Disney Announces Opening Day For TRON, Rolls Back Restrictions And Added Fees For Park Goers

April 4, 2023, is set to be a big day at Walt DisneyDIS
World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. The highly anticipated attraction TRON Lightcycle / Run will finally open to guests after being originally announced in 2017.

The high-speed coaster is essentially the same attraction as what’s currently open at Shanghai Disneyland. Set in the Tomorrowland area of Magic Kingdom, TRON will take guests into the Grid from the movie franchise. Guests who have visited Magic Kingdom over the past few months have seen the new attraction being built and tested before their eyes as they ride on other Tomorrowland rides.

That wasn’t the only big announcement Disney dropped. During the 50th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom got a new fireworks show, Disney Enchantment. While cute, Disney fans found the show lacked the heartwarming message and mind-blowing special effects that the previous show, Happily Ever After evoked. Well, just one day before TRON opens, on April 3, Happily Ever After will light up the night sky at Magic Kingdom again. When the show relaunches, it will have projections that match the theme of the ones on Cinderella Castle going down Main Street U.S.A., which was not done the first time this show was at the park.

At EPCOT, Harmonious, the nighttime spectacular that debuted for the 50th anniversary, will also be leaving. Starting April 3, the previous show, EPCOT Forever will take place nightly around World Showcase Lagoon. While Disney fans lamented the exit of Harmonious, Twitter was abuzz with the announcement that the barges that were stationed in World Showcase Lagoon would also be leaving. The barges were often a hot topic for Disney fans, who found them to be an eyesore as they looked across World Showcase and instead of seeing the beautiful country pavilions, saw metal structures that ruined the sight lines of the park.

Along with the major in-park announcements, Disney also started rolling back some of the park attendance regulations that started at the beginning of the pandemic. At Walt Disney World, those with valid annual passes will be able to enter any of the four theme parks anytime after 2:00 p.m. without a park reservation. This means that those who wish to go to the parks later in the day due to a busy travel day, wanting to sleep in or enjoy the pool at their hotel, or that they live in Orlando and typically go in the evenings, will not need a park reservation at all for the entire day if they wish to enter after the set time. The only exception to this rule is Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom, where a park reservation for all guests, including annual pass holders is still required. This change will be implemented in the coming months, according to Disney.

One major change that Disney fans are sure to love is the rollback of paid parking at Disney resort hotels. Starting January 10, guests staying at a Disney-owned resort hotel will no longer be charged for overnight self-parking. When the change to paid parking happened in 2018, guests had to pay a nightly fee of $15, $20, or $25 for value, moderate, and deluxe resorts, respectively. Those fees add up quickly for those staying for multiple nights. Many saw this as an easy money grab that didn’t enhance the Disney product and had them researching cheaper alternative accommodations.

For those who are not frequent visitors to Walt Disney World, these changes may seem small, but to those who travel to Orlando to make visits to the parks on a regular basis, these are welcome changes. For years, fans have complained about the growing list of perks that were taken away from them as resort guests or annual pass holders, including the ability to pop into any park as they please and free resort parking to name a few.

Disney fans made their voices known on social media handles, at events that executives attended, and in park surveys. In a recent interview with the New York TimesNYT
, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said of feedback from fans, “We’re listening to them, and we’re trying to adjust.”

According to D’Amaro, the changes are “not directly tied” to recent leadership change at The Walt Disney Company, where Bob Chapek was ousted and Bob Iger returned, though fans wonder if that’s truly the case. Chapek was perceived by fans to be all about the bottom line of the company, especially as he took over as CEO in February 2020 after being in D’Amaro’s position for years.

Iger, who took over the company on November 20, 2022, is said to have been “alarmed by increases in prices at Disney theme parks that Chapek argued would boost revenue and limit overcrowding,” according to sources that shared information for an article in the Wall Street Journal.

In an overwhelming social media display, Disney fans were excited about the changes. Not only was it refreshing to see changes that positively impacted the guest experience immediately, but fans felt like they were finally breaking through the noise and being heard by executives and decision makers.

“They care. They really, really care. And if people care that much, then I have an obligation to listen and, when appropriate, to make some changes and modifications,” continued D’Amaro to the New York Times.