I noticed on a test track sign instead of just saying GM it says disney and GM. Out of curiosity what's the story behind that one?
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Test Track sponsorship
- Thread starter THEMEPARKPIONEER
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Duke of Disney
Member
I did some Googling!
By all appearances, General Motors, the Detroit auto giant forced through bankruptcy last year, remains sponsor of the Test Track attraction at Epcot. Even though GM’s $100 million sponsorship contract with Walt Disney World is believed to have expired last year and there was never any announcement of a renewal, the company’s logo and presence is still splashed all around the pavilion.
Still, there are some signs around Test Track of the painful restructuring that GM is going through.
For example, GM has pulled cars from the brands it plans drop (Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Pontiac) from the swanky showroom that guests walk through when they exit the ride, such as a Saturn VUE hybrid that until recently was on display in the area. The only cars displayed now are from GMC, Chevy, Buick and Cadillac, GM’s remaining core brands.
GM has also removed a large model Hummer made of wood that had been something of a minor attraction in Test Track’s gift shop. (The model was large enough for a crash-test dummy to sit in the driver’s seat). In its place: One of Disney World’s much smaller souvenir model monorails, which does laps around a small pile of boxes of the toys.
Below is a short story from the middle of last year about the status of GM’s Test Track sponsorship.
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
June 22, 2009 Monday
FINAL
Sponsorship stuck in NEUTRAL
BYLINE: Jason Garcia, Sentinel Staff Writer
SECTION: CFB; FLORIDA; Pg. M4
LENGTH: 744 words
Three weeks after General Motors Corp. filed for bankruptcy — and nearly three months after an internal deadline to resolve the issue — the carmaker’s status as sponsor of one of Walt Disney World’s marquee attractions remains uncertain.
Executives for GM and Disney have continued to negotiate a possible contract extension to keep the beleaguered Detroit auto giant as sponsor of Epcot’s Test Track. But so far nothing has been announced.
Neither side is talking, at least publicly. “We have nothing new to share,” Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said recently.
A spokeswoman for GM did not return messages seeking comment.
The sponsorship of Test Track, a high-speed ride that carries guests through a series of simulated car-safety tests, has been the subject of speculation for months. GM’s 10-year contract is thought to have expired at the end of March — which is also the public deadline GM had originally set for negotiating an extension.
GM has said it wants to remain Test Track’s sponsor. But it is an expensive proposition for a company that this month became the second-largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history.
GM paid Disney $100 million for the sponsorship, according to a person familiar with the contract. The deal was front-loaded: GM paid nearly all of its sponsorship fees during the first five years of the 10-year pact, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of either company.
GM also spends between $1 million and $2 million a year operating a post-ride showroom inside the attraction, with more than a dozen vehicles on display and terminals that guests can use to order sales brochures.
The company’s contract-extension talks with Disney have been further complicated by the involvement of the federal government, which has kept GM afloat with tens of billions of dollars in loans and is about to become majority owner of the iconic company. Some worry the company could face a public backlash if it is seen as using taxpayer money to underwrite a theme-park ride.
Still, the marketing appeal is obvious. Test Track — among the biggest draws in a theme park that lures 11 million customers each year — gives GM a unique platform from which to build goodwill for its brands.
Since March, rumors have circulated around Epcot that Disney was permitting GM to stay on a month-to-month basis while negotiations continued.
The person familiar with the contract, who said he had been briefed on the talks, said GM and Disney were poised to sign a six-month contract extension just days before the carmaker’s June 1 bankruptcy filing. The deal would have allowed GM to forgo paying Disney a sponsorship fee but would have required it to continue paying for the post-ride showroom.
The agreement would have ensured that GM remained Test Track’s sponsor through the end of 2009 — and spared both the carmaker and Disney the expense of erasing GM’s presence from the attraction.
It’s not clear, however, whether such an agreement was signed. Disney would not discuss the talks in any detail.
A sponsorship change any time soon appears unlikely. Experts say finding another car company to replace GM will be difficult for Disney, as the entire auto industry has been hammered by the global recession. Any new sponsor would also likely have to spend a significant amount of money to update and re-theme Test Track.
“We find it difficult to believe another manufacturer would be able to rationalize such an expensive partnership in today’s environment,” Richard Greenfield, an analyst at the stock-research firm Pali Capital, wrote in a blog post earlier this year.
Two of the companies often rumored as potential Test Track sponsors — Toyota and Honda — both said they were not interested.
“We have no plans to sponsor that,” said Marcos Frommer, spokesman for American Honda Motor Co.
Added Toyota Motor Sales USA spokesman Joe Tetherow: “This is something that’s not even on the radar.”
A representative for Ford did not return a phone message.
While the fees at stake are a relatively minor amount for the Walt Disney Co., Greenfield said they are an example of the varied ways the recession has squeezed the Burbank, Calif.-based company.
Sponsorship uncertainty “illustrates how the economic meltdown is impacting aspects of Disney’s businesses that we had not even thought about previously,” he wrote.
CONTACT: Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
By all appearances, General Motors, the Detroit auto giant forced through bankruptcy last year, remains sponsor of the Test Track attraction at Epcot. Even though GM’s $100 million sponsorship contract with Walt Disney World is believed to have expired last year and there was never any announcement of a renewal, the company’s logo and presence is still splashed all around the pavilion.
Still, there are some signs around Test Track of the painful restructuring that GM is going through.
For example, GM has pulled cars from the brands it plans drop (Saturn, Hummer, Saab and Pontiac) from the swanky showroom that guests walk through when they exit the ride, such as a Saturn VUE hybrid that until recently was on display in the area. The only cars displayed now are from GMC, Chevy, Buick and Cadillac, GM’s remaining core brands.
GM has also removed a large model Hummer made of wood that had been something of a minor attraction in Test Track’s gift shop. (The model was large enough for a crash-test dummy to sit in the driver’s seat). In its place: One of Disney World’s much smaller souvenir model monorails, which does laps around a small pile of boxes of the toys.
Below is a short story from the middle of last year about the status of GM’s Test Track sponsorship.
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
June 22, 2009 Monday
FINAL
Sponsorship stuck in NEUTRAL
BYLINE: Jason Garcia, Sentinel Staff Writer
SECTION: CFB; FLORIDA; Pg. M4
LENGTH: 744 words
Three weeks after General Motors Corp. filed for bankruptcy — and nearly three months after an internal deadline to resolve the issue — the carmaker’s status as sponsor of one of Walt Disney World’s marquee attractions remains uncertain.
Executives for GM and Disney have continued to negotiate a possible contract extension to keep the beleaguered Detroit auto giant as sponsor of Epcot’s Test Track. But so far nothing has been announced.
Neither side is talking, at least publicly. “We have nothing new to share,” Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said recently.
A spokeswoman for GM did not return messages seeking comment.
The sponsorship of Test Track, a high-speed ride that carries guests through a series of simulated car-safety tests, has been the subject of speculation for months. GM’s 10-year contract is thought to have expired at the end of March — which is also the public deadline GM had originally set for negotiating an extension.
GM has said it wants to remain Test Track’s sponsor. But it is an expensive proposition for a company that this month became the second-largest industrial bankruptcy in U.S. history.
GM paid Disney $100 million for the sponsorship, according to a person familiar with the contract. The deal was front-loaded: GM paid nearly all of its sponsorship fees during the first five years of the 10-year pact, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of either company.
GM also spends between $1 million and $2 million a year operating a post-ride showroom inside the attraction, with more than a dozen vehicles on display and terminals that guests can use to order sales brochures.
The company’s contract-extension talks with Disney have been further complicated by the involvement of the federal government, which has kept GM afloat with tens of billions of dollars in loans and is about to become majority owner of the iconic company. Some worry the company could face a public backlash if it is seen as using taxpayer money to underwrite a theme-park ride.
Still, the marketing appeal is obvious. Test Track — among the biggest draws in a theme park that lures 11 million customers each year — gives GM a unique platform from which to build goodwill for its brands.
Since March, rumors have circulated around Epcot that Disney was permitting GM to stay on a month-to-month basis while negotiations continued.
The person familiar with the contract, who said he had been briefed on the talks, said GM and Disney were poised to sign a six-month contract extension just days before the carmaker’s June 1 bankruptcy filing. The deal would have allowed GM to forgo paying Disney a sponsorship fee but would have required it to continue paying for the post-ride showroom.
The agreement would have ensured that GM remained Test Track’s sponsor through the end of 2009 — and spared both the carmaker and Disney the expense of erasing GM’s presence from the attraction.
It’s not clear, however, whether such an agreement was signed. Disney would not discuss the talks in any detail.
A sponsorship change any time soon appears unlikely. Experts say finding another car company to replace GM will be difficult for Disney, as the entire auto industry has been hammered by the global recession. Any new sponsor would also likely have to spend a significant amount of money to update and re-theme Test Track.
“We find it difficult to believe another manufacturer would be able to rationalize such an expensive partnership in today’s environment,” Richard Greenfield, an analyst at the stock-research firm Pali Capital, wrote in a blog post earlier this year.
Two of the companies often rumored as potential Test Track sponsors — Toyota and Honda — both said they were not interested.
“We have no plans to sponsor that,” said Marcos Frommer, spokesman for American Honda Motor Co.
Added Toyota Motor Sales USA spokesman Joe Tetherow: “This is something that’s not even on the radar.”
A representative for Ford did not return a phone message.
While the fees at stake are a relatively minor amount for the Walt Disney Co., Greenfield said they are an example of the varied ways the recession has squeezed the Burbank, Calif.-based company.
Sponsorship uncertainty “illustrates how the economic meltdown is impacting aspects of Disney’s businesses that we had not even thought about previously,” he wrote.
CONTACT: Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
Wow you hit the info jackpot!!!!!! I am surprised dodge hasn't made an offer since it seems like almost everything is sponsored my them, especially Ram trucks. Oh hell if they were the sponsorship I would go straight for the post show and have a little fun with the pickup trucks.
Duke of Disney
Member
Id LOVE to see BMW or some other exotic type brand get in there. Its cheap advertisement. But really, it would be ideal to have an American brand in there since Disney was built by a very American man with an unreal dream..that came true.:sohappy: Lucky for us.
Wdwfreak62
New Member
Interesting, i like GM a lot, but considering they are in such financial troubles i feel the money could go somewhere better. I wonder what company they would target, probably an american brand.
scpergj
Well-Known Member
Considering there are only two American automotive companies, GM being one, Ford the other...unless Ford is willing to hand over the money, it may just go un-sponsored.
Before anyone goes all postal about Chrysler being an American company...they're not. Have not been since the Daimler deal back in the '90's. Now they're mostly owned by Fiat - which, as we all know, stands for Fix It Again, Tony....
C&D
Well-Known Member
The goodwill and product exposure is well worth the money needed to support the pavillion. It should just be considered advertising (which it is) and remain as such. I love the showroom and sometimes skip the ride and just peruse the new vehicles. I really don't think the money could be spent elsewhere to a bettering effect. JMHO
Grizzly Hall 71
New Member
Unfortunately Ford already is a sponsor for Seaworld. GM needs to stay they've been there since 1982 let them (along with Kodak) keep their pavilions. Besides we already know what will happen once a sponsor is lost. We get pixar themed rides! Or we get an abandoned building. I rather GM stay I like them. Besides they make the camaro! Probally one of the HOTTEST cars out!
I hope they dont leave it standing like Wonders of Life and Horizons before it was demolished. I have a feeling if any other company would do a sponser it would be Dodge. They seem to put allot into promoting. They put allot of worl into the new rams which really didn't need it because they already are an instant choice for allot of people. At least hats the case where I live.
Skylinecar1982
New Member
Toyota, Nissan and Honda are American Companies. They all have North American divisions and a majority of the vehicles they sell to us are made by us. More American then GM and Ford who build their cars in Canada and Mexico.
scpergj
Well-Known Member
Agreed! I use the same logic with people when they ask me how I can buy a 'foreign' car...funny thing is, their cars and trucks are usually built in Mexico or Canada - and my Honda's were both made here in the good ole' USofA!
miles1
Active Member
It turns out that sponsoring Test Track is actually a pretty good deal for GM. Here's a calculation I did in an older thread:
If Test Track averages 30,000 riders per day times 365 days, that's about 11 million people they've reached for about 54 minutes each (40 min. queue time + 4 min. ride time + 10 min. post show) for $1.5 million per year (a guess). Compare that to $2.6 million to reach 97 million people for thirty seconds during a super bowl ad in 2009 (Wiki and MSNBC).
Test Track: About .25 of one cent (one quarter of one cent) per minute per person.
Super Bowl: About 6 cents per minute per person.
Plus it gives visitors "hands on" time with the product in the post show.
Grizzly Hall 71
New Member
Each company uses their pavilion as a big advertisment. Once people see a company paired with Disney, they believe it to be a great company. I know when Innovention had the house of the future, I bought everything I saw in their because I saw it at Disney lol. People buy Kodak cameras because of Disney, people will consider a GM car because of Disney, people will buy HP products.
The one I'm confused about was United Technologies. I don't think the common folk will buy elevators for their homes lol. The Living Seas needed a better sponser.
The one I'm confused about was United Technologies. I don't think the common folk will buy elevators for their homes lol. The Living Seas needed a better sponser.
mickey2008.1
Well-Known Member
^^^ im not buying a car just because it was at disney. Besides, united technologies also built tanks and military equipment. Checkout michigan as their home.Kodak is a thing of the past, if you see the picture of the day thread, there are no kodak cameras involved, or anything about them. GM has now paid back the gov, or so we believe, lets just hope they now take care of their employees and business so as not to rely on me. I think TT should be a cosponsor with all companies showing futuristic cars and new technology vehicles, not just one brand anymore. Would you buy BP gas now that they have a pavilion? not me.
Grizzly Hall 71
New Member
I didn't say buy a GM car, I said CONSIDER. Again with United Technologies, I don't think any common folk would buy military equipment. The pictures in the picture of the day thread aren't filled with all the people who visit Walt Disney World. There's way more people who come besides just US Disney folk and they use Kodak disposable cameras. Not everyone can afford the nice big cannon cameras. Some of us use simple digital, which Kodak make. And before the oil spill if they were sponsoring Universe of Energy (I still used it
before the oil spill anyway) I would have bought BP gas and I bet a lot of other tourist also because it was at WDW. IMO though.
I love how the three " American" truck brands boast about being American trucks. My dodge Ram 2500 was made in Mexico.
The Ram 1500 is made in Michigan along with the F150, and I also believe the GM truck duo is made in Texas which seems pretty American to me. Also Chrysler isn't foreign owned, FIAT only has a 25% stake in the company which isn't a controlling interest.
While Honda, Toyota, and Nissan have North American divisions they are still a foreign company. So please stop trying to justifying your purchase of a foreign car by saying it was built here therefore it is American. Just admit you though it was a better purchase which is why you bought it.
Back on topic, I hope GM stays at the Test Track. At least some of the vehicles they build have some passion behind them ie corvette or camaro
C&D
Well-Known Member
If you want to buy foreign it's your choice, but the Japanese, Korean, or where ever, are not American companies whether they build vehicles in the States or not. Yes, they provide American jobs and yes they contribute to the economy but the profits go to the home country. Buy what you like (ain't America great) just don't throw your 'pretzel' logic at anyone to justify your decision.
As the automobile business, goes global (with platform, engine, component sharing), it is harder and harder to pin down who owns and/or benefits from whom. I'm old enough to remember when Detroit was king, unfortunately this is not longer the case (though there seems to be a slight resurgence of late).
As the automobile business, goes global (with platform, engine, component sharing), it is harder and harder to pin down who owns and/or benefits from whom. I'm old enough to remember when Detroit was king, unfortunately this is not longer the case (though there seems to be a slight resurgence of late).
muteki
Well-Known Member
It doesn't bother or concern me too much that GM remains the sponsor. If they were to leave, and another car company wasn't willing to sponsor, I would be interested to see the result. I am not terribly fond of nor attached to Test Track in its current state, and since its predecessor is long gone and unlikely to come back, a re-purposing of the pavilion would appeal to me. The essence of the pavilion is motion, which if it is to remain, leaves open possibilities for sponsorship from a range of industries, not just automotive.
miles1
Active Member
I fear that if GM does leave and the pavilion is re-purposed, the result will be another Imagination (cheap, half arsed refurb )or WOL (closed completely). If finding sponsors was that easy, WOL wouldn't be sitting empty, and Imagination would have been properly updated. Sadly, its obvious Disney isn't about to spend the dollars necessary to do something really great without another investor picking up most, if not the entire tab.