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TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update February 2020

This is a TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update for February 2020 which is coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  Today we’re going to see just what’s going on at the TRON coaster construction site including the last piece of the coaster track now completely installed!

Tron Roller Coaster Magic Kingdom Concept Art

(UPDATED 2/18/20): The last time we looked at the progress on the TRON coaster we saw some new support columns being added for the canopy, as well as the attraction building being closed in.

This week we are going to look at new supports for an elevated walkway being installed, plus more of the gravity building closing up, with a look on the inside.

If you aren’t familiar with the TRON roller coaster coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, it’s pretty much going to be an exact copy of the super-popular attraction in Shanghai Disneyland, which happens to be the fastest ride in any Disney Park worldwide.  This should help to totally revamp Tomorrowland, something it’s needed for quite some time!

You can read more about the TRON Lightcycle Run roller coaster for more details. This is definitely one of the best new rides coming to Disney World in the coming years.

You can also get the latest from around Disney World at more construction projects currently going on in our Walt Disney World Construction Updates page.

Big thanks as usual to @Bioreconstruct who takes by far the best Disney World construction photos, which keeps us up-to-date with every project around property. It lets us see these new attractions from start to finish which is amazing!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on all the newest additions to the park as well as vacation planning tips.

You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

I’m constantly updating this post so you can scroll down for the latest TRON Construction pictures:

(NEW PHOTOS: 2/18/20)

Work is happening very fast at the TRON coaster site, including this week. Let’s look at the latest…

While the north side of the attraction show building is almost totally closed up, it’s a different story on the south side of the project:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 show building from a far

None of the wall panels have been put up on this side, giving us an interesting view into the show building where we can see the track and other elements.

Here is where the track comes back into the building after looping around outside. It then drops down and zooms around in the dark, while different screens and lighting effects are taking place:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 track leading back into the show building

Here we get a much better view of the inside of the TRON coaster and you can see the track gliding across the top of the inside, then dipping down and banking to the left:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 inside the attraction building

Outside and back down on the ground it looks like some new retaining walls and rebar are going up near the support columns for the ride:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 walls around supports

And down just a bit further we can see more work is being done for the supports which will hold the elevated walkway leading guests up to the attraction itself.

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 supports for elevated walkway

The yellow poles are temporary and are used to hold up the concrete forms until the supports are poured:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 columns for elevated walkway

Stay tuned here at Ziggy Knows Disney for the latest as we’ll continue to bring you more TRON coaster updates. Keep scrolling down for previous updates to see how the project has developed.

(NEW PHOTOS: 2/13/20)

Now that the walls are closing in on the TRON Lightcycle Coaster, we are starting to see what kind of impact that will have on the Magic Kingdom skyline once completed.

In fact, you can see the new building all the way from the monorail near the Grand Floridian Resort”

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 from a distance

It’s not quite as tall as Space Mountain appears to be on the horizon, but it’s significant nonetheless.

When we move over into Fantasyland, we can see the majority of the walls have been put up and the attraction building closed in.

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 from Fantasyland

Here is a much cleaner shot of the building, which is only missing a very small section of the wall on this side:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 Gravity building

It will also be interesting to see what Disney does to the sightlines in Fantasyland because it doesn’t really hold true to the theming of Storybook Circus. Hopefully, we get some big trees on the border of Fantasyland that hide the view.

Next, we see some boom lifts working on closing in what’s left on this side.

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 boom lifts

Now let’s go over to the Tomorrowland side. This is similar to the angle in which guests will be arriving at the TRON coaster:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 elevated walkway

The difference is that a large portion of the track will be covered by the huge canopy. Also, if you look at the above photo, you can see orange supports going up for what looks to be an elevated walkway leading to the attraction’s entrance. That would be like the one found in Shanghai Disneyland.

Here is the outside loop of the roller coaster track, again this part will be covered by the canopy eventually.

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 outside track loop

After it does its thing, the trains will come back into the gravity building at this point:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update February 2020 outside of building

(NEW PHOTOS: 1/21/20)

We’re back looking at Disney’s Magic Kingdom to see the latest construction progress for the TRON coaster.

Our first view is from the monorail, passing by the Magic Kingdom. While not quite as high as Space Mountain from this angle, it does take up a big amount of real estate on the skyline.

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 show building from far

As we get a little closer and move onto Main Street USA, we see what it looks like from the Train Station:

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 show building from train station

The sightlines are less obtrusive from inside the park here it seems, but it’s still clearly visible. I know a lot of people make a big deal about the Guardians coaster, but TRON can also be seen from various points inside the park.

Let’s get up close over by The Barnstormer in Fantasyland and see TRON from up close:

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 gravity building

Right away the first thing you notice is the walls going up on the side of the attraction building. Just a couple of weeks ago the sides were completely bare, and if looks like they will soon be closed in.

It’s interesting to think about the difference in construction methods for both new coaster coming to Disney World. With TRON, the track was built before building the structure around it and closing it in, whereas in Epcot they first built the structure complete with its walls, and THEN the track.

There must be a specific reason for each one and I’d love to talk with an Imagineer to understand why they did it this way.

There are also some new concrete forms up in front of the attraction:

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 concrete corms in front

Here is a closeup of the attraction wall where they will soon be closing it in. This is the part of the track where the trains return back inside the gravity building after the long part outside, under the canopy.

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 track entering building

Stay tuned here at Ziggy Knows Disney for the latest as we’ll continue to bring you more TRON coaster updates. Keep scrolling down for previous updates to see how the project has developed.

(NEW PHOTOS: 1/2/20)

Here is the latest look at the construction for the TRON Lightcycle Run roller coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom. This week we have some aerial photos, so let’s dig into them and see what’s new.

This is a great view from up above because you can see the whole project. Notice the large show building to the right, and the track where it goes outside at the top of the image:

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 aerial image

Of course, that’s Space Mountain sitting next to it, and we can see the close proximity they two attractions have to one another. It’s also interesting to compare the sizes of the two rides. TRON is definitely bigger, especially when you consider part of the track will go outside the building, while Space Mountain’s is all contained inside.

overhead view of TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020

There have been a lot of questions about the Walt Disney World Railroad and how it will pass through the TRON coaster site. This has been confusing since the concept art came out a few years ago, but now with most of the columns being in place, we have a better idea of how it will work.

The yellow line in the image below shows the likely path the railroad will take. You can see where it comes from in Fantasyland at the bottom of the yellow path, and continues under the TRON support columns where the train goes outside.

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 aerial showing train route

It then goes under the PeopleMover and out the other side and away from Tomorrowland.

If you zoom in, we can get a better look at the concrete being poured for the coaster track support columns. This is the part where the trains launch out of the building.

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 aerial photo of track outside

If we hover right over the top of the building we can see progress done on the roof. Also on the left side is a maintenance bay which is still uncovered for now. This is where the trains that need work on them will go.

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 roof maintenance

Down on the ground, we get a way better sense of the columns that are being installed, and the overall size of the structure:

TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 track and show building
TRON Coaster Construction Update January 2020 building supports

Stay tuned for more soon!

(NEW PHOTOS: 12/13/19)

Things have been moving fast around the TRON Roller Coaster project over the last couple months, and December seems to be carrying on the same way.

The project being built in Tomorrowland can be spotted throughout Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Here’s a look at the roller coaster from the PeopleMover on the opposite side of Tomorrowland:

Tron Coaster from PeopleMover December 2019

The coaster can also be easily spotted from Fantasyland and Storybook Circus:

Tron Coaster Construction from Storybook circus Update December 2019

Once you get closer though, the scope of the construction becomes clearer. The track for the roller coaster was installed recently, and you can see the long bend it makes as it nears the Tomorrowland Speedway:

Tron Coaster Construction Update December 2019

Part of the track is under plastic to protect it from the rain.

There is a new concrete form which has been installed in the middle of the project:

New Concrete form Tron Coaster Construction Update December 2019

Here is the section of the coaster where the launch happens:

structure for Tron Coaster Load/Unload area Update December 2019

If you look above it, you’ll see the steel frame on the building where that happens is rising.

Looking on the side where the launch occurs, we see a new retaining wall has been installed along the perimeter, and between the concrete columns. Also in this area, a concrete pathway has been installed for the workers on the project.

This is where the launch will start, and propel guests high into the canopy and onto The Grid:

Track launch for Tron Coaster into exterior area December 2019

This is where the last section of track was connected, and where guests re-enter the show building:

where Tron Coaster returns to show building December 2019

We’re still waiting for the Walt Disney World Railway to reopen in the Magic Kingdom. In the meantime, we get a sense of where it will enter near TRON here:

Where Walt Disney World Railroad will enter near Tron Coaster

That section of the wall in the top middle is where the Railroad track will enter from Fantasyland, and then run through the tunnel underneath the roller coaster.

Lastly, a lot more of the land has been excavated and flattened over the last couple of weeks. This means we should start to see more progress on the canopy structure happening shortly.

(NEW VIDEO: 11/25/19)

Disney has just released a video of a milestone in the TRON: Lightcycle Run roller coaster, the final piece of track being installed!

It was a huge moment for the construction team, and it means the project is one step closer to completion.

Keep reading for more construction updates on the project…

(NEW PHOTOS: 11/4/19)

Even though we posted our last update for the TRON coaster only less than two weeks ago, a whole bunch of changes have happened to it, including the last track support columns going up and the very last piece of track installed.

Let’s see what’s new so far for November…

Before we go down for a closer look, let’s look at the newest aerial shots of the TRON coaster construction in the Magic Kingdom:

aerial of TRON roller coaster update November 2019

Here we get a really nice view of the whole project with Space Mountain to the left and Storybook Circus in Fantasyland over to the right.

You can really see how far out the newly constructed stretch of track going out towards Tomorrowland reaches:

view from the sky of TRON roller coaster update November 2019

You can also see the close proximity to both Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Speedway. The actual track reaches right up to the area of land near The Barnstormer and Tomorrowland Speedway:

aerial view of the TRON roller coaster update November 2019

This area is right up next to where the Walt Disney World Railroad track will go once it reopens. In the following picture are potential paths for the railroad:

possible Walt Disney World Railroad rerouting

It’s either going to go out in front of the coaster track, or it could also pass underneath the TRON coaster. At this point Disney hasn’t said what they are planning to do so we’ll have to wait and see which direction it goes in.

Now let’s take a view of the new stretch of coaster track from the ground. You can see it all the way from the other side of the Tomorrowland Speedway:

View of TRON Roller Coaster from Speedway 1 Construction Update November 2019

The construction cranes are both still in place so not quite all the heavy lifting is done yet:

View of TRON Roller Coaster from Speedway 2 Construction Update November 2019

This site line of course will be very different once the canopy is installed over the TRON coaster track:

View of TRON Roller Coaster from Speedway 3 Construction Update November 2019

Over in Fantasyland you can also see the TRON Lightcycle coaster, and actually in this shot you get a view of three Magic Kingdom coasters all at once…Space Mountain, The Barnstormer and TRON:

View of 3 magic kingdom coaster from Fantasyland

Here you can see the close proximity of TRON to Space Mountain:

TRON Roller Coaster near PeopleMover November 2019

Here is a great shot of the final stretch of track which has just been installed this past week:

TRON Roller Coaster track loop November 2019

It’s a pretty straight stretch, and then makes a big wide turn around the curve at the end before going back the other direction.

Here’s a closeup of the TRON track on one stretch:

close view of TRON coaster track Update November 2019

While that big long part of the coaster track has been installed, there is only one small gap left to connect to the top of the show building:

Last piece of track for TRON roller coaster update November 2019 front view

You can see just how close it is, and there are probably only 10-15 feet separating the two tracks at this point:

Last piece of track for TRON roller coaster update November 2019

In fact later that day thanks to @Rodneyt74 on twitter, we can see the very last of track being fitted into place:

Last piece of track for TRON coaster being fitted

Lastly the yellow line is showing us the approximate path the Walt Disney World Railroad will take when it comes back from refurbishment eventually. It will basically go right between TRON Lightcycle Run and the Tomorrowland Speedway:

showing the new railroad route near TRON coaster construction November 2019

That wraps up another TRON construction update, this time for November! Once that last piece of track is connected we should start to see the rest of the structure on the far side for the show building go up, as well as the canopy over everything.

Stay tuned for more update as continue to bring you the latest coverage and scroll down to see previous TRON updates!

(NEW PHOTOS: 10/21/19):

We start out just outside the TRON project were we can see the train tracks of the Walt Disney World Railroad. The Railroad is currently closed due to the TRON Lightcycle Run construction and the tracks had to be diverted slightly for the new retention pond which has been installed.

railroad tracks for Walt Disney World Railroad Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019

Speaking of the retention pond, these are the walls near that area. Some kind of work/repairing has been done to one of the walls where you see that white patch:

retention pond Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019

Now that we’ve seen those other two projects, let’s take a look at the main event. Here is an aerial shot of the TRON Lightcycle Run coaster construction project and the entire Magic Kingdom. TRON is located at the bottom center:

aerial photo Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019

It’s amazing considering that at this time last year, none of the steel was even up and now we can see the vast majority of the attraction show building in place.

The construction site for TRON is huge as it spreads all the way over from Space Mountain to Story Book Circus in Fantasyland. Here is the construction wall there keeping guests out:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019 near space mountain

There is a huge amount of rebar at the TRON site:

steel rising for Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019

Now over on the side by The Barnstormer we get a good, up close look at the TRON coaster show building:

Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019 steel structure

So much steel has gone up over the last 1 1/2 months it’s really incredible! Lot’s of the track which was visible in September is now completely covered.

If you look in the back left of the next picture, you’ll see where the future Loading/Unloading area for TRON Lightcycle Run will be. It looks like the steel frame is almost up.

crane working on Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019

Scaffolding is even up on this side for worker access to the roof.

top of the steel frame for Tron Roller Coaster construction update October 2019

Here’s a further view of the TRON coaster construction:

Tron Roller Coaster steel frame construction update October 2019

This is from a different angle and you can see the frame for the Load/Unload area on the right side this time.

It’s really awesome being able to see a future attraction going up this way, especially a roller coaster. It’s also funny how Disney decided to build most of the TRON coaster outside, visible to the public, and instead build the vast majority of the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster inside.

Either way, I’m excited for both of them! Keep checking back for more TRON Lightcycle Run updates soon. Keep scrolling down to see the spectacular TRON coaster in its previous construction phases and the difference from then to now.

(NEW PHOTOS: 8/26/19):

Get excited people, because TRON Lightcycle Run is coming to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. In case you didn’t hear, this past weekend at the D23 Expo they announced that as the official name for the TRON coaster. We also got some new concept art for the projects with quite a lot of differences form the original.

To learn more about it read our article on the TRON Lightcycle Run coaster.

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august sign

Now onto the latest updates on the project:

Walking through Fantasyland you can see the TRON show building rising up and peaking through the trees. This is noticeable in many places throughout the Magic Kingdom, especially Fantasyland.

construction crane for TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august 2019

Expect it to get worse as the construction continues because the building is only going to get bigger. That crane isn’t going away anytime soon either as there is still lots of steel to go up.

Let’s head over to Goofy’s Barnstormer for a closer look:

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august from Fantasyland

Steel work for the attraction show building is going up fast and not just the far wall, but it’s starting to move closer and closer to us:

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august from Goofy's Barnstormer

The steel structure is now covering a bigger part of the track and you can see where it’s moving out over the center of the track:

front view of TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august 2019
TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august 2

Part of the show elements for TRON Lightcycle Run are the power rings, which straddle parts of the track and light up as riders go through them. One of them has been spotted already out in the middle of the track:

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august screen

It’s wrapped up in green plastic to keep it from the elements right now, but those are going to look so cool once they are up and running.

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august display screens

Those G-forces are going to be strong as you blaze around those banked curves at 60 mph!

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august track curves

Another important feature of the TRON coaster we’ve been talking about for a while now is the retaining wall that surrounds the project and keeps the future pond at bay. Now we can see it up on this side, and it’s being painted white:

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august full view

Besides the retaining wall, you can see the steel wall structure going up on this side too:

TRON Lightcycle Run Update August Wall

Here you get a nice shot of the launching platform:

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august loading station

The part of the track that has come to a halt it on the very top of the building. Workers were busy up there as almost 10 of them are spotted. Some are working on the steel and others installing some of the show elements:

workers up on TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august 2019
TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august show building

Construction is moving out and more concrete fittings are being installed for the next phase of the building project. One those footings are in they can start to lay more track:

TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august 2019
workers on ground TRON Lightcycles Run roller coaster update august 2019

Stay tuned here at Ziggy Knows Disney as we continue to bring you the latest on the TRON Lightcycle Run coaster…

(NEW PHOTOS: 8/3/19):

We start out outside the TRON construction site where the walls by the retention pond are looking really nice:

TRON Coaster update August 2019 retention pond

As you can see since the last time, the pond has been filled in now. Also rows of trees have been planted which after a few years will grow and fill in the area nicely. Just behind them is where the tracks for the Walt Disney World Railroad go. That should open by the end of the year or early 2020.

TRON Coaster update August 2019 retention pond

Now over to the TRON site. We can still see the big red crane in position and going to work. This is the view from Fantasyland:

TRON Coaster update August 2019 view from Fantasyland

Getting closer to the site the work being done to the show building is impressive. You can see the walls are starting to go up:

TRON Coaster show building progress so far update August 2019

The is where the famous white canopy for the TRON Roller coaster is going and is where guests will arrive to the attraction. Looks like some big concrete footings are in place and almost ready to be built upon:

TRON Coaster update August 2019 canopy area

Here is what we have so far of the TRON coaster show building. It’s just a frame right now but just look at all those footings next to it:

TRON Coaster update August 2019 show building frame

A construction worker is high up on the last part of the track that’s been installed so far. The track has been stopped at that point for a month now and is most likely waiting for the show building to catch up.

TRON Coaster update August 2019 show building frame
TRON Coaster update August 2019 track and show building

Stay tuned as we’ll have more on the TRON coaster construction soon…

(NEW PHOTOS: 7/8/19):

We start out this week looking at the retention pond being built behind the Carousel of Progress and Space Mountain:

Aerial of new retention pond in Magic Kingdom July 2019

Four new walls are going up and the berm being moved back to extend the pond which they’ve been digging for a while now. From the latest photos it looks like the berm is going to be removed soon and the area to the left flooded in the photo below:

digging pond at Magic Kingdom berm

Now let’s head over to the actual TRON site:

Overhead look at TRON coaster construction site magic kingdom July 2019

The work is being done just beyond Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway and Storybook Circus. Here’s a look at Space Mountain during the construction:

Space Mountain next to Tron coaster construction

The construction work goes pretty much right up against it.

If we look at the site from Storybook Circus we can clearly see the TRON coaster from that vantage point. I wonder if they are going to add more trees to block it or just leave it visible:

storybook circus with TRON roller coaster in background

Now we can get a goo shot of the size and scope of the TRON site. The part of the ride they’ve been working on is concentrated in the center of the picture, and the loading area is just being added now to the left side:

overhead view of TRON coaster site July 2019

The actual track installation has hit pause for right now under more support foundations are installed but the track will continue and extend out towards the Tomorrowland Speedway once the footings are in place:

aerial photo of Space Mountain and TRON coaster July 2019

Just what they have right now would have a hard time fitting inside Space Mountain so you can see that it’s going to be significantly bigger when finished. It needs to be a longer track because the ride is so much faster than Space Mountain:

TRON coaster and Space Mountain July 2019

Here’s a recent image of TRON from the ground level. The big construction crane sticks out and is still in heavy use on the project:

overview of TRON coaster construction

The foundation is being poured for the loading area on the far side and track added. It’s certainly going to be a hike to get back there from Tomorrowland:

TRON Coaster construction site July 2019

This is where the track has stopped for the time being until they get more supports in. However you can see the structure starting to go up which will hold the canopy:

more buildings going up at TRON coaster site

A closer look at those supports. The canopy will then over the majority of the track:

Tron coaster construction updates July 2019 new building

Lastly you might remember back a few months ago when we showed you the staging area which was holding track for either the TRON coaster or Guardians of the Galaxy coaster. It now looks like most of that track is gone from the site:

staging area for roller coasters Disney World

It’s hard to be sure which roller coaster it was for because both projects are in similar points in the construction and both tracks are being installed at the same time.

Keep scrolling down for previous updates to see other points in the TRON coaster construction process…

(NEW PHOTOS: 6/17/19):

Another week has gone by and we are full of updates from around Walt Disney World including what’s going on in the Magic Kingdom for the TRON roller coaster construction. Let’s start out over at the new retention pond that’s being put in along side the Walt Disney World Railroad:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

So far it looks about the same as last week, four retention walls which will hold back the water. So what’s different? Look at the next photo:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

Work is now being done to dig out the future pond and water is already in there. Now we can see why they need those big walls!

You didn’t come here to read about retention ponds though, you want to know more about the TRON coaster and a whole new part of the track has been installed since last week. Here is a view of the entirety of the TRON coaster up to this point:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

You’ll notice that the whole part on the right side that’s being built is totally new from only last week, and this is the longest stretch remaining which goes away from the track that’s currently built.

Zooming in we can see the slow down areas which are and used in case the ride needs to be stopped in an emergency and can then be used to evacuate in that event. Of course this part will be totally covered once the TRON coaster is finished, but right now we can see it really well.

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

In the next photo we can see a sharp turn at the bottom of the coaster which looks like it will be a blast to go around:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

In a better angle behind Space Mountain we can see the long track that’s being built coming around the side and over on the left is where the construction has been halted for the moment. There is a big gap in between the two parts of the track that needs to be connected:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

Here’s a close up of that last piece waiting to be continued:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

The reason the track progress for the TRON coaster has been stopped is visible here:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019

You can see the foundations for that part of the track haven’t been installed yet and they are still going in. It might be another week or more before they are done and ready to continue the progress on the track.

We’ll keep you updated soon with more of the progress, in the meantime you can look at how the TRON roller coaster construction has progressed down below…

(NEW PHOTOS: 6/10/19):

Let’s start with the more boring, but still necessary part of the TRON coaster construction project and that is the berm expansion in the Magic Kingdom on the other side of Space Mountain:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019 work on the Magic Kingdom berm

As you can see from the photos, more land is being moved and flattened where the retention pond expansion will be. The concrete walls look like they are coming along fantastically and right now there is a 4 layer protection of walls between the new retention pond and the track where the Walt Disney World Railroad will soon pass once again…

Magic Kingdom berm installation

That’s all and nice, but what we really want to see is construction on the actual TRON roller coaster itself and here is an amazing view almost the entirety of the coaster from the Barnstormer in Fantasyland:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019
Photo by @DisneyXC on Twitter

There is still a big crane in use on the project and as you can see from Fantasyland, the whole coaster track isn’t quite installed yet..

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019  from Fantasyland

This is an awesome look at the launch platform which is completely installed in the middle of the photo. On the right you see where the track still isn’t connected to anything. It will continue around the right side and head towards those huge empty steel supports and continue straight before reconnecting with the rest of the track?

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update Track almost finished

Of course this whole part of the ride is going to be covered by the huge white canopy that you’ve already seen in the concept art at the top of the page so no worries about getting soaked on this ride:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction track installation

Love the twists and turns, it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun to ride. The original version clocks in at 60mph so it will instantly become one of the mot thrilling rides in Walt Disney World the minute it opens.

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update June 2019 closeup of track

Keep reading to see some of the previous construction updates for the TRON coaster.

(Update 5/26/19):

We’re back one last time this month for another update of the construction work going on at the TRON coaster site in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. This month has been crazy as we’ve seen the steel columns go up and the track pieces installed, and even in only a few days it’s amazing to see how much more they’ve added!

Let’s start first with the retention pond project just on the outside of Tomorrowland:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 Berm Walls

The new walls for the berm which will run right next to the Walt Disney World Railroad are going up nicely. There are 4 levels of walls and this area will be crucial to the water management, making the TRON project possible.

Speaking of TRON let’s take a look at the steel going up. Even from other parts inside the Magic Kingdom you can see the TRON coaster construction. Here you can see the cranes doing work from Fantasyland:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 view from Fantasyland

You get a much better view from Storybook Circus and you can see the track winding around the supports:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 from Storybook Circus

View of TRON from the monorail:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 from Monorail

Even from the ground level in Tomorrowland you can already see the coaster track:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 from Tomorrowland

Keep in mind that most of the track will be covered by the large canopy being installed over top, so this is a good time to be able to take a look at it in its natural state:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 from Tomorrowland

The more I look at it the more I want to ride!! This is probably the best shot and gives you a better scope of the size:

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 from PeopleMover

Pretty soon we should be seeing the other part of the track which goes away from the big mass of steel for a long stretch pretty soon. You can see the full layout if you look up at the photos from the previous update earlier on this page.

TRON Roller Coaster Update May 2019 from PeopleMover

(UPDATE 5/20/19):

While we got to see a close-up look at the steel columns being installed for the TRON Roller coaster last week, we’re going to take to the sky thanks to @Bioreconstruct and see what the project looks like from high above!

Also in the last couple of days the first pieces of track have been installed so we can actually start to see the layout of the TRON coaster and the rough path it’s going to take. Let’s take a look:

Here we can see an update on the Magic Kingdom berm construction which is linked to the TRON coaster:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 berm

The concrete walls going up for it are even longer now:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 berm

You can see where the Walt Disney World Railroad train tracks overlap with this expansion of the retention pond, and the arrow is pointing to some of the train tracks which have been set aside for the time being:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 train

Now let’s head over to the TRON site:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 overhead

There are two giant cranes hard at work installing all the steel for the project:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 with Space Mountain
TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 near Space Mountain

At first it seemed like the TRON coaster was really small, but that square concrete slab is not the only place the TRON coaster track is going to be running on:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019

Below we’ve outlined the rough path that the TRON coaster will take:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 track outline

Guests start in the Load/Unload area where they load onto their TRON bikes. They are then launched on the left side of the image, and up into the canopy area which is at the very top of the path.

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 track outline close

Once through the canopy they enter into the “Gravity Building” (the same name for the building where the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster is being held) where they will finish out the ride and head back to the station to unload.

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 aerial

I have to say I am much more impressed with the project now than a few weeks ago, and even though it is a very short ride, it’s going to bring a lot of excitement into Tomorrowland, and a little bit of “Tomorrow” too!

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 Side view of site

(UPDATE 5/16/19):

TRON roller coaster steel footings installed 1

Even though the steel columns for the TRON roller coaster have been in for a couple of weeks now, Disney has decided to share some cool new video footage showing the Disney Cast Members signing the support columns.

cast members signing TRON roller coaster columns
Photo by Disney Parks Blog

One of the ride columns was signed by over 4,500 cast members…

cast members signing TRON roller coaster columns 2

First of 300 ride columns to be installed, some of which are over 80 feet tall!

TRON roller coaster steel footings site
TRON roller coaster steel footings installed view from Space Mountain
TRON roller coaster steel footings installed with the bolts

The video also gave us a really cool shot of the TRON coaster bikes:

TRON Roller Coaster Magic Kingdom Bikes

and lights:

TRON Coaster Lights

Here’s the new video interviewing the construction workers on this project:

(UPDATE 5/3/19):

Let’s start this time over at the Tomorrowland Speedway which has been closed down since the beginning of January but is now looking to be in pretty good shape:

progress on the Tomorrowland Speedway

The new track has been poured, leveled off and tracks for the race cars have been installed too. In the above photo it looks like they are cleaning the track in preparation.

The surrounding areas do need a touch of landscaping, but overall the new track looks nice. Too bad they weren’t totally replacing the old cars and installing a better ride system, but it is what it is at this point:

progress on the Tomorrowland Speedway

We’ll let you know if the Tomorrowland Speedway is still on track for the original May 18th reopening date.

A part of the project in Tomorrowland which seems boring but is absolutely necessary to get the TRON roller coaster up and running is the expansion of the berm just outside Tomorrowland:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 retention wall
a look at the berm outside Tomorrowland in Disney's Magic Kingdom

In order to have the TRON coaster, first a new water retention pond has to be installed/expanded, and that’s why you see these walls going up on the outside of property.

Berm Construction Magic Kingdom

There are triple walls, and it actually looks like a 4th wall is being built behind the others:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 retention wall low

Here’s a closeup of the wall:

work on Tomorrowland berm in Magic Kingdom

The Walt Disney World Railroad has been closed since the end of 2018, and the train will follow a new path around the berm once completed. No word yet if there will be new scenes for the railroad here or not, but stay tuned.

Lastly we go to check out the TRON coaster construction itself. This photo was taken just a few days ago:

TRON Coaster Construction update May 2019

One of the massive cranes was in place and ready to start putting up some steel. The foundation looks like it’s in good shape and you can tell we should start to see some of those track pieces currently being held off-site be brought over and put into place.

Then fast forward to now and you can see that some of the footings for the TRON roller coaster have been installed:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 TRON aerial

Zooming in we get an even closer look at them:

TRON Roller Coaster Construction Update May 2019 coaster footings

Obviously there is a lot of work still to go, but it’s nice to see some of the footings in place already. Once those are installed we’ll see the track start to be installed on top of them.

The cool part about this construction project is that with the TRON coaster we should actually get to see most of the track in place once installed as Disney has decided to install the track first and then the surrounding canopy.

Instead with the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster over in Epcot, we haven’t really got to see any of the track installation (besides what’s in the launch tunnel) because they chose to build the building first and then install the track after the fact. Both ways are fine, but it worked out better for us on this job! 😉

That’s all for now from the TRON coaster, but keep checking back here at Ziggy Knows Disney throughout the coming weeks as we’ll be posting the latest developments with this project!

We don’t have an exact date yet when the TRON Roller Coaster will be open. Our best guess at this time is it should be ready by Summer 2021, which would be in time for the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary. We’ll keep you posted as soon as we know more…

Keep up with all the latest Walt Disney World Construction Updates in our post with links to all the projects and attractions currently being built!

Other Disney World Construction Updates

Your Thoughts:

I want to know what you think about the latest TRON Roller Coaster updates…

  • How excited are you for this ride?
  • Which new Disney World attraction are you most looking forward to?

Let us know in the comments section below!

If you enjoyed this article, as always I appreciate it if you’d share it with others via social media.  I work hard at making this website into a useful resource for you and your family to plan your visit to the Disney Parks and I hope it can help you! Thanks 🙂

TITA

Saturday 11th of April 2020

Nice blog. Thank you very much

tita

Wednesday 22nd of January 2020

Thanks for sharing this Great article

Ben

Friday 30th of August 2019

Is there any news on when the Walt Disney World railroad will be back open?

Gene

Tuesday 18th of June 2019

Ziggy:

That isn't a load/unload area in the top middle of those new pics - that is a slow down are and used in case the ride needs to be stopped in an emergency and can be used to evacuate in that case.

Ziggy

Monday 1st of July 2019

Hi Gene, thanks for the comment I'll update it. Thanks!

JEANNETTE SANCHEZ

Sunday 26th of May 2019

I'm So excited for Tron Lightcycle Power run in the Magic Kingdom and the tracks looks awesome and I can't wait to ride it for the 50th Birthday of Walt Disney World Resort.

Ziggy

Saturday 15th of June 2019

Thanks for the comment Jeannette! Yes I totally agree with you and I can't wait! :)