Cementing a Legacy

As December approaches, we will begin to see more advertisements about Disney's big winter blockbuster Tron Legacy. Billboards have been put up, trailers have been released, and now the Disney Monorails are even wrapped to look like Light Cycles. As cool as the Monorail being wrapped sounds, it's only pleasing to the eye. In the end, it's just one big rolling ad for the movie. Not anything very special. I think Tron has the potential to be a great theme for a ride in Tomorrowland. While I don't usually agree with rides being based on movies, as long as the concepts are timeless, it will usually work out. In this case, who wouldn't wanna ride a light cycle?

Because of it's intensely computer driven design, Tron has remained a vision of the future well after it's release. And since the technology doesn't seem to be coming around the corner any time soon, the probability of a light cycle ride becoming dated is quite low. My idea for the ride is one where guests, 1 to 2 on a cycle, race up to 7 other cycles on a track. The vehicles could be computer controlled much like Test Track and the new Cars attraction at DCA.Guests would board the cycles at a starting line where they were all placed in a row. A linear induction type system could launch the cars out of the gate and into a heated race. Cycles could cut in front of each other, make sharps turns, and even avoid obstacles.

I believe this ride could be given a high rate of re-ride ability by using a variable computer program. The ride would never be the same twice. The winner of each race could also be given a special prize like a photo or postcard exclusive to race winners. Because the ride would be random, any rider could win at any time regardless of age or experience.

While this doesn't go into great detail, I believe this is a strong foundation for a Tron attraction. Science Fiction is an area not regularly explored(and done well) in Disney movies. Thus it is my opinion that it would be a great idea to capitalize on the new movie in order to generate revenue to produce a new high quality attraction for the parks.