EPCOT Test Track to be reimagined

[TheMaxRebo]

So your assertion is.. they were just name dropping and never intended to have any literal connection to the attraction they went out of their way to specifically name drop?

You could be right.. but then you should in the same vein call out their horrible marketing.. citing past attractions to clearly invoke hopes of tiebacks if they had no actual intention of that. Note, they didn't say "focusing on the spirit of optimism that was the inspiration of many disney experiences.." -- no they specifically call back WoM because they were trying to get throwback points from their fans.

And let's say you're right.. and the focus is on 'spirit of optimism'. Please tell us what from the 3.0 attraction experience that you think reflects that tenant they bothered to elevate to market with the attraction.

"Its fun to be free" dialog?
The glee of customizing your car?
The 20 seconds of dialog about lidar and inductive roads?
Or maybe the animation of a future city with zero context or connectivity to anything else?
Driving through a forest?

Where is this inspiration and tenant of bringing back the spirit of optimism? Can you even summarize the message and spirit of the attraction from what we've seen so far?

I think mentioning WoM was to imply a call back to how that ride was more about transportation and being inspired by it vs something that was more literally about testing.

And of course it was to get people excited - that is part of marketing job - but that doesn't mean there were going to be recreations of what existed then.

And I haven't ridden TT 3.0 yet so can't judge it. So maybe it works maybe it can't but not fair to determine that just by video. There are elements from it that do appeal to me so I am looking forward to checking it out next time I am there

And like I said, you can criticize (especially assuming you have ridden it) for not sufficiently feeling "inspired" by WoM - but don't think it is fair to criticize it for not having something it was never stated to have

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Your post is what I was talking about earlier in how they don't embrace the history of the parks. While they do talk about Walt and former Imagineers, they rarely mention or do nods to the history. It's almost like they don't want people to remember former attractions.

This IMO was the chance to embrace that. The whole indoor section should have one big nod to World of Motion with scenes and music. If they weren't going to use IP for this why not go big on history?

Maybe GM didn't want that? WoM was a lot of then history and evolution of transportation but I think GM wanted it more about the excitement of driving now and into the future (so new technology and why just driving is freeing and fun)

No saying something that harkens back to the past more wouldn't have made for a good attraction but can understand why GM might not want that

 

[flynnibus]

I think mentioning WoM was to imply a call back to how that ride was more about transportation and being inspired by it vs something that was more literally about testing.

I don't find the argument convincing. Or that was their intent.. and they completely missed their goal. TT3.0 is about options your cars may have in the future, and riding in a car. There is no transportation theme.. there is no how the world was moved by advances in transportation (like WoM). It's literally just "here's car stuff.. have fun going vrooom".

And like I said, you can criticize (especially assuming you have ridden it) for not sufficiently feeling "inspired" by WoM - but don't think it is fair to criticize it for not having something it was never stated to have

Well even if they didn't promise it, they have some of it. I just think if your interpretation is more about 'optimism' I think the attraction is even further than that.. than WoM hints.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

Maybe GM didn't want that? WoM was a lot of then history and evolution of transportation but I think GM wanted it more about the excitement of driving now and into the future (so new technology and why just driving is freeing and fun)

No saying something that harkens back to the past more wouldn't have made for a good attraction but can understand why GM might not want that

Yeah — at the end of the day GM does not care for World of Motion and they’re ultimately not paying to please the more nostalgic EPCOT fans.

 

[flynnibus]

Yeah — at the end of the day GM does not care for World of Motion and they’re ultimately not paying to please the more nostalgic EPCOT fans.

World of Motion was GM's first Disney attraction sponsorship... and a company that advertises based on it's history just as much as Disney. You think they have disowned their own?

 

[SoFloMagic]

Well, the 5 hours of positivity were nice while they lasted. Everybody move out so the Save The Magic crowd can move on into the thread

 

[ChrisFL]

in other news, it looks like this is the first time it's actually going 65 mph and not 64.9? screenshot from Attractions Magazine's video

 

[flynnibus]

Well, the 5 hours of positivity were nice while they lasted. Everybody move out so the Save The Magic crowd can move on into the thread

you can always just goto the park and seek asylum.

me, I'm counting the days till I check out the DLR 70th.

 

[Jrb1979]

Well, the 5 hours of positivity were nice while they lasted. Everybody move out so the Save The Magic crowd can move on into the thread

You can like aspects of it and still criticize it. From the POV, it's better than the last version but I was hoping for more scenes like the one before the outdoor section.

 

[SoFloMagic]

You can like aspects of it and still criticize it. From the POV, it's better than the last version but I was hoping for more scenes like the one before the outdoor section.

Sure. It doesn't look perfect. But there are people in this thread writing 5 paragraph posts about how version 1 is better after watching a YouTube video. That's lunacy

 

[Jrb1979]

Sure. It doesn't look perfect. But there are people in this thread writing 5 paragraph posts about how version 1 is better after watching a YouTube video. That's lunacy

That's fair. For me World of Motion is far better than any of the Test Track versions.

 

[SoFloMagic]

That's fair. For me World of Motion is far better than any of the Test Track versions.

Can't wait to ride this in person. Hoping there are things the videos didn't pick up.

 

[HMF]

Then you have Disney who doesn't like to talk or mention history much at all.

Probably because they don't want people to compare their past masterpieces to their lackluster current offerings.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

in other news, it looks like this is the first time it's actually going 65 mph and not 64.9? screenshot from Attractions Magazine's video

View attachment 867366

I swear I got 65.1 on TT 1.0 several years ago.

 

[ChrisFL]

I swear I got 65.1 on TT 1.0 several years ago.

It's possible? I never knew if it accurately tracked speed or if it was just supposed to say the speed, but I always saw 64.9 every time

 

[Drew the Disney Dude]

Someone already mentioned it, but yes, the tree scene smells like trees and you hear birds chirping! There are many elements of this version that can only be appreciated in person.

I talked to Scott Mallwitz, the Executive Creative Director at WDI who was the lead on it, and when I said I loved it, he said it best: there is a lot to love. There is a lot to love for the fans and for the general family. A major win for EPCOT and Imagineering.

 

[No Name]

It was a warehouse with curtains View attachment 867354View attachment 867355View attachment 867356View attachment 867357

That’s not a bad thing. The industrial look fit the edgy tone and concept of the ride much better than anything they’ve done with it since. Version 2 and 3 are good in their own right but not everything needs to be a dark ride.

 

[FettFan]

Enjoy your 90s highway signs and empty warehouse then

And I’ll leave you to your Tron-mockbuster hayride.

 

[FettFan]

Someone already mentioned it, but yes, the tree scene smells like trees and you hear birds chirping! There are many elements of this version that can only be appreciated in person.

I talked to Scott Mallwitz, the Executive Creative Director at WDI who was the lead on it, and when I said I loved it, he said it best: there is a lot to love. There is a lot to love for the fans and for the general family. A major win for EPCOT and Imagineering.

Why then did they talk up the ‘World of Motion’ influence to get us excited, then do so little with it?

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

To me, there's no question in my mind that TT 1.0 is the best of all. But this one is FAR better than 2.0 based solely on the video. I wasn't expecting much WoM or anything like that, and I wasn't disappointed because of that.