Disney World announces Test Track ride to be remade into Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot - Inside the Magic

Comments for Disney World announces Test Track ride to be remade into Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot

test track

Credit: Disney

25 Comments

  1. Michel L. Mendonça

    So are they going to change the actual, you know, ride layout? Or is it going to be Test Track with a different vehicle?

    1. Ricky Brigante

      Judging from the way the release is worded and the short downtime (only a few months), the overall ride track/layout will likely remain the same, more or less. It seems like the new theme will be more of an overlay, likely with new audio and a whole new look and feel to the show scenes.

  2. bramlyb

    When will it re-open?

    1. Ricky Brigante

      No specific date announced yet. Some time in Fall 2012.

      1. Jerome

        You would think Disney would wait to do construction during the offseason, like right now, instead of having a top attraction closed during the entire summer.

        1. bramlyb

          yeah, i’m going in August for the first time and i wanted to go on it…

        2. steve

          ya, but it is hard because a lot of engineers and such concentrate most on the major MK park rides such as big thunder (closed this winter and spring) and I’m sure space mtn. is next year. But i do agree, for a ride that is limited in thrill rides, it should have been closed as far away from peak time as possible

  3. JungleSkip

    Hopefully we see some updated aesthetics in the ride. I’ll be disappointed if the only things that change are the pre/post shows.

  4. Anthony

    Thank goodness for this. Test Track was arguably the most disappointing ride in all of Walt Disney World. A horrible story combined with unenjoyable ride elements. I have never once enjoyed a ride on Test Track. Hopefully this will change that.

    1. Waldo

      “Arguably”

    2. Mike

      You my friend…are a dope.

  5. EricJ

    I loved it :), but some of it felt a little dated since the 90’s. (Wow, the miracle of anti-lock brakes?)
    Sounds like they’re not tearing down the track, it’s just getting a Spaceship Earth job.

  6. John

    I almost cried when i saw this because i thought that it was closing and turning into some dumb car exhibit.

  7. OT

    Not sure what to think of this. I guess this is not going to be a great update. The theming can´t get worse but I think the “re emagined” attraction will disapoint and again shows that Disney imaginering is loosing it.

  8. Dennis

    Isn’t this one of the advantages of this ride system ? Since the track is stationary, and the cars are basically a large moving animatronic ? Not only could they dramatically change the ride experience without changing the course of the ride, but it seems to me they could fairly easily make each individual car behave slightly differently on each ride. Or is this ride system that much different than Indiana Jones, and Dinosaur ?

    1. Ricky Brigante

      Test Track cars don’t have anywhere near the capabilities of the enhanced vehicles found in Indiana Jones and Dinosaur. But they are equipped with programmable media – a screen and audio. That means the experience could change, to some extent, with each ride. The cars themselves can stop and start, speed up and slow down, as well. But you won’t find up/down/tilting motions with these vehicles.

      1. Dennis

        For some reason I was thinking the track was entirely smooth and they simulated the rough road. I wonder if the radiator springs racers or the journey to the center of the earth vehicles have that kind of enhanced movement. Maybe those kinds of hydraulic (Indiana Jones) or pneumatic (Dinosaur) systems can’t take the g forces involved.

  9. Robert Reid

    wow, this sucks. with epcot only having 3 real significant attractions and all, closing one of them is not good. we go to epcot for the world showcase, the rest of it is pretty lame. although do love the living with the land boat ride and the spaceship earth ride.

    1. Scott B

      Wow, this is the first time I have ever heard of ANYONE saying that they loved the living with the land boat ride.

      1. Kate G

        I’m a huge fan of the boat ride, myself.

        1. Barb

          I liked it better before they changed it.

  10. Barb

    To me it’s mind boggling why the ‘powers that be’ would close one of the most popular rides in the park for an entire summer! They couldn’t have done this during a time when the parks are less crowded? Granted, they’re always crowded, but more so in the summer.

  11. Debbie

    I’m really surprised this would be closed for the summer, since it seems to be a pretty popular ride at Epcot.

  12. Jenna

    Please don’t close it till april30 or at least april25 or 27

  13. Shelly Valladolid

    You know what would be cool? An Omnimover/Audio Animatronic attraction telling the story of the history of transportation. Inject some humor, a catchy song, and some great storytelling, and it would be …

    what..?

    Thrill rides?

    Oh.

    Never mind.

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