EPCOT Test Track to be reimagined

[HMF]

What was outdated other than the cars shown testing in the pre-show video? The concept of you riding in a vehicle on a "test track" wasn't outdated and still isn't. Even Tesla, which is probably the most "cutting edge" car company tests their cars on a "test track" at a proving ground.

It felt very obviously "90s" by that point and not in a good way. The pre-show video was always the main culprit but it was showing it's age. It's only gotten better every time they have updated it. It feels more like it belongs in an area called Future World/World Discovery than the original did.

 

[HMF]

Haven’t read the new messages on here yet, but does anyone else feel kinda… underwhelmed? Like, this is definitely better overall than 2.0, but not as good as 1.0. I appreciate the classic Epcot vibes- the set of the house and garage feel straight out of Spaceship Earth. But for as much as they hyped up the World of Motion inspirations and references, it was just the car saying “it’s fun to be free” and like a bar or two of the song that then transforms into a generic score. Some of the scenes felt empty and boring too- I think they suffer from using the same track, it feels constrained.

Overall, based on the video- it’s like a 7/10? The original 1.0 would be a 9/10 and 2.0 would be a 5-6/10. I never experienced World of Motion but I think I’d enjoy it more just because it’s a dark ride with a nice song and lots to look at.

To be honest I knew from the beginning that the references to World of Motion were not going to be that substantial. 2.0 had a few WoM references too but they were only slightly more obscure. Anyone expecting this to be a drive-through version of World Of Motion was just setting themselves up for disappointment.

 

[FettFan]

Yeah, I loved this at first and still think it’s the best thing Disney has done in years. That being said, I would have loved some AA’s.

I liked it because I saw a video of Horizons the other day and this reminded me of that in the sense that they took you through scenes of an imagined future. Some might find that boring, but I think (in this situation) you get that fast payoff at the end. I just wish there were AA’s populating the sets and making them less dead and more kinetic.

Personally I would have had a few more WOM props and reimagined scenes.

For instance, put the Disney-bound family from WOM's speed tunnel into the new hovercraft flying car.

Same McFarkles, new era.

 

[Disone]

Haven’t read the new messages on here yet, but does anyone else feel kinda… underwhelmed? Like, this is definitely better overall than 2.0, but not as good as 1.0. I appreciate the classic Epcot vibes- the set of the house and garage feel straight out of Spaceship Earth. But for as much as they hyped up the World of Motion inspirations and references, it was just the car saying “it’s fun to be free” and like a bar or two of the song that then transforms into a generic score. Some of the scenes felt empty and boring too- I think they suffer from using the same track, it feels constrained.

I almost completely agree. The part I disagree with is the part I erased. I actually think it's the best version of the three test tracks. Version one was like driving through a warehouse. Not exciting at all, way too utilitarian. Version 2 had tron aesthetic, But now that Magic Kingdom has an actual Tron ride version 2 became redundant and out of place. This version is like version 2 had a night of indiscretion with spaceship earth.

Minor spoiler alert

Definitely has some neat effects. But 100% agree that selling it as homage to the original World of motion is really overstating it. Why didn't they actually use the song fun to be free during that part of the ride where you go through the forest? Also a little audio animatronic police officer on a motorcycle behind a billboard during the Forest drive would have been a nice throwback as well. Anyone remember that scene? Wouldn't even have to be a complex audio animatronic, heck it could even be static. Just having it behind a billboard along ong the forest scenic drive part would have been a great way to pay tribute to the original World of Ocean while keeping it low cost.

And using the fun to be free song. So many missed opportunities. But overall like I said still think it's the best version of the three test tracks.

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

There are more WOM references than just the obvious Fun to be free. The customized vehicle is a reference to both TT 2.0 and the peppers ghost effect at the finale of WOM. The future city is a ref to the center core of WOM. The garage is both SSE and Innoventions inspired. One of the vehicles transformation is the Test track 1.0 ride vehicle. The banter during the scenic drive includes the voice asking “what is it 77?” as a reference to the preshow on 1.0 where Sherri asked “Seven?” The narration before you go outside reference beyond the Horizon. There is a film in the queue straight of the transcenter from WOM:

Oh man, they did a reference to the seven bit? A certain someone I know is gonna freak when he finally rides it lmao

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Was talking about this in another thread, but I do think it's pretty clear why the ride has moved away from car safety testing to what it's been in 2.0 and now 3.0.

Cars are not advertised with promoting their safety record anymore. Back when TT opened, this was a big method of advertising and you saw a lot of these test videos in car commercials. But that's just now how it is now. Cars today are sold based on their aesthetics, their amenities, and their technology.

GM has the opportunity to advertise to millions of people in the busiest vacation destination in the world. They are we all aware of what captures the public's attention about cars these days and it's whatever the shiny new tech is. People don't really think about or ask about a car's safety anymore. People take it as a given.

So what does that leave you with?

The company's innovative tech being the focus of the attraction rather than its safety, or how that safety is tested. People seem to forget that this ride's primary function in GM's eyes is to be an advertisement. Disney gets some freedom in how they go about doing this, but they are still being paid by GM to build an attraction that advertises what GM wants them to advertise and presents GM's cars in the way GM wants them to be presented.

GM doesn't want to talk about safety or testing anymore. They want to talk about them being a cutting edge company incorporating futuristic technology and innovative ideas into their product.

 

[DisneyCane]

Was talking about this in another thread, but I do think it's pretty clear why the ride has moved away from car safety testing to what it's been in 2.0 and now 3.0.

Cars are not advertised with promoting their safety record anymore. Back when TT opened, this was a big method of advertising and you saw a lot of these test videos in car commercials. But that's just now how it is now. Cars today are sold based on their aesthetics, their amenities, and their technology.

GM has the opportunity to advertise to millions of people in the busiest vacation destination in the world. They are we all aware of what captures the public's attention about cars these days and it's whatever the shiny new tech is. People don't really think about or ask about a car's safety anymore. People take it as a given.

So what does that leave you with?

The company's innovative tech being the focus of the attraction rather than its safety, or how that safety is tested. People seem to forget that this ride's primary function in GM's eyes is to be an advertisement. Disney gets some freedom in how they go about doing this, but they are still being paid by GM to build an attraction that advertises what GM wants them to advertise and presents GM's cars in the way GM wants them to be presented.

GM doesn't want to talk about safety or testing anymore. They want to talk about them being a cutting edge company incorporating futuristic technology and innovative ideas into their product.

I agree to an extent about safety but I think people care about the high tech safety systems now. The 1.0 ABS test was kind of outdated on opening. I think the majority of new cars had ABS at least within a couple of years of the opening (even though it wasn't mandatory until 2013).

 

[JD80]

I agree to an extent about safety but I think people care about the high tech safety systems now. The 1.0 ABS test was kind of outdated on opening. I think the majority of new cars had ABS at least within a couple of years of the opening (even though it wasn't mandatory until 2013).

I think it's reversed. Unsafe cars are out of the norm so people would talk about a car that has a bad track record or whatever the issue is with it. Most people assume that all cars are safe so they talk about other things that differentiate them which is all the bells and whistles.

 

[BlindChow]

I didn't care much for the aesthetic of the original version, and the whole thing in hindsight looks more like a ride system demo than a proper Disney attraction like RSR or Journey to the Center of the Earth...

It wasn't just hindsight. Many of us thought TT 1.0 looked bad (and didn't fit the "Future World" theme) from the moment it opened.

 

[Incomudro]

Was talking about this in another thread, but I do think it's pretty clear why the ride has moved away from car safety testing to what it's been in 2.0 and now 3.0.

Cars are not advertised with promoting their safety record anymore. Back when TT opened, this was a big method of advertising and you saw a lot of these test videos in car commercials. But that's just now how it is now. Cars today are sold based on their aesthetics, their amenities, and their technology.

GM has the opportunity to advertise to millions of people in the busiest vacation destination in the world. They are we all aware of what captures the public's attention about cars these days and it's whatever the shiny new tech is. People don't really think about or ask about a car's safety anymore. People take it as a given.

So what does that leave you with?

The company's innovative tech being the focus of the attraction rather than its safety, or how that safety is tested. People seem to forget that this ride's primary function in GM's eyes is to be an advertisement. Disney gets some freedom in how they go about doing this, but they are still being paid by GM to build an attraction that advertises what GM wants them to advertise and presents GM's cars in the way GM wants them to be presented.

GM doesn't want to talk about safety or testing anymore. They want to talk about them being a cutting edge company incorporating futuristic technology and innovative ideas into their product.

Yes, and automobiles have achieved safety.
Safety, impact, structural standards have gone up and all manufacturers meet them.
People walk away from insane crashes nowadays.
There isn't a disparity of safety among brands that is very widespread anymore.
Like say a 90's Volvo vs a 90's Hyundai.

 

[ChrisFL]

Yes, and automobiles have achieved safety.
Safety, impact, structural standards have gone up and all manufacturers meet them.
People walk away from insane crashes nowadays.
There isn't a disparity of safety among brands that is very widespread anymore.
Like say a 90's Volvo vs a 90's Hyundai.

Agreed, and the LIDAR stuff is more about accident avoidance, so less about what happens when you crash if you can avoid the accident altogether

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Was talking about this in another thread, but I do think it's pretty clear why the ride has moved away from car safety testing to what it's been in 2.0 and now 3.0.

Cars are not advertised with promoting their safety record anymore. Back when TT opened, this was a big method of advertising and you saw a lot of these test videos in car commercials. But that's just now how it is now. Cars today are sold based on their aesthetics, their amenities, and their technology.

GM has the opportunity to advertise to millions of people in the busiest vacation destination in the world. They are we all aware of what captures the public's attention about cars these days and it's whatever the shiny new tech is. People don't really think about or ask about a car's safety anymore. People take it as a given.

So what does that leave you with?

The company's innovative tech being the focus of the attraction rather than its safety, or how that safety is tested. People seem to forget that this ride's primary function in GM's eyes is to be an advertisement. Disney gets some freedom in how they go about doing this, but they are still being paid by GM to build an attraction that advertises what GM wants them to advertise and presents GM's cars in the way GM wants them to be presented.

GM doesn't want to talk about safety or testing anymore. They want to talk about them being a cutting edge company incorporating futuristic technology and innovative ideas into their product.

I don't know if this veers into off-topic or not, but I wonder if the de-emphasis of safety and the bigger focus on luxury/aesthetics in Test Track has to do with the stripping of safety requirements (or as car companies call them, "those pesky laws that make our profit margins smaller") for cars in the US? That and also, like you said, people are conditioned to focus more on the surface-level shiny new toys in a car, because that's what the companies are focusing on in their marketing (which is probably also because of law changes, companies will get people's attentions on what they want them to focus on).

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

There are more WOM references than just the obvious Fun to be free. The customized vehicle is a reference to both TT 2.0 and the peppers ghost effect at the finale of WOM. The future city is a ref to the center core of WOM. The garage is both SSE and Innoventions inspired. One of the vehicles transformation is the Test track 1.0 ride vehicle. The banter during the scenic drive includes the voice asking “what is it 77?” as a reference to the preshow on 1.0 where Sherri asked “Seven?” The narration before you go outside reference beyond the Horizon. There is a film in the queue straight of the transcenter from WOM:

Do you (or does anyone) have a video with the "7" reference? I can't seem to find one. Is the banter during the scenic drive randomized/did some previews not have it? I noticed some preview videos were oddly quiet during the scenic drive

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

So you don't understand how people thought unsolicited mentioning of WoM by Disney was was materially significant.. but you retort with hyperbole like 'hope that they were somehow rebuilding WoM'. Come on dude.. look in the mirror before trying to coach others on how they act.

It was a drop in reference to a ride that has been dead for about three decades. Why in the world would anyone take that as being materially significant?

Too many people just seem trapped in the past on this board. WoM was in this location, and the decision was made to go away from it. Then they build TT1.0. They could have decided to stay close to the WoM but instead went with the test track ride. They put a couple signs up, and some easter egg type references to WoM, but that was it. Then later came TT2. They could have made the decision then, when WoM was still fresher in peoples minds to go back to something closer to WoM, and again chose not to. Now thirty years later, they announce a refurbishment of TT. Not a recreation, not a rebuilding, not a tear down/replacement. What would make anything think they would be moving closer to WoM?

No kid today from 6-12 has any idea of what WoW was. No one in their twenties had any experience with WoW. No one in their thirties for the most part will have any recollection of the ride either. So what possible purpose is there to harken back to a ride that a large portion of your customer base (and all of your future customer base) have never heard of?

That's leaving aside the fact that almost all of the recent construction/refurbishment undertaken by WDW has been to replace things with newer IP, as opposed to harkening back to older rides/IP. The trend has been if anything to replace the old, not harken back to it.

So based on all that. Again why would anyone reasonably think that the new TT was going to have any major or material or significant harkening back to WoM?

 

[larryz]

Do you (or does anyone) have a video with the "7" reference? I can't seem to find one. Is the banter during the scenic drive randomized/did some previews not have it? I noticed some preview videos were oddly quiet during the scenic drive

Looking for it, but can't find one that references the mysterious test #7...

 

[wdwmagic]

Disney Sets Test Track Annual Passholder Preview Dates Ahead of July 22 Opening​

Disney Sets Test Track Annual Passholder Preview Dates Ahead of July 22 Opening at EPCOT

Disney Sets Test Track Annual Passholder Preview Dates Ahead of July 22 Opening at EPCOT

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[flynnibus]

People seem to forget that this ride's primary function in GM's eyes is to be an advertisement. Disney gets some freedom in how they go about doing this, but they are still being paid by GM to build an attraction that advertises what GM wants them to advertise and presents GM's cars in the way GM wants them to be presented.

GM doesn't want to talk about safety or testing anymore. They want to talk about them being a cutting edge company incorporating futuristic technology and innovative ideas into their product.

Then why not change the name too?

And sponsorhip doesn’t mean it’s the primary purpose of the pavilion. It’s to position the company brand in a positive light and raise brand awareness with the customer. It’s why all the pavilions were connected with theme - not specific products.

Kodak didn’t push disc phones on you at their pavilion… at&t didn’t have you sign up for long distance in earth station… exxon wasn’t giving away gas cards.

 

[flynnibus]

I think it's reversed. Unsafe cars are out of the norm so people would talk about a car that has a bad track record or whatever the issue is with it. Most people assume that all cars are safe so they talk about other things that differentiate them which is all the bells and whistles.

The point raised is what i bought up before. Safety as a frontier was a thing in the 80s and 90s. It was a major trend in the industry and ‘new’ to customers.

Now - it’s commonplace. It is the problem with all pavilions that take on contemporary topics. The world moves faster and faster now. So they date themselves way too fast

 

[Charlie The Chatbox Ghost]

Looking for it, but can't find one that references the mysterious test #7...

I'm really hoping a POV with the 7 reference gets posted soon. Some coworkers are at the park today for the ride previews, maybe they'll get it, but no one at the company can seem to find a POV with the 7 reference that @Centauri Space Station mentioned. Fingers crossed it's out there!
(For context, the 7 reference is a big inside joke at the company, so many have been hoping it'd be referenced in the new attraction)

Then why not change the name too?

And sponsorhip doesn’t mean it’s the primary purpose of the pavilion. It’s to position the company brand in a positive light and raise brand awareness with the customer. It’s why all the pavilions were connected with theme - not specific products.

Kodak didn’t push disc phones on you at their pavilion… at&t didn’t have you sign up for long distance in earth station… exxon wasn’t giving away gas cards.

I assume they didn't change the name because of branding and recognizability? A new name would've made a lot of sense for this one given you're not really testing anything. It's more "look at what the future could be"

 

[flynnibus]

I don't know if this veers into off-topic or not, but I wonder if the de-emphasis of safety and the bigger focus on luxury/aesthetics in Test Track has to do with the stripping of safety requirements (or as car companies call them, "those pesky laws that make our profit margins smaller") for cars in the US?

Your wrong.

The safety things are commonplace now because many are mandatory… third light brakes, tps, backup cameras, restraints, abs, pedestrian safety, etc. it’s less of a marketing campaign because it’s expected. Fatalities in car crashes are way down vs 40yrs ago.

The next wave is automation and alt fuels and guess who is woefully behind in those categories?? GM