Richard Petty Driving Experience to close

[ABQ]

Maybe they'll finally move the tollbooth further back so you don't have to drive through it to get to the resorts.

That's a truly sensible statement. WDW busses stopping at the tollbooths is dumb enough, add in guests of the WL, CR, PR and GF and it's super inefficient. I wonder if they'll also find a way to plug the "free parking" hole?

 

[sshindel]

I heard Cars themed DVC resort

The sad thing is I went through the stages of Disney Rumor Understanding on this one.

1) Haha! Funny! They'd never do that!
2) Wait. They wouldn't do that, would they?
3) You know, this actually sounds like something they would do.
4) Oh god, they're doing this aren't they?!?

 

[dgp602]

Transportation improvements? What does that entail?

Parking lot...

 

[asianway]

Really? I've spent a good deal of my MK drays the past few trips around the Castle Stage thanks to DWM and CADCT, and not once have I heard a car from the TTC or Tomorrowland. Not even on the MS Train Station which is closer to the TTC and I've been there for parades for years! The loudest attraction I think is TT's outer track. I know you can hear it from outside of UOE, Maybe even from Showcase Plaza, or the part of WS behind TT? I don't remember.

First they have to be running, and to clarify, I've only heard it from the upper level. No buildings to buffer the sound waves

 

[MaryJaneP]

Geez, people are hung up on the "transportation" part of "transportation improvements" rather than really debating the likelihood of the "improvements" part. Hard to believe any of it.

 

[George]

Now a metric crap tonne of stock cars, Lamborghinis, Porsches, and Ferraris are freed up to be used as high speed cabs for those staying at the concierge level or higher in select deluxe resorts.

 

[MinnieM123]

Quite a few years ago, I enjoyed the Richard Petty Ride-Along experience, where a race car driver drives you around the track at high speed (four laps, I think it was). It was fun and certainly different for me, because you get to experience what it's like, going so fast on a race track. Sad to see the Richard Petty group leave, as I thought that was a unique, niche business. IMO, I never thought that the track was distracting at all to the MK, as I always thought it was enough of a distance away from the MK entrance to the parking lots.

 

[emcclay]

My dad will miss hearing the cars in the morning! He is a huge NASCAR fan. Good thing I took him to Daytona a couple weeks ago.

Also, other events besides strictly RPDS have been taking place at the track the last couple years.

 

[danlb_2000]

Parking lot...

To me this is the only thing that makes sense.

 

[caseykasem99]

To me this is the only thing that makes sense.

thats sad its not something cooler, I trust your judgement and it seems the most logical outcome.

 

[Acolli18]

It has to be more than what you are referring too. Dover International Speedway has problems outside that racing Experience that fans can witness. The Company that owns Dover International Speedway closed down multiple race tracks starting after the 2009 season and sold at least 2 of them. Dover International Speedway did a lot of seat expansions back in the 1990's to the mid 2000's and cost that race track when the down turn of attendance. A lot of race tracks has the same issue as Dover International Speedway has, but not to the same degree.

Disney's race track is a different animal compared to Dover International Motor speedway because Dover actually is being used for racing outside of giving people a driving experience on a race track.

Walt Disney Speedway actually hasn't been used in auto racing outside of racing experiences like Richard Petty Driving Experience for a long time. Walt Disney World Speedway hasn't had a Indy Car or a NASCAR Racing event since 2000. That means Disney limited the potential income of the race track for years. I don't think NASCAR teams has used the raceway for testing for a long time on any level of NASCAR.

Dover's biggest fall was jacking up prices after the renovation, I haven't been since early 2000s for that reason. But I do see your point.

 

[wdwfan4ver]

They don't have grandstands and food courts and rest rooms to maintain. I'm no expert but you would think about the only major upkeep is repaving every couple years.

Race Tracks actually don't need to be repaved every couple years. I follow different types of racing. What I can tell you depending on the climate, a race track may not need to be repaved before it reaches the 20 year mark. The weather in places like Michigan, Illinois are harsher on race tracks than the weather in Florida is. Daytona International Speed went around 33 or 34 years without repaving. The only reason Homestead was repaved way earlier than that is because of the track was being reconfigured due to bad racing.

 

[Mr Bill]

I wouldn't put all the money on "additional parking" at this point. Recall that a north entrance is being built to WDW property. That's going to lead to guests coming down Floridian Way to reach the Magic Kingdom and the current roads really aren't prepared for an increase in traffic.

 

[Hakunamatata]

It's obvious that this is going to be a staging area for the new food truck fleet.

 

[Freshee61]

Great, I never won the lottery to do this :/

 

[flynnibus]

To me this is the only thing that makes sense.

Cars themed parking lot... they will take you into the opening scene of Cars to park your car

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Concept art of Disney Speedway redevelopment.

Spoiler

 

[Skippy]

I guess they're going to have to re-route the Marathon again

While I'm glad the race went around the track (I had no desire to visit the place otherwise), The steep decline/incline when you first enter was easily my least favorite section of the route.

 

[WWWD]

Looks like Run Disney will have a new route that will lessen its impact on traffic.

 

[chris chris]

Let me first say that this never really seemed appealing. Maybe its just my personal bias, but this has always seemed like the most out of place, and useless things at the parks (Right before the BAH) so this isn't really much of a loss. Its more of a gain actually. That being said, I can totally see them creating new parking for MK, off the top of my head though I'm not sure how it'd work. Once that parking lots made, they expand the extend the monorail track to reach every park. (Keep in mind these are just ideas, not thought out plans that include budget etc)