Test Track refurb???

[DznyRktekt]

To repeat what I said in my review, in my opinion, the design mode is now the best part of the attraction. It is what also ties everything together. Imagine riding Test Track 1.0 and not seeing the preshow film? Sure you would get some idea of what is going on, but it would even leave you wondering what happened. Test Track 2.0 is supposed to be more abstract, more futuristic, and does blur the lines of reality and the digital realm. Test Track 1.0 put you in the spot of a test dummy and told a story, but really didn't have a wow factor, but Test Track 2.0 only spells out part of the story and allows you to connect the dots to make it what you want it to be. It forces you to use your imagination. Test Track 1.0 tested how the car you were sitting in did through various tests while Test Track 2.0 tests how your design and the designs of others in your car handle the tests through a computer simulation. You get to see how YOUR custom design based on your likes and preferences stacks up to the Sim Car (the car you are actually riding) and everyone else. Test Track 1.0 just presented the information to you almost like a text book where Test Track 2.0 engages you in the process to learn the information. Test Track 1.0 was a test in the present day world and Test Track 2.0 is a test in the future world... which just so happens to be the name of the section. Where Test Track 2.0 lost some props from Test Track 1.0, it gains effects and details that Test Track 1.0 didn't have.

Give yourself a chance to ride it. Every time I do, I'm constantly looking around. I saw wow. Even the videos of design room show how people are more engaged and excited to be able to design their own car and test it. Something that I know didn't happen standing next to air bags, street signs, and a tool chests. I know people have their right to an opinion, but geeze, you are judging before it is even open to the public, before you have ridden it, before you have the opportunity to take not only the sights and sounds, but also the interactivity. Shame on you.

Well said except for the last sentence. The only shame should be assigned to TDO for allowing Future World and Tomorrowland to stagnate.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

To repeat what I said in my review, in my opinion, the design mode is now the best part of the attraction. It is what also ties everything together. Imagine riding Test Track 1.0 and not seeing the preshow film? Sure you would get some idea of what is going on, but it would even leave you wondering what happened. Test Track 2.0 is supposed to be more abstract, more futuristic, and does blur the lines of reality and the digital realm. Test Track 1.0 put you in the spot of a test dummy and told a story, but really didn't have a wow factor, but Test Track 2.0 only spells out part of the story and allows you to connect the dots to make it what you want it to be. It forces you to use your imagination. Test Track 1.0 tested how the car you were sitting in did through various tests while Test Track 2.0 tests how your design and the designs of others in your car handle the tests through a computer simulation. You get to see how YOUR custom design based on your likes and preferences stacks up to the Sim Car (the car you are actually riding) and everyone else. Test Track 1.0 just presented the information to you almost like a text book where Test Track 2.0 engages you in the process to learn the information. Test Track 1.0 was a test in the present day world and Test Track 2.0 is a test in the future world... which just so happens to be the name of the section. Where Test Track 2.0 lost some props from Test Track 1.0, it gains effects and details that Test Track 1.0 didn't have.

Give yourself a chance to ride it. Every time I do, I'm constantly looking around. I saw wow. Even the videos of design room show how people are more engaged and excited to be able to design their own car and test it. Something that I know didn't happen standing next to air bags, street signs, and a tool chests. I know people have their right to an opinion, but geeze, you are judging before it is even open to the public, before you have ridden it, before you have the opportunity to take not only the sights and sounds, but also the interactivity. Shame on you.

I'm really hoping this is one of those things where video just can't capture what's really there. Granted, the video doesn't show anything from the queue or design portion pre-ride. In the video I only saw the car the person shooting the video was in one time. I was looking for the MY car part but didn't see it. Again, I realize that could be because the person shooting the video wasn't pointing the camera the right direction. Ya know?

I feel no shame whatsoever so I'll just ignore that last little jabby sentence. Like I initially stated (perhaps you didn't see or pay attention to that part..??) I'll reserve my final judgement for when I actually ride it which I will regardless of what the old man wants to do on the morning we are at WDW off the cruise ship. We are booked on the earliest bus over from the ship to Epcot to take advantage of morning EMHs. We'll try it. What I said was based on the video that was posted on a thread by itself prior to being merged into this giganto thread. I'm not wow'd by the video. I'm pretty sad about it, actually. But again, I'll wait to see it for myself. I'm crossing my fingers that there's a lot more to see than what was in the video.

 

[flynnibus]

Does anyone think that, with wonderful TT reviews, other sponsors might be inspired to put money into pavillions? For example, would Siemens or Disney think "a bit of money into SSE decent, and we might have another attraction getting praise and positive attention"?

No - because theme park popularity contests are not what they pay for. The motivation would be in boosting lagging attendance or new marketing tools. New ways to get impressions or customer info would be motivation

 

[DznyRktekt]

I'm really hoping this is one of those things where video just can't capture what's really there. Granted, the video doesn't show anything from the queue or design portion pre-ride. In the video I only saw the car the person shooting the video was in one time. I was looking for the MY car part but didn't see it. Again, I realize that could be because the person shooting the video wasn't pointing the camera the right direction. Ya know? And, as I originally stated, I'll reserve my final judgement for when I actually ride it which I will regardless of what the old man wants to do on the morning we are at WDW off the cruise ship. We are booked on the earliest bus over from the ship to Epcot to take advantage of morning EMHs. We'll try it.

Sorry for bringing this off topic, but your cruise trip reports along with Disneyfalcon's knowledge have greatly influenced my family to take a Disney Cruise in the near future.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Sorry for bringing this off topic, but your cruise trip reports along with Disneyfalcon's knowledge have greatly influenced my family to take a Disney Cruise in the near future.

Thank you. My boys don't know it yet but there will be an 8-nighter to report on in January that includes a port-of-call at Port Canaveral. Bus to/from WDW and a 1-day parkhopper are included in the cruise fare. This day will be my chance to hit up Test Track 2.0 and the FLE elements that are currently open to the public without commiting an entire vacation and the money to fund one to WDW exclusively. Hubby and I are far more jazzed about seeing Key West and Castaway Cay again than WDW's latest-n-greatest.

 

[rct247]

I'm talking about the conditions chambers where (okay, yes, "rich" & "multi-layer" was a stretch) but you had STUFF to look at on both sides of the car, one side at one point having something moving and doing something. Then the barrier test area where you (when the effect was working) you'd see a car move and crash into a wall. There was STUFF to look at, not just tracing lighting effects. It was more interesting. Where the handling test area was, the turns on the incline with the trees, there was something to look at. The cow sign that said "Moo" was funny, used to tickle me. It was something besides glowy lighted outlines. That's what I'm getting at. There's black and there's glowy light outlines and streaks. Nothing much to SEE.

Test Track 1.0 has a better rough road test, environmental chambers, and when the barrier test worked properly was a better scene. Test Track 2.0 has a better incline, former brake test scenes, and soundtrack.

The handeling test area has nearly the same props including the wooden cutout trees except they were repainted. There is no more moo sign, but there is a squirrel xing sign. Some of those trees and the simi have been enhanced with laser effects. I also feel that even though the barrier test was a better scene in Test Track 1.0, Test Track 2.0 still evokes a very cool emotion that is comparable to the previous. So I guess it is all in what you prefer, Projection Effects or Real Props, Tron Lighting Effects or Warehouse Lighting, Laser effects or Moving Robots, Walls with Stagnet Graphics or Blank Spaces with Traffic Cones.

 

[articos]

So confused right now....is the SimTrack supposed to be something that we experience in cyberspace, a la Tron? Or is it supposed to represent the test track of the future?

The first one. The storyline is you are at the Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot, where you explore the world of designing vehicles and how various choices impact the final vehicle's statistics. Normally, once the design is created, it is then tested via simulation in various computer models to see how the vehicle design holds up. The SimTrack's theme is you are in that computer model, testing your design for real. That's why all of the soothing computer voices, lighting effects and darkness.

Um, well, okay. We were excited about this retheme up until we watched this video. I liked it right up until the old anti-lock brake test areas. Then it was downhill. Hubby was hoppin' mad at the first climb after the seatbelt check. DS16 sat silent even after the video conclusion until I asked him what he thought.

Of course I will reserve final judgement until I've actually experienced the new TT for myself. However, after watching this video I'm feeling disappointed. It's like the rich, multi-layer show sets were all removed and/or given lighting effects. After a scene or two of the sleek Tron-esque streaks I was looking for something more...that never really materialized. Where you had moving robotic arms (formerly the heat, cold, & corrosive tests) you now have a mirror (?) with simulated wind-tunnel movement (?) and more Tron-esque streaks. The handling area was more Tron-esque streaks. The collision avoidance I was actually glad to see the truck still there in all it's weirdness after seeing this in now a 3rd version (it's surreal....sometimes my minds-eye still goes back to the WoM days). Rounding the corner to the barrier test area I was a little sad to see the removal of some of the most visually interesting, multi-layer TT set areas and more of the Tron-esque lighting effects added. That's one of the spots I felt the most robbed. Overall, it feels like a cheap cop-out. Yes, lighting effects can be complicated and pricey to create. I'm curious how long they'll stay sync'd correctly. It's just not very rich. There's not much to really see. It's lights and streaks with a few illuminated signs.

Hubby's response after I calmed him down enough to get him to be sorta objective and descriptive of what he saw: ((I'll leave out the many expletives in the spirit of "family friendliness")) If I wanted a blankity-blank car simulator experience I'd load one onto my blankity-blank computer. What the blank? That's blankin' stupid. You can't tell me that's the only way new technology in cars gets tested nowadays. Well, that's one less blankity-blank reason to even go over to Epcot on our WDW day in January. Blank!

DS16 (I had to pick his brain to even get a response out of him. Poor kid was speechless.): Well, it'd be cool if you could design your own car and drive it. Isn't that what you were supposed to be doing? I didn't see that. ((I mentioned that I saw the car itself in the mirror room area. Maybe that's where you're supposed to "see" your car design.))

Hubby says he doesn't even want to go to Epcot on the morning of our WDW day (1 day stop as a port of call on our Magic cruise out of Galveston in January) as we had previously planned. We wanted to check out the new TT. I think I'll still push to do it because it's hard to capture an entire ride experience in a simple video. I almost wish I hadn't looked at the video, tho. I have definite reservations about it now.

Here's where I think people are going to love it and get it or hate it and not. This is a show that relies on lighting and projection and story more than physical show-scenes and sets. I think it does a really good job of relaying story and theme and while relying less on physical sets. Others are going to want full dark ride show-scenes. Just personal choice. I'll take a fully realized dark-ride over Soarin' any day, but I think TT works pretty well.

 

[DznyRktekt]

Thank you. My boys don't know it yet but there will be an 8-nighter to report on in January that includes a port-of-call at Port Canaveral. Bus to/from WDW and a 1-day parkhopper are included in the cruise fare. This day will be my chance to hit up Test Track 2.0 and the FLE elements that are currently open to the public without commiting an entire vacation and the money to fund one to WDW exclusively. Hubby and I are far more jazzed about seeing Key West and Castaway Cay again than WDW's latest-n-greatest.

Sounds like a great trip! Looking forward to the report. 8 days will be awesome!

 

[JEANYLASER]

yeah me too! I can't wait for the report! I hope i can see the reopening of the New Test Track in youtube!

 

[marni1971]

Steering away from personal opinions... The attraction still has a lot of serious show quality issues and potential ride system... bugs. Hopefully they are fixable quickly. And also hopefully SQ doesn't deteriorate as has become the norm in this and other parks.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Steering away from personal opinions... The attraction still has a lot of serious show quality issues and potential ride system... bugs. Hopefully they are fixable quickly. And also hopefully SQ doesn't deteriorate as has become the norm in this and other parks.

What are some of the show quality issues?

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I know people have their right to an opinion, but geeze, you are judging before it is even open to the public, before you have ridden it, before you have the opportunity to take not only the sights and sounds, but also the interactivity. Shame on you.

Dude, come on. That's entirely uncalled for.

This thread is 97 pages of opinions of people who haven't ridden. It is not suddenly 'shameful' to have an opinion because it differs from yours.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Test Track 1.0 has a better rough road test, environmental chambers, and when the barrier test worked properly was a better scene. Test Track 2.0 has a better incline, former brake test scenes, and soundtrack.

The handeling test area has nearly the same props including the wooden cutout trees except they were repainted. There is no more moo sign, but there is a squirrel xing sign. Some of those trees and the simi have been enhanced with laser effects. I also feel that even though the barrier test was a better scene in Test Track 1.0, Test Track 2.0 still evokes a very cool emotion that is comparable to the previous. So I guess it is all in what you prefer, Projection Effects or Real Props, Tron Lighting Effects or Warehouse Lighting, Laser effects or Moving Robots, Walls with Stagnet Graphics or Blank Spaces with Traffic Cones.

The first one. The storyline is you are at the Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot, where you explore the world of designing vehicles and how various choices impact the final vehicle's statistics. Normally, once the design is created, it is then tested via simulation in various computer models to see how the vehicle design holds up. The SimTrack's theme is you are in that computer model, testing your design for real. That's why all of the soothing computer voices, lighting effects and darkness.

Here's where I think people are going to love it and get it or hate it and not. This is a show that relies on lighting and projection and story more than physical show-scenes and sets. I think it does a really good job of relaying story and theme and while relying less on physical sets. Others are going to want full dark ride show-scenes. Just personal choice. I'll take a fully realized dark-ride over Soarin' any day, but I think TT works pretty well.

True. I think it will be a lot in the rider's preferences. At first I thought this format would appeal to the gamer-types but my 16 year old is a big gamer kid and he was left wondering what that was other than a ride thru Tron. I guess maybe video gaming is going to spill over into expectations when it comes to simulated-type attractions. Having read about the new concept when details were posted (without going into too much detail because I don't have that kind of time) what I visualized was quite different to what I saw in the ride-thru (from InsidetheMagic, I think?). In addition to being a big CoD gamer, DS16 is a huge fan of the Need For Speed series. You know, you win/design cars and race them. So I was thinking you design a car then do a demo that morphed thru NFS-type environments which are loaded with amazing visual details. I never envisioned a solid Tron-thru. Again, this is JUST what I saw in the ONE video. I'm hoping for oh-so-much more when I ride it myself and can get the full experience.

 

[flynnibus]

after seeing the full ride throughs...

Visually - very impressive
The Queue - certainly done in that star trek style that much of early EPCOT was..
Post Show - reminds me a lot like Mission:Space.. lots of cool things to look at, but you never want to wait in line for.

I do feel a bit hollow about the actual ride experience though. For all the 'construction cones' type of props lying around in Test Track.. at least you had a good integration of what the ride system was doing and what you were being fed audible and visually. And it all tied into the overall concept. These videos make it seem like 'really cool visuals.. but very light (if any) integration between the ride system and the environment. 'Why I am doing this?' type of doubts.

Am I being whipped around in the dark for a reason.. or am I being simply ran from room to room? The tie in from the story to the ride's programming seems weak from the videos.

I'm cautious - even if visually it looks cool.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Does anyone think that, with wonderful TT reviews, other sponsors might be inspired to put money into pavillions? For example, would Siemens or Disney think "a bit of money into SSE decent, and we might have another attraction getting praise and positive attention"?

But, Siemens did pay. Quite a bit at that!
I think Siemens and the SSE redo deserve praise. Of all the EPCOT pavilions, SSE is still the most authentic. And therefore, one would be tempted to add, the best. As all of the other FW pavilions show, minus The Land, it is not a given that SSE should still be intact. This was the result of a deliberate, conscious decision. Perhaps the most important decision Siemens and WDI took, yet one for which it never receives any praise, even from us EPCOT afficionados.

Siemens deep creative and financial involvement was a model for TT2, instead of the reverse. From introducing personalised interactivity before and after the ride, to restoring EPCOT-y values to the ride. (It was Siemens which tore down the Wand!)

 

[MissMorrow]

after seeing the full ride throughs...

Visually - very impressive
The Queue - certainly done in that star trek style that much of early EPCOT was..
Post Show - reminds me a lot like Mission:Space.. lots of cool things to look at, but you never want to wait in line for.

I do feel a bit hollow about the actual ride experience though. For all the 'construction cones' type of props lying around in Test Track.. at least you had a good integration of what the ride system was doing and what you were being fed audible and visually. And it all tied into the overall concept. These videos make it seem like 'really cool visuals.. but very light (if any) integration between the ride system and the environment. 'Why I am doing this?' type of doubts.

Am I being whipped around in the dark for a reason.. or am I being simply ran from room to room? The tie in from the story to the ride's programming seems weak from the videos.

I'm cautious - even if visually it looks cool.

I agree. I feel like the narration is overly vague; It doesn't seem clear what is being "tested" when. But I suppose it has to be that way since everyone will have a different little car they've made?

 

[TalkingHead]

The handeling test area has nearly the same props including the wooden cutout trees except they were repainted. There is no more moo sign, but there is a squirrel xing sign. Some of those trees and the simi have been enhanced with laser effects. I also feel that even though the barrier test was a better scene in Test Track 1.0, Test Track 2.0 still evokes a very cool emotion that is comparable to the previous. So I guess it is all in what you prefer, Projection Effects or Real Props, Tron Lighting Effects or Warehouse Lighting, Laser effects or Moving Robots, Walls with Stagnet Graphics or Blank Spaces with Traffic Cones.

That's the most surprising thing to me. The whole show gets a redo, but the handling test--which was always a little lacking--is virtually unchanged.

I guess the moral of the story is if you add laser lights to the Ellen DeGeneres AA in Energy, the fans will forgive anything.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

That's the most surprising thing to me. The whole show gets a redo, but the handling test--which was always a little lacking--is virtually unchanged.

I guess the moral of the story is if you add laser lights to the Ellen DeGeneres AA in Energy, the fans will forgive anything.

We'll forgive it precisely becuase the laser will camouflage the Ellen AA.

TT1 was hideous. TT2's lasers and lights and darkness serve to hide that. It is lipstick that makes the pig invisible. Magic lipstick, then.

 

[Tom]

Just watched the "Inside the Magic" full video, including pre and post show areas. Based only on the video, I approve. I'm not going to read or acknowledge any petty gripes in this thread - just state that I think it LOOKS fantastic, and I have absolutely no problem with the interactivity in this specific scenario.

It's so disappointing that we flew out yesterday and missed any soft opening to guests, especially since a return trip to WDW isn't on our radar. We're taking a break and going to DLR next May. We won't return to WDW until something new is open (i.e. Mine Ride at a minimum).

 

[SirLink]

What are some of the show quality issues?

I would imagine the lasers on the truck for one, projections effects working in sync, another one I would imagine is dust...but I could be wrong