September 9, 2024 is the primary day that TRON Lightcycle Run has not used a digital queue throughout Magic Kingdom’s regular working hours because it delicate opened on March 20, 2023. Throughout these 539 days, the trip solely posted a wait time and used a standby line throughout onerous ticket, restricted capability events.
As such, at the moment marks the primary time ever that we’ve seen simply how widespread and in-demand Walt Disney World’s latest headliner attraction is throughout an everyday operational setting. Will or not it’s Magic Kingdom’s longest wait time, dethroning Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare? May it surpass Slinky Canine Sprint, Remy’s Ratatouille Journey, Avatar Flight of Passage, or different headliners? We’re about to search out out.
Earlier than we get going, we need to reiterate that TRON Lightcycle Run switching to standby may have large ramifications on step-by-step itineraries for Magic Kingdom. It’d sound like hyperbole, however that is the largest change in over a decade for Magic Kingdom technique. Not even the change from Further Magic Hours to Early Entry/Prolonged Night Hours or free FastPass being changed by Lightning Lanes was as impactful. These have been considerably lateral shifts, whereas this introduces a brand new headliner with an everyday line.
With that stated, we additionally need to (once more) warning that TRON Lightcycle Run is dropping its digital queue within the coronary heart of Walt Disney World’s low season. Our newest wait instances report coated the Lowest Crowd Degree Month & Week at Walt Disney World Since 2021! Though it ought to be evident from the title alone, the parks are actually sluggish proper now.
Spoiler alert: that’s nonetheless true at the moment. However it’s additionally true that there are tons of locals, bloggers, vloggers, and influencers who need to be the primary to do TRON’s standby line, for no matter purpose. After which there’s the truth that Magic Kingdom operations has little or no expertise with this trip having an everyday queue, that means that the posted wait instances are going to be all over, typically divorced from their precise waits (in methods each good and dangerous).
What I’m saying is that day 1 of TRON Lightcycle Run’s standby line will likely be nothing like day 8, which will likely be nothing like week 8. When you’re visiting for the guts of the vacation season or in 2025 and need to know the way this queue will influence you, it’s too early to inform. The outcomes from September merely gained’t be dependable for Christmas or 2025. I’d advocate ready till mid-October or past for a have a look at extra consultant outcomes.
With that stated, listed here are the wait instances to date for TRON Lightcycle Run on September 9, 2024
- 9:00 am: 25 minutes
- 9:15 am: 105 minutes
- 9:30 am: 90 minutes
- 10:00 am: 60 minutes
- 10:30 am: 60 minutes
- 11:00 am: half-hour
- 11:30 am: 80 minutes
- 12:00 pm: 70 minutes
- 12:30 pm: 35 minutes
- 1:00 pm: 75 minutes
- 1:30 pm: 55 minutes
- 2:00 pm: 60 minutes
As a distinction, listed here are wait instances for Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare on the identical factors:
- 9:00 am: 60 minutes
- 9:30 am: 40 minutes
- 10:00 am: 50 minutes
- 10:30 am: 50 minutes
- 11:00 am: 40 minutes
- 11:30 am: 40 minutes
- 12:00 pm: 60 minutes
- 12:30 pm: 40 minutes
- 1:00 pm: 70 minutes
- 1:30 pm: 50 minutes
- 2:00 pm: Quickly Closed
There are a few issues price noting. The primary is that Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare is open for Early Entry, which explains its increased wait time as of 9 am. It had already been working for half-hour at that time, which is why the road was longer than TRON Lightcycle Run.
Second, TRON Lightcycle Run peaked for the day (at the very least to date) from 9:13 to 9:21 am. This was undoubtedly the results of its park opening wait time being set too low (25 minutes?!), an enormous quantity of demand being induced because of this, and Magic Kingdom ops “responding” with an astronomical wait time (relative to the remainder of the park) to discourage extra folks from overwhelming the queue.
Such a ‘whiplash impact’ with wait instances truly occurs lots. A very low wait time will entice plenty of friends all of sudden, and in response, the posted wait time skyrockets. We’ve identified beforehand that it’s higher to anticipate when wait instances will drop fairly than reacting to it. In any other case, you’ll be a part of the flood of friends all arriving across the identical time, fairly than driving the wave, so to talk.
Anyway, it’s comprehensible that this could occur on day considered one of a model new attraction. For all intents and functions, that’s what TRON is on the subject of the standby line. So it’s additionally not massively shocking that the posted wait would plummet to half-hour by 11 am. That’s not simply because very friends queued up between 9:15 am and 10:30 am (though fewer arrivals is a part of it). It’s additionally as a result of the 105 minute wait time by no means was correct within the first place.
As we identified beforehand, there will likely be a lull in some unspecified time in the future for TRON Lightcycle Run through the center of the day. There all the time is for these headliners. The “when” of that is truly probably the most tough–truly, unattainable–prediction to make of something on this record. It varies for different prime tier points of interest, and we’d count on the identical right here.
It happens as a little bit of an accordion impact, as folks begin seeing the posted wait time imbalance and avoiding the attraction in query. After which all of a sudden, it drops dramatically. (For instance, Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare may have a 90 minute wait at 9:30 am whereas virtually each different attraction is at half-hour or much less. The logical visitor thus avoids SDMT and does one thing else. That occurs en masse, producing the aforementioned dynamic.)
Right here’s what I predicted final week: “My guess is that candy spot with TRON Lightcycle Run will happen between 10:30 am and 11 am most days. However that is only a guess, and I’m far much less assured on this than the rest. One factor I’m sure about is that the daytime parade gained’t have a lot, if any, bearing on TRON Lightcycle Run wait instances. Once more, the demographics are completely different.”
That turned out to be an correct prediction, but it surely’s additionally admittedly a little bit of dumb luck that TRON Lightcycle Run’s wait time was underneath an hour from 10:52 am to 11:22 am. Once I wrote that, I actually didn’t count on any consistency for the primary couple of weeks. It actually was not supposed as a gap day wait time prediction.
Actually, I might’ve guessed increased wait time to start out the day–I can’t imagine somebody thought it was a good suggestion to put up 25 minutes. I might’ve additionally wager that it will’ve stayed in triple digits territory, whatever the precise wait time, via lunch. In any case, this is unprecedented within the final decade. Not solely that, but it surely’s a Monday (busiest day of the week) and a non-party day at Magic Kingdom. Even when it’s the low season, the wait instances for TRON Lightcycle Run all through the day to date haven’t been dangerous in any respect!
There are a number of potential explanations for TRON Lightcycle Run’s comparatively sluggish standby begin (relative to expectations) except for crowds. One is that it skews considerably older than Seven Dwarfs Mine Prepare. Teenagers and adults love the curler coaster, and could be inclined to sleep in or present up after work to expertise it.
There’s additionally the truth that TRON Lightcycle Run is well known as being higher at night time. Even the typical visitor is aware of this. The result’s {that a} good variety of folks gained’t even try and trip TRON earlier within the day, and as an alternative will wait till night. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see what occurs as soon as the solar units at 7:37 pm tonight.
Personally, if I have been in Magic Kingdom and wished to trip TRON Lightcycle Run at night time however didn’t need to wait till park closing (the most suitable choice), I’d in all probability get in line round 7:15 pm. My guess is that crowds will likely be reactionary, getting in line as soon as it’s truly darkish, thus inflicting one other spike round 8 pm. The higher possibility, once more, might be anticipating that taking place fairly than reacting to it. Or ready till the very finish of the fireworks and beating that rush.
Finally, it’ll be attention-grabbing to see whether or not 105 minutes stays the height wait time for TRON Lightcycle Run at the moment. On the one hand, it’s a significantly better trip at night time and plenty of Walt Disney World followers–and even informal friends–acknowledge this. So demand ought to be increased at night time than within the morning.
Then again, Magic Kingdom ops actually jacked up the wait time this morning shortly after opening…and it’s low season. So surpassing that triple-digit posted wait time could be powerful, even when the precise wait time at 8:30 pm is increased than it was at 9:30 am.
One factor I’m assured in predicting is that we’ve but to see the height wait time for TRON Lightcycle Run this month. On the very least, Magic Kingdom goes to be considerably busier within the final week of the month, and TRON ought to fairly simply be capable to hit two hours. I believe 120+ minute peak posted wait instances all through October and November are fairly secure bets. The higher query is whether or not TRON Lightcycle Run can surpass Avatar Flight of Passage because the longest line between Christmas and New Yr’s Eve. Simply what number of hours will the wait be: 3, 4 or 5?!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you expect the height posted wait time will likely be for TRON Lightcycle Run at the moment? This month? This yr? What’s your optimum strategy and time of day to trip TRON Lightcycle Run? What would you advocate to Walt Disney World first-timers? Will you stick with standby at one of many perfect instances or purchase a Lightning Lane Single Go for TRON? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
