Why don't people like Test Track??

[surfsupdon]

My reason for not liking Test Track is very simple: the line is out of control. Granted I only travel during school vacations, yet Test Track is the only ride that can not chew and spit up Guests in a timely fashion. Even FastPass return is a 30-45 mins+ wait, singles can be 2 hours, and standby can be 3.5 hours. That is not a good ride, even when I do not ride it, it annoys me b/c I know all of the people waiting in that never moving line, wasting a good deal of their day. Yet, better them than me. It's a must skip attraction, unless the line is under 30 mins--which happened to me only once (and I will admit the ride was fun).

And I know a lot of critics will say other rides have long lines as well during peak times. Yet these other lines constantly are moving forward. I'm proud to say the longest we waited last Christmas-NYE week was 42 mins for Peter Pan.

Test Track just needs to get that line moving and at a manageable level.

 

[Nemmy]

The line moves slow because of idiots who think that they can get away with not buckling their seat belt.

 

[CRO-Magnum]

Insider's Point of View

I was an embedded systems engineer and manager for GM in the mid 1990's and had responsibilities at the Milford Proving Ground (in addition to Flint and Troy, MI). As a former certified test driver I think the pavilion does a good job of relating the work done for developing a new car to the average person. I think several mistakes Disney made were 1) focusing on speed when they should have focused on G forces; 2) the intro video which treats the subject too lightly making the job appear to be trivial; 3) the narrowness of the treatment i.e. not showing how design, engineering for manufacturability, and calibration all work together instead of just test driving; and 4) not tying together why all the tests are important (Kampus Kasing for cold weather, Mesa Verde for hot weather, Milford for handling and durability, Colorado road trips for high altitude, Florida Keys road trips for sea level and high humidity). In talking with people over the years since I've left most have found it facinating that 1) the average passenger car is more advanced in terms of computer control than the most advanced race car, 2) dozens of computers are connected within a car sharing vital information via a network enabling the airbag accelerometer to trigger the fuel pump to shut off to reduce the chance of fuel spillage for example, 3) evolution of computers in cars where in the future building on OBD-II it would be possible for a car to notify the dealer of a problem and schedule it's own service so the parts are already at the dealer before you drive up, 4) the challenge of reducing the design cycle from 5 years to 1 year and what is required to make that happen, and 5) the relationship between sticker price and public opinion (i.e. everyone wants cleaner air, more fuel mileage and improve safety yet people weren't willing to pay $75k for a car that provided all of that without getting major government subsidies which in turn limited how many could be sold).

It's an exciting job but the excitement is more intellectual stimulation than adrenaline - Disney tried to focus on the adrenaline at the expense of everything else. They don't link in how GM racing efforts help develop passenger cars, how the space race provided important advances, etc.

...of course perhaps the whole subject is just boring. I personally don't like Test Track because I was allowed to do much more exciting things with a car than the ride does.

 

[Nemmy]

I think several mistakes Disney made were 1) focusing on speed when they should have focused on G forces...

That's what Mission: SPACE is for. And unless you're a NASCAR driver doing 200 on a banked curve at Daytona, you won't feel too many G's in a car.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

It's an exciting job but the excitement is more intellectual stimulation than adrenaline - Disney tried to focus on the adrenaline at the expense of everything else. They don't link in how GM racing efforts help develop passenger cars, how the space race provided important advances, etc.

...of course perhaps the whole subject is just boring. I personally don't like Test Track because I was allowed to do much more exciting things with a car than the ride does.

I think that maybe subconsciously, that's always been my problem with the ride. Its treatment of the subject matter is about an inch deep and the big sendoff is nothing special. What I get from the ride is an educational portion that isn't all that educational and a thrill portion that isn't that thrilling.

The ride is interesting, yes, but it never immerses me or makes me go "wow." It's ultimately just forgettable to me, which may be even worse than being bad.

 

[NemoRocks78]

I am also a TT fan....even though WoM was a good ride, this was a great replacement, IMO. It provides thrill, theme, and some educational value. :lol:

The only thing I hate about it is the queue....oh how I hate that queue.... :fork:

 

[CRO-Magnum]

When TT opened Mission Space was a nebulous concept without a defined ride so there was no reason not to include a reasonable demonstration of G-forces in the ride. My expectation was that in addition to acceleration and braking G's, that TT would show lateral G's during a traction test (lateral G pad) and during a spinout. They could have heightened the education while showcasing technology such as the GM anti-skid control system.

 

[O'Malley]

Test Track is enormously popular with young children (it's a true thrill ride for them), and teenagers in the 10-15 year old range that count the days before they get their drivers permit. For those that have a drivers license, this ride is relatively boring. As someone said earlier, stick your head out the window of a moving car, or ride in a convertible, and drive on a Florida highway during rush hour, and you have a real Test Track. Running over bumps, swerving to avoid a collision, taking an exit ramp at normal speeds, it's all part of what adults face on a weekly basis going to work. Maybe that's why the 15 and under crowd love this ride so much. Just wait until you get out into the real world, and Test Track may not be so fun anymore. :lol:

We usually ride Test Track once during our visit, after we've exhausted all the other Epcot attractions. Like several others, I also miss the old World Of Motion ride. It was similar to the Horizons and the old Journey Into Imagination ride. It was something you could ride over and over, and never get tired of it.

We've been in the GM Lounge dozens of times over the years, and sad to say, we usually bypass riding Test Track when we're finished relaxing in the lounge. I get a bigger kick out of seeing the displays and photos in the lounge, and seeing new cars in the post ride area, than I do riding Test Track.

Someone mentioned that Test Track is a like a dark ride that speeds up at the end. If you like that effect, try "Revenge Of The Mummy" at Universal. It's simply the best ride out there right now, along with Rock N' Rollercoaster. :sohappy:

 

[KevinPage]

I like it.

Long live the NEW Tiki Room and the Epcot wand!!!!!!

 

[General Grizz]

This is so hard because Test Track is such a great attraction for what it is. But this is how I'll approach it:

25 POINTS: STORY
- 10: Clear, creative, original storyline
- 10: Do the elements and effects serve the storyline?
- 5: Is the story relevant/do we care?/Does the audience act in an active position?
20 POINTS: Audience Appeal
- 5: Young children
- 5: Adolescents/young adults
- 5: Parents/adults
- 5: Seniors
20 POINTS: Method
- 10: Novel technologies
- 10: Is the attraction quality up to Disney standards?
20 POINTS: Engaging elements
- 10: Endearing or effecive characters/emotional story
- 10: Inspiration or fulfillment/take-home point/message
15 POINTS: Other elements
- 5: Queue/Preshow and/or Postshow
- 5: Music/soundtrack
- 5: Does this attraction truly add to the themed land/park/resort?

================================================
TEST TRACK REVIEW: 25/25 POINTS: STORY
- Clear, creative, original storyline: 10/10
The story is creative and original; testing out GM cars. Clear.
- Do the elements and effects serve the storyline? 10/10
All show elements serve the storyline, including queue and ride special effects.
- Is the story relevant/do we care?/Does the audience act in an active position? 5/5
The audience is put in a great position - test dummies.

13/20 POINTS: AUDIENCE APPEAL
- Young children: 2/5 (Young children can't ride, older children will. +2)
- Adolescents/young adults: 5/5
- Parents/adults: 4/5
- Seniors: 2/5

15/20 POINTS: METHOD
- Novel technologies 9/10
The entire ride system is very impressive. However, this isn't outright used for show.
- Is the attraction quality up to Disney standards? 6/10
There is a lot of detail. Also, all of the effects are "in show." Still, visible speakers and vent systems (especially when being produced in newer attractions) along with the overall feel just don't express high quality to me. Also: Violation of show (backstage).

7/20 POINTS: ENGAGING ELEMENTS
- Endearing or effecive characters/emotional story: 3/10
The characters just aren't that enganging or endearing. It's a thrill ride, and besides the fast spinning, there just don't seem to be enough
- Inspiration or fulfillment/take-home point/message: 4/10
4 points for education on how cars are tested. Otherwise, there is no true message/point/inspiration in what should be a meaningful Epcot pavilion.

6/15 POINTS: Other elements
- Queue/Preshow and/or Postshow: 3/5
+ 3 for a very expansive queue. - 2 for a very poor post-show area (Disney-wise).
- Music/soundtrack: 1/5
I don't think I heard any music in that pavilion. If I did, it was GM radio commercials in the post show. There was a steady beat in the queue, though.
- Does this attraction truly add to the themed land/park/resort?: 2/5
It adds attendance, and that's about it. It doesn't add to the FUTURE in FUTURE WORLD - - the post-show could certainly have helped here.

FINAL GRADE: 66/100

Basically, Test Track lacks in the area of inspiration in what should be an inspiring pavilion (Epcot, motion). It essentially makes Future World less Futuristic and very random; a family postshow with take-home message (what motion is, where it has brought us, where we are going) could have easily boosted this rating by 10, 15, + points. Further: what brand new experience does Test Track really add to Disney? As others have pointed out, it's "a bore" for licensed drivers.

Also - is it worth a 1 to 2 to 3 hours wait to experience this five minute attraction? An improved Post Show could help in this area for the guest who'll say, "It was okay, but definitely not worth the wait."

Test Track also lacks in some of the traditional aspects (i.e. music). A good theme (instead of "Like a Rock") could have boosted the music ratings in the post-show. It's one of the few places at Epcot that seemed UnDisneyesque.

And I went back and tried to recalculate this score because I thought it to be too low; I honestly thought my grade of TT would be 70s or very low 80s. But, I did improve the score a bit in some of the areas the best I could to keep it a fair rating.

Also, breakdowns are common, so I put this under quality with the bad show aspect of seeing backstage.

In general, Test Track is an absolute wonderful attraction for what it is about: testing cars. As an Epcot pavilion, however, I have just described where it lacks.

I'll ride Test Track if I don't have to wait over 15 minutes. Otherwise, catch me over at Spaceship Earth or the Universe of Energy. Or WoL.

 

[General Grizz]

I love Test Track, it's one of my favorite rides.

Side Note: Anyone else get a kick out of the WDW guests that call Test Track "Fast Track"?

Let's just praise the few guests who call it by its actual name. You know, the one on the billboards, guidemaps, attraction. . .

I had family from up north call it Fast Track. Oy. :brick:

 

[FamilyMan]

Race Track... Fast Pass... Fast Track... Car Track... you know, for a while, Universal used the name Fast Track... But these are the same people who call the Disney-MGM Studios Universal. LOL

 

[Jaws Theme]

I like Test Track but I really miss World of Motion. There are very few rides at EPCOT that little kids (5 and under) can go on. World of Motion and Horizons were two of the best.

 

[Steamboat_Kevin]

Test Track is one of my favorite rides, it's one of the only attractions that I never get tired of riding.
It may be because I never got the opportunity to go on World of Motion, because the first time I went to WDW was in 1997, when Test Track was being built

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

When I lived in Germany Id regularly do over a ton on the autobahn, When I lived in Sardinia I used to off road in my 4x4 but that was a means to an end. Hurtling round a track at 60mph in an open top driverless vehicle in the Florida sun is a blast. Especially if you suffer a blow out as you go around the main building.
The testing facility is slightly entertaining as i live between the UK motor industry research track and a Mallory Park a race track I get5 used to the site n sounds of some disguised vehicles. The big cat was tried n tested in parts here. Educational? Not really but then I never put that much faith in education from theme park activities in the first place.

The issues of this ride is that it replaced a fans favourite, and some people don’t like change. Me I never rode it so have nothing to compare against. It entertains me as I ride several times each stay, so in Disneys eyes it must be doing its job.

 

[epcotfan]

Bingo!

Dissapointment is my feeling more than dislike. The ride has zero character and nothing approaching a thrill until you hit the outside banking.

I don't dislike it and will ride it when there is a short queue.

I totally agree. I do like the preshow video though. John Michael Higgins of A Mighty Wind and Best In Show plays Bill in the video.

 

[WDFAN1977]

I have yet to go on this ride because of the breakdowns or hour plus lines that have occurred every time I am there . It is at the top of the list for my next visit.

 

[Miss Bell]

I do like this ride--but as been mentioned numerous times already, it's the lines and the breakdowns that give it such a bad reputation. We had several trips in which we were never able to get in at all. I'm happy if I get to ride it once in a trip, but I'm not going to stand in line for an hour or more to do it. What I think is funny as that even at opening, you can get a two or three hour delay on fastpass, but you can pretty much get into Mission Space in an hour at any time of day, even though it is a much newer attraction. If you are trying to get into Test Track after about 1:00 pm, you can pretty much forget a fastpass.

 

[One Lil Spark]

I just don't like it because it felt just like I was driving at home. Nothing out of the ordinary. All the curves are just like me driving around in these Great Smoky Mountains I live in and drive everyday.

It's just not worth riding for me and I'd actually not cry if I never rode it again. One less person!! One more space for someone in the single rider line! :lol:

 

[Brooke]

I love Test Track! It's pretty much the only thing I like at EPCOT.