We know, we haven’t said much about the new Test Track aside from a few tweets. We’re working on a fairly in-depth report comparing the old, the new, and even Radiator Springs Racers as a comparison point. We’re at Disneyland this weekend to accomplish that goal.No worries, you’ll get our full report soon. Until then, here’s the GM and WDI people talking about the design of the new attraction:
Tag Archives: Test Track
First Three Photos from Inside Epcot’s Revamped Test Track
A quick update.. scouring the social media world, it turns out construction workers are willing to post photos from inside the construction site of Test Track. First up, a look down from the top of the old “Hill Climb” scene toward the now-removed “Belgian Blocks” and the rethemed “ABS Brake Testing” area. The cones over the slot in the track are just there for safety while the ride is being worked on. At the bottom of the hill where the ground levels you can see screens flanking the track – this is likely where the “magic mirror” effect where the car looks to meet design specifications will occur.
Elsewhere in the building, you can see some sort “concept car” that will be on display as well as the general look of the pre/post-show areas in progress. As you can see it has been vastly redesigned from the hyper-industrial warehouse feel of the original Test Track attraction. As always, if you want to know more about the history of Epcot’s Transportation Pavilion from World of Motion to Test Track 1.0 and 2.0 you can read it in our book The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia (make a great holiday gift!)
Track Talk for Test Track Schedules and More
As much as we try to ignore the current going-ons at the Walt Disney World Resort lately (Captain Jack’s interactive game in Adventureland, Captain Jack’s pretend-to-be-a-pirate thing at Hollywood Studios, Captain Jack’s new segment in the new castle projection show, other bloggers stumbling drunkenly out of Be Our Guest like Captain Jack Sparrow) it’s time to revitalize an old Epcot tradition: Track Talk.
Track Talk was a bulletin, for lack of a better term, posted daily/weekly for Cast Members at the Test Track attraction with relevant news and information to the operation of Test Track. While our version here wont be filled with notes that GM will be washing cars out back so everyone try not to slip on the sudsy bubbles and claim temporary disability pay again this year… it will have a few notes on scheduling.
Did we ever mention that because of how stressful it was working at Test Track prior to the opening of Soarin (angry guest.. very very angry guests if it broke down – “It’s the only ride in the park!!”) the CM’s would sometimes subject themselves to “minor” injuries while working to get placed on “light duty” status away from the attraction? Not unlike a certain footman on Downton Abbey trying to get away from the war?
But, yes, schedules: Starting November 17th the cast members trained on Test Track will resume 6:30am starting shifts. That start time is essentially in preparing the attraction for a 9am daily opening. We’re not saying that they’ll open the ride that day (plus Disney prefers Sundays for these sorts of things) but that the CM’s will be back in place to do so.
On a related note, the handover from Imagineering to Operations is supposed to occur on November 21st. In theory the ride should be functional and cleared to allow guest access at that point. How much will actually be finished? I dunno. It’s not unheard of for Imagineering to continue to work on an attraction despite it being handed off for daily operation. There have been rumors that the post-show area in particular wouldn’t be done on time but more recently it hasn’t been mentioned so the area may have caught up.
We have been hearing that the ride is running as reliably as it ever did, so guests will likely not face massive downtimes once it reopens. Upgrades and changes made to the attraction during previous refurbishment helped the reliability significantly from the early-days nightmare scenarios where it was closed for 3/4 of the operational day.
The one area CM’s haven’t been trained on yet is apparently the preshow and guest car design portion. What’s that all about? The Disney Parks Blog explained yesterday…
Upon entering the attraction, you’ll be invited into the Chevrolet Design Center where you can design your own virtual custom concept vehicle at design kiosks. Here, you’ll be asked to make a few selections that really allow you to create a unique vehicle design that’s personalized to your taste.
First, you’re asked to draw an outline of your vehicle. If you don’t have the steadiest hand, don’t worry because you’ll have a chance to smooth out the shape before moving on. Next, you’ll be asked to make some choices that adjust the shape, length and width of your vehicle.
Then you’ll select your type of engine, choosing among several fun choices, including Solar Drive, EV Hybrid, and Plasma Burner, among others.
Next up, you’ll make choices on your design’s aesthetics. Here you choose the face of your car, the paint color and graphics, and even choose the wheel size and style.
And you’re design is complete and ready to be put to the test. From here, you’ll board a SimCar to see how your design compares, as they’re put to the test in the categories of Capability, Efficiency, Responsiveness and Power at different points along the attraction’s track.
Of note, that last graphic shows the interior layout of the ride track – unchanged from the previous version if you still had any lingering doubts. It also appears to be denoting either locations of ride vehicles or checkpoints for ride vehicles. Here’s a slightly better look at it:
Notice how it has little groups of six vehicles at the various points on the track. We’ll guess that’s actually representing the riders in the vehicles and their designed vehicles that are filling up each physical ride car. How that plays into the final ride is unknown, but it seems the attraction is willing to have six entirely different simulated designs packed into each physical vehicle. Maybe it’s meant to imply that the vehicles are tested in groups..? Maybe it’s denoting that groups traveling together and different cars will be called out and showcase at each checkpoint? It has been long assumed the “magic mirror” effect from DCA’s Radiator Springs Racers would be employed in the new Test Track – show an overlay of a guest vehicle design on top of the reflecting of the passenger vehicle. Perhaps each checkpoint will feature a different rider’s car?
Which does beg the question of the first two points on the up and down ramp.. what scenes will those be? The defined show scenes we know of, starting with Capability, doesn’t begin officially until the bottom of the ramp. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. Thankfully from the early concept art we know it wont just be a black void as the up-ramp was depicted as having a high-tech look.
But back to guest vehicle design, it appears the Preshow rooms form Test Track 1.0 are staying, if not heavily modified.Per the concept art update from last week:
These rooms look to hold about 30 guests each and as seen in the screen-grabs up above the guests will have around 8 minutes to design their vehicle. If you are wondering how these chambers appear to have no windows or doors from which to exit the area the Chevy icon at the rear is the key. The walls of the drawing are flared out in a typical rendering trick to show the details on them (in real life it’d be almost impossible to see both parallel walls in one shot) and it obscures the fact that the small wall with the Chevy icon is actually a baffle in front of another wall that continues the room and had the exit door. The yellow-orange glow coming from behind it is where guests would exit the area on either side and then join the final queue to load the ride vehicles.
All this said, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the attraction. The general configuration of the queue is still in question though the rendering suggest it’ll have more interior space for switchbacks than before with far fewer large open display areas. One area we can make out from the rendering released last week is the spot just under the windows at the front of the building. Notice the windows on the upper left of the rendering:
And those of us who spent a few too many hours staring at this artwork also finally realized that the photo below is another angle of the same area:
And that seems to be as much as we have managed to gleam about the project from the artwork recently. All the remaining question marks should be cleared up when the attraction opens and photos begin flooding the internet in the next few weeks. Until then, we’ll post any information we come across about soft openings and previews and if you want to amuse yourself by reading the history of the original Test Track or its precursor the World of Motion feel free to check out our book The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia.
Test Track Press Release with New Concept Art and Models
Chevrolet designers and Walt Disney Imagineers have joined forces to give Walt Disney World Resort guests a deep look inside a professional design studio creating a first-of-its-kind multi-sensory virtual experience in automotive design.
Chevrolet and Disney tapped their best design talent with expertise ranging from industrial and automotive design to architecture and animation. The design collaboration began 18 months ago with a few guiding principles – create an experience that is personal, future-focused and optimistic.
The two teams met regularly throughout the development process in both GM’s Design studios in Warren, Mich., and at Test Track in Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The collaboration allowed for the greatest level of innovation yet ensured the values of both brands were accurately represented in the new attraction, while allowing both teams to learn from each other’s expertise.
“At Chevrolet, the diversity of talent on our team allows us to consistently produce sophisticated, refined and detailed design – but we don’t typically design through the eyes of a 12-year-old,” said Jeff Mylenek, GM Design manager, Global Exhibit and Merchandising Design. “Working with Walt Disney Imagineering, we were inspired to see our brand story from a more youthful perspective and really opened the parameters on how to approach this design challenge.”
The result is a unique experience that gives an authentic, inside-the-studio look at the actual automotive design process, while empowering guests themselves to create their own designs, possibly inspiring the next generation of automotive designers.
“The re-imagined Test Track portrays an optimistic view of the future, and reflects the deep collaboration between Disney and Chevrolet on both the design and the overall experience,” said Eric Jacobson, senior vice president, Walt Disney Imagineering. “It’s a thrilling attraction supported by rich exhibit displays and interactive elements that bring guests directly into the design process – with a few surprises thrown in.”
The teams used multiple mediums throughout the re-imagined attraction for storytelling, including:
- Visual cues inspired by Chevrolet’s expressive vehicle design language throughout the architectural elements in the space as well as in the interactive displays; speed forms and concept vehicle displays, like EN-V and Miray, provide a glimpse into the future of Chevrolet design.
- Advanced computer technology – similar to that used by Chevrolet designers every day – powers the guest design experience, while radio frequency technology allows them to take their unique vehicle design with them through the entire ride.
- A thrill-ride that provides the test experience where each guest’s vehicle design is evaluated.
- Social media sharing extends the experience beyond the day at the park.
- Test Track Presented by Chevrolet offers Disney guests a three-part experience:
- First, guests will have the opportunity to design their own vehicle – car, truck or crossover – with some helpful hints from the Chevrolet designers built into the process. “Designing a successful vehicle requires some careful thought about how to balance capability, efficiency, responsiveness and power – some of the key elements that Chevrolet designers must consider with every new vehicle they imagine,” said Mylenek.
- Next, they will have the chance to test drive their vehicle design, through the ride, on track surfaces that simulate the actual vehicle validation process that Chevrolet engineers use to ensure every new vehicle meets the highest performance standards. Each guest’s vehicle design will be evaluated and scored based on how well their design balanced the core attributes.
- Finally, guests have the opportunity to race their vehicle over changing terrain and extreme conditions on a digital driving table, produce and share a TV commercial starring their custom vehicle and pose for action shots in front of their design.
The re-imagined Test Track Presented by Chevrolet will open on Dec. 6, 2012. For more information, please visit: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/test-track/
Concept art and models:
New Look for Test Track Unveiled (Fullsize Artwork)
Today the DisneyParks blog unveiled the concept art for what will be the final look of the revised Test Track attraction at Epcot. The blog has indicated that the new look will installed this week and visible to park guests soon. Also, note the nod to World of Motion on the canopy covering. Further details indicate the Fastpass area is remaining much the same as it was, but the entrance has been reshaped to the semicircular shape we’ve seen progressing form the last several weeks in construction updates. As always, click to enlarge the artwork and examine the changes yourself, and if you’re interested in history of the World of Motion and Test Track pavilion there’s always The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia.
Latest Photos of Test Track Construction at Epcot
Another day, another quick jaunt to Epcot to check out the work on Test Track 2.0 which will open in December.
As you can see in the above photo, the base around the new marquee has been installed and a survey crew is determining the final specifics to install the signage. A bit further back, the curved extension of the main building which will function as the new entrance is beginning to be skinned. A few more shots from around the area can be found in the gallery below – though there were reports that the installation of the canopy covering artwork had begun – it’s still just a few pieces of tarp attached for apparent visual testing purposes rather than an actual installation of the final look.
Nearby, the snark kiosk out-front of Mission: SPACE has come out from behind refurbishment. It has been re-angled and recessed more into the original Future World East planters suggesting Disney finally decided it was a permanent structure. Also there’s a chance they thought it was blocking the flow of guests to Mission: SPACE. We regret to inform Disney that a snack kiosk sticking out into the walkway is NOT what is keeping guests away from Mission: SPACE.
Test Track Construction Photos and Destiny of the Canopy
So we managed to get some photos of the latest progress on Test Track’s front entrance. As you can see, the concrete walkway is being put down and the curved walls leading to the new curved entry doors are nearing completion.You’ll also notice blue bands of tarp hung from the structure – why for you ask?
Because they plan to do this… Well, at least we wont be wondering what will become of the canopy anymore.
Test Track Grand Opening Set for December 6th
Disney has formally announced that the reimagined Test Track attraction at Epcot will have a grand reopening on December 6th.This reopening date allows Disney to group Test Track into the press hoopla for New Fantasyland which also grand opens that day. Internal estimates and cast member schedules still point to an “functional ride” date around November 21st to begin soft openings and any scheduled annual passholders or cast member previews.
Remember, that while New Fantasyland doesn’t open until December 6th as well “formally” – first riders will be on the Little Mermaid ride as soon as October 22nd (Cast Member previews.) If you’re interested in learning more about how the parks evolve over time and how attractions are replaced, reopened, etc.. be sure to check out our book on Epcot’s history: The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia.
Test Track to Add Scenic Photos Ops
Just a quick note before we run out the door to a busy weekend of Food and Wine, Epcot’s 30th, and more (follow along live on Twitter)… but Imagineering has filed a permit to installed “TEST TRACK SET PHOTO OPS” fabricated by Adirondack Scenic. Those are the same people who made the sets for rides like The Little Mermaid and the newly revamped Dumbo interior queue play area.
What exactly will this entail? We’re not really sure, but we’re betting you get to sit in a “SimCar” as Disney has been touting lately and then through the miracle of Photoshop have your design superimposed onto the vehicle and amid your choice of background and setting. We’re guessing it’s like a character meet and greet background, but with ride vehicles.. the glamor shots of on-ride photos if you will.We could be wrong, but we’re usually not. Typically assuming the most absurd conclusion leads to the exactly the way Disney’s “top minds” think.
Related note – here’s Disney’s new SimCar as seen at the “inexplicably not torn down or redesigned despite not matching the new attraction’s aesthetic” Cool Wash:
Exclusive Look Backstage at Vehicle Renovations for Test Track 2.0 at Epcot
We just wanted to share a quick glimpse of the work that’s going on behind the scene to create the next dazzling new attraction at Epcot. This exclusive look backstage offers a glimpse of the vehicle renovations for the forthcoming Test Track 2.0 attraction. Though it’s not an interior of the ride building itself – and thus none of those glowing neon-laden sets we’ve heard so much about are visible – you can begin to see the restyling of the vehicles.
This will be the second version of Test Track with numerous updated features and essentially entirely new show scenes, but the bulk of the vehicle chassis is being reused – though somewhat restyled. It is in the third attraction to be housed within the iconic silver cylinder of the World of Motion pavilion – first the namesake World of Motion which debuted with park in 1982 and of course the original Test Track incarnation that opened in 1999. If you’re curious about the park’s history, you can always pick up a copy of our book The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia for more details. Keep an eye on the Epcyclopedia.com blog as we hope to have more details to share with about this attraction in the not so distant future.
