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News Test Track to be reimagined
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
“Fun to be Free” performed by Olivia Rodrigo is going to rock.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
so with this announcement and the others, we are nowhere close to SE getting love. is that correct?
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
If Spaceship Earth got a sponsor, they would've announced an overhaul for it already. Test Track is happening because the contract has been renewed.
Mickeynerd17
Well-Known Member
Random spitballing, but theoretically, based on how the ride track is laid out, they could sort-of recreate the atrium ramp in a new format. It would be an unnecessary extension of the ride track, but it could be a neat aspect for the queue below.
aladdin2007
Well-Known Member
I know, but SE has no sponsor in sight and pretty soon they are going to have to do something. its limping mechanically, show quality aside.
DisneyOutsider
Well-Known Member
BagOfGroceries
Well-Known Member
Why not Apple?
ppete1975
Well-Known Member
Odd. Wom was my favorite ride as a kid. But are they just saying this to attract us nostalgic original epcot fans. If so it’s probably a step backwards. Not speaking of quality but to tell a story (which wom cues would need). Youd have to slow the ride way down. The reason test track is popular is the speed track outside (it sure isnt for the tronish indoors part. Until guardians it was the closest thing ti a thrill ride epcot had. So if its slowed down to tell a good story, will its appeal and lines shrink regardless of quality of story.
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
They'll just keep maintaining so guests can ride it. Space Mountain has been in the same boat for a long time now too.
ppete1975
Well-Known Member
I wonder if crowd wise they can onlu have one (old man term) future world attraction closed at once. So the attraction with a sponsor leapfrogs all those that dont. And they dont feel they have the capacity abilities to close another.
MerlinTheGoat
Well-Known Member
While it was never going to be a particularly inexpensive attraction, it certainly cost them far more than they initially planned when they first started building. The ride had massive technical difficulties during construction that they did not anticipate during R&D. There were multiple lengthy delays and the budget ballooned out of control. It was originally scheduled to open in May 1997, just under a year and a half after they closed WoM. That kept getting delayed.
The computer systems couldn't manage the quantity of cars they needed, it would freeze up even with only a relatively small amount. They had to develop a more sophisticated system, new computers and rewritten software. The tires on the vehicles also wore out quickly and they had to get a new smoother variety developed. Then in December 1997, one of the vehicles reportedly crashed into a wall during testing. It was delayed yet another year after.
The decision to close World of Motion was indeed partially motivated by the maintenance costs of all of the animatronics. GM also wanted a faster ride, along with one more specifically focused on their products.
There was a similar concept to Test Track developed to be built alongside World of Motion back in the 70s before the pavilion was finalized. That would have been an acceptable way to find a middle ground between keeping WoM and building something speedier nearby. Too bad.
"It's Fun To Be
Test Track to me is just a dark empty feeling warehouse with nothing to see aside from some ugly factory equipment or poor man's Tron strips of fluorescent paint (1.0 and 2.0 respectively, I don't like either). And I can literally get the same sort of "thrill" by just normal daily driving (arguably more thrilling thanks to Florida's lunatic drivers). Better scenery too.
World of Motion was fantastic and unique, even compared to the other EPCOT classics. It was a wonderfully detailed time travel ride with a very silly twist, tons of silly Marc Davis animatronic designs and a really catchy soundtrack. Ending on a hopeful glimpse at the future as with other EPCOT classics.
Yes, as supplementary parts of the sets or as a means to transition from one scene to the next. Horizons did this as well. That's a fine way to handle projection effects, as supplementary/transitional elements instead of replacing detailed physical sets and enormous quantity of animatronic figures (the real meat of these classics). I think it had the most animatronic figures of any Disney ride until Sinbad at Tokyo Disneyland.
The scenes most people remember so fondly are the cavemen with sore feet, the captain and the sea monster, the train robbery, the turn of the century traffic jam etc.
EPCOTCenterLover
Well-Known Member
As a person who has ridden both World of Motion and all two versions of Test Track many times, I can tell you that while TT is great fun, WoM was just great! There was no reason to get rid of one for the other. That I never understood.
hopemax
Well-Known Member
Most people have no idea what World of Motion was at this point. I am confident that the appeal of TT has more to do with the outside, fast-but-not-scary track than the show scenes in the first part of the ride. If some of the original show scenes from WoM were still there, but with the current speedy finale, I don't think many people would be lamenting the loss of the current show scenes.
If they can pull off a best of both worlds, it could be a win for fans and WDW. But honestly, I don't know what we can realistically expect. A soundtrack with callbacks to Fun to Be Free, some families on vacation in their vintage to modern Chevy cars... I don't immediately know how they could work in the Sea Serpent... mural in the queue or exit as background to Tik Toks?
Horizonsfan
Well-Known Member
Re-reading the tweet(x?) they sent out for this, my expectation isn't wholesale re-interpretation of WOM scenes.
"Imagineers along with teams from @Chevrolet are looking back to the original World of Motion for inspiration and bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the attraction! "
While I would love for V3.0 to be populated with AAs, I'll be shocked if we get more than 10. If they're not modifying the current track layout, I absolutely don't expect any.
We know from the concept art more realistic sets and a new vehicle wrap are coming. Beyond that, my baseline expectations for WOM infusion from current Disney would be:
- Reintroduction of "Its Fun To Be Free" throughout
- New Pre-show & ride narration with a humorous bent
- Post-show refresh
There's also the maybes of:
- a slower lift hill & initial descent with projections referencing classic WOM scenes.
- New queue displays with a history bent
- Vignettes along the ride path in a Marc Davis style (projection or limited range figures)
Regardless, this is an exciting change. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised with what they do.
"Imagineers along with teams from @Chevrolet are looking back to the original World of Motion for inspiration and bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the attraction! "
While I would love for V3.0 to be populated with AAs, I'll be shocked if we get more than 10. If they're not modifying the current track layout, I absolutely don't expect any.
We know from the concept art more realistic sets and a new vehicle wrap are coming. Beyond that, my baseline expectations for WOM infusion from current Disney would be:
- Reintroduction of "Its Fun To Be Free" throughout
- New Pre-show & ride narration with a humorous bent
- Post-show refresh
There's also the maybes of:
- a slower lift hill & initial descent with projections referencing classic WOM scenes.
- New queue displays with a history bent
- Vignettes along the ride path in a Marc Davis style (projection or limited range figures)
Regardless, this is an exciting change. I'd love to be pleasantly surprised with what they do.
DisneyFanatic12
Well-Known Member
Seems more like the sponsor (Chevrolet/GM) wants it spiced up. When created, technologically advanced cars were enticing for consumers. Now, however, technologically “advanced” cars are pretty much the norm. Decision could also have been related to lower guest satisfaction with V2 compared to the original, but that doesn’t seem as likely. Could have played a role, but it seems more like the “advertisement” was in need of an update.
Mickeynerd17
Well-Known Member
10? Who says there will be animatronics at all?
Horizonsfan
Well-Known Member
Re-read the post. I said I don't expect any at all, if they're not modifying the ride path. It wouldn't work or be worth the headache with the current layout/speeds.