Test Track Opinions

[dreamer]

Originally posted by grizzlyhall
No "promise", no underlying thought: essence.

I think this is the best analysis of why Test Track is lacking. It doesn't inspire. It may be cool for people that like cars and make them want to race around and work on engines, but it doesn't uplift our spirits and challenge us. It doesn't turn our heads to the future with expectation.

It's like empty calories. Like a Robert Ludlum novel -- fun to read but when you finish you aren't left with anything to chew on.



I think the same criticism could be made of Living Seas. I love living seas because I love diving and tropical fish, but for someone who doesn't like those things it could be boring.

 

[garyhoov]

Originally posted by Disneynutcase
Truth is, WoM was a high-capacity ride. Almost all omnimover rides are. So I'd bet WoM's lack of line was mainly because it was easy to load and unload. There's got to be figures out there somewhere about passengers per hour and I wouldn't be surprised if WoM had double what TT currently has.

I found this link regarding World of Motion which claims "up to 20,000 per day":

http://vistaway.freeservers.com/motionindex.html

I couldn't find any similar statement for Test Track, but I pieced together the following:

31 cars on track at a time
6 passengers per car
140 circuits per car per day

31 X 6 X 140 = 26,040 for a theoretical capacity, but I'm sure they don't do nearly that well.

 

[Disneynutcase]

I don't think there's that much of a problem with TT as a ride itself. The problem lies in what they did to the WoM pavilion as it relates to the overall theme of Epcot and FW.

Personally, I had problems with the original FW East because both UoE, Horizons, and WoM were really one attraction pavilions when the ones on the west side were not. UoE always got away with being a one-attraction pavilion because of the scope and length of its presentation.

However as much as I liked both Horizons and WoM as long AA omnimover rides, I also always felt a bit jipped because I wanted more than one main attraction. And for those of you who are saying, what about SE there was Communicore attached as part of communication.

The overall pavilion that is currently TT blows in its overall schematics, particularly what it lacks for pre-show. Yes, there is a story about what you're doing for the TT ride. It's not very deep or moving, but there is a story. You're gonna be the test track dummy. Bare basic, it works.

But what would've made the whole pavilion feel complete and make WoM fans happier? How about a pre-show, or whole other ride, dedicated to the back-seat driver.

Picture this--a pre-show or attraction "A" that either does the omnimover thing or a multi-media show like Cranium Command that discusses man's fascination with creating transportation. And with this fascination comes risk--someone has to test the bloody contraptions to see if they'll really work. Hence, an inherent danger factor! Our hosts could be a test track dummy and Jiminy Cricket (Disney's original back-seat driver). And we would see and/or experience a few known failures before certain modes of transporation were successes.

And then we can segue to specatular crashes--think NASCAR pile-ups--and how certain drivers actually survive these things when they should be dead.

Cut to: the modern back seat-driver, always fearful, always nagging about what isn't safe, and use this to segue into safety measures within modern transporation. Hence, what test track dummies go through to make automobiles not be four-wheeled death traps.

Show ends and people can move onto the Test Track ride (as it exists today) or use the "chicken exit" to go to the display area. But either way, they leave with an understanding of why TT is there as well as still retaining the orginal WoM history of transportation theme.

As it is now, TT lacks in theme. The auto parts and assembly machinery in the que area does nothing for this ride. And the existing pre-show is fine way to set one up for the TT ride, but it doesn't provide enough for why this ride exists at Epcot.

And then wheh you add the Exhibit area and souvinier shop--which to me is nothing more than stuff you see at most decent auto shows--all they've done is help bring the pavilion down rather than complete any kind of intended theming.

But...that still doesn't make TT a bad ride. It's just that Disney didn't think "pavilion" on this one. It's kind of what they also did to screw up Imagination. Scary when you think about it, since several other pavilions are up for "rennovation."

Let's hope and pray someone at Disney gets a clue.

 

[MKCustodial]

Nutcase, what are you doing here? You should be an Imagineer!!! Your idea would take TT to a WHOLE different level, it represents a WoM 2.0, an upgrade. THIS is what they should be doing around EPCOT.

 

[Disneynutcase]

Thank you.

In an ideal world, I'd love to be an Imagineer. Like so many of you, I've been thinking up new Disney rides since falling in love with the parks as a young child. However in the real world, I've been told that it's kind of a frustrating and not so very fun job.

I have a good friend who worked as a show-writer for Imagineering--he was a writer on Alien Encounter, among other things The politics involved didn't make it seem like the most psychologically rewarding job. A lot of truly great ideas get kaboshed by management.

But to get back on the soap box...

I think a lot of us are expressing our frustration with Disney. They seem to be intentially losing their focus in a desperation to turn a quick profit. To this day, I still don't get DCA. It shouldn't have opened w/o Bugs Land and ToT. I think they thought that the public would buy into anything as long as it has Disney attached to it. With that said, I don't get DCA's overall theming. Is it supposed to be a California-style Epcot, a rehash of Disney MGM, or a park for Disney-style carnival rides and retreads of attractions from other Disney parks (like it seems to be at present)?

Then add into the plans at hand for Epcot (especially after some of the alterations currently present there) and we have reason to worry. We'll see what happens w/ M:S--if it seems like a high-tech ride or if they created a pavilion. At present, TT is a great high-tech very ambitious ride, more appropriate for Epcot than any place else in the Disney Park realm. But it isn't a pavilion--like the rest of Epcot is. And I think that's where people are showing their angst and disdain.

My fear is that Epcot may become nothing more than Disney's high-tech ride park--for things that don't fit into MK, MGM, or AK. That kind of scares me because as much as we all want new cool rides, most of us (who at least love Epcot) don't want to see the park raped and homoginized.

Yet they make Tokyo Disney Seas and all reports are that it's great. And AK (for all its detriments) seems to have endless promise of where they can go with it's overall theme.

But with all that, Disney has also shown us that they don't care if they destroy their classics. Just think of all the direct-to-video kid flicks of late. Peter Pan II: Return To Neverland bordered on an okay sequel (wasn't great, though). But in our house, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True got redubbed "Smells Like Poo." Sometimes it just seems like Disney is all about exploiting whatever they have in the realm, including their diehard fans, just to make an extra few $$.

 

[Vernonpush]

Grizzlyhall in your statement of looking at replacements you say
(1) Does it meet up to the original?
(2) Does it fit?
But where is what Walt wanted:
"Does it tell a good story?"

 

[General Grizz]

Yes, story is part of essence.

 

[Merlin0402]

I think the reason that most people don't like TT is because it is almost completely based on reality. There is VERY little fantasy in the ride, besides maybe the outside loop. People want imagination when it comes to Disney, and very little was put into this attraction. They went to the proving grounds, and built the tests that they experienced there. The main amount of imagination went into finding out how to fit all of the tests into the existing building.

I also had a question. Since TT had so many problems in the beginning, was any money taken out of the fund to fix it, therefore, taking some theming away? Or was it done already when the problems arose? Thanks.

 

[jcrb]

One question- Have you ever been to a Test Track?- Real one? - yes test track is sort of reality but taking reality that not ordinary and put it in the real world is cool.

 

[Big Pooh]

Very well said Disneynutcase. I said basically the same thing a couple weeks ago but I did'nt say it nearly as well. You've taken the idea a lot farther than I have, and I love you're ideas for transforming TT into a true pavilion.

My post:

I wish Disney and GM would do something with TT to make it more of a family pavilion. I don't want them to change TT, I want them to add to the pavilion. Building a new WOM would be cool, or they could even put a transportation themed family dark ride in the pavilion. I think the Imagineers could come up with a wonderful dark ride about the history of transportation. That and one other family attraction would balance out Epcot very nicely, whether that one other family attraction is in a new pavilion in WS, or an existing pavilion in FW.

Cheers :wave:

 

[cymbaldiva]

All I have to say about TT is that for all the time we waited for the attraction to finally be open, it's really not worth the time to wait to ride.

I did read someone fussing about the single line...IMHO the single line is about the greatest idea since sliced bread! I don't have children, DH won't ride much - the single lane is great for me!

 

[lamarvenoy]

I like TT although it has more than its share of problems. WofM was one of my favorites and I'll always miss it, it was a classic ride with the flavor of the old school Epcot. TT is more modern and represents the newer more "glitzy" Disney. Competition was not very fierce in circa 83. It was a little dated but not as dated as say the inside of the land building. Like most people on this sight I have a taste for nostalgic Disney. I like TT but I still miss the old goodies. Now, Horizon is a different story.I miss that ride more than anything on property.Poor construction....doesn't pay to try to save a couple of bucks.:brick: :brick: :brick: :brick: