EPCOT Test Track to be reimagined

[OptimusPrime]

Are we going to see the pavilion log used somewhere here? They made such a big deal about that and they never did anything with them at the actual pavilions

Funnily enough, Test Track had the WoM pavilion logo in it iirc.

Other than CommuniCore and the flags out front, I don’t think the pavilion logos are anywhere to be seen other than Test Track (and the Horizons logo in the Mission Space queue)

 

[Epcot81Fan]

The nostalgia pandering is just sad.

 

[C33Mom]

You must have forgotten the original TT pre-show.

A good guess, but I actually never saw the original TT pre-show, to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Horizons '83]

The nostalgia pandering is just sad.

Eh, call it nostalgia, sure, but nostalgia for higher quality, better value, and leadership that cared beyond the dollar signs.

 

[wdwmagic]

Disney Imagineering Files New Permit for EPCOT's Test Track Reimagining​

Disney Imagineering Files New Permit for EPCOT's Test Track Reimagining

Disney Imagineering Files New Permit for EPCOT's Test Track Reimagining

www.wdwmagic.com

 

[SJN1279]

So Summer 2025 for Test Track 3.0 is a solid guess?

 

[WDWFREAK53]

A whole retro advertisement thing would be amazing... Add "It's Fun To Be Free" ...chronologically beginning with their first cars through the decades...and then as you head into the attraction you move into the future....

Is there any vehicle more iconic and "Americana" than the '57 Chevy?

 

[ChrisFL]

Is there any vehicle more iconic and "Americana" than the '57 Chevy?

I don't think so. An argument could be made for one of those big fin 60's (?) Cadillacs but that's also GM

 

[HauntedPirate]

Is there any vehicle more iconic and "Americana" than the '57 Chevy?

One could argue with the '53 Corvette, '64 1/2 Mustang, '61 Cadillac... I won't get into that debate here, though, it's entirely subjective. A '57 Chevy is iconic enough, and it certainly doesn't hurt that it is, or was, the predominant vehicle in Cuba during Castro's reign.

 

[jeanericuser001]

So Summer 2025 for Test Track 3.0 is a solid guess?

Im pegging it at November 2025. If they cut the budget hard then it will indeed open in the summer but with a much smaller amount of changes. If they go all out on it then November will be the opening time. Just in time for the xmas season when crowds are at their largest.

 

[trainplane3]

Im pegging it at November 2025. If they cut the budget hard then it will indeed open in the summer but with a much smaller amount of changes. If they go all out on it then November will be the opening time. Just in time for the xmas season when crowds are at their largest.

There's not much budget to cut. GM is paying for it so whatever money they're putting in is going to be used on it. This isn't a normal refurbishment. It's one of the few that is getting a big chunk of change dumped into it thanks to a real sponsor.

GM wants their brand to be represented in a good light and having a cheap and poorly done refurbishment isn't the way to do it.

 

[Incomudro]

Nostalgia for when?
Chevrolet has produced some of the most terrible cars on the market since the 70's.
You literally have to go back more than half a century to find their good cars.

 

[jeanericuser001]

There's not much budget to cut. GM is paying for it so whatever money they're putting in is going to be used on it. This isn't a normal refurbishment. It's one of the few that is getting a big chunk of change dumped into it thanks to a real sponsor.

GM wants their brand to be represented in a good light and having a cheap and poorly done refurbishment isn't the way to do it.

Never underestimate budget scrooges. We are only into the early stages and if cost overruns occur they may try to cut this one back. As much as I love to see disney go all out I have to remember all we were promised in the last 5 years and what we got. Even if GM is footing the bill they are not likely to give disney an indefinite blank check so my point still stands. If disney does have a true blank check it will take longer but it will be grander. On the other hand if scrooges prevail we will see an earlier opening and a lot less of the bells and whistles we were expecting. Just stating the sad facts as we have seen in the past.

 

[aladdin2007]

Never underestimate budget scrooges. We are only into the early stages and if cost overruns occur they may try to cut this one back. As much as I love to see disney go all out I have to remember all we were promised in the last 5 years and what we got. Even if GM is footing the bill they are not likely to give disney an indefinite blank check so my point still stands. If disney does have a true blank check it will take longer but it will be grander. On the other hand if scrooges prevail we will see an earlier opening and a lot less of the bells and whistles we were expecting. Just stating the sad facts as we have seen in the past.

not sure where your coming up with this scenario, neither company would go into this or any other project with a blank check. That is not how it works. This is a continued sponsorship agreement and GM is getting what they want, working with Imagineering with GM footing a lot of the costs based on the agreements, plans, and details.

 

[DreamfinderGuy]

Are we going to see the pavilion log used somewhere here? They made such a big deal about that and they never did anything with them at the actual pavilions

Seeing as how WoM was the "original" pavilion icon (the first designed) and it was so heavily featured in WoM and TT 2.0, I think it's a safe bet. That said, I feel like people don't recall just how rarely the icons were actually used within their pavilions. They were always intended as wayfinding tools first and foremost. Many of the original pavilions like Horizons, Wonders of Life, Imagination, CommuniCore, etc. either didn't use their icon inside the building at all or used it for very small things.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Seeing as how WoM was the "original" pavilion icon (the first designed) and it was so heavily featured in WoM and TT 2.0, I think it's a safe bet. That said, I feel like people don't recall just how rarely the icons were actually used within their pavilions. They were always intended as wayfinding tools first and foremost. Many of the original pavilions like Horizons, Wonders of Life, Imagination, CommuniCore, etc. either didn't use their icon inside the building at all or used it for very small things.

Totally get that, but they haven’t even really been used for that either. Putting them on the directional signs around the park would have been cool but they didn’t. Not on maps either.

 

[jeanericuser001]

not sure where your coming up with this scenario, neither company would go into this or any other project with a blank check. That is not how it works. This is a continued sponsorship agreement and GM is getting what they want, working with Imagineering with GM footing a lot of the costs based on the agreements, plans, and details.

Well you can be optimistic all you want. I will just be realistic. To that end I think I may have to bring you back to reality.

So far the supposed permit does not appear to suggest a long term project. If it was a completely new project it would certainly require a much longer building permit. That means the inside of the building will be gutted but the existing track system will stay the same. You claim the budget is being handled by gm but if gm had plans this grand they would certainly want to start fresh not with a built in track design that everyone has used before. That suggests GM is not keen on building brand new. They want to reskin. Now if they are reskinning then you gotta question if the ride will use the same vehicle movement. Well unless they are planning on reinventing the wheel so to speak with this ride they will likely use the same drive program which means we get the same ride movement. That leave transforming the scenes. Now its a nice idea on paper to bring in world of motion elements but if we are gonna be doing a lot of high speed movement then they certainly will not want to spend a lot on expensive animatronics especially if people will be passing by them at high speeds. That means a good part of the ride may be less on animatronics but just on creating illusions of traveling some where. Based on the nature scene we see in the photos it will probably be simulated environments. My early guess are a city environment for the speed up slow down, a mountain nature trail path as suggested by one of the photos, and lastly a futuristic travel that will end in the high speed run at the end. The rest will just be the same old dealership walkthrough that we have seen since the early days. The only thing that may have actual world of motion elements will be the que but its all just to distract people from the long wait. The only question is how much effort disney will put into this timeline. If breakdown mountain is any indication they may want to get this ride done early as possible as they will need an eticket ride to boost genie+ sales. On the other hand, if they decide to splurge a little extra then it may take a little extra time before the ride opens.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Well you can be optimistic all you want. I will just be realistic. To that end I think I may have to bring you back to reality.

You’re not being realistic. What you’ve described is not how the process works. The project isn’t in the early stages. The scope isn’t just now being defined in the field. The construction/installation schedule was worked out months ago before the attraction ever closed.

 

[Gusey]

That means the inside of the building will be gutted but the existing track system will stay the same. You claim the budget is being handled by gm but if gm had plans this grand they would certainly want to start fresh not with a built in track design that everyone has used before. That suggests GM is not keen on building brand new. They want to reskin. Now if they are reskinning then you gotta question if the ride will use the same vehicle movement. Well unless they are planning on reinventing the wheel so to speak with this ride they will likely use the same drive program which means we get the same ride movement.

We know all of this is happening. Disney announced that it was an update to Test Track, not a completely new attraction in the former location of Test Track

 

[MisterPenguin]

Never underestimate budget scrooges. We are only into the early stages and if cost overruns occur they may try to cut this one back.

There's an internal contradiction here.

A "budget Scrooge" wouldn't spend anything.

But then you mention "cost overruns," which means they are indeed spending quite a lot.

Disney does indeed usually go overbudget. That means they spend more than they wanted and more than other theme parks do. But it does mean that if one part of the project is running over, it gets scaled back, or, some other project gets cut.

But they still (over) spend the money. Not hoard it like Scrooge.