PTR: New Test Track Sneak Preview 12/1/12

[CycloneMan]

Back in April, GM's Test Track at EPCOT was closed for good and was planned to have a major renovation. Test Track now sponsored by Chevrolet, is scheduled to reopen December 6th to the public. Today (12/1/12) the attraction soft opened for Walt Disney World Cast Members and their families. The attraction has been doing testings the last few weeks with volunteer Cast Members as riders (myself included). But today we were allowed to go in and take pictures. So I present to you, one of the first looks at the new version of Test Track.

 

The new entrance for Test Track 2.0

 

Couldn't gen a picture of the area entrance due to us entering behind the construction wall ;)/>

 

Into the new queue. The entire building is unrecognizable.

 

The line splits into 4 different design studios where you'll design your car.

 

The five of us will be riding a few times tonight. Left to Right: Lauren, myself, Joy, Jackie and Patrick.

 

The design studio. You are given a card, and you scan your card to activate the design station.

 

Lauren designing our car.

 

Patrick, Jackie and Joy.

 

After the design studio, you go down a hall way towards the station. ...don't mind Lauren jumping into my frame.

 

So the new design of the ride is you are in a computer based simulation automotive design.

 

The loading station is much smaller than it was before.

 

Pretty different.

 

Here's where you scan your card before boarding your car. During the ride, there are screens along the path that'll tell you how your car is holding up.

 

The next batch of photos will be blurry, being they're taken on my cell phone.

 

While you're at the seat belt check, you can tell the ride's going to be really dark.

 

The up hill incline.

 

The downhill slope is no longer a rough roads test. Now it's supposed to be an ice slope. So now you just slide down slowly.

 

Product placement activated!

 

The ride layout is EXACTLY the same as before. However, there is no real story line, nor anything to tell you what's going on in the ride.

 

Contrary to popular belief, this ride is NOT Tron themed ;)/>

 

Random city...? Well...it's pretty

 

What used to be the temperature chambers are now scanners.

 

Checking our aerodynamics.

 

The hill climb is basically the same, except now it's computerized.

 

After the truck gag (yup, still there. Updated, but still there), you get an over view of your tests.

 

Yea...it's blurry.

 

The launch track is pretty cool. It starts changing designs, and the lights along the ground start lighting up.

 

Outside is just like before.

 

However it is the most boring part of the ride. There's honestly nothing to it. There's no audio. No dialogue. No show elements. It's very underwhelming after all the enhancements inside the building.

 

Ride's over.

 

As you see on the exit signs in station, they've brought the original World of Motion logo back to the ride. Along with the new Test Track logo.

 

At the exit, you can check how your car tested.

 

In this room, you can take your car and make a commercial.

 

You will also be able to test drive it.

 

Just like the old Test Track, you can still buy a car!

 

The gift shop at the exit really didn't change that much.

 

Overall, we all have mixed feelings about the new Test Track. There really isn't any sort of story line. And with the story line it has, it's hard to follow. A lot of elements in the attraction were taken out for "pretty things" as we called out. The attraction feels unfinished. With that being said, the attraction isn't officially opened to the public yet. So we shall see how it does.

 

-Dainan "I enjoyed it" Rafferty

[The Master]

Chevrolet is a division of GM so it's still pretty much GM sponsering Test Track. Poor Olds and Pontie are long gone. By the look of it I still think I prefer the old World of Motion.

Edited December 2, 2012 by The Master

[batmanrobinchiller]

This new upgrade doesn't compare to the original Test Track. I miss that assembly line feel of the ride. Now, it's just too dark and "Tron" looking.

 

 

[The Master]

I also prefer the assembly line theme as well. This looks more like a downgrade than an upgrade really. Probably would have been better if they just changed it to Cars instead.

Edited December 2, 2012 by The Master

[Thunderbolt]

Epcot is largely given a pass because it's Disney, and Disney can do nothing wrong. With that being said, Disney has done more to destroy Epcot than Six Flags has done to Great Adventure. Maybe it's because I'm older, and can fondly remember EPCOT Center in 1991. Future World felt like (what I'd imagine) a real "World's Fair". The attractions were entertaining, immersive, and actually educational. "Spaceship Earth" was narrated by the iconic Walter Cronkite. "Universe of Energy" wasn't attempting cheesy gags, and presented a better show (with those cool turning mirrors). "Horizons" was hands down my personal favorite attraction, and was like the "Carousel of Progress" 100 years from now. "World of Motion" with its futuristic wheel building, and the history of man's modes of transit. "Journey Into Imagination" with "Figment" and "The Dreamfinder" was a classic, as was "The Electric Playground" upstairs. I loved "Kitchen Kabaret" and "Listen to the Land" at "The Land" (coincidently, I still like this pavilion despite missing the animatronics and "Bonnie Appetite"). Lastly, "The Living Seas" was immersive with "Sea Base Alpha" and the "Hydrolaters". Like "The Land" and "Communicore", it now seems like an 80's Shopping Mall. Granted, maintaing a vision of the future is hard and expensive. Sadly, Epcot's "Future World" today feels every bit as out of place (and sometimes moribund) as the "Carousel of Progress's" finale. Perhaps they should rip the sucker out, and just build "Disney Sea" in "Future World", and leave "World Showcase" as is. I know, such talk is heresy.

 

I never was a fan of "Test Track", but it's good for what it is. I guess I miss "World of Motion" and the animatronics more.

[Yoshi]

I agree with everything you said. I miss the Epcot from the mid 80s to the mid 90s when the original attractions started to close or be removed. I'd take all the original rides over the current version any time. The old Image Works upstairs was so much better than the" edit a picture that can be done on any computer now" setup. With Wonders of Life closed, it would have been nice for Horizons to be saved and Mission Space built there. Another reason I don't like the changes is because everything at the original Epcot, we could go to as a family. Now Test Track is a ride we have to split up at, I was the only one to try Soarin' and didn't like it and no one will ride Mission Space. I know Epcot was lacking in thrills but it would have been nice to see thrill rides added but not at the expense of other rides like the rumored Mt. Fuji coaster for Japan in World Showcase. It's the same thing at the Magic Kingdom. Remove Snow White's Scary Adventures and add a lower thrill coaster that the park already has plenty of but it's thrilling enough to stop some people from riding.

 

Epcot, mainly because of Future World (I'm not much of a fan of World Showcase since I don't really care about the shopping or films) used to easily be my 2nd favorite park in Florida after the Magic Kingdom. After going to Florida this year and going to Busch Gardens Tampa, I'm starting to reconsider that.

[GAcoaster]

I went over to EPCOT for the soft opening today and it was OK...better than the old version of Test Track if for no other reason than it has more more of the EPCOT/World's Fair feeling where they're presenting future technology and developments, where the old version was simply "this is how we test a car". It's still no where near as good as World of Motion, but it's a step in the right direction in Future World for a change.