The opening of Test Track is a moment that I will never forget.  Test Track was to be the latest and fastest thrill-ride on Disney property (the latter which still holds true today) and I was going to be on a field trip to Walt Disney World during the time when soft openings might occur.  At the start of our Epcot field trip day, I quickly checked to see if Test Track was open only to be told that it would not open on that day.  But on that fateful night towards the end of our Epcot experience, I grabbed a couple friends and walked towards the end of Innoventions East and just then I could make out the bright lights of Test Track and it seemed to be open!  I will never be mistaken for a runner but in that moment carrying all the jovial excitement of a young Disney fan I could have beat anyone to the entrance as the roar of the Test Track vehicles blazing by confirmed my hopes that Test Track was indeed open.  It was a ride experience to remember on a night that I haven’t and never will forget.  So on Monday as Test Track lied dormant, with only the intermittent sounds of work crews gutting the queue, it was a time to reflect on the attraction, the joy it has provided most of us (despite some of its flaws) and to get excited about a refurbishment that aims to rebrand and repackage the experience while delivering the classic thrills that have delighted guests since the attraction opened its doors.

Test Track’s New Design

Test Track will be closed for refurbishment through November 30, 2012 but when it re-opens it will feature a new aesthetic and storyline.  General Motors (GM) will stay on as the sponsor of the attraction but when Test Track opens its doors again it will not be a showcase for all GM product lines.  Instead GM has chosen Chevy as an iconic brand to headline this attraction from beginning to end.  The storyline changes dramatically and will produce what by all appearances will be a much more interactive queue and ride experience.  As you enter the new “Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot” your creative mind will flow as you are tasked with designing your very own “SimCar” in one of the design and styling workstations.  Garnering inspiration for your car’s design shouldn’t be too difficult as you will be surrounded by Chevrolet concept cars and model vehicles.  A new modern and sleek design will grace the queue and present a peek into the future of personal transportation in place of the safety/test-dummy feel of the current queue.  But of course building your very own SimCar is no fun unless you get to drive it.

In the re-imagined Test Track, you will be able to put your SimCar through its paces and even get  your concept vehicle scored in the post-show area.  And of course there will be a redesigned showroom displaying the latest Chevrolet vehicles on the market.  There are many details we still do not know about the new version of Test Track but we can expect that Disney will release far more information as the opening of the attraction nears.

Test Track All Stars

Nothing can truly soothe the temporary closing of an E-Ticket attraction no matter how necessary it is but Disney is trying to provide some entertainment in its place.  The Test Track All Stars, an a capella musical group, will perform daily and bring a lively bit of singing, thick Chevrolet branding and perhaps some enjoyment out in front of the Test Track construction walls.  Dressed in lab coats and in the guise of Chevrolet engineers the performers sing tunes and even ask for young guests to help them share in the musical display.  The show in its current format is not much to write home about but the modest entertainment offering is certainly better than a good ol’ plain construction wall.