During Destination D23 at Walt Disney World, it was revealed that TRON Lightcycle Run will soon launch guests into a Tron: Ares version of the high-speed, adrenaline-pumping ride that bends reality into the video game world. This shares dates & details, along with quick commentary.
Yvette Nicole Brown announced the ride overlay news during the Walt Disney Studios showcase at the 2025 Destination D23 that TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom and TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland will be celebrating the release of the new Tron: Ares film with a brand-new overlay on their attractions.
Replacing the blue and orange hues of the ride, you’ll weave through twisting tunnels of vibrant red and orange light trails, feeling the rush of wind and the surge of acceleration as you compete in a dazzling Lightcycle race as part of the Tron: Ares overlay.
The striking red hues in Tron: Ares within the digital realm contrast sharply with the classic blue tones of the Grid. Adding to the immersive visuals, the pulsating industrial sounds of Nine Inch Nails will drive the ride’s energy, pushing your experience between the Grid and reality into a fully immersive, futuristic symphony of light, speed, and sound.
Experience the new Tron: Ares ride overlay for a limited time at Magic Kingdom starting September 15, 2025 and Shanghai Disneyland starting September 16, 2025.
Tron: Ares releases in theaters October 10, 2025, as the third film and next installment in Disney’s iconic Tron sci-fi franchise. Ares is a powerful and self-aware program sent from the digital realm into the real world for a mission that could change both forever. Tron: Ares is a mind-bending collision of technology, identity, and reality.
Jeff Bridges returns to star in Tron: Ares alongside Jared Leto as Ares, with Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Cameron Monaghan. The film was directed by Joachim Rønning, known for helming Disney action-adventure hits like Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Here’s the trailer for Tron Ares:
As announced at D23 last year, Nine Inch Nails is adding its signature ambient grit to the Tron universe.
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails previously worked with Disney/Pixar to score dark and dreamy beats for afterlife scenes in Pixar’s Soul. Those hypnotic rhythms contrasted John Batista’s lilting jazz compositions which layered Soul’s New York City scenes. It’s that dichotomy of worlds that brought Nine Inch Nails to Tron: Ares.
As Tron: Ares explores crossing from the Grid to the real world, Nine Inch Nails is incorporating pulsating synths, distorted textures and haunting melodies that rewire the TRON universe from the inside out.
The first track from the film has already been released, As Alive as You Need Me to Be, giving fans a pulse-pounding preview of what’s to come. Here it is:
Turning to commentary, I’m fully on board with this ride overlay of TRON Lightcycle Run. It’s really nice that Walt Disney World is finally receiving this type of limited time enhancement that’s almost certainly funded by the studio’s marketing budget for the film.
For the longest time, Disneyland got this type of thing (often in the form of entertainment, pre-show tags before nighttime spectaculars, and character appearances) and Walt Disney World declined them. It’s nice to see Magic Kingdom getting (and Shanghai Disneyland) something that Disneyland isn’t. Already a good day for team “be fair to Florida.”
Personally, I also love that attractions driven by music receive new soundtracks from time to time. It adds to the re-rideability, giving locals and other fans a reason to revisit familiar favorites. And unlike something like the holiday remix of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (which was a real dud and debuted during that ride’s very first year), I cannot imagine this negatively impacting the experience for first-timers who haven’t done the original TRON Lightcycle Run.
Walt Disney World has not revealed how long “limited time” is the Tron: Ares ride overlay, but our expectation is that it lasts through the holiday season. Not that it has anything to do with Christmas–obviously, it does not–that just strikes us as the appropriate period for a limited time ride overlay window of this nature.
There isn’t perfect precedent for this type of thing at Disneyland, but at least 2-3 months has been the norm for pre-show nighttime spectacular tags and character appearances, so this seems plausible. Halloween and Christmas are also popular time for family vacations among Walt Disney World fans, so the overlay lasting through at least the first week of January 2026 seems right.
But keep in mind that this is purely a guess. The range could be more limited, lasting only through the film’s initial theatrical push, ending by Thanksgiving. Or it could be a huge hit with guests, being extended indefinitely and ultimately made permanent. Unlike other initiatives funded by studio marketing budgets, there shouldn’t be any ongoing operational expense for the Tron: Ares ride overlay of TRON Lightcycle Run.
Ultimately, the Tron: Ares overlay is not a huge thing, but it’s a small victory–and the kind we appreciate as Walt Disney World regulars. Not that we needed an excuse to ride TRON Lightcycle Run. (I literally just did it three times yesterday!) It’s also nice to see Disney continuing to give attention to Tomorrowland. Between this and Buzz, so nice plussings are already lined up for the year to come in the land of Tomorrow. Here’s hoping that this is just the start…
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think about limited time ride overlay coming to TRON Lightcycle at Magic Kingdom and Shanghai Disneyland? Looking forward to taking a fresh spin on a Lightcycle? Hoping this is just the start of updates to Tomorrowland? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!