I refuse to call it by that name.
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The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
I refuse to call it by that name.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Welp, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but at least for once this one seems to be the minority
This is a vast improvement!
It’s correct name is Mickey’s Wheel of Death.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Seriously interested: In what ways do you prefer this to the previous version (which I think had problems but was effectively focused and thrilling)?Welp, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but at least for once this one seems to be the minority
This is a vast improvement!
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
It feels modern, but classic. The narration reminds me of the peoplemover. More fleshed out scene design, the score sounds great. It feels like a perfect refresh and upgrade. Feels more Epcot
Never so much as seen a ride through of any version of Test Track but I’m going to guess this new version looks snazzier, is more whimsical but less cohesive?
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
I get the feeling of what they were going for with the Horizons-like back-and-forth narration dialogue, more detailed sets and a couple of callbacks to World of Motion. For me the tone just seems all over the place (Happy, happy, LOOK OUT!!!!! Happy, happy LOOK OUT!!! 
) I really find the narration obnoxious (easily fixed). And I think the visual highlight of the ride—the future projection—removes all the previous buildup to the big acceleration, but could be better utilzed— Imagine if they’d spent some money to give that outdoor section some futuristic facades and lighting to provide a real payoff.Oh well. Those are just my thoughts. I’ll try to give it a go this week if single rider’s open. I think it could be hugely improved with some relatively minor tweaking (the script and the voices) and one big tweak (some smart effective-but-budget friendly future-city theming to the outdoor section).
And I don’t miss the design-your-own-car angle at all, but I bet a lot of families will…
And I’ll pay more attention to the score next time.
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Rich T
Well-Known Member
Original: Industrial factory floor
1st remodel: Tron-lke simulation
This version: Aiming for Classic Epcot vibe
on paper the current version sounds best to me.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
Honestly, I think overall it's an improvement over 2.0 (never got to experience the original version). Not dramatically so, but it feels like it at least has more to look at. I think the constraints of the original Test Track layout only gives them so much to work with in terms of improvements.
The only big problem IMO is the script. It has the modern Disney script problem of being WAY too casual, putting in bad jokes and subtly trying to be "of the moment". It distracts and detracts from what otherwise would be a decent upgrade.
I guess it's good that they got rid of the preshow rooms, but man is that a deceptive queue.
Rich T
Well-Known Member
Makes it far less re-rideable, too, at least for me. (But, these days, does Disney even WANT people re-riding anything?) The script is my biggest complaint, and the ride could be much better and more cohesive with a rewrite.
At this point, I don’t think it was a great idea to drop the idea that your vehicle is going through a series of increasingly-wild tests; it’s what the whole ride system and layout was designed for. It’s like if you took Splash Mtn. and obliterated any tension or dramatic build up leading to the … oh, wait…
(edit)
That said, a vlogger whose channel I enjoy loved it. Guess I do have to try it for myself.
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PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
I think that part of it is that, frankly, Chevrolet is probably driving the ride's content; to my understanding, it was largely their money that made this possible, and that without Chevy wanting a change WDW probably would have just kept running the old version forever.
I think that Chevy's ultimate goal now, and the reason they've retained their sponsorship (and this can also be traced back to TT 2.0) is not to explain what they do to make sure cars are safe-which EVERY automaker also does-but why you the consumer should buy a Chevrolet over other alternatives, because they are foward-looking, they are making cars better, they are making the modern, safe automobile. If you look at it through that lens a lot of the changes in the subsequent versions of the attraction make sense. It's more explicitly an ad, a feel-good message that sets to put Chevrolet forward when people think about new vehicles.
So while it's very clear Disney wrote the script-it simply has too much in common with their output over the last ten years to have been written by anyone else-I imagine Disney probably just went with what Chevrolet wanted, which in fairness matches Epcot Center perfectly.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
People on Reddit are saying that Tiki Room is open today; the app does not currently reflect that, but I did notice in a Freshbaked Tour video that came out yesterday that basically everything except the main show was already open and finished.
Hopefully they gave it the TLC it needed.
Hopefully they gave it the TLC it needed.
Too Many Hats
Well-Known Member
I’m here now. The attraction is not open, but the preshow/waiting area is open for guests who want to hang out.
Mr. Sullivan
Well-Known Member
You've hit the nail on the head here, really.
If you'll notice, back in the day, car advertisements used to really harp on safety and reliability of the vehicle. But that has completely faded out. Companies don't have that discussion anymore, because consumers aren't asking that question anymore.
What people are asking is what's the new, shiny thing that cars offer? Most people aren't car shopping based on fuel efficiency or safety records or what have you these days. They're shopping based on the tech and the designs. Cars are sold today more as a luxury item than ever before, and this can be seen in the advertising for all of the major companies.
Chevy is in a unique position with Test Track in that they've got a place that can put their brand in the face of millions of people a year at the busiest vacation destination in the world. Their goal currently is clearly to show those potential customers what they're wanting to see out of the automotive world.
Customers aren't checking on safety. They're checking on forward thinking, innovative tech.
Disney just so happened to get permission to do some cool things with their Chevy advertisement.
truecoat
Well-Known Member
Chevy is making a huge mistake in their car lines. They dropped Google and Apple systems from their cars, and that's a deal breaker for me.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
It is just Chevy or all GM models? Not that I buy GM, as I have been exclusively Nissan for the last 2 decades. But I've looked at the Blazer and Equinox on occasion.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
You are kidding?!? Really? I have Apple CarPlay in both my cars, and I couldn't live without it.
What would the General Motors cars have if not Google or CarPlay? What else is there? Some proprietary GM system?
Typical GM belligerence, I swear. It's like they just can't admit it's no longer 1965 and that they are a bit player now.
PiratesMansion
Well-Known Member
My first cars were hand-me-down Saturns, and they had a lot of problems. It was NEVER pleasant dealing with the GM people, and everything was constant problems and upcharges (to be fair, the cars weren't brand new, but one of them was VERY gently used when I got it). I would have issues every summer, and I always felt like I had to apologize for bringing in a car that they no longer manufactured.
Then for my first new car, I got a Honda. SUCH a huge difference in how the car runs and how the service stations work. My hometown has the largest Honda center in the region, and you can just pop it in at any time and they'll service it for you with no delay, no advance scheduling required and, in fact, actively discouraged. They feel professional and trustworthy in a way GM never did. They still do no-charge inspections, something GM did away with before I ever started driving. And of course the car just does what it's supposed to with no issues.
I had to swap my old Honda for a new one this last year, but if it wasn't for an expensive repair that would have been required (from something that was completely MY fault, not theirs), I would have driven my old one forever. It was well over 100,000 miles and hadn't lost a step from when it was brand new.