Christmas 2012 Disney World Trip Report Day 3
At the end of day 2’s installment, I forgot to share photos of the Swan & Dolphin Christmas decorations. They have an interesting tree that I doubt many people bother going to see, so I figured I’d share it here.
I also want to thank you all for the feedback on poll for the next trip report. I think I might have prejudiced the result, but I’m pretty pleased (and surprised!) that Disneyland Paris won. Expect to see the first installment of that report next Monday. In the meantime, I am requesting more feedback on Facebook, this time requesting tips for visiting Walt Disney World with kids. I’ll be quoting some of you on the blog in that post, so make sure to choose your words wisely! 😉 Okay, on with the meat of this installment…
Being the last day of the trip, we knew we needed to get to Epcot again first thing if we wanted to experience Test Track. Sarah took our luggage to Bell Services while I snapped a few photos in the lobby.
From there, we headed to the International Gateway, arriving right as the turnstiles opened.
I want to preface this review with the disclaimer that we experienced no technical difficulties on our many rides that morning, but from what I understand, these difficulties are incredibly frequent. This is really too bad…
Over the years, I’ve learned to temper my expectations for any redo of an Epcot attraction. I’ve been disappointed time and time again, and have come to expect as fact that Disney no longer desires to build attractions fitting of the original EPCOT Center and its vision. I figured Test Track 2.0 would continue this trend, but on the upside, at least it wasn’t replacing anything special.
(Spoilers ahead.) I was blown away by the new Test Track. The entire first time we went through the attraction, I was simply marveling at the design aesthetic. The choices made, as pointed out by just about everyone, are reminiscent of Tron, mostly in terms of colors and grid-like lines. Since Tron itself is dated, I’m glad to see that the similarities are only on the design-motif level. This is not Tron-Track.
The aesthetic is really gorgeous and has much more fluidity than the feel of the original Test Track, which felt like going through an industrial warehouse where testing was actually occurring. In the mid-1990s. While I didn’t necessarily dislike the original Test Track, I was not a fan. It was loud and although it did have “edutainment” components concerning the test process vehicles undergo, it felt clunky and utilitarian rather than elegant and optimistic. In this sense, it was very much unlike the original Future World pavilions.
With the new Test Track’s design, much of this elegance returned. More importantly, it is an attraction infused with a sense of futurism, and one that makes guests actually want to know more about the subject matter. The original Test Track treated guests like dummies in the literal and figurative sense of the term. You’re no longer just a dummy going through the motions of a test in a warehouse. You’re a vehicle designer putting your test through the paces on a beautifully designed course. The different approach was clear from the outset of the queue, which was less noisy and more stylized than the previous version.
Test Track 2.0 still is somewhat lacking in dimensional sets (something else characteristic of the original Future World), but complaints I had heard prior to the trip that it lacked content as compared to Test Track seemed way off to me. I found the original Test Track to be largely empty warehouse with a few set pieces here and there, and although the new Test Track still lacked fully fleshed out sets, it had much more of visual interest.
The big difference is that the visual interest in the new Test Track are actually things that are of interest. Whereas old Test Track had trash cans, cones, and various other items of clutter, Test Track 2.0 has less in the way of dimensional “stuff” and much more in the way of elements that are actually of interest. In a way, much of this is abstract, but there’s there’s also enough that’s real (my favorite being a city reminiscent of Progress City or perhaps Nova Cite) to tie the whole experience together as a sort of futuristic testing.
Here, much of the interest comes from screens and projections. Ah, screens. Normally, I consider these an enemy and far less engaging than physical sets. Not the case in Test Track 2.0 at all, where the futuristic test environment implicitly is part of a digital world. Not only that, but the screens don’t overpower, and they’re complimented nicely by actual physical props.
My only knock on Test Track 2.0 is that the outdoor speed test is unchanged from the original Test Track. This no longer fits the tone and mood of the attraction, and really should have been enclosed. Hopefully this is done in a future refurbishment.
Designing and testing the car also adds a lot to the experience, and creates an additional layer of engagement as you want your own car to beat the baseline. Guests seemed really into this element of the experience. It should go without saying, but your car doesn’t go any faster or slower based on your design parameters…the “results” along the way are shown as different, though.
When I got off Test Track after our first ride through, I literally had chills, and felt a bit of an emotional response to the ride. It reminded me of the glory days of EPCOT Center, and was something I immediately wanted to experience again. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had this strong of a reaction to experiencing a Walt Disney World attraction for the first time.
Overall, Test Track 2.0 is exactly what I’d expect of an EPCOT Center Future World 2.0 (or in this case, 3.0) attraction, and that’s the highest praise I think I could have for the attraction. It’s futuristic, exciting, and makes learning about vehicle design and testing a lot of fun (from the start of the queue until the end of the post show). We found ourselves doing the attraction again and again (5 times in a row before the crowds started to catch up with us), and once things got busier, we found much of interest in the post-show area. I discovered something new on each subsequent ride through and wandering of the post show, and were it not for being crunched for time, I would have wanted to experience it several more times.
In a park where it seems like every redo of an original attraction has been decidedly worse than the original on an intellectual and imagination level, Test Track 2.0 excels. It’s still not perfect, but it’s as good as can possibly be expected as a successor to Test Track. I really hope General Motors sees a substantial return on its investment with Test Track 2.0, and Disney is able to use it as a case study to demonstrate to other potential sponsors the value of sponsorship. Think of the innovative companies that could show off their tech in as sponsors of a high quality Journey into Imagination! Imagine that post-show with a company that (unlike Kodak) is truly pushing the envelope!
Putting aside the whole technical issues bit, I’ve been surprised by much of the negative response to Test Track 2.0. I suspect your own reaction will likely hinge upon which version of Epcot you experienced first. If you knew and loved EPCOT Center of the 1980s until mid-1990s, I suspect you’ll love this new incarnation of Test Track. To me, it perfectly captured the spirit of these attractions, even if it did so in a manner of design that’s basically the antithesis of those attractions. If you didn’t visit until 2000 or so and consider the original Test Track a “classic,” you’re probably far less likely to share my views of the redo.
Test Track 2.0 isn’t as good as Radiator Springs Racers, but it is definitely a step in the right direction for Epcot. I hope that the frequent technical concerns that have popped up can be addressed, as I think many opinions have been tainted by these problems.
This post might as well have been titled “Test Track 2.0 Review,” as that’s the only exciting thing we did that partial day at Epcot…with one notable exception.
I received quite possibly the largest sandwich in the history of Sunshine Seasons. As I said on Instagram, it was a Festivus miracle! It’s hard to tell from the photos, but the thing is the size of my head.
I also substituted whatever funky vegetables normally come with the burger for the excellent mashed potatoes, making the miracle even more glorious. This meal more or less overshadowed the Test Track experience, but I don’t have a whole lot more to say here that hasn’t already been said. Sunshine Seasons is patently awesome, and I assume everyone reading this blog already knows that so I won’t belabor the point. After Sunshine Seasons, we did Living with the Land, per tradition.
After lunch, we only had time to do a few more things. Obviously Spaceship Earth was top priority, and I put the Nikon 35mm f/1.4 I borrowed from Kingdom Camera Rentals through its paces there. Overall, this lens was incredibly impressive, and the 35mm focal length is a great focal length for a prime lens to use at Walt Disney World. It’s wide for dark rides and scene-oriented portraits, and can even work for landscapes or fireworks photos. The f/1.4 aperture is great for subject separation, and the out of focus area quality is superb. It’s not a lens I can see myself buying anytime soon (too expensive), but to play around with on trips, it’s absolutely great.
Next stop was FountainView, where we stopped for some Christmas ice cream. We really struck out with the seasonal options here in 2011, but this year, they were glorious. Was really pleased with everything we had dessert-wise this trip.
I wanted to test the Nikon 35mm lens in Maelstrom, so we headed to the World Showcase. Maelstrom is in awful shape, but it’s still good, campy fun. I just really hope it receives some TLC soon, as it’s embarrassingly bad in some parts.
From there, we wandered World Showcase waiting for the next showing of Impressions de France. It was glorious as always, and was a great reminder of our Europe trip, but also a great reminder of just how little of France we actually saw. How much of the world we have not seen is both saddening and exciting: much like books or films, I know we’ll never be able to see/read/watch everything I’d like. At the same time, it’s exciting knowing that there’s always something out there that is new to us and exciting.
After Impressions de France, we walked back to Boardwalk, returned our borrowed camera equipment, and waited for the Disney’s Magical Express bus. It was a short trip, but we sure crammed in a lot to those ~2 days!
For full size versions of some of the photos in this trip report installment, check out the last few pages of our Disney Photo Galleries.
Your Thoughts…
What are your thoughts on Test Track 2.0, or anything else in this trip report installment? We love to hear from readers of these trip reports, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
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Did you actually take that photo of yourself as you zoomed through the ride? Pretty impressive photo set-up there! I have no opinion on TT2 yet — but I will in August!! I will try to keep an open mind and appreciate Disney’s efforts to keep things “fresh.”
Yeah, there’s a mirror there. I shot into the mirror as we passed it.
I think the problem is that people don’t know that Future World is Future World anymore. Mission Space can be considered that, somewhat, but I thought everything is just supposed to be educational, sorry, edutainment? Soarin is not that, Nemo is not that, Imagination is not that. Living with the Land, Ellen’s Energy Adventure and Test Track V 1 was that.
Test Track V 2 just seemed lazy and didn’t impress me. Making things “hi-tech” or whatever they were trying to accomplish resulted in screens, black light and luminous tape being over used on every edge. Just because they exhibit futuristic cars doesn’t mean the experience is something you will do in the future, it’s still just a car testing facility. Also, from what I can recall, there is no explanation through the ride in regards to the test you are about to experience, no preface to the action, like the previous incarnation. I always feel that adding “interactive screens” to a queue is a cop out for when actual props or edutainment videos can’t be imagineered; the original queue explained the car designing/testing process, in a warehouse, where actual designing/testing/manufacturing would be occurring, thus it fit with the whole idea that you were going on a Test Track… now it just feels like you are in a video game.
Now, if it at the end of the ride your car became a hover car of some type instead of doing the fake wall crash test, which doesn’t even make sense anymore in context with the ride since they don’t explain or insinuate that is what you are doing, it could be considered something “futuristic”.
I was disappointed not to be able to ride Test Track during our summer honeymoon (was finished soon after we left). Can’t wait for the DLP trip report, we leave in under 2 weeks for a four day trip to celebrate our first wedding anniversary 🙂
It is interesting how divisive the new Test Track is. Put me in the camp that really enjoyed it. It was a little intense for my just-40″ daughter so we only did it once on our trip, although now that we’re back in Ohio she says she would do it again.
I’ve never thought about my Epcot worldview, but perhaps it is because I was raised mostly in the Epcot of the 80’s and 90’s. Although I have pretty vague memories of both Test Track 1 and Word of Motion.
I guess I’ll be tiresome and pile on. I think the new Tron Track is a dud. I guess much of it was that I never thought much of the film or it’s “aesthetic,” and po-mo everything-old-is-new-again really wears me out.
I also think the design elements are kind of a crock. Perhaps it’s because I’m an engineer by education, and know a little something about aerodynamics, control systems, mechanics, &c &c, but I’m really hard pressed to understand what all the pre-show hoo-haw accomplishes other than keep compulsive phone-frotters occupied. I’ve ridden it a few times and have yet to see where my design choices make any difference in the outcome. Also too, to try to say that vector-graphics look is representative of a simulator tells me that anyone who says that hasn’t seen simulators in the last, oh, 20 years.
I went in really wanting to like it. I also had none of the technical problems happen any of the times I rode.
Tom, thanks for taking the time in posting, I just love your trip reports however I too must disagree with you re: Test Track 2.0.
I visited Epcot many time in the 80’s and 90’s but still like the old version better and its for just a few reasons that have not been mentioned yet.
1. I miss the bumps in the road…I thought they were fun.
2. I miss the brake test that looked like you were going to run into the cones and barrells. The suspense is gone now that there is nothing to possibly run into.
3. I miss the hot and cold rooms. They were just “cool”.
Two of the three above things could easily be fixed by just adding some bumps and putting something at the end of the what was previously known as the “brake test”.
Does it look cooler, yes, is it more true to the original Epcot yes, but it just isnt as fun!
Ugh, I really disliked the “old” Test Track, so I’m really excited for the new one. Maybe it’s because TT 1.0 took SO LONG to build (remember all the Coming Soon signs for about 2 years?) and it just never lived up to the hype for me. I’m excited about the update and the new storyline. I always thought it was really boring. Thanks for a great report!
I too expected not to be impressed with test track re-vamp but absolutely loved it!! go epcot for heading down the right path. I will say this, I never experienced the new TT during the day (I was there for work unfortunately or fortunately? haha) but at night the outdoor portion doesn’t feel so out of place. In fact it’s pretty cool.
Wasn’t the storyteller in China great!? I was there that weekend and Test Track seemed to shut down whenever I got in line so I didn’t get to experience it, but after reading this I am super excited to give it another try next month (29 days!). Thanks for putting so much time into this site!
I’m another that disagrees about Test Track 2.0
I rode it 3 times on my most recent trip to WDW. The first time was using the single rider line. Both my mom and I left the ride thinking “what in the world was that?” The ride made no sense. You’re in a dark room just driving around for no reason until you go outside.
The next morning we did standby to get the full experience. We both really enjoyed designing our car, I think its the best part of the new Test Track. But after that you’re still in a dark room just driving around. There isn’t enough explanation about what they’re testing and why. Maybe it’s the engineer in me but when they say they’re testing responsiveness, they should tell you why they’re testing it and what they’re looking for. The “score cards” also weren’t working properly so I didn’t have any idea how our design did.
The 3rd ride was again using the single rider line. During this ride, the ride broke down. We sat there in the moutain climb part of the ride for 10 minutes. At least they let us ride again once the ride was fixed.
As corny as the orginal was, it at least had a better story around it. You could understand what the tests were for. I don’t think of the ride as “does it fit in EPCOT or not” I just look at my enjoyment of that single ride. My enjoyment has gone down drastically. I wouldn’t call it a fail for Imgineering, but it’s not a good improvement.
If you’re using the first Test Track as a baseline, the new version absolutely does less to explain what’s going on. However, I think the general idea of the attraction is still conveyed (design car, test car against baseline, view/analyze results) with some gaps left open for guests to fill in.
As far as knowing what you’re testing in specific areas of the attraction, I think that’s conveyed pretty well. There are icons on the walls, visual representations of the conditions, and by constant audio in the car. Sure, it’s not as “obvious” as the test areas in the first Test Track, but I don’t think it needs to be to convey what’s going on. Moreover, the digital motif of Test Track 2.0 more accurately conveys the future of vehicle testing, rather than the past, which was what original Test Track covered.
As for the attraction breaking down for you (and so much in general), there’s no excuse for that. They shouldn’t have rushed it to completion for the holiday season, and should now take it down to get the kinks worked out.
I don’t think the story of Test Track 2.0 is better or worse than the first incarnation…it’s just told differently. In any case, not every attraction tells a story.
To each his own, but I think attractions being a thematic fit for their land is an important aspect of the Walt Disney World experience. “Corny” doesn’t belong in Future World.
Well it’s finally happened. I’ve finally found something on your blog on which you and I do not see eye to eye – Test Track 2.0. While I totally respect and understand where you are coming from, I did not have the same experience as you with this attraction. Granted, I was a fan of the original attraction, and I enjoyed its kitschy pre-show and “edutainment” value. These were my main issues with Test Track 2.0 when I rode in December.
1. I missed the pre-show and somewhat cheesy back story – I know it wasn’t for everybody, but I liked it. I couldn’t wrap my head around the back story for 2.0.
2. I used the fast pass queue – which I have since discovered may have detracted from my overall experience.
3. In the boarding, neither my card, nor my friend’s card would read. I didn’t realize how important this would be, so I didn’t raise my hand or call the attention of a cast member.
Number 1 is my own problem and I can get over the nostalgia factor eventually with lots of youtube exposure to the old TT. My concern is with points 3 & 4 and a complete attraction experience that is heavily dependent on spotty technology and a slow standby queue.
I like to keep an open mind with Disney, and I will give TT 2.0 another try this summer. I will use the standby line at park opening, I will try to forget about John Michael Higgins, and I will pray to the World of Motion gods that the tech stuff will go smoothly. I am actually relieved to hear how much you enjoyed it – I left the attraction sad for Disney that, at least in my and my friend’s opinion, they had majorly failed with this upgrade. I’m glad that it appeals to some folks, and I’m looking forward to round two in June – maybe I’ll “get it” this time.
Thanks for the report and sorry for the long rant – I was obviously very affected by TT 2.0 not living up to my expectations! Ha.
1. The kitschy pre-show was fun in the original, but does that really belong in Future World? Test Track 2.0 doesn’t have a contrived back story, so it’s not that you failed to wrap your head around it.
2. I’ve heard that they since have made it possible to get the full experience in FastPass, but I can’t confirm. When we were there, FP only had partial design options.
3. Lots of reports of this happening. Didn’t happen to us, but the ride has had TONS of technical issues. I can see how that would knock down your opinion of it.
Re: the tech problems…this is why I will give it another go in June before putting it on the permanent do not ride list whose only other occupant is Stitch.
Re: the pre-show and its place in Future World…I struggle with this, but along that same line of thinking, wasn’t World of Motion kind of cheesy at times as well? I was pretty young the last time I rode it, but what I remember most is a guy with a banana peel on his head popping out of a manhole cover…I could be wrong and just not remembering the futuristic parts. Much of the rest of FW struggles to be forward thinking as well. As much as we all love Soarin’, it’s not very futuristic either, unless in the future we will travel through the National Parks using gliders – I guess we can only hope!
I’m excited for the Paris TR. I read LurkyLoo’s (aka Carrie, aka Disney Travel Babble) Tokyo Disney report without much interest going into it, and it’s one of my favorite TR’s I’ve ever read. It’s nice to experience something different. Thanks for sharing!
Carrie is a much more competent writer than me, so don’t get too excited!
As someone who grew up with the EPCOT Center of the 1990’s, and agrees with your Epcot religious views, you just made me very excited for the new Test Track. I really disliked the original, and while the World of Motion was tired and needed a replacement, Test Track never lived up to the futurism it replaced.
You didn’t mention the excellent Strawberry Shortcake in your report, but I’m glad it at least got a cameo, and I’ll assume you consumed it with much gusto, as it deserves. Great trip report!
I suspect you’ll side with me in liking the new Test Track based upon your background, but who knows.
As for the Strawberry Shortcake, I just forgot to mention it (I write and edit photos separately, so often things aren’t covered in the text that are in photos…keeps readers on their toes! ;)). Of course it was consumed with gusto and fearlessness!
I unfortunately have to disagree with your TT review. I’ve been going to Disney since the late 80s. I see your point regarding this new version having more a futuristic theme, but still prefer the old version 100%. Granted it may have not fit the perfect future world theme, the old version made much more sense to me. Responsiveness and the other aspects that are being tested now are just harder to understand and far less interesting to me than antilock brakes and the like. Just my opinion though. Still enjoyed your post tremendously! Thanks for giving us a little piece of magic when we can’t be at the World!
It’s interesting that there are two comments concerning difficulty of understanding the storyline. There isn’t one. Not every attraction at WDW has a linear story (Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean are perfect examples of attractions that don’t)…I guess I don’t really see how that’s a problem.
I’d rather have an excellent non-story based attraction that fits the theme and vision of the land rather than a poor fit that tells a story.
Thanks for the TT review, we missed the soft open by a few days this fall! One of our faves, and we’re looking forward to riding it next trip.
Great pictures! The updated Test Track looks great, they got that cool futuristic look without it looking cheesy. Poor Maelstrom looks even more tired when coupled with the beautiful Test Track pictures.
And only 3 days? I guess that’s the difference DVC makes, I’ll have to start working on the hubby on that front
Thanks! Yeah, Maelstrom is in serious need of a refurbishment. I’m really surprised it doesn’t have an extensive one on the horizon, as it is in the stage of actually NEEDING it, not just one being “nice” to have.