Test Track 2012 Chevrolet Refurbishment
April 15, 2012 through December 5, 2012 Test Track in Disney World’s Epcot will go down for an extensive futuristic refurbishment that will substantially change the attraction into what the Disney Parks Blog calls the “Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot.” There, guests will become automotive designers prior to the start of the attraction by designing their own custom vehicles. Once done, they’ll have a chance to test out their design in the six-person “SimCar” on the track of the Test Track course. Disney has been releasing a trickle of updates about this overhaul of Test Track in the last few months, including the re-opening date of December 6, 2012.
Since Test Track is now closed, if you’re heading to Walt Disney World soon, here’s your Test Track fix:
After we originally posted this story, the Disney Parks Blog has since released some concept art for the updated Test Track attraction. It looks pretty exciting to us:
Attractions Magazine has also posted an interview with the lead Imagineer on the Test Track project:
Reaction
We give this refurbishment two big thumbs up. While Test Track already draws substantial crowds, and I am a firm believer in allocating finite resources where they’re most needed, with the Epcot sponsorship model, it’s not as if Disney can reasonably tell General Motors, “hey, you want to spend $30 million? Well, Test Track is cool and all, but have you seen Journey into Imagination…?” That’s just, unfortunately, not how things work. (Although with the rumors of Kodak’s demise, maybe a new sponsor will arrive to save the Imagination pavilion…or worse yet, maybe it’ll go sponsor-less and suffer the same fate as Wonders of Life!)
Moreover, while Sarah is a huge fan of Test Track, I am not. It’s moderately fun, but not when considering the frequently long wait times. It already seems pretty dated, I already drive ridiculously fast at home with the windows open, and there is so much empty space in the “dark” areas of the attraction that I feel should be utilized. In fact, I’ll go as so far as to say it’s a little disappointing to see these empty areas because they remind me of one of my childhood favorites, World of Motion.
All things must change, and I understand why more thrill rides were necessary for Epcot. So, while I miss World of Motion, I don’t begrudge Test Track for replacing it. I just wish it were a more immersive experience loaded with detail.
I am hopeful that this refurbishment will bring in that detail that I believe is missing, and will evolve Test Track into a hybrid of old Test Track, Sum of All Thrills, and a futuristic World of Motion. Based upon the newly released concept art you see above, there might be a dash of “Tron” thrown in for good measure!
At least, that’s my expectation. Whether that will happen is, again, anyone’s guess, but Disney has been pretty good about enhancing show scenes in extended refurbishments (or “reimaginings”) lately, so I fully expect that it will happen here. Even if new show scenes aren’t added, I think bringing Test Track up-to-date and giving it a more interactive feel will increase its re-rideability, and will make it more befitting of Future World.
That alone is a victory for Epcot and its vision!
Now, let’s start talking to Apple (or heck, even Walt Disney Imagineering itself—-think of how cool showcasing their creativity would be in ImageWorks?!) about sponsoring the Imagination pavilion…
What do you think about the Test Track re-imagining? Yay, nay, or meh? Let us know in the comments!
I am visiting WDW soon and was wondering if there is any chance Test Track will be open ahead of schedual. It’s hard to find current progress reports on any refurbishments that are going on.
I am definitely excited to see how the newer version of this attraction will be! November can’t come fast enough, lol.
I love test track and I will say yea for the new test track and I can’t wait to ride it for Dec 2012!
Yup. They got my $5,000 for next week…and now yanked a key ride listed on their promo video. Sucks. Our first and only Disney trip.
If it’s any consolation, Test Track really isn’t as impressive as the wait times might have you believe. There are many far superior attractions at Epcot.
It’s still crumby that Disney waited so long to put it on the calendar, but you should still have a great time!
Loved Test Track, but don’t feel so bad that you’re missing it on your vacation. Like Tom says, Epcot has a lot more stuff to do and Soarin’ is a much better ride. And for high speed thrills, the best ride in WDW is Rock N’ Roller Coaster!
I’m personally bummed that they are calling for an 11/30 reopening. I had heard early October and pushed back my Food and Wine Festival trip into early November and it looks like I lose out here. Oh well, I’ll get on the new Test Track next year!
Rode last night…..8pmish. We were told we were in the last group until the end of the year.
I love Test Track and will be sad to not have it this summer while in Epcot. However it probably does need an overhaul as I have managed to be on it two times when it has broken down. One time they could not restart it-and a Cast Member had to go to each car and walk us all out. It was actually kind of exciting!
That’s an awesome story!
Why does Disney not report any of this. It isn’t listed in their ride closures
Because they are not considerate of people, or their reputation! I know that rides need to be updated but they should have the consideration to give sufficient time for planning purposes.
I spoke with Disney AGAIN yesterday. Customer service said they are going to close in April, but they have NO idea when. I told him that people should have a chance to plan for this… and his response is that the rides are always subject to close. I asked him how he would feel if he went to a movie, paid for it, then was told… oops.. the movie’s closed… too bad. He couldn’t understand my frustration. I only like 4 rides. Test Track, Soaring, Big Thunder Mountain, and Splash Mountain. Two of these might be down and the other two will be impossible to get on because of that. But, that’s not their problem! They really don’t get how rude this is.
Absolutely. It’s a bit absurd that this is STILL not on the calendar. Some sites are reporting that it has been delayed or canceled, an inference they’re drawing from the lack of dates on the calendar. I haven’t heard anything to believe that it’s been delayed or canceled, but I hope I’m wrong!
When I spoke with the customer service rep. he said that it’s going to be refurbished in April, but he has no idea what dates. This is different from what they were saying two weeks ago.
Someone posted on another site that twitter is saying it’s going to go down on April 16th.
Interesting. I haven’t heard anything credible to suggest that the dates I have are incorrect, but a +/- deviation of a few days either way wouldn’t surprise me.
It was posted on the enclyclopedia disney that it is closing on the 16th for sure. I’m still hoping it’s wrong.
It is either closing on the 16th or 17th. The specific date has not been confirmed, but there should not be any substantial delay.
Just checked the official WDW website, in calendar, it is saying TT Refurb 1 June – 31 July, is this likely to be definate or a typo, don’t seem very long to refurb!!!
The dates on the Disney website are now correct.
Dates on the Disney World website now say the closing will be from April 16-Nov 30. Talk about a MAJOR refurbishment. Pardon our dust while we create more magic for you! Dang, going tomorrow and just found out today (trademark local move). It’s going to be SO CROWDED in the other queues. Plus we’re going for the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary party, that’ll have long queues too. Bummer.
I love your idea of Apple becoming a part of Disney and helping to bring Imagination back to life. Wonder how we can get this process started??
Where did you get this date? I have seen some all over April…
They have posted many different dates starting with the news last October. Many said it would start in January… then it was sometime in April… followed by after Easter in April… then the last was April 15th. I don’t think anyone is posting facts. I’ve recently read that they have pushed it back until May! I keep contacting Disney and they keep saying the have no idea and to check the “calendar”. I guess I’ll know when I get there!
as long as they keep moving it back and not forward. Should be able to make it on the 14th
To my knowledge, the date has not moved. Disney has just, for whatever reason, not added it to the calendar.
http://wdwnewstoday.com/attraction-updates
“Closed 4/12-9/12”
I realize that no one knows for sure, but these dates have to come from somewhere
Yet they still do not have this posted on their calendar! I’ve contacted them again. I wish they could just come out and admit to what is going on. Many other sites say they are having difficulty with Big Thunder Railroad and will push back this refurbishment for a while. I just would like to know!
I think at this point people are just upset that they are not listing this as being refurbishments. I agree there is no good time for a refurbishment. I’ve contacted Disney several times and they have no information. I would think SOMEONE would know. It’s not fair to bring a major attraction down without notice!!! I’m still waiting to find out when it will be down for sure.
I agree with this completely. I’m shocked that this isn’t on the refurbishment calendar yet. That’s really disappointing.
I think the whole refurbishment announcement process is substantially flawed. I just found out last week that during our upcoming trip to DL in September (our very first trip) the Indiana Jones Adventure will be closed for refrub…for three months! Really?! THREE months? The other attraction closure/refurb schedule was posted six weeks prior (Disney policy) to our trip but they snuck this one in at the last minute (I noticed it today) without making any sort of announcement.
If I would have known this was going to be closed I would have strongly considered rescheduling our trip. I know refurbs are necessary, and frankly I am glad Disney completes them so often, but give a guest a warning will ya?!
Super bummed we will not get to experience this attraction. It was the one we were most excited about. 🙁
What are the odds Disney will have “soft” openings prior to the Official re-opening? We’ll be down the week of Sept 8-16th. We will surely miss TT
Not sure at this point. It hasn’t even closed yet, so it’s difficult to have an idea of whether the refurbishment is ahead of or behind schedule. For all that’s being done, the refurb window is pretty small, so I wouldn’t hold my breath on soft openings too far in advance of the re-opening (if at all).
To think that this is going to be my first trip to Disneyworld and we get there April 16th. Push it back for me 😉
When exactly will Disney actually tell customers that it’s going to be down? I’ve contacted Disney to ask, but they say to check the calendar. I have my vacation April 16th through the 21 and feel that with both Big Thunder Mountain and Test Track down, the trip will not be worth it. Anyone know for sure?????
I have a trip scheduled in May and I just checked the schedule this morning and all the refurbishment updates from beginning of March through May are on there HOWEVER the Test Track refurbishment is not listed… Actually, there are no refurbishments scheduled for Epcot. So I am curious about the validity of this as well…
Disney STILL does not have this posted on their website under refurbs…we will be there 4/28, and will be very disappointed if it is closed…seeing as it was never formerly confirmed…BOO! Too many great things closed at once!
TT is one of my favorite rides& I’m excited that’s its going to get even better! However, I was just starting to plan a trip for the end of May and now with this opening in September as well as the new Fantasyland opening I’m not sure if I should put off my trip… decisions decisions. Also, was this really the best time of year for the refub? It will be down all summer, seems like bad timing.
For this long of a refurbishment, there really is no better time for it to have been scheduled. Thanksgiving, Christmas/NYE, and Easter weeks all would have been worse. The only way to avoid those weeks means doing it over the summer.
If it were me, and I were planning one trip for next year, it’d be in the fall. I would probably hold off a bit longer to see when Mermaid and Be Our Guest restaurant might be opening. My guess is that they’ll be ready by Thanksgiving, but maybe not before then.
I love Test Track, so I’m excited about anything that is being done to spruce it up! I do wish I had somehow telepathically known about this sooner – I bypassed Test Track in December thinking to myself, “oh, no big deal, I’ll just ride it when I come back for Memorial Day.” WRONG! Oh well, lesson learned = don’t put off attractions today that may be under refurbishment later.
I will be in the Magic Kingdom for 1 day in March – maybe I will make a special trip over to Epcot to see TT one more time before it goes under the knife…
Thanks for your thoughts, Tom!
This was the first place I came after hearing the news! And I totally agree with you. I’m excited to see how Chevrolet breathes new life into the ride, but I’m sad that I won’t be able to ride it one last time before it closes. And it will still be closed when I go in August! But never mind, I’m just happy to see Disney give some love to one of my favourite Epcot attractions =)