Concept Art for 'Postponed' 'Mary Poppins' Spinner Ride at EPCOT, First Eat to the Beat Musicians Announced, Walt Disney World to Host 'Largest LGBTQ+ Conference in the World,' & More: Daily Recap (3/22/23)

We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Walt Disney World Magic … Read more

TRON Lightcycle Run Virtual Queue Added to My Disney Experience

Ahead of the ride’s April 4 grand opening, the TRON Lightcycle / Run virtual queue has been added to the My Disney Experience app. The virtual queue can be found in the three-lined menu, under “Virtual Queues.” Guests can then click “Join Virtual Queue.” There is now a Magic Kingdom tab, as well as an … Read more

PHOTOS: Scaffolding Removed From Space Mountain Spires at Magic Kingdom

Scaffolding has been removed from Space Mountain’s spires in Magic Kingdom, and rooftop cleaning has seemingly been completed in preparation for the opening of TRON Lightcycle / Run.

Space Mountain Façade Refurbishment

The scaffolding around the Space Mountain rooftop spires have now all been removed as the opening of TRON Lightcycle / Run nears on April 4. Disney has been cleaning the Space Mountain roof exterior since January as they complete the construction for TRON Lightcycle / Run and its surrounding area. We have been following along with the refurbishment while keeping you updated on the changes made to the surrounding area.

Scaffolding was installed in early February around the Space Mountain spires as cleaning and repainting continued on the attraction’s roof.

The scaffolding surrounding the large spires was recently removed, but the smaller spires remained covered.

The smaller spires are no longer surrounded by scaffolding, and the work on Space Mountain’s rooftop appears to be complete.

Disney has been making some changes to the surrounding area of the new attraction, TRON / Lightcycle Run, as it prepares for its grand opening next month.

In addition to the maintenance work completed on Space Mountain, a name change and retheming have been made to the classic attraction’s neighboring shop, and a new food stand has been added.

Tomorrowland Launch Depot

Formerly known as Tomorrowland’s Light & Power Co., the shop next to Space Mountain has officially been renamed as part of the updates made to this area. The new name for this shop is Tomorrowland Launch Depot. The1994 Tomorrowland decorative exterior cogs and steampunk style have been replaced with a sleek streamlined facade. The original tower art underneath the clock has been replaced with a mural of Tomorrowland attractions past and present.

The shop formerly sold Space Mountain themed merchandise and featured a D-tech on demand counter for the customization of MagicBands, phone cases, and other items. While it is uncertain if these items will continue to be sold at the shop, new merchandise has been revealed. The new shop will sell unique TRON themed items, including Loungefly backpacks, t-shirts, toys, and light-up clothing and accessories.

Another shop entrance will be located in the back, making it easily accessible for guests exiting the TRON Lightcycle / Run attraction.

Tomorrowland Launch Depot will offer guests the opportunity to experience the TRON Identity Program. Guests who purchase the special action figure can customize its unique identity chip and use it to interact with other TRON toys and merchandise. The Tron Identity Program action figures will be priced at $89.99.

Energy Bytes

Disney recently revealed all the details surrounding the new snack stand, called Energy Bytes, located near the entrance of the new TRON / Lightcycle RUN attraction and Space Mountain.

Unique sweet and savory snacks will be available at this food stand, including dumplings, donut holes, mochi ice cream, and a frozen watermelon refresher. These snacks will be sold for under $10. The full price list, with photos, is available here.

With so many new things to see, will you be visiting Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom anytime soon? Let us know in the comments below.

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Disney Creates Flynn's Arcade-Inspired Space Exclusively for TRON Lightcycle / Run Media Event

As part of the TRON Lightcycle / Run media event today, Disney created a special welcome center inspired by Flynn’s Arcade exclusively for the media event preview attendees.

TRON Lightcycle Run Stock Entrance Sign

Disney treated their media guests today by welcoming them to a space inspired by Flynn’s Arcade from the 1982 film “TRON” and its sequel “TRON Legacy.” The arcade was the business (and home) of Kevin Flynn, creator of the Grid.

Disney Parks shared video on their Instagram stories showcasing the event with a walk-through of the arcade and its offerings. This all comes ahead of TRON Lightcycle / Run’s grand opening at the Magic Kingdom on April 4.

Media guests were greeted by this neon sign that reads “Game On” with a hidden Mickey icon and an arrow pointing them in right direction.

Next, they walked through a dark tunnel with green neon lights encasing them, very much in theme with The Grid.

The temporary media event arcade featured a variety of game options, including Guitar Hero.

A Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga game can by seen here surrounded by a back frame made of neon lights with a Mickey icon on the top.

The arcade classic, Space Invaders was also featured at the media event, also surrounded by its own neon light frame.

Although the Disney Parks Instagram story did not show a TRON arcade video game, there was a TRON pinball machine.

A prize wall was also seen in the video, complete with a bucket hat, tumblers, a keychain plush of Expedition Everest’s Yeti, and a Baby Groot squeeze toy, among others.

Here, under this giant neon Mickey ice cream bar, fresh popcorn can be seen in a machine, available to guests at the media event.

Flynn’s Arcade was previously replicated more faithfully during the ElecTRONica dance event, which took place select nights at Disney California Adventure from 2010 to 2012. The location featured a number of classic arcade games as well as the TRON arcade game manufactured by Bally Midway. Guests could also immerse themselves in the neon world of The Grid during the beloved dance event. We covered this event in the early days of WDWNT if you would like to read more about it.

What do you think about this exclusive TRON media event? Do you wish it was open to the all park guests similar to the way ElecTRONica’s experience ran? Tell us in the comments.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.

First Look at TRON Lightcycle Run MagicBand+ Design

A TRON Lightcycle / Run MagicBand+ design is coming to Walt Disney World. Disney Parks shared a video on Instagram showing how to use MagicBand+ with the locker system, and the demonstrator was sporting the new band. TRON Lightcycle / Run MagicBand+ The band is blue with “TRON Lightcycle / Run” on the puck. Illustrations … Read more

Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro Declares TRON as "Tip of the Iceberg" for Future Attractions

Josh D'Amaro Tron Lightcycle / Run Preview

After riding TRON Lightcycle / Run today at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro declared that the attraction is an exciting and ambitious start to a transformative future of attractions yet to come. In an interview with the Orlando Business Journal, D’Amaro shared some thoughts on his ride along Walt … Read more

Walt Disney World Giving Passholders Complimentary 1-Day Ticket for TRON Lightcycle Run Previews on Blockout Dates

TRON Lightcycle Run Stock Entrance Sign

Though Walt Disney World originally stated Annual Passholders who signed up for a TRON Lightcycle / Run preview during a blockout date for their pass tier would have their preview automatically canceled, Disney is now offering complimentary 1-day tickets to these Passholders. Some Passholders reportedly had trouble when registering a group for the TRON Lightcycle … Read more

First Look at TRON Theming Inside Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. at Magic Kingdom

We got our first look at the new TRON Lightcycle / Run-inspired theming inside Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. at Magic Kingdom. New lighting is visible through the store’s windows and doors at night. There is mostly white lighting, but also lines of red and blue around the silver-gray walls, presumably representing the two teams … Read more