Walt Disney World recently concluded its 18-month 50th anniversary celebration. However, in typical Disney style, the party continues. Right now, the Walt Disney Company is currently celebrating its 100th birthday, and Walt Disney World is progressively rolling out quite a bit of newness throughout this season of festivities. A previous visit to Walt Disney World will not compare to what’s presently in store because there are new and returning character greetings opportunities, as well as the Happy Ever After nighttime spectacular at Magic Kingdom Park.
As part of its #AllTheDisneyThrills social media effort, Walt Disney World wants to showcase to the world all the things that makes this magical place so special. On that note, let’s start with something that is very brand new and exciting to Walt Disney World.
Today, April 4, 2023, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World officially opened TRON Lightcycle / Run, which is the fastest attraction in the Disney thrill ride arsenal. Adjacent to Space Mountain in Tomorrowland, TRON Lightcycle / Run sits on 10 acres and its illuminated 50,000 square-foot canopy is an aesthetic gem. This 1,900 ton attraction is a sister to TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland, which opened in 2016 and is the highest rated attraction at that park. In addition to its speed, custom ride system, and music and visual effects, the thrills generated by TRON Lightcycle / Run on its more than 3,000 feet of track are certain to create an urgency to re-ride again and again.
From the moment they enter the attraction building, riders are immersed in the world of TRON. Following events in The Walt Disney Studios 2010 film, TRON: Legacy, TRON Lightcycle / Run enables guests to enter the digital world via gateways that Grid creator Kevin Flynn’s son, Sam Flynn, opened. As such, riders will enter a Digitizer before boarding Lightcycles in the Sync Chamber and prepare for upload. Launching onto the Grid is an exhilarating experience as powerful Lightcycles arc gracefully beneath the towering attraction canopy and charge into a mysterious game world of light, sound and speed. The quest: Race through eight Energy Gates to defeat the menacing group of Programs known as Team Orange. Riding this attraction at night provides a particularly unique experience as key lighting of the attraction canopy responds to the movements related to every Lightcycle launch. Additionally, riders will be provided an opportunity to view and purchase video clips and photographic stills of their time on-board the attraction.
Once riders complete their Lightcycle journey, they can experience unique retail offerings all themed to TRON. One of the most interesting offerings is a backpack that includes a Light Disk that doubles as a USB speaker (FYI: The Light Disk is fragile, so don’t throw it around like a character in the movie). Guests can also purchase and customize their own TRON action figures that include their own facial image.
More Must-See Experiences at Walt Disney World
And speaking of #AllTheDisneyThrills, about one year ago, I highlighted my brief preview of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort. Recently, I had the chance to experience this very immersive two-night RPG (role playing game) voyage for myself, and my expectations were exceeded far beyond my roughly three-hour preview.
From the moment guests arrive and check their bags at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Terminal and a guide welcomes them with a “Good Journey” greeting, they’ll know that they are no longer in familiar Earth surroundings, but one from a story that exists a long time ago, “in a galaxy far, far away.” From there, guests will have a safety briefing before boarding a shuttle pod that will transport them to Chandrila Star Lines’ Halcyon Starcruiser. Once the shuttle docks and the doors open, they will enter an expansive atrium-like area, which is where much of the major action will occur throughout their voyage.
Adjacent to this gathering place are the Sublight Lounge (where you can play a game of HoloSabacc, sample small bites, and enjoy a selection of specialty hard and soft beverages), The Chandrila Collection (which is the merchandise destination onboard The Halcyon), and The Bridge (more on this in a moment).
Day one onboard the Halcyon is one where guests will become familiar with their surroundings and the characters. However, guests will need to be mindful of their scheduled activities throughout their voyage via their Datapad (within the Play Disney app on their smartphones). Additionally, the Datapad is where characters onboard The Halcyon who are aligned with The First Order or The Resistance will send guests messages. How each guest responds to specific messages and tasks on their Datapad will determine how their second day on Batuu and evening onboard The Halcyon will develop. (This is the day and evening when things get intense.) One note: If you somehow forget to bring backup charging batteries for your smartphone, don’t worry, you can obtain one from the guest relations desk on-board The Halcyon, as your smartphone will get quite a workout with the Datapad throughout your voyage.
Onboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
A visit to The Bridge yields the best views of soaring through Hyperspace. But this key area is one that is also interactive and thrilling! On the first day, guests will be given the opportunity to get hands-on with essential tracking and defense systems. This subtle “training” will come in handy for the events of their second day of adventure onboard The Halcyon.
Culinary Delights Onboard the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.
It took six years for Walt Disney Imagineering to develop and create this experience and no detail has been overlooked. The design and layout of the accommodations are exactly what you would expect from Star Wars – but with a very high-end perspective. Yes, the rooms do have some of the “feels” of a traditional ocean liner and much of the same sensibilities as a Disney Cruise Line ship, but in a Star Wars setting. Plus, each room includes D3-09, an intuitive AI droid that can communicate with guests at any time. The dining experience is creative, abundant, and flavorful. And the character performances at both dinners and throughout the voyage only help to further enhance the believability and authenticity that you are actually participating in a Star Wars story. Too many times I found myself looking around while aboard the Halcyon to see if there were studio cameras filming this experience – it’s just that authentic!
