See? Disney Parks Can Get Stuff Done When They Want To

Over the past decade or so, we’ve seen Disney take on a LOT of projects in the domestic theme parks.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

With everything from the addition of Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge to the complete overhaul of EPCOT, there has been a ton of construction happening in Disney World. But Disneyland Resort hasn’t been without its projects either (like Avengers Campus!) and right now, one Disneyland project is proving that Disney can get stuff done quickly…when they want to.

If you’ve been following along with the changes coming to Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland Park, then you know that the project has been moving along relatively quickly. The “ambitious reimagining” of the land was announced in November of 2021 and the land closed just a few months later in March 2022.

Mickey’s ToonTown

Now, it’s set to open a year later on March 8th, 2023. That’s quite an impressive turnaround for renovating an entire land with a new restaurant, play area, snack stand, and more. And that timeline stands in stark contrast when compared with another ongoing project — the TRON Lightcycle Run coaster in Magic Kingdom.

©Disney

TRON Lightcycle Run has been under construction since 2018 in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. The ride is set to open on April 4th, 2023, which means that crews have been working on the site for more than FIVE years. They broke ground for the ride in February 2018 and since then, they’ve built not only the new attraction, but re-routed the Walt Disney World Railroad.

©Disney

However, when compared to the speed of Toontown construction, it’s not nearly as impressive. The reimagining of Mickey’s Toontown was an original concept, while TRON Lightcycle Run is a copy of the OG ride in Shanghai Disneyland — which makes one think that it could be completed faster. To make the comparison fairer, you could add in the construction of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway to the Toontown timeline (which would back things up to 2020, when construction for that ride began), but that’s still two years less than TRON.

©Disney

So what made TRON take so long? Well, we can’t deny that the pandemic was a big factor. The ride was originally set to open in time for the 50th Anniversary of Disney World in October 2021. It got delayed by a full year and a half due to financial issues and the fact that construction in the parks was shut down for a while. Pandemic-related shipping delays and labor shortages may have also played a factor.

TRON Lightcycle Run construction — Early January 2023

With that original timeline, it would’ve taken TRON Lightcycle Run three and a half years to be completed, which lines up closer to Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Disneyland, which is sitting at a little less than three years. It generally takes rides longer to be completed than things like general refurbishments or restaurants, simply because you have to go through extra safety checks, ride testing, and other requirements before it can open.

©Disney

So opening a new ride may be a huge undertaking, but all in all, we’re SERIOUSLY impressed with the speed at which Toontown has been changed. We’d love to see more restaurant and refurbishment projects be completed with that kind of timeline, and we’re pretty sure other guests feel the same!

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the changes in the theme parks and resorts of Disney World. and Disneyland Resort. We’re ready to take on 2023 with all the excitement that it has to offer!

Click Here to Learn More About the Toontown Changes!

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What do you think of the construction timeline for Toontown and other Disney projects? Tell us in the comments!