Tomorrowland Speedway

[Californian Elitist]

"Oh, those pesky birds... They're gonna bomb ya every chance they get!" That's my favorite part.

 

[DisDadEddie]

But it's TOMORROWLAND not Cars Land.

Obviously! I think that is known already.

 

[DisDadEddie]

No, just no.

No need to be rude!

 

[Patricia Melton]

Someone up thread suggested moving the Speedway to EPCOT near the Test Track. I never thought of that before, but wouldn't it be marvelous if they did that....and themed the Speedway to a "Race Around the World"....with miniatures of the world monuments that the kids would drive by. That would be so fantastic. It would be fun, and educational, and pretty much timeless. Test Track for adults and Speedway for little ones. AND all that land is freed up in MK.

 

[Daddymouse]

The loading for the ride could be made similar to that of other rides that are in continuous movement like buzz, TTA, etc..., this would speed up the loading and unloading of the cars. I do like the Cars theme to spice the ride up.

 

[71dsp]

While I do think the ride is dated, I actually do find it kind of cool that it was around when my wife came to WDW as a kid. My son absolutely loves it. He doesn't care how crummy the cars are.

 

[nolatron]

The speedway was generally one of those rides we (DW and I) would walk by without even a glance. It was boring, slow, noisy, etc...

And then last year I took my then 3yr DD on it and hoooo boy was that a fun ride. It's certainly on our to-do list for our next trip. I wouldn't mind seeing it get a little TLC but it's I can see it's certainly a fun for the little ones.

 

[C&D]

Great 'vid' nolatron; that's exactly the point.

 

[JiminyandTink]

I love the Speedway, it's such a great thrill for kids to get to drive and reminds me of when I rode it as a kid myself. There are also some great views of the castle from the track.
There are times the lines seem to move too slow, I'm not sure what you can do about that though (most of the time it's just people stopping their cars so their friends can catch up to them )

 

[HM Spectre]

I don't care for it but it's not for me... little kids can't get enough of it so it makes sense to have it stay in some form. Heck, when I was a kid I loved "driving" for the first time. I just wish it wasn't such a thematic wart in Tomorrowland. If they gave it an update with future technologies (electric, solar, etc.) that would do just fine.

Would be nice if we were getting Cars Land somewhere (that makes thematic sense obviously) and then just move the speedway there and re-design it for a Cars theme. Would be much more popular and that's a LOT of limited MK real estate that I'd love to see taken advantage of in a different way.

 

[Tod&BigMamaOdie]

The Speedway, as it is now, needs to go. That land could be developed with other attractions (what exactly I don't quite know) and a new version of the Speedway, with quiet, electric (or hybrid) vehicles, could go thru/under the new attractions building (which obviously I'm suggesting be elevated slightly).
Soooo, we can have our cake and eat it too.
Just my four ha'pennies.

 

[Bairstow]

If they made the cars electric, they could give them onboard audio that simulated the sounds of a racing engine.
That would be win-win, because kids on the ride would have a more "authentic" experience and for everyone else it wouldn't sound like a lawnmower convention.
The Hong Kong version of Autopia is like this.

 

[pluto1964]

I always thought that the speedway would be better served in Epcot next to TT. After all, MK is already loaded with family friendly rides, and Epcot is in need of them. The speedway also does not really fit the theme of TL, and that is prime location to build a major new attraction.

i think that's completely true. Epcot only has a couple family friendly rides- i think having the speedway by test track would help with lines, after all test track is a very popular attraction! plus it is going through refurbishment, so when it opens the lines will be even longer!

 

[wilkeliza]

I would love to see an update of the speedway. Make the cars electric so that they are more economical and to say the poor cast members that have to inhale fumes all day.

I rode the ride for the first time on my last trip and my friends car went faster than mine and unfortunately I was in front. That meant he could bump me and you better believe he did every chance he get. I swear my car was going about 1 mph.

 

[c-one]

If they made the cars electric, they could give them onboard audio that simulated the sounds of a racing engine.
That would be win-win, because kids on the ride would have a more "authentic" experience and for everyone else it wouldn't sound like a lawnmower convention.
The Hong Kong version of Autopia is like this.

Yep, this gets my vote. Among all the other thematic inconsistencies that result from placing the Speedway in Tomorrowland, the fact that it utilizes technology straight out of the 70s is the biggest howler of them all.

I get that it's fun for the kiddos, but what makes this ride any better than the racecar/antique car rides at every Six Flags around the country? Hell, even the little Canobie Lake Parks of the world have them. More than anything else in WDW, this seems the least-Imagineered, and the most...generic.

 

[tare]

I like dl autopia better but I hope neither place ever gets rid if it

 

[acishere]

For parents of young children the ride is a must. The look on your child's face when they are behind the wheel is all the magic you need to make the ride worth it.

However I don't have any kids. I'm pretty sure I can take the top off my Jeep and pull onto the Garden State Parkway during rush hour and have the same experience as the Speedway. Actually I might be better off in the Jeep. I have a radio and the ability to pass people.

They need to add more to the experience to get me on there. I hate the Cars movies, but adding them would lure me in if it meant interacting with a talking car or something. Anything to make the attraction seem less generic.

 

[71dsp]

I would love to see an update of the speedway. Make the cars electric so that they are more economical and to say the poor cast members that have to inhale fumes all day.

I rode the ride for the first time on my last trip and my friends car went faster than mine and unfortunately I was in front. That meant he could bump me and you better believe he did every chance he get. I swear my car was going about 1 mph.

My son loved it when he was in front of me with my wife and I kept bumping him. Never heard him l laugh so much!!

 

[Powerline]

I always thought that the speedway would be better served in Epcot next to TT. After all, MK is already loaded with family friendly rides, and Epcot is in need of them. The speedway also does not really fit the theme of TL, and that is prime location to build a major new attraction.

This is a much more interesting idea, and a helpful one to EPCOT.

 

[MeTa]

Seems like that would be a great spot to incorporate "cars"