Test Track has been a family favorite ride for years. My boys are “car guys” so even though they are very anti-General Motors and anti-Chevrolet they overlooked that fact and always rode Test Track multiple times on every visit to Epcot. We usually rode the single rider line because it is fun to ride with newbies. We remember how nervous we were on our very first Test Track experience and we enjoy supporting others through their maiden voyage. The original Test Track, which ran from March 17, 1999 through April 2012 was based on the concept that you were at a GM test facility putting new vehicles through their paces. There were rough road tests, extreme weather tests, ABS brake tests, a barrier test and then the high speed test which takes guests outside the ride facility and up to 64.9mph. The attraction was both educational and exciting and at the end of the ride there were various GM exhibits and current vehicle models for guests to check out.
On January 6, 2012 Disney announced that Test Track would be renovated and would re-open before the busy holiday season of 2012. The renovation would include a new skin on the current ride vehicles, now called “SimCars”, a much updated queue where guests can try their hand at designing a vehicle and then later virtually testing their vehicle’s ratings in efficiency, power, capability and responsiveness.
All of your car design data is stored on an RFID card which you carry with you through the line. When you arrive at the boarding area you tap your card on an RFID reader before entering your SimCar. Now the vehicle you designed is attached to your ride vehicle and at times during the ride, you will see whose vehicle creation fared best in certain categories.
As huge Test Track fans we were excited and very much looking forward to the upgraded Test Track 2.0. The new Test Track opened on December 6, 2012 and Jordan and I were there December 8, 2012 to ride. That day we waited almost 2 hours in line because the ride kept breaking down. When we got in line it was all the way back in the breezeway between the Electric Umbrella and Mouse Gears and there was a cast member telling us the ride had yet to come online for the day (the park had been open for about 30 minutes) and he didn’t know if or when it would. Since riding this particular ride was one of the 2 reasons we were there this particular day, we got in line and waited. Eventually we entered the clean, new queue and our adventure began. The design phase is fun and entertaining, a nice upgrade. Unfortunately for us, the ride was a bust. The same ride track as always but instead of all the cool test facilities everything looks like you are in a game of Tron. There is tons of cool neon and every so often there is a screen that ranks how your vehicles are faring in the different tests. Jordan and I got off the ride very disappointed. In January Ron and I rode the ride in the single rider line which has a much shorter wait, but you also only get to do a small portion of the car design. Ron was also underwhelmed with the new ride. Two weeks ago all of us except for Aaron and Summer waited in the long line to experience the full queue and ride the ride. Finally yesterday, Aaron and Summer waited 80 minutes in line and this is our text conversation about the ride.
I am sad to say that in our opinion…Test Track 2.0 is a huge disappointment. The queue is fun but not worth waiting 60 minutes plus for. Since Summer refuses to ride single rider, due to some social anxiety issues, we won’t be riding Test Track 2.0 very often in the future.
Is Test Track a family favorite of yours? Have you ridden Test Track 2.0 yet? What are your thoughts? Please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on this ride.
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We felt the same way about the new test track. Not a must do anymore. 🙁