Breaking Down The Top Disney Rumors That May Be Confirmed At D23 Expo: TRON Cycle At Magic Kingdom Or Epcot

With the D23 Expo in California dates getting closer by the day, there are so many rumors flying around about Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and anything associated with the mouse. It’s time to look deeper at all of the rumors that are starting to make their way online and this first choice is one that has picked up speed in the last couple months. Many are wondering, is the TRON Lightcycle Power Run coming to Epcot or Magic Kingdom, and if so, what is it replacing?

When Shanghai Disneyland opened last year, one of the coolest roller coasters in the world debuted and it is the TRON Lightcycle. Guests hop aboard a train of cycles and zoom outside and through tunnels of light just as if they are part of the movie TRON and part of the game inside the film.

Fans in the United States hoped that one of the domestic parks would get that same attraction, and that is when the rumors started. The Kingdom Insider reports that the rumor goes back as far as 2015 when Disney reportedly started throwing around ideas of bringing the TRON Lightcycle coaster to Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

#ShanghaiDisneyland Series #Tomorrowland‘s #Tron Lightcycle Power Run #Shanghai #DisneySide #ShanghaiDL #SDL #Disney pic.twitter.com/GZ6crXeH7h

— MrDizney King (@MrDizneyKing) June 15, 2017

Once the rumor started to get picked up, a number of theories started to be passed around as to where the TRON Lightcycle could go if it was built at Walt Disney World.

Orlando Weekly reported that a “redo of Tomorrowland” may be in order and it would not be a bad idea for TRON to make its way in. For an attraction of that size, though, it would need a rather large space, and Magic Kingdom has that in the location where the Tomorrowland Speedway now sits.

The Tomorrowland Speedway is one of the opening day attractions at Walt Disney World, but it isn’t the most futuristic or very “tomorrow” as the name of the land entails. Still, it does draw pretty good crowds and lines, especially during the summer months and holiday seasons.

While the Tomorrowland Speedway is incredibly outdated, the TRON Lightcycle would certainly pick up the popularity of the Magic Kingdom land and give its name more meaning. It would also help the lines at attractions such as Space Mountain and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

If not at Magic Kingdom, there is another possible place that the TRON Lightcycle roller coaster could go if the rumor ends up coming true. Another place that has enough space for the attraction is Epcot, but that would mean getting rid of an opening day ride from that park as well.

Universe of Energy, now called Ellen’s Energy Adventure, has seen a decline in guests riding it for a long time and it would not shock many people to see it closed. According to WDWNT, permits have been filed to replace the attraction and it is actually set to close sometime after the 35th anniversary of Epcot later this year.

The permits filed with the South Florida Water Management District show that drainage canals will be rerouted and new retention ponds will be created to hold runoff during construction. If things go as expected from the permits, the work will take place from right in front of the Universe of Energy attraction, go around and behind the Wonders of Life pavilion, and take up a huge plot of forest land on the side of Epcot.

In November, Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts, revealed that a “major transformation” was coming to Epcot over the next few years. They wanted to keep the original vision of the park in place while making it more timeless and family-friendly.

This major change could end up including the TRON Lightcycle which would be part of a proposed 5-year plan for the park to be finished by the 40th anniversary of Epcot in 2022.

This is only the first of many rumors that is going to be dealt with at the D23 Expo by way of being confirmed or being ignored, tossed to the side, and being squashed as unrealistic. The TRON Lightcycle coaster is extremely popular at Shanghai Disneyland, but could it make its way stateside? Disneyland may end up with it or it may make its way to Magic Kingdom or Epcot, but only time will tell if it becomes anything more than a rumor.

[Featured Image by The Walt Disney Company]