuate based on downtime and other factors.
Once it’s your turn to join the physical queue, you’ll receive a notification (if you’ve allowed the My Disney Experience app to send notifications). You can also see your virtual queue status towards the top of your My Disney Experience home screen, as well as on the virtual queue page itself.
With that said, there’s no substitute for seeing for yourself. While it won’t let you complete the process, you can go through the first several steps of joining the virtual queue from home. Be on the MDX app some morning right at 7 am and go through the motions. It’s good practice for the real thing!
Next, we’ll cover some techniques to improve your speed and increase your chances of success at the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue!
Virtual Queue Speed Strategy
Disney WiFi v. Cellular Data?
It really depends on your carrier and where you’re located in the park/resort/etc.
We’d recommend doing a quick speed test with both a few minutes before it’s time to join the virtual queue. Anything at or above 50 Mbps should be sufficient, but the higher the better. If necessary, move around to get away from other people or increase your speed to that threshold.
Are there any ways to improve speed?
Obviously, there’s only so much that’s within your control when it comes to your internet speed at Walt Disney World. Two big things are getting away from congested areas and out from under things. Lower-level Walt Disney World hotel rooms have issues, as do outlying buildings. As a result, you might want to go outside, to the lobby, the balcony, an exterior walkway, etc. for the 7 am entry time.
When it comes to the 1 pm virtual queue, avoid congested areas of the parks. If at all possible, attempt to join while not standing in line for anything else, as some queues have ‘dead zones’ without WiFi or cellular service. In Magic Kingdom, most of the park is pretty good–the only area that comes to mind as being problematic is Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid.
How should we prepare for joining the virtual queue?
This might sound like overkill, but milliseconds matter.
Make sure your phone is fully updated and force close all apps, including My Disney Experience shortly before it’s time to join the virtual queue. Double-check the time on your phone or watch against time.gov, which is what Disney uses for opening the virtual queue.
What’s the best strategic approach for joining a boarding group? Should one person try for everyone, should we each try individually, or what?
Do not try individually–you won’t be in the same boarding groups, meaning you won’t ride together.
We recommend everyone try for everyone in your party. Launch the MDX app about 10 seconds before the official virtual queue entry time and hit the “Join Boarding Group” button. If that doesn’t work, force-refreshing by pulling down “hard.”
Everyone in your party who has a valid Disney Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom should already be pre-selected. The person in your party with the fastest fingers will score the boarding group, while everyone else will receive a “Not So Fast/Already in Boarding Group” message. Just be sure that anyone in your party who tries for boarding passes attempts to add everyone.
Again, it’s good to do a practice run or two at home so you’re comfortable with the process in the My Disney Experience app so you don’t get flustered and mess up. We’ve heard horror stories of readers clicking through too quickly and forgetting to add one of their family members. Don’t freak out if that happens–go to the Guest Experience Team Cast Members stationed at the blue umbrellas.
What if not everyone in my party is pre-selected?
During the process of joining the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue, everyone in your party who has a Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom and/or has tapped into the park (as applicable) should already be pre-selected. However, you have the option to hit “Change Party” in the hour before tapping the “Join Virtual Queue” button.
So long as you have sufficient time to fix any errors before 7 am, we’d recommend trying to do so. If you don’t have the time or can’t fix the problem, our advice is to click “Join Virtual Queue” with as many people in your party as possible. If, for some reason, someone in your party was not selected, see a Cast Member at the Guest Experience Team stands (look for the blue umbrella) in the park. Adding one person to an existing boarding group is a problem they can fix. No one in your party getting boarding groups because you hesitated or didn’t join due to an error is not a problem they can fix.
How accurate is the return time estimate that appears in My Disney Experience?
It depends. The estimate is based on the average number of boarding groups that TRON Lightcycle Run normally services per hour. Some days, it’s right on the money.
However, the estimate can be wildly inaccurate and you could be called back much sooner than originally indicated if the attraction starts operating early or if a lot of guests in front of you are no-shows. Conversely, if there are a lot of breakdowns, you may be called back much later than the estimate indicates.
Once notified that “your group has been called!” how long do we have to return?
You’re expected to return within 1 hour of being called.
Are late arrivals accommodated?
Walt Disney World has updated its virtual queue page to state that “late arrivals may not be accommodated.”
Officially, you should make every effort to return during your allotted window. Unofficially, Walt Disney World has been offering a grace period of around one hour, especially as return time estimates have varied wildly and Advance Dining Reservations have interfered with return times. However, most guests arriving beyond that hour grace period are usually denied entry absent extenuating circumstances.
Note that this is different from the (also unofficial) policy at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. There, guests are typically allowed to enter the virtual queue whenever, so long as their boarding group has been called. The reason for the difference, and why Disney is being more strict with TRON Lightcycle Run, is that this is an objectively better experience at night due to the illuminated Upload Conduit canopy.
Do we need to be in the park for the 1 pm virtual queue opening?
No. However, everyone in your party does need to enter Magic Kingdom at some point before 1 pm in order to “unlock” access to the virtual queue at 1 pm. Meaning you could arrive for park opening, take the monorail back to your hotel for lunch and a pool break, and try again at 1 pm.
It is not geofenced or based upon proximity—this functionality unlocks in the My Disney Experience app for each guest after they have physically tapped into the park’s tap/turnstiles. You can leave after tapping in and still join during the afternoon entry time from your hotel room or wherever.
You could literally be inside Magic Kingdom or in Manitoba. The virtual queue system only validates whether you’ve tapped into Magic Kingdom, not your current location. It can actually be advantageous to leave Magic Kingdom midday, as that’s when crowds and wait times are worst. If you’re like us, you also may prefer to do lunch at a Magic Kingdom area resort rather at Walt Disney World’s worst food park.
Anything else we can do pre-vacation to improve chances of success?
As with every other theme park at Walt Disney World, you’ll need to start by booking a Park Pass reservation before visiting Magic Kingdom, usually at least several days in advance. Park reservations are mostly a formality at this point, but mostly is the operative word in that sentence. During peak season, Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are still running out of reservations.
If you don’t mind monitoring the Disney Park Pass reservations calendar, consider booking multiple days at Magic Kingdom. Even if you’re only going to do the park one day, it’s savvy strategy to book reservations for Magic Kingdom on your Animal Kingdom day in addition to your dedicated Magic Kingdom day.
With the 7 am entry time, it’s possible to attempt to score TRON Lightcycle Run boarding passes from outside the park before you start your day. If you’re unsuccessful, you can change your Disney Park Pass reservations day-of to Animal Kingdom subject to availability. (Since the start of 2023, Animal Kingdom has yet to run out of reservations.)
Keep in mind that this could be a risky approach on busy days if reservations start filling up again, but that has not been occurring as of Summer 2023. Nevertheless, keep an eye on the Disney Park Pass availability calendar and switch in advance if this looks like it’s becoming an option around your travel dates.
TRON Lightcycle Run Ride Questions & Answers
Is it better to ride TRON Lightcycle Run during a certain time of day?
Night.
A big part of the TRON Lightcycle Run experience is the outdoor canopy. Not only does the attraction look better at night, but the story makes a bit more sense. This is definitely one attraction that is superior at night.
How can we guarantee a night ride with the virtual queue?
With the 7 am virtual queue, you cannot. Your return time will almost certainly be during daylight hours.
Your best bet would thus be gambling on the 1 pm virtual queue, but even that offers not guarantee. To the contrary, it introduces what we would consider unnecessary risk. Do not do this unless you really like adding a sense of exhilaration (and not the fun kind!) to your Walt Disney World vacation planning.
Any other alternatives?
That depends upon how access to the TRON Lightcycle Run area works. It might be possible to enter this subsection of Tomorrowland without a valid boarding group and it might not. We suspect that it will.
Assuming that’s true, simply walk back there and stand under the canopy for a bit at night. In fact, we’d recommend doing this regardless of whether you’re riding. It’s a fun and unique experience, and is instantly going to become an under the radar spot for watching the Happily Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
Is there any other way to ride TRON Lightcycle Run?
Yes.
TRON Lightcycle Run also offers paid Individual Lightning Lane (ILL) access. It’s likely the latter will sell out within minutes of 7 am, supplanting Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as the most popular Individual Lightning Lane in all of Walt Disney World.
In general, we’re not fans of paying extra for ILLs, but TRON Lightcycle Run could end up being an exception to that general rule. Our updated Individual Lightning Lane Info & Tips post has more info about this paid line-skipping option.
Is TRON Lightcycle Run open for Early Entry at Magic Kingdom?
No.
Despite Tomorrowland being one of the two lands open during Early Entry at Magic Kingdom (Fantasyland being the other), it will not operate during Early Entry.
Are larger-sized guests still experiencing issues with TRON Lightcycle Run?
Yes, albeit to a lesser extent than was first reported as TRON Lightcycle Run Cast Members have gotten better about assisting borderline guests.
In case you have not heard of this issue, larger guests have had issues not fitting into the lightcycle ride vehicles due to weight, height, and more. Suffice to say, if you’re tall, have muscular legs, or are plus-sized, you might have issues with the normal ride vehicles on TRON Lightcycle Run.
We cover everything you need to know in TRON Lightcycle Run Problems for Larger Guests. If you think you could have problems fitting into the lightcycle, we’d strongly recommend reading that. Not only does it cover common issues, but also suggestions for improving your chances of ‘successfully’ riding the attraction in a standard seat.
What happens if we “win” the virtual queue or buy an Individual Lightning Lane, but can’t fit on the ride?
You will still be able to ride TRON Lightcycle Run, you’ll just sit in a regular roller coaster ride vehicle (pictured above) rather than the lightcycle.
The only material difference is that your wait time will likely be slightly longer, as there are very few of these ride vehicles. Each offers different pros & cons, but we’d recommend seeing if you can fit in the lightcycle if at all possible.
Will the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue be available during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party?
Yes.
Walt Disney World has confirmed that TRON Lightcycle Run will use a virtual queue for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). Per Disney, an “additional opportunity” to request to join the virtual queue will be available at 6:00 PM for party guests.
A standby queue for TRON Lightcycle Run will not be available during the events. Each Guest can request to enter this virtual queue no more than once per Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party event nights. This is unlike Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Space Mountain, for example, which can be done repeatedly with minimal waits (for the most part) during the parties. So guests who are “roller coaster junkies” and were considering buying party tickets to loop TRON Lightcycle Run will want to rethink that.
Our opinion on this is mixed, just like it is about virtual queues in general. MNSSHP and MVMCP time is valuable, and the “new ride smell” still hasn’t worn off TRON Lightcycle Run. If it had a standby line during the events, it would likely have a posted wait time of 60 minutes throughout the events. From our perspective, that would be too long given the per hour cost of MNSSHP and MVMCP, so we wouldn’t do TRON Lightcycle Run in such a scenario. Making that a virtual wait is preferable for us, and we’re fine with being limited to one ride per party. Others may disagree, though, and that’s understandable.
Which is easier, the virtual queue or buying an Individual Lightning Lane?
That depends on whether you’re staying on-site or off-site. It also depends upon crowd levels.
If you’re on-site and it’s a busier day, buying an Individual Lightning Lane will be easier, since you can do that starting at 7 am. If you’re off-site on a busier day, the virtual queue will be easier, since you cannot purchase Individual Lightning Lanes until park opening. They a long gone when crowd levels are high.
On slower days, both the purchase of Individual Lightning Lanes and the 1 pm virtual queue will be easier for all.
Is it possible to score a spot in the virtual queue and purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON Lightcycle Run?
There’s nothing that prevents it aside from how quickly both book up–meaning that there’s no policy preventing you from double-dipping that way. However, it can be a challenge juggling both right at 7:00:00 am–unless you have one person in your party “assigned” to each.
Another alternative is doing the virtual queue first, and then waiting for a refill of the Individual Lightning Lane for TRON Lightcycle Run. See Ride Reservation Refill Rules at Walt Disney World for timing on when these typically occur.
Can we get more than one boarding pass per day?
Not during regular park hours–you cannot join both the 7 am and 1 pm virtual queue.
However, those who are eligible for Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom can join the third virtual queue entry time at 6 pm. You can enter at one of the earlier times and again at 6 pm for the bonus hours after normal park closing time.
In fact, you could theoretically ride up to 3 times in one day. Once thanks to one of the earlier two VQ times, once via Individual Lightning Lane, and once during Extended Evening Hours at Magic Kingdom. Or, if you visit during Party Season, a third time during MNSSHP or MVMCP.
What time does TRON Lightcycle Run run out of boarding passes?
There is no set time, but expect the first virtual queue to fill up by literally 7:00:05 am each day during most of the year. That’s what has happened with all attractions that have come before and used virtual queues.
As for the 1 pm virtual queue, that really depends upon demand. There have been low to moderate crowd days when Cosmic Rewind has still had availability after 2 pm, or even after 4 pm. On busier days, it’s gone within seconds of 1 pm.
Another key distinction is that Magic Kingdom is the most popular theme park at Walt Disney World, with significantly higher average attendance than its counterparts. More guests equals more demand for the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue. Consequently, we are not expecting it to last long after 1 pm on most days.
How do I get a spot in the 1 pm virtual queue if Park Hopping doesn’t start until 2 pm?
You don’t.
That’s part of the point in staggering the times. Walt Disney World is prioritizing people who start in Magic Kingdom and have reservations for that park. If there’s still availability after 2 pm, guests who have Park Hopped to Magic Kingdom then are given a chance to join.
Is it possible to score spots in both the TRON Lightcycle Run and Cosmic Rewind VQs in the same day?
Theoretically, yes.
The reason we say it’ll be theoretically possible is because it all depends upon your speed, demand, and and crowd levels. In a nutshell, it’ll require being able to score a boarding group for TRON Lightcycle Run at 7 am with a relatively low number, and then Cosmic Rewind still having availability once Park Hopping starts.
We have had success with this a couple of times already, but only on 1/10 and 2/10 crowd level days. It’s impossible to achieve when the parks are busier.
Does everyone have to be present to join or can we send one ‘runner’ to the park?
For the 7 am entry, the only requirement is a valid Disney Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom. The park isn’t even open at that hour, so entering the park isn’t even possible for that.
For the 1 pm entry, everyone in your party must tap into Magic Kingdom before they’re eligible to join the VQ.
What if we’re all near the park?
Nope.
It’s not based upon proximity–this functionality only unlocks in the My Disney Experience app once you physically tap into the park’s tap/turnstiles. It’s worth noting that you can leave after tapping in and still join during the afternoon entry time from your hotel room or wherever. The system only validates whether you’ve tapped in, not your current location.
Can we leave the park once joining the queue?
Yes. You could go back to your resort and take a nap, eat lunch, etc.
How do we know when we can return?
If your phone has push notifications for My Disney Experience enabled, you’ll receive an alert that your boarding group has been called.
Failing that, the “My Status” screen on the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue screen displays the same information. It also gives an estimated wait time, but again, that’s often inaccurate.
What happens if we have an Advance Dining Reservation that conflicts with our return time?
Ideally, you should see a Cast Member at the Guest Experience Team stands (look for the blue umbrella) located throughout the park. They can assist with scheduling conflicts.
Failing that, see a Cast Member at the attraction entrance–they are typically pretty flexible.
Does TRON Lightcycle Run accommodate Disability Access Service (DAS) card?
Yes, but this is still truly first come, first served.
That means everyone must join the virtual queue first, which means arriving and going through that just like everyone else. To take advantage of DAS, go to the Lightning Lane return line once your boarding group is called.
What about Rider Switch?
Yep, same process as above.
Is it possible to be too good at the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue?
Sorta.
If you follow the speed strategy here and get really lucky, you could end up with a boarding group under 10. This means your return time will likely be in the first hour that Magic Kingdom is open. There’s honestly nothing really wrong with this, but that comes with the important asterisk that you do not return immediately upon being called. Take your full hour and do other rides with low wait times first.
(This “warning” brought to you by watching several families rope drop Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT who would’ve been far better off doing Frozen Ever After or Test Track. Do as much as you can via standby lines while wait times are low!)
Should we buy Park Hopper tickets?
If you’ve read our Money-Saving Walt Disney World Ticket Guide, you know that we typically recommend Park Hopper tickets. They allow you to bounce around, which is strategically advantageous.
For guests who really want to ride TRON Lightcycle Run, we recommend booking Park Pass reservations for at least two days at Magic Kingdom. As with the above day-of switcheroo above, you might consider reserving 2 days at Magic Kingdom and 0 days at Animal Kingdom—and plan on sticking with those reservations at least one of the days.
On slower days, it’s also possible that you’ll be able to Park Hop to Magic Kingdom and join the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue after 2 pm. You also might consider doing 1.5 days at Magic Kingdom, as it’s the park with the most to do. For all of these reasons, we highly recommend purchasing Park Hopper tickets right now.
Which days of the week are best for visiting Magic Kingdom?
Statistically speaking, Saturdays and Sundays are currently your best bets for the lowest crowds at Magic Kingdom. That’ll likely change during Party Season, though.
For more comprehensive advice and explanations, see our Best & Worst Days to Do Each Park at Walt Disney World. That offers definitive advice for picking dates, and not just for Magic Kingdom, but for all 4 parks.
Does arriving to Magic Kingdom for park opening matter?
Not for the TRON Lightcycle Run virtual queue.
It’s always good practice to show up early, as that’s when normal attractions (the ones with standby lines) will have their shortest wait times of the day.
Is it safe to rely on Walt Disney World transportation for getting to Magic Kingdom in time for park opening?
Yes.
This is especially true if you’re staying at one of the resorts in the area, and can use the boats, monorail, or walking paths. You’ll get to the park pretty quickly. Anyone relying on bus transportation should build in a buffer, as there can be long lines to board the buses early in the morning. For example, if we want to enter Magic Kingdom for Early Entry starting at 8:30 am, we usually aim to leave our room at one of the Value Resorts by 7:15 am.
Should we just wait to do TRON Lightcycle Run until our 2024 Walt Disney World trip?
Although the virtual queue creates winners and losers, if you’ve already read the ~5,000 words above, you’re much more likely to be one of the winners. You are far better positioned than 95% of other guests–many of whom arrive without knowing what a virtual queue even is or when it’s offered–and are more likely to succeed in scoring a boarding group. With a virtual queue, your wait time will be significantly shorter than if you just wait until 2024 or whenever the virtual queue is replaced with a standby line.
You’ve already learned what to do and how to do it–now put that knowledge to use!
When will this all die down?
When Villains Land opens. Maybe.
The last big attraction to debut in Magic Kingdom was Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and that was about a decade ago. If you visit today, the vast majority of the Early Entry and rope drop crowds still race (well, more like shuffle!) to that ride and it instantly posts wait times of an hour or longer. Throughout the day, it Seven Dwarfs Mine Train routinely sports triple-digit wait times. Suffice to say, TRON Lightcycle Run will be very popular and in-demand for years to come. If you’re waiting for that to die down, see you in 2045!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you have any questions this FAQ failed to answer? If you’ve done TRON Lightcycle Run, do you think there’s anything else first-timers should know? Do you agree or disagree with any of our advice or answers? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
We will be visiting Disney next week. I read that park reservations are not in place anymore in order for me to get VQ…. Is that correct? I will be staying on site.
Unless you’re an annual passholder, you don’t need park reservations anymore with just single or multi-day tickets.
Anything new on the Tron Lightcycle wait times/que, we will be going the first of July 2024. I have not been since this new system was started, any info would be great…Thanks..PG
The 7:00am virtual queue usually fills up FAST and by that I mean around 4 seconds after the atomic time clock goes to 7:00am. The 1:00pm time window usually lasts a bit longer, sometimes several minutes. You do not have to be in the park for the 7am, just have a valid park ticket for the day you’re trying for a virtual queue. You do either have to be in the park for the 1:00pm or have been in the park at some point earlier in the day. If you leave and go back to your hotel or to another park it will still let you get a virtual queue for TRON.
Thanks Jeff W. I know very little how the Genie+ system works, have not been in a while, me and my family are going in July. What is the best place to goto to learn all the details/use of the Genie+ system.Any info would be great…Thanks…PG… I
For learning all about Genie+, stacking Genie+ reservations, etc., do a google search for something like “Genie+ tips”. There are several places that discuss tips and tricks about that, including this one.
Buy it through Lightning Lane. I got the virtual que and it took over 90 minutes from when they called our “boarding group”. It was ridiculous
OK. I really get tired of all these posts that take 5 days to read and confuse me even more, so i will just ask here. I can just use the app to get a queue correct? I don’t need Genie+?
I am really trying to stay away from paying for Genie + for just two adults and not sure I really need it for any of the parks as of yet.
It is mind boggling that you need to spend so much time reading how to enjoy a vacation. This all is such a hassle.
This has also been one of my complaints about Disney lately – it is so doggone confusing with Genie, Genie+, Individual Lightning Lane, Virtual Queue. Plus, you have to spend a lot of time on your phone to try and maximize your time if you do not want to wait for long periods in the standby lines. It can be a headache when people are there for a stress-free, fun vacation. If you do a google search for those things there are places that describe in detail the steps on how to use them.
To answer your question, you do not need to buy Genie+ to get a boarding group in the virtual queue for TRON or Guardians of the Galaxy. You just need to be rather fast at doing it precisely at either 7:00am or 1:00pm EST. For the 1:00pm, you must either be in the park or have been in there earlier that day.
If you’re there for a special evening event, such as Mickey’s Christmas Party, you can also try for a boarding group at 6:00pm.
Is it still possible to practice joining the Virtual Queue before your actual trip? My trip’s not until spring, but I’ve been trying the last couple days to join the Tron Virtual Queue at 7am EST, and I keep getting a message saying that “This guest does not have a linked Disney park pass reservation”, which is true for that day, so I can’t confirm my party. Or am I missing something? I also tried choosing a day when I do have a resort booking, but no luck trying that either. Thanks.
When I was practicing at home (see some of my replies from earlier this year) I was able to get all the way through the BG process and secure a spot in the virtual queue because we had some sort of special tickets that didn’t require a park reservation and no specific days we had to use them on. If I remember right, it was for 4 days at any of the WDW parks from June through the end of September.
Since Disney didn’t know what days we would be using our tickets they couldn’t block me out whenever I practiced with the virtual queue at 7:00am, 1,000 miles away back home. After I got a BG I always went back and removed it from the list so I wouldn’t keep someone else from getting a BG who was actually going to the park that day.
If you’ll send me a PM I will provide a few hints on how I was able to consistently get in the single digit BG numbers and occasionally BG #1.
Jeff how do I send you a PM on here? Going soon and would like to understand your strategy!
Hmm…it doesn’t look like this site has a way to send PMs. You can contact me at [email protected].
Just making an observation – step back a minute and consider the madness of all this planning and cell phone fastest finger first nonsense. It all sounds very unbelievably stressful and not what you’d want for a
Vacation! Having been to Disneyland Paris, where people complain it’s not as good in general, you can simply buy premier access for guaranteed entry to all rides, and unlimited single access to individual rides. Ok it’s pay to win again, but it works and I don’t need to keep checking my phone all day or get lucky on a lottery of under 10 seconds finger mashing. Even universal is better – just pay to stay in a premier hotel and you are guaranteed a great day. They really need to rethink this nonsense it’s just horrendous.
Actually, I kind of enjoyed the competition of trying to get in a low number boarding group when we were at WDW about a month ago. My practice sessions at home with trying for BG #1 apparently paid off. When it came time for the real thing on the day we were going to the Magic Kingdom I got BG #1 for TRON and the day after that when we went to Epcot I again got BG #1 for Guardians. I have the technique. 🙂
However, I probably will not use it again for TRON or Guardians. After doing each of those two rides I had a bit of motion sickness for the next few hours. My body occasionally reminds me that I’m not 25 anymore.
Just a heads up that we have a new on-the-ground update on TRON Lightcycle Run: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/tron-lightcycle-run-virtual-queue-short-versus-long-lines-report/
What is your recommendation for when to join the 7 am Tron VQ if you want to get a later boarding group time for end of August time frame ? With crowds lower this time of year would I still need to do it right after 7 am ?
If you do not get a virtual queue within the first 10 seconds or so of the 7:00am opening time they will be filled. Do not wait at all when the atomic time clock strikes 7:00am. Earlier this morning, I was experimenting with techniques to reduce my time at getting a virtual queue for TRON for when we will be there in about a month from now. All of the virtual queues were filled 5 seconds after 7:00am.
If that happens, you can always try for the 1:00pm queue but you have to be inside the park to do it, or at least have had your ticket scanned and been in the park earlier that day if you were to leave for a while. There is no geo fencing to tell if you are still in the park. Those don’t usually fill up quite as fast.
Also, there’s the virtual queue at 7:00pm if you’re doing the Mickey’s Halloween Party. However, that one has been filling up almost as fast as the 7:00am one lately.
One correction to my previous reply. I mentioned MNSSHP (Mickey’s Halloween Party) virtual queue time as being 7:00pm. That one is actually 6:00pm.
Also, here are some stats on how fast the virtual queues filled up today (8/24) for TRON that I found elsewhere.
7am: 7.2 secs
1pm: 12.3 secs
Hi!
What’s the best way to ride if we’re coming into the park at 5pm due to a ticket we have from a convention?
Thanks
Any strategies for joining the virtual queue during extended evening hours? We don’t want to have a conflict with Happily Ever After. We could also join on the night we’re attending MNSSHP, but that might not be the best use of our time. Thank you!
Hi Tom & Sarah!
I was wondering if you or any readers have ever had your TRON boarding group call back time conflict with dining reservations (times for ride call back & ADR out of park were the same time) and if so, what was your solution so that you could ride TRON and have your meal too? Thanks for your help and looking forward to hearing more about Baby Bricker.
We personally have not had this issue–it’s happened over at Cosmic Rewind, but they’re way more flexible there–but it does happen a lot. We’d recommend doing one of two things:
1) Visiting the Guest Experience Team (blue umbrellas) before your ADR. They can typically modify your boarding group or come up with some type of solution.
2) Take a screenshot of your ADR to show Cast Members at TRON upon arriving late.
#1 is the safer bet, but #2 will almost certainly work. So long as you have a good and documented excuse, they will likely accommodate you. (But it’s always possible that you get one CM on a bad day or who doesn’t want to help, which is why #1 is the safe bet. 98% of the time, either option will work.)
Our first time riding Tron on June 12th we entered the 1pm queue. We eventually got called around 8pm and ultimately waited 75 minutes – way longer than I expected at that time of day. Thankfully we got front row for our first experience! We entered the 7am queue on June 16th and used your speed strategies. We got group 1 kind of to our dismay, haha. It threw off our rope drop strategy a bit but we were happy to ride it as a walk-on near the end of our return time.
Can you modify your boarding group number to a later time?
When Star Wars Rise of the Resistance was fairly new I had a Park Hopper ticket for a certain day. My wife and I were going to spend the first half at MK and then hop over to HS for the rest of the day. I agreed to meet her at MK soon after it opened but I wanted to first go to HS and get a boarding group for ROTR, hopefully a high number one that wouldn’t be called until later in the day.
Well, as it turned out I got BG #11. I went up to a HS cast member by a blue umbrella, explained my situation and asked if she could bump me up to a higher BG that might not be called until later in the afternoon. She instead swapped my BG #11 with an anytime pass, meaning I could use my BG whenever I wanted that day. I thanked her very much and made sure she got the proper recognition from Disney.
I don’t know if they still have those types of passes but if you want a later BG just go up to one of the blue umbrella cast members and ask.
Hello,
We were in WDW the third week of June. Both times using the virtual queue we got boarding groups 8 and 9. Even waiting at the last minute to enter, it was a walk on, probably because it was still early in the morning. In order to ride at night, we both LL and the line was also not long but we could see the regular line being quite long at 9pm. Even if the LL are expensive, it was a great experience to ride Tron at night. Our experience with Guardian of the Galaxy was similar. In the morning the line was not long but on our arrival day we could not try for the virtual queue until 1pm. Having a return time late in the afternoon meant that we waited around 60 minutes.