Well, that was interesting.. not terribly informative, but interesting. Here’s the full transcript of the LiveChat (moreso an artful dodge-and-weave on the part of Imagineering) about the upcoming Test Track renovation that is said to reopen this fall at Epcot. Oh, and we also got this one piece of new concept art of the new marquee – enjoy!
Hello everyone! The live chat will begin shortly.
Thanks Dr, is there sound or just text?
Hi Scott, this is a text based live chat.
Hi everyone. Welcome to our latest Disney Parks Blog live chat. Today we’re getting to know Imagineer Melissa Jeselnick, who is one of the lead Imagineers on the reshaping of Test Track here at Epcot.
First a few housekeeping items. We’re looking forward to all your questions, but please realize we won’t have time to get to all of them in today’s chat. As you submit questions, they will be put into a queue and will not appear at first in the live chat window. As Melissa sends her answers we will post the original question in the live chat. And please keep your questions family-friendly.
Welcome, Melissa! We have a lot of enthusiastic Test Track fans out there who are eager to learn more about the reimagined attraction. Thanks for being here to answer some of their questions today.
Hi. I’m excited to represent my team and answer some questions here today!
The first few questions come from our readers on the blog.
Michael asks:
1) Will the giant overhang in front of the pavilion be removed? (Hoping the answer is yes)
2) Will there be any changes to the internal ride track layout?
3) Will there be any new music/theme song for the attraction?
4) Will there be any scenes with sets/Audio Animatronics, or just the “warehouse” look of Test Track?
5) Will any elements of World of Motion be incorporated?
For the exterior, we actually have a new piece of artwork that we want to release, which is the new marquee for the attraction.
From the blog, Bryce asks: “What kind of changes can we expect in the queue area?”
The queue, the whole attraction is completely reimagined. The queue will look like nothing our guests are used to seeing it look. We’ll use the space to introduce guests to Chevrolet’s Automotive Design process – how it starts with a line and ends with the cars you can buy on the showroom floor. We’ll have actual items, sketches, cars, models from GM that have never been seen before by anyone outside the Chevrolet family. It’s basically changing from testing to design.
Kyra asks: “How are the vehicles customized? To better explain my question, say the ‘Killian’ party customizes their ride. If the ‘Connelly’ party comes later and uses the same ride vehicle, but customize it differently, how does that work? Or am I misunderstanding this?”
Let’s talk about the Design Studios. In the studio, you have a chance to design your own custom concept vehicle. That design follows you into the ride, which is still the same physical ride that our guests know and love. You’ll ride in our sim car. As you move through the space, your custom design will be scored in areas such as Capability, Efficiency, Responsiveness and Speed.
Melissa, I am very excited about an update to Test Trak. The concepts seem a little Tron like. Was Tron an influence? – Pixie Vac Steve
I think the new attraction and the artwork represent the digital age, and when people think about what the inside of a computer looks like, that’s what you think of.
Let’s talk about graphics. We’ve released this image before, but can you talk us through what we’re seeing?
That’s just before our final virtual scene. By that point of the ride, you’ve experienced Capability, Efficiency, Responsiveness, and Power and we’re setting you up for Speed.
Brande on the blog asks: “Will we still experience the 65 MPH loop?”
Yes, it’s still the same track layout that we know and love.
Will there be a single rider line in the new version?
Yes!
Jonathan from the blog asks: “First off, is the ride being re-branded as strictly Chevrolet? Second, can we get an explanation about how the vehicle customization is going to work? And the last one is just me being a dork…can you divulge what vehicle(s) built by GM gave inspiration for the new vehicles and the old ones?”
Yes. The new attraction will be sponsored by Chevrolet. It’s been great working with the dedicated Chevrolet team members and as Imagineers, we’ve learned a lot. They’re really integrated members of our creative team. It’s not Disney’s creative take on Chevrolet; it’s a real partnership.
How will the new “Customize your car” feature going to work? Wont there be multiple parties in one car at a time?
It’s an interactive design kiosk, so in the full experience you can start from a line, then shape your vehicle and add attributes – pick the colors, the tires, and make it truly your dream vehicle.
Everybody in the vehicle will have their ride design, whether they designed individually or as a group. As you move through the four groups, you’ll see how the design stacked up against the sim car design.
How many different customization combinations are possible?
The possibilities are endless.
Craig asks: “To Mellisa: What is something new and exciting we should be looking forward to in the reimagined Test Track?”
I think the coolest thing is how we integrate the pre-show with the experience, and then in the post-show, your ride vehicle travels through the entire experience with it. And you can keep interacting with your ride vehicle after.
When is the anticipated opening date for the new test track?
It will be done in late fall.
From the blog, Joseph asks: “What kind of experiences should we expect for the new post-show that will replace the automotive plant/vehicle showcase?”
The post-show will kick off with a scoring opportunity, not just with the guests in your car, but guests throughout the day. From there, we’ll move into other opportunities to play with your design with multiple interactive elements. The show room space will still be there with the Chevrolet cars, and we’ll have our own photo ops with different concept cars.
How long have you been working on the project?
I’ve been on the project since last spring (2011), right after Star Tours opened. We’ve got a huge team with folks from both WDI California and Florida, along with our Chevrolet partners. We’re tapping in to pretty much every single one of our 140 disciplines in Imagineering on this project.
Are you recording all new music for the attraction? Any details?
It will be futuristic. We’ll have a whole new soundtrack that will not only compliment the attraction with music, but special sound effects too.
Are there going to be any new show scenes ?
Let’s talk about the four show scenes in more detail. Capability is where your car is tested for rough road and weather conditions. Efficiency tests your car design’s environmental footprint. The Responsiveness phase tests maneuverability, and finally, Speed is tested.
Welcome Melissa. What prompted the “re-imagining”?
The whole automotive design process has evolved since Test Track opened and things have moved into the digital realm, and the same has been true for WDI’s design process. It updates the automotive story to reflect what is happening today.
To what extent will the scenes and visuals of the new Test Track be “virtual” versus props, set pieces, etc.? How much time will riders spend looking at screens instead of real-world items?
We talk a lot about being in the digital space, but it’s still a physical experience. We’re using a lot of new technology to tell the story, but it is still a dynamic physical experience.
Jonathan from the blog asks: “Can you divulge what vehicle(s) built by GM gave inspiration for the new vehicles and the old ones?”
It wasn’t a single vehicle, but more like the process. Our custom design studio reflects the entire Chevrolet design vocabulary, not just specific models.
Will fastpass still be avaliable when the attraction opens back up?
Yes, we’ll have FastPass, too!
The full experience allows you to do a lot of customization with your vehicle; the FastPass and Single Rider lines allow for an expedited queue experience and select you a custom vehicle of your choosing to take with you on your ride all the way through the post show.
What are you personally most excited about with this new redesign?
My favorite part is the first day guests get to experience what we’ve been working on for months and months. It’s always a great day. The team will be around!
Can you tell us more about the technology used in the attraction?
Our team is so excited to bring new interactive technologies to the guest to enhance Future World and put the guest at the center of the experience. All of the software is custom for this attraction.
From the blog, Alex asks: “Will this overhaul make the updated Test Track feel more like a dark ride compared to before?”
The experience will be dark, but more importantly, I think we’re pushing the envelope as far as the use of new technology, so it’s not really a traditional “dark ride.”
How specifically has your team been working with Chevrolet?
It’s back and forth. We send people to Detroit, they send folks here. The attraction reflects the Chevrolet aesthetic and Disney storytelling.
We have time for just one more question.
What is it that you hope guests will take from this newer experience?
I think the world of digital design is exciting to our Imagineers as designers and storytellers, so I hope our guests come away with some insight into what that process entails, and maybe it will excite some future generations of Imagineers to join us.
Thanks again for taking part in our live-chat today. As a reminder you can revisit this chat at any time and click ‘Replay’ to review all the questions and answers.
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