Will You Fit on TRON Lightcycle / Run? The Answer May Not Be So Simple

The Magic Kingdom’s newest roller coaster, TRON Lightcycle / Run has brought with it one of the fastest rides at Walt Disney World, allowing Guests to “enter the Grid” right from Tomorrowland.

TRON Lightcycle / Run has experienced its share of controversy, particularly when it comes to the Lightcycle seats, since the attraction began its first previews ahead of its April 2023 opening. Within the first day of Cast Members experiencing the attraction, many reported a difficult time fitting into the Lightcycle seats, and concerns quickly grew over how long wait times could be for Guests needing to use the accessible seats located in the last two of some of the trains.

RELATED: What You Need to Know Before You Ride TRON Lightcycle / Run

I recently experienced TRON Lightcycle / Run for the first time, and while I tried out the test seat (and in hindsight, I think I could have ridden on a Lightcycle), I opted for the last row with traditional seating. I watched countless videos and spoke with several friends who had ridden it before my last trip to the Magic Kingdom, but it was difficult to get an idea of whether or not I would fit.

As such, I’m sharing my experience and tips that will help you prepare for the dreaded test seat (or fun photo op, depending on how you feel about that?!)

RELATED: New TRON Ride Vehicles Were “Not the Very Best of Ideas” Says Former Imagineer

TRON Lightcycle / Run test seats

Before I get into my personal experience, there are a few things you may want to know about the test seats for TRON Lightcycle / Run before you join the virtual queue (or spend the extra cash on a Lightning Lane).

First, you may be wondering where exactly the test seats are located as they really aren’t visible from outside the attraction’s entrance. Unlike most attractions that have test vehicles located before you enter the queue, the test seats for TRON can be found toward the beginning of the queue (before you enter the building, but after the attraction’s entrance.)

Once you arrive at a certain point in the queue, you’ll find the test seats and see that they double as a photo op. Some Disney fans were incredibly disappointed when Disney first marketed the test seats as a photo op. Personally, I’m a little mixed. On the one hand, this could be seen as normalizing using the test seats (which I actually recommend for TRON whether you are concerned about fitting or not just because it is a really unique ride vehicle.) At the same time though, I’m not sure I liked this in practice.

Part of my issue was that I was riding alone (I was in the Magic Kingdom with my boyfriend who is not a roller coaster person) and this combined with the setup of the test seats just made me a little anxious. I’ll follow this up, though, by pointing out that I’d be anxious to ride any roller coaster anyway, and the other Guests in line and the Cast Member working near the test seat were incredibly friendly, so my own anxiety aside, it really could have been much worse.

RELATED: Will Disneyland Receive its Own TRON Lightcycle / Run Coaster?

As for the seat itself, it really is unique from any other ride I’ve experienced. For this reason, I really do recommend trying the test seat even if you believe you’ll have no issues fitting as the restraints are unusual, and there were several Guests nearby me in the queue who tried the test seat and fit but simply did not feel comfortable and therefore knew to ask for the last row.

Now, if you’ve tried test seats before (namely at other theme parks where most Disney attractions it will be obvious in the test seat whether or not you’ll fit) there is one really helpful tool that is missing at TRON. Unlike Parks like Universal Orlando, there is no light, sound, or any indication that you’re within the restraints and good to go. There is a Cast Member nearby who can offer their opinion, but without an official indicator like what is on the actual ride vehicle, you’re still just going to get their best guess.

To try the Lightcycle seats, you’ll need to kneel with your knees and lower thigh effectively fitting into a slot on the sides of the bike. Lean your chest and back forward (very similar to Avatar – Flight of Passage in Disney’s Animal Kingdom), and pull down on the handlebars. When you pull on the handlebars, back and leg restraints will come up.

The back restraints are very similar to Flight of Passage, and I had plenty of room in my upper body (but that is not where most Guests are having issues with the seats…) The challenge with TRON comes with your thighs and calves. A silver bar will move across the back of your calves at a 90-degree angle when you pull the restraints down via the handlebars. If the bar does not sit flat against the back of your leg, it is not secured.

RELATED: How a Scaredy-Cat Learned To Love Disney Roller Coasters

My experience on TRON Lightcycle / Run

For reference, I am 5’5 and am a size 14/16, with most of my weight in my calves and thighs (see photo below from this same day at the Magic Kingdom). I have no issues fitting on any other attractions at Walt Disney World, but I obviously worried as soon as I heard that the point of contention with TRON would be thighs and calves.

When it came time to try to test seats at TRON, I struggled to pull the handlebars down. In retrospect, not because I did not fit in the Lightcycle seat, but because my legs were not in the correct position. Like I said, it’s an odd ride vehicle so I recommend everyone try it just to get a feel for how to sit comfortably.

The Cast Member working the test seat instructed me to push my feet as far back as they could go, which may not be your instinct when sitting on a bike-style seat. rather than bending your knees and leaving your feet as if there are pedals behind them, you’re going to want to push your feet as far back as they can go to basically lengthen the space between your thighs and calves.

RELATED: Why Doesn’t the Magic Kingdom Have Its Own Parking Lot?

After doing this, I was able to pull the handlebars down and the Cast Member believed that I was all set to ride in the Lightcycle seat. I point all of this out to say that if I were not told to move my feet further back, I’d have assumed I didn’t fit on the ride. This combined with the fact that I truly believe other Guests’ calf measurements are not a reliable source to go on (as everyone is shaped differently still) leads to my recommendation to take your time getting comfortable in the test seat. And that’s where I messed up.

I stood up from the test seat not feeling 100% confident about the Lightcycle vehicles, but also not feeling comfortable spending more time trying it out. It felt like there were a lot of Guests waiting to take photos, and while it seemed like I fit, I felt a little uneasy without the presence of any light or sound confirming that the restraints were indeed secured. And on top of all of this, I’m not a huge thrill ride person to begin with so I was anxious for a new-to-me ride, and I’m sure riding alone didn’t help any of this.

As a result, I went with the standard seat in the last row of the ride vehicle. As far as I can tell though, I didn’t miss out on any part of the ride and the last row of any roller coaster typically feels faster, so it’s possible that these seats provided a just as fun albeit different ride experience.

So did I fit on TRON Lightcycle / Run? Signs point to yes, but I guess I can’t say for sure until I try riding it in the Lightcycle seat. But more importantly since you’re reading this article– Will you fit? It seems there is no way to know 100% until you actually get on the ride, so try the test seat (and grab a photo I guess?) and enjoy the ride (even if from the last row)!

The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and may not represent Disney Tips as a whole.