1
Credit: Lee (myfrozenlife), Flickr2025 is the year of refurbishments at Walt Disney World Resort, and one major change will be the complete retheme of Test Track at EPCOT.
From Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s extended and indefinite closure to the retheme of It’s Tough to be a Bug! and the addition of the Disney Villains to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, major change is afoot at the famous Central Florida location.
So many changes are happening this year that, for some guests, vacations are being skipped–or they are heading elsewhere, like the brand-new Epic Universe park opening down the road.
One change that was already underway heading into 2025 was the retheme of Test Track in EPCOT’s World Discovery neighborhood. Inspired by the original World of Motion, the fan-favorite EPCOT ride will reopen later this year with a complete new look.
“Get ready to feel the thrill of the open road, the wind in your hair, and nothing but adventure ahead! Test Track presented by General Motors is making its return lap late summer 2025,” Disney Parks Blog wrote.
“Walt Disney Imagineering has been working with General Motors on an all-new storyline – you’ll want to be all buckled in for an adventure. You might even see cars returning to the track (for testing…at Test Track…nice) with their new look early in the year!”
It was at D23 Expo 2024 that Disney Experiences chairman confirmed that everything announced at the “Ultimate Fan Event” is in motion and will come to fruition.
“At Disney Experiences, Imagineers dream, create, design and build these stories into real places,” D’Amaro said. “And we have Imagineers in place right now all around the world because everything we’re going to share with you is in active development. Plans are drawn. Dirt is moving. I just want to be clear about this: We are doing everything you’re going to hear tonight.”
Now, as Disney has done before by sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the Tropical Americas expansion in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Imagineering team has revealed a backstage tour of the currently under construction Test Track attraction. Sharing as part of Women in Construction week, the Walt Disney Imagineering Instagram account shared the video.
Buckle up! Join Carleigh, a Project Engineer, as she takes us through a day working on Test Track presented by @generalmotors! #WICweek
View this post on Instagram
The footage shows a day in the life of Project Engineer Carleigh as she shares what her role looks like at Walt Disney World Resort. The cast member walks backstage, revealing a look at the demolished queue for Test Track, completely stripped of its iconic theming. Once reopened, Test Track will be included in the resort’s Lightning Lane offering.
Changing Test Track is not the only big change that has happened at EPCOT this year. The operational process behind Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has been adapted, with Disney Experiences removing the remaining virtual queue option at the resort.
In February, both Cosmic Rewind and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom Park moved to a standby line and Lightning Lane only offering. The wait time for Cosmic Rewind hit almost three hours on its first day operating the standby queue.
How do you feel about Test Track’s major retheme? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!