Test Track 2012 Update

[JNota0005DakMC]

thats nice... not going to change my mind about Epcot... this will be a weak summer for the park for sure...

[WDW1014]

maybe the whole course would be changed up like scenery and set desgins ??

[nicholas]

i hope so.

[HauntedGabe]

Disney is being odd still about this refurb. My gut from talking to the 2 CM's continuously being stationed in front of the great wooden wall this is a well guarded secret as of now. Asking about what will be sim and what will be actual, not close to a clear answer. This whole side today of Future World was guests coming in and for the most part making a U-Turn out. More guest actually seeing Ellen. Me included. It was as painfully long as I recalled but everything worked.

Cast Members are still frightened to speak of the Land and the Character Spot being open to 10pm.
Actually nervous being asked. The strangeness continues.

[ohiodisneydad]

The closure of Test Track is actually making me rethink our plan to visit the park. We only have three days for park time next week and Epcot was going to be one of our all day parks. Now, I'm not certain. Maybe Epoct and AK will be half days now. We'll see, that's why I bought Park Hoppers anyway.

[doconeill]

I still don't think there is anything "sim" about the refurb in the sense of a virtual reality motion simulator. Test track is already a "simulator" in some respects. People just read too much into the original announcement. This is a makeover, with more interactive elements in the form of vehicle design stations which may or may not have some level of effect on the ride portion.

[weepstah]

Cast Members are still frightened to speak of the Land and the Character Spot being open to 10pm. Actually nervous being asked. The strangeness continues.

Gabe, just wondering - were you actually able to hit the Land after 9? Just wondering what your experience was if you did.

[Zipadeedooda]

I feel like they won't be changing too much for the overall ride. Many the vehicles and the cues, but I doubt they will change too much of the testing elements once you begin. The outside can't be changed. That's the best part of the ride, speeding throught the turns at 60mph

[StitchGal23]

If it's not broken, don't try to fix it. Test Track is my favorite ride in Disney. If we want our "designing and testing on a simulator thrills", then we'd go to "Sum of all Thrills" at Innoventions and design a roller coaster ride there.

[doconeill]

If it's not broken, don't try to fix it. Test Track is my favorite ride in Disney. If we want our "designing and testing on a simulator thrills", then we'd go to Innoventions and ride "Sum of all Thrills" and design a roller coaster.

I just find it amusing that we're talking about Test Track, which is quite often broken...

But I REALLY DETEST the queue area. Mainly the noise. Good riddance.

[supernova]

Disney is being odd still about this refurb. My gut from talking to the 2 CM's continuously being stationed in front of the great wooden wall this is a well guarded secret as of now. Asking about what will be sim and what will be actual, not close to a clear answer. This whole side today of Future World was guests coming in and for the most part making a U-Turn out. More guest actually seeing Ellen. Me included. It was as painfully long as I recalled but everything worked.

Cast Members are still frightened to speak of the Land and the Character Spot being open to 10pm.
Actually nervous being asked. The strangeness continues.

I've been hearing this exact experience four times now, twice on the forums and twice from friends who have visited. At first I thought it was very odd, too. But literally as I sit here right now thinking about this situation, it just occurred to me WHY Disney might be mum on the late closing. Let's say that Disney posts a sign out front saying that Soarin' and Character Connection will both be open until 10pm for your convenience. At 8:45, the majority of the park (or so it usually seems) heads over to the lagoon to watch IllumiNations. At 9:20 when the show ends, rather than everyone racing to get back to their hotels, nearly the entire park runs to Soarin'. And by this hour, it no longer has anything to do with Test Track being closed. These are just people who can either choose to go back home, or ride one more fun attraction again. I couldn't begin to imagine what that line would look like if EVERYONE was on it. The staff would never get out of the line could potentially extend up the stairs and nearly out to the entrance. Me, I would see the line and leave. THEN you need to remember that as those first groups leave either Soarin' or Character Connection are going to race over to beat the 10pm rush for the other. AND both lines still need to get home, so that means leaving the bus, monorail, and ferry operators and depot staff on as well. Keep it silent, and these major issues will correct themselves.

Often we forget that the AVERAGE park visitor are not the uber-fans like we all are. They're not returning for their tenth visit, and they're not members of message boards. If anything, they are reading books on how to visit the park, if they're researching it at all. So they might not know that there even IS a TestTrack, much less that it is closed. Disney needs to worry about the frequent visitors and those that found out word-of-mouth.

I wonder how they are handing Test Track on their Resort TV stations... does anyone know if this segment has been edited out temporarily?

[supernova]

Along with this, what I do find odd is how hush they are being about the refurbishment. Usually Disney is quick to release concept art. Look at what they've been doing with Fantasyland. Images released before a shovel even broke ground. I know it's not the case, but I almost feel as if they're going to be making this one up as they go along.

[BamaJenn]

"An a cappella singing group called “Test Track Allstars” A Cappella will perform each day during the attraction’s closure in front of the Test Track pavilion. It’s not yet clear what “travel-themed” songs the group will be singing, but some Epcot fans are already hoping “It’s Fun to Be Free,” the theme song to the old World of Motion attraction (which Test Track replaced), is part of their set."

Not meaning to take this thread backwards but I watched a video of this the other day. The group of singers is saying they are Chevy employees and even list their positions with the company. They say they formed the group for company picnics etc. and they are pretty good. My question is this however... anyone know the validity of their identities? My instinct says they are Disney employees "acting" as Chevy employees for the purpose of entertainment but I am curious if maybe their story is true and Disney brought them after hearing about it. Anyone have any details?

[doconeill]

Not meaning to take this thread backwards but I watched a video of this the other day. The group of singers is saying they are Chevy employees and even list their positions with the company. They say they formed the group for company picnics etc. and they are pretty good. My question is this however... anyone know the validity of their identities? My instinct says they are Disney employees "acting" as Chevy employees for the purpose of entertainment but I am curious if maybe their story is true and Disney brought them after hearing about it. Anyone have any details?

Someone posted a pic on Facebook comparing one of the TT singers with one of the Dapper Dans...looked like the same guy I don't know it for certain...

[BamaJenn]

Someone posted a pic on Facebook comparing one of the TT singers with one of the Dapper Dans...looked like the same guy I don't know it for certain...

Hmmmm.... interesting. The "bass" guy looks a bit familiar to me... wonder if it was him. Tall skinny white guy?