Absimilliard
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 15, 1999
Hello everyone,
I just returned from Shanghai and when I rode the Tron Lightcycles roller coaster there. I was curious to see how Disney adapted to the realities of having a Motorcycle roller coaster since my previous experiences with them were quite tight.
Basically, on Tron, you have 7 cars per train and each car is composed of two side by side Light Cycles. Boarding is like riding a low slung motorcycle. Swing one left over the seat and then place your feet into stirrups. The original motorbike seat from that roller coaster manufacturer was an issue for me as I am 6'3 and the leg restraint was a sliding black pad on each side that slided over your thighs. On Tron, Disney and Vekoma instead came up with a pair of stirrups that move backward.
Once you're stradding the bike, you then pull the motorcycle handles toward you and this does two things: the back rest comes out from the back to restrain your upper torso. A metal bar on each side come out from the side and restrains your lower legs, preventing you from standing up.
Now, the back rest has to reach a certain point like Flight of Passage, but it was quite accomodating for me with my thick and long torso. The metal bars were tight at first, but I moved my legs and I was fine.
The ride has seven trains in Shanghai and out of those seven, two trains replace the back car with the TAV. The TAV (Transfer Accessing Vehicle) looks like a cute light car and instead of the saddle position, two riders sit in the same way as Expedition Everest. A similar lap bar restrain riders and the side panel has a door that opens to allow easy transfer from a wheelchair.
It appears the cast members are advised by the ride that a train with a TAV is approaching a loading station, so if you request it, they will place you on the right train.
I am curious about two things when the ride comes to the Magic Kingdom: 1- how many trains will have a TAV? 2- will they modify the calf bars to be more accommodating?
As for the ride experience itself, the launch is weaker on paper than Rock n Roller Coaster, but one thing changes everything: the position! It amplifies the launch and made it very exciting even to a die hard coaster enthusiast like me.
I have pictures of the ride vehicles and I will post them tomorrow online. I will link them here after/
I just returned from Shanghai and when I rode the Tron Lightcycles roller coaster there. I was curious to see how Disney adapted to the realities of having a Motorcycle roller coaster since my previous experiences with them were quite tight.
Basically, on Tron, you have 7 cars per train and each car is composed of two side by side Light Cycles. Boarding is like riding a low slung motorcycle. Swing one left over the seat and then place your feet into stirrups. The original motorbike seat from that roller coaster manufacturer was an issue for me as I am 6'3 and the leg restraint was a sliding black pad on each side that slided over your thighs. On Tron, Disney and Vekoma instead came up with a pair of stirrups that move backward.
Once you're stradding the bike, you then pull the motorcycle handles toward you and this does two things: the back rest comes out from the back to restrain your upper torso. A metal bar on each side come out from the side and restrains your lower legs, preventing you from standing up.
Now, the back rest has to reach a certain point like Flight of Passage, but it was quite accomodating for me with my thick and long torso. The metal bars were tight at first, but I moved my legs and I was fine.
The ride has seven trains in Shanghai and out of those seven, two trains replace the back car with the TAV. The TAV (Transfer Accessing Vehicle) looks like a cute light car and instead of the saddle position, two riders sit in the same way as Expedition Everest. A similar lap bar restrain riders and the side panel has a door that opens to allow easy transfer from a wheelchair.
It appears the cast members are advised by the ride that a train with a TAV is approaching a loading station, so if you request it, they will place you on the right train.
I am curious about two things when the ride comes to the Magic Kingdom: 1- how many trains will have a TAV? 2- will they modify the calf bars to be more accommodating?
As for the ride experience itself, the launch is weaker on paper than Rock n Roller Coaster, but one thing changes everything: the position! It amplifies the launch and made it very exciting even to a die hard coaster enthusiast like me.
I have pictures of the ride vehicles and I will post them tomorrow online. I will link them here after/
