Test Track
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| Manufacturer | Dynamic Attractions | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manufactured | 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Designer / calculations | Walt Disney Imagineering
General Motors Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 29 cars seating six guests each | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hourly capacity | 1,200 riders per hour | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed | 65 mph | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Diameter | 150,000 feet | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track length | 5,246 feet | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Test Track is a slot car-type attraction located at Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA. The ride takes guests on a ride through car testing facilities and has an outdoor car section near the end. The attraction soft opened to guests in December 1998 and officially opened to the public on March 17, 1999.
History and Test Track 1.0
World of Motion was the attraction that was then housed inside of the attraction's round building. After the sponsorship of the pavilion expired, GM began to conduct lay-offs and cutbacks, forcing Disney to sign another agreement.
In order to keep the agreement, GM asked Disney to gut and replace the ride currently in the space. The ride, which was supposed to open in Spring 1997,[1] would turn out to be a construction and programming nightmare, having to have new wheels be placed on the track after they would constantly wear out, and the computer being only capable of handling six cars on the track instead of the intended 29. After both of those long and arduous problems were fixed, Test Track was ready to soft open to Passholders.
After a delay that halted the Spring 1997 opening date, Test Track finally soft opened in December 1998. The ride would take guests as they are crash testers, see how cars are manufactured and take a car to a test track to test speed, temperature conditions, the handling, suspension, and more, all leading to a finale outdoors where the ride would hit its 65-mph top speed, before re-entering the building inside a thermal chamber and back to the station.
The ride officially opened on March 17, 1999, nearly four months after the soft opening. From this point, very few changes were made except for minor adjustments and improvements. The ride would become the fastest ride ever installed at any Disney Property,[2] hitting 65 mph.
Test Track 2.0
On January 6, 2012, Disney announced that Test Track would undergo a big makeover, that would last until the fall of 2012. Part of this refurbishment included Chevrolet becoming the new sponsor of the pavilion, after 29 years of GM sponsoring the Transportation pavilion.
The new ride, which opened on December 6, 2012, saw guests entering the SimTrack on a virtual simulator to test their car designs in Capability, Efficiency, Resistance, Handling, and Speed. All references to GM Would be removed and the ride would now advertise Chevrolet cars and products. Test Track still operates today with this sponsor.
Test Track 3.0
On September 9, 2023, it was announced at that year's D23 that Test track would be closing on June 17 to undergo a new makeover.[3] Dubbed "Test Track 3.0", this new makeover is set to open by mid-late 2025.
The concept art shows new designs of the cars, and, more recently, new concept art has shown getting rid of the canopy that hung over the ride in favor of a newer one that reveals more of the corporate lounge windows.[4]
On June 18, 2025, it was announced that the re-opening date for Test Track would be on July 22, 2025.[5]
Images
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Test track's old entrance before the refurbishment
References
- ↑ "GM - Corporate Info - History - 1990". web.archive.org. 2005-03-05. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ↑ Staff, MagicGuides. "Epcot Secrets (Discover the Fascinating History, Hidden Facts & Insights)". Magic Guides. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ↑ Bricker, Tom (2023-09-11). "Disney World Announces Test Track 3.0 Reimagining: Best News of Destination D23?!". Disney Tourist Blog. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ↑ Mike (2024-04-05). "Test Track Closing June 17th for Reimagining at EPCOT, New Concept Art Released". BlogMickey.com - Disney World News, Photos, and Info. Retrieved 2024-09-07.
- ↑ Ace, Shannen (2025-06-16). "BREAKING: Test Track Reopening Date Announced - WDWNT". WDW News Today. Retrieved 2025-06-25.