Test Track refurb???

[TP2000]

It's a cardboard cutout of Lyndon Johnson - I absolutely love the fact that it's there because it's just a random easter egg in the attraction.

You're kidding! LBJ is in the cab of that big truck?

I love it! That could get me to go on Test Track again, after years of skipping it, just to see if I could spot him. :lol:

 

[ChrisFL]

The other question...will GM remain the sponsor?

 

[Texas84]

It's for the new Cars overlay

(runs away)

 

[t3techcom18]

I just read through several official and unofficial calendars. Test Track is not scheduled to go down on any of them.

I'm a CM with FWE Attractions and I can definitely say it IS happening. They told us it's going to be a very big rehab, the extent of which we still don't know. We only know it's going to be at the very LEAST 6 months.

As much as we know it's going down, we are just like you guys; we're still in the dark about what's going to be done.

My personal theory? I think WDI is going to do what they did with Body Wars for ST2 - use TT as a literal proving ground for RSR at DCA. The timing makes a whole lot of sense to do other stuff to the building itself while improving the technology. If it already served as a testing ground for RSR a year or two ago, why not now? Why go through the nightmare that was the T&A of TT with RSR when you have a ride you can put the same type of programming into?

Just my two cents.

 

[BigThunderMatt]

ADR lead time is 180 days, why can't the refurb schedule be published well in advance also?

Because sometimes certain things happen, Iago bursting into flames is a fine example, that would require an immediate, unannounced refurbishment.

Grant it, that's probably not the case, but as Disney has clearly moved away from the annual or bi-annual refurbishment schedule for all attractions that they seemingly used to have (Splash Mountain is one of the few exceptions to this rule although I hear it will not be getting its annual refurb in lieu of BTMRR finally getting a much overdue one), it is probably decided on a basis that an attraction can no longer run reliably in its current state (run being a very generous term), and needs extended maintenance ASAP that cannot be provided during third shift hours piecemeal.

 

[misterID]

I'm a CM with FWE Attractions and I can definitely say it IS happening. They told us it's going to be a very big rehab, the extent of which we still don't know. We only know it's going to be at the very LEAST 6 months.

As much as we know it's going down, we are just like you guys; we're still in the dark about what's going to be done.

My personal theory? I think WDI is going to do what they did with Body Wars for ST2 - use TT as a literal proving ground for RSR at DCA. The timing makes a whole lot of sense to do other stuff to the building itself while improving the technology. If it already served as a testing ground for RSR a year or two ago, why not now? Why go through the nightmare that was the T&A of TT with RSR when you have a ride you can put the same type of programming into?

Just my two cents.

That makes sense. Didn't think of it.

Are there any rumors among the CM's if TT's refurb will include a new theme and storyline?

 

[anonymous]

TT will be closing in March, not January. It will be for six months. It will be a full refurb, NOT just a "paint job". New theme, new storyline, new look.

EDIT: The ride is still sponsored by GM and the new theme will NOT be based on the Cars movie.

 

[montyz81]

TT will be closing in March, not January. It will be for six months. It will be a full refurb, NOT just a "paint job". New theme, new storyline, new look.

EDIT: The ride is still sponsored by GM and the new theme will NOT be based on the Cars movie.

What is the new Theme?

 

[Yodadudeman]

6 months!? That's quite a long time. So it's going to be closed during my trip in May?

It is a long time for a refurb. But Space Mountain was closed for even longer when it had its refurbm a little while ago. The only difference between the two rides is that Test Track is an e-ticket in a park with very very few. Without Test Track, I can only imagine how swamped Soarin' will be...

 

[DocMcHulk]

Of course it will be closed when I am there in May....

 

[SeaCastle]

I hope they take down that ugly canopy during the refurb.

 

[Lucille]

That's the risk you take when you visit a location that is open year-round. Especially when you choose to take advantage of smaller crowds and visit during a period not considered to be 'peak-season'. If the parks were seasonal, then there would be no excuse.

Anyone with a shred of common sense would understand that a year-round operation requires things to go down every so often for routine maintenance.

Of course, many guests lack common sense. I can't even count on two hands how many people on a daily basis come through the Magic Kingdom Auto Plaza asking if this is "Disney World", the "Park with the Rides", and "How much do tickets cost?"

I haven't read the entire thread yet but wanted to comment on this.

Someone can understand WHY attractions need to be closed. But that doesn't mean they can't still be sad about it. I know I will definitely be sad if we miss Test Track. We don't know when our next trip (after February 2012) will be. Probably not for many, many years. And on our last trip in 2010, we were only able to ride Test Track once. So yeah, it would suck to miss Test Track. It's not going to make us change our trip or anything, nor will it ruin our entire vacation. It will just be one of those crappy things that happens.

 

[TestTrack]

As long as it has nothing to do with Cars when its over with I'll be happy. Nemo proved that just throwing a random pixar theme at a ride does not make it a good one that people will line up for.

 

[DocMcHulk]

As long as it has nothing to do with Cars when its over with I'll be happy. Nemo proved that just throwing a random pixar theme at a ride does not make it a good one that people will line up for.

I know a lot of people that like the Nemo version.

 

[Brian Noble]

Nemo proved that just throwing a random pixar theme at a ride does not make it a good one that people will line up for.

My understanding is that since Seas was Nemo-ized, pavilion attendance has gone up substantially.

 

[montyz81]

My understanding is that since Seas was Nemo-ized, pavilion attendance has gone up substantially.

That has more to do with Crush and much less to do with putting Nemo on the omnimover ride. If Crush were not there and they still infused it with Nemo, attendance would probably not have gone up

 

[muteki]

I hope it is more of a substantial change, and I won't miss the old Test Track too much. Was fun the first few go arounds, but I have little interest in riding it when I visit these days, and the queue always bugged me. This is an opportunity for them to do something really neat, even if other pavilions deserved it first.

 

[Master Yoda]

That has more to do with Crush and much less to do with putting Nemo on the omnimover ride. If Crush were not there and they still infused it with Nemo, attendance would probably not have gone up

Crush was there long before Nemo and produced a fair attendance increase. Attendance went up considerably once the Nemo dark ride opened.

 

[lebeau]

As long as it has nothing to do with Cars when its over with I'll be happy. Nemo proved that just throwing a random pixar theme at a ride does not make it a good one that people will line up for.

I think Nemo has shown the opposite to be true.

It has also shown that people will complain about just about anything.

 

[thelookingglass]

Nemo is quite popular. It rarely has a line because its a capacity-eater, not because its unpopular. I mean, think about it, Spaceship Earth rarely has a line either.