News Tron coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom

[Unplugged]

Tron is on hold for various reasons, Fine! WDW needs to get the MK steam train track laid and the train running. It is a classic that needs to be operating. That classic train has more meaning and is more integral to the MK history than Tron can ever be.

If they proceed with relaying the track, it will not happen until the poured concrete walkways for TRON are completed as the train (tunnel structure or not, goes under the walkway. So, they finish the TRON canopy to protect the coaster track. IMHO, protecting the investment I'm sure, is of greater value than worrying about the view. Crowd levels are increasing even with the current view and the weather will destroy unfinished exteriors. Heck, look what the FL weather does to finished structures.

 

[celluloid]

Glad universal is still finishing Velocicoaster. At least we will have that to look forward to

For sure! And Iron Gwazi,Icebreaker and all the other regional parks still opening things for 2021.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

There was plenty of non-insider speculation that Space would go down for a refurb once Tron was opened. But the last plan that I can recall to actually "fix" Space Mountain in Florida was 2006, before the budget was cut and we got what we got, instead of the originally-planned full-blown refurb.

Where'd "that" budget go? I don't recall.

 

[trainplane3]

Where'd "that" budget go? I don't recall.

 

[matt9112]

The reports are wrong. Rat is testing. Should be nearly done by now if not completed.

To be fair do you see a possibility that its done done but they simply do not open it. Hold it back for impact and marekting reasons?

 

[mattpeto]

To be fair do you see a possibility that its done done but they simply do not open it. Hold it back for impact and marekting reasons?

That seems to be the consensus of the people that are in the know unless something just changed recently.

 

[Brer Panther]

So, we've got an unfinished ride in Tomorrowland, an unfinished overhaul of EPCOT's center spire or whatever it is they were overhauling over there...

Can this stupid pandemic just go away already?

 

[culturenthrills]

Ah good another thing that Unscrupulous can steal from this site, of course under his pen name Jessica Figueroa...

She is a real person

 

[lazyboy97o]

If they proceed with relaying the track, it will not happen until the poured concrete walkways for TRON are completed as the train (tunnel structure or not, goes under the walkway. So, they finish the TRON canopy to protect the coaster track. IMHO, protecting the investment I'm sure, is of greater value than worrying about the view. Crowd levels are increasing even with the current view and the weather will destroy unfinished exteriors. Heck, look what the FL weather does to finished structures.

The coaster track is not really in need of protection and the canopy isn’t much. The more likely reason the canopy will be completed is because of its self supporting design. Leaving all of the temporary shoring is not really an option for a prolonged period of time.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I find irony in classifying these as “waves”. It’s rather consistent. “Spikes” are the more appropriate term.

Wait, so the guy that stole Buzzy is to blame for COVID?

 

[Brer Oswald]

Wait, so the guy that stole Buzzy is to blame for COVID?

Yeah. He revealed it to me over Discord last year. I thought he was just pulling my leg.

 

[Giss Neric]

The reports are wrong. Rat is testing. Should be nearly done by now if not completed.

So if that is the case, the main reason they might not open this year is due to lack of castmembers to operate and safety right?

 

[MisterPenguin]

So if that is the case, the main reason they might not open this year is due to lack of castmembers to operate and safety right?

I could imagine not wanting another RotR VQ mess on their hands. And as Martin and others have been saying, some in Disney want to save the big guns for a "back to Disney" campaign post-vaccine.

 

[Giss Neric]

I could imagine not wanting another RotR VQ mess on their hands. And as Martin and others have been saying, some in Disney want to save the big guns for a "back to Disney" campaign post-vaccine.

Great point, but for me the 50th is already the ultimate "back to Disney" campaign next year anyways. Oh well, that is more likely going to happen.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I was hoping this ride was going to be open by the 50th as we are going first week of December. I was already sad that GotG was getting pushed to 2022, but if this gets bumped as well, that will be a bummer. The Christmas stuff / CLP is really the draw for us next time.

 

[jaxonp]

Well I won’t be renewing my AP next year. Too many cuts and the new stuff is being delayed. I feel like a lot of APs may end up feeling the same way.

 

[Jrb1979]

Well I won’t be renewing my AP next year. Too many cuts and the new stuff is being delayed. I feel like a lot of APs may end up feeling the same way.

I hear the park on the other side of town has a new attraction coming in spring. Maybe now is the time for people to come to the dark side.

 

[JoeCamel]

Well I won’t be renewing my AP next year. Too many cuts and the new stuff is being delayed. I feel like a lot of APs may end up feeling the same way.

I wonder if that is a feature not a flaw for WDW management?

 

[_caleb]

"For the 50th" isn't a thing anymore.

 

[surfdawg]

I hear the park on the other side of town has a new attraction coming in spring. Maybe now is the time for people to come to the dark side.

I think a lot of AP Disney locals will be switching their passes to other Central Florida Parks, or just cancelling any form of annual passes all together due to the virus and the worsened economy that's looming ahead. It's going to be hard for many to continue paying such a premium when SEAS is debuting two new coasters next year, one of which is going to be one of the best in the world. Uni is also going to debut another top ten coaster with Velocicoaster, it's going to be a hard sell to convince pass-holders to stay in the Disney bubble when all of the competition is ramping it up with unique, thrilling additions, while Disney slows construction and chooses to keep attractions closed. Especially when all of their competitors offer passes that appeal to locals for a much lower price.

It makes sense to not debut attractions this year, but come next year if the world is even in a slightly better place, Disney is going to be setting themselves up on a trajectory towards failure. In the 2010's, we saw Universal absolutely wipe the floor with Disney by continually pushing the limits and creating new and unique attractions nearly ever year. While the quality of some of them can be questionable, *glares at F&F*, there's no denying that this rapid expansion method accelerated Universal from being just another park down the road to a full on vacation destination, and a threat to WDW. If they continue to sit idle and let their competitors build these new and unique attractions while Disney works at a snails pace on the same four attractions that have been announced since nearly D23 2016, I don't think this is going to be the best decade for the parks.

However, Tron looks cool. A little redundant to put an indoor roller coaster right next to a classic indoor roller coaster, if anything it just makes SM looks vastly outdated in comparison, but still cool nonetheless. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if this addition is going to allow them to close down SM for an extensive refurb to the likes of DL in 2005 with new on-board audio and re-tracking. Tron is definitely going to be an absolute must-ride at the resort, and will help add even more capacity to the already vastly overcrowded MK.