Test Track | The Ultimate Downgrade
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- Опубліковано 27 січ 2022
- Test Track in it's current form is... fine. However, today I'm interested in taking a look at the original version that it replaced, comparing and contrasting them to find out why the current iteration is a significant step down in attraction design and quality.
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I used to love seeing all the tests in the old queue. The old version was 100x better than 2.0. I still ride it just for the thrill but it doesn’t hold a candle to the old.
A common sentiment I often heard was that the old queue was obnoxious... and I agree. Still, that was part of the tone of the attraction, being loud and exciting. I remember how loud it would be when the dummy would get hit in the chest, but beside the educational value of the theming, it also worked great in building up anticipation of the guests.
It had so much kinetic energy. I still remember how much it got me amped for the ride when it was brand new and standing in that queue for way too long because the ride used to break down a lot.
Is just me that think the 2.0 is better than the 1.0?
"Outdated" isn't necessarily a bad thing. Pirates and frontier towns are also things of the past, but they are still cool. If only the current people at Disney realized that.
If they had, we'd still have World of Motion - and that would be a great thing, IMO.
@@ocalicreek no it wouldnt
@@ethankleinman1067 why not?
I also don't like how they tried to modernize Pirates with parts of the movie and making the pirates seem like they aren't this bad and wouldn't sell or chase women, steal, or pillage a town. But like, that was their whole deal.
@@GacMan47 Well, I'm not as annoyed with the modernizing changes to Pirates as I am with them turning the pirates into mostly set pieces that exist to celebrate Captain Jack Sparrow. I mean, I liked the movie, but his presence in the ride just takes out a lot of the originality.
I'm more upset at how they modernized Jungle Cruise by removing Trader Sam. I was okay with them removing the attacking natives since they didn't add much to the ride's classic humor, but Trader Sam shrunken heads gag was great. Plus, hiding him ironically takes away natives' representation in the ride; with no natives at all, just a few tourists who upset the rhino, it perpetuates the myth that jungles are purely wild places that never had any native humans.
My dad’s a mechanic, so as a kid the original queue had a stronger impact on me. The fact that you don’t even get a preshow explaining why your designing these digital cars is also a bummer.
The car design process has always felt gimmicky. I believe the intention was that it would act as its own pre-show of sorts, but it's still kind of a waste of time. It's fun once, but it also immediately dated itself as it premiered. It reminds me of the shallow little activities or games that came with the earliest iphones. The consoles might as well have a touch-screen Zippo lighter on them.
My dad worked at Chrysler on the line. It was so cool because he would show us all the stuff he had. And don't forget the welding robots they had after the ride!
My dad and grandpa both worked 20+ years in a transmission manufacturing plant. I got to visit them at the plant as a kid in the late 90s/early 00s. They were big GM guys and could fix anything so when I stepped into Test Track around 2007, I immediately connected with everything like it was part of my family. I ate it all up: late 90s/early 00s GM, automotive manufacturing, testing, mechanics... the whole thing. It's what made me sure I wanted to be an engineer and work in electro-mechanical systems and design. I was so excited to take them on it someday and was incredibly disappointed when I went again in 2013 and rode this 'new' version. I haven't forgiven Disney/GM for doing this to what was once one of my favorite rides. It is a shell of its' former self.
The original was so much better. Maybe it's just the nostalgia, but the new rendition is just generic futuristic. I love futurism, but there is far less imagination and flow (especially pre-ride) than the original. Great video!
Oh no, it's not just nostalgia. Original Test Track was a masterpiece of Imagineering.
@@PoseidonEntertainment And included a story line.
I'd argue Journey into Your Imagination was probably a bigger downgrade.
Another notable downgrade, though not a Disney Attraction, but 3 rides to be exact. Toyland Tours, Alton Towers Haunted House, and Professor Burps Bubbleworks.
They all went through rethemes and it turned them into lesser or outright bad Attractions when compared to their original state. Toyland Tours became a disappointing IP of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Professor Burps Bubbleworks was given an Imperial Leather sponsor, with hideous lighting and annoying duck sound effects. And The Haunted House became Duel, now with blasters and constant cheap zombie figures that were bought from an online website.
Nowadays though, Duel is the only one left. Charlie and the Chocolate factory became The Dungeons, and Bubbleworks became the Gruffalo River ride.
It saddens me that Merlin (The company that owned the rides) Would rather gut out a great attraction and slap an IP or trend over it rather than bringing them back to their former Glory as they were back in the 90s :(
I know the terms aren't exclusive to computers, but when I think of "upgrade" or "downgrade", I tend to associate them with technology. Turning the original testing facility into the Sim-track and considering it a "downgrade" was a shallow play on words. Otherwise, I agree though. As much as I think original Test Track was far superior, Test Track 2.0 is far more serviceable than JIIWF.
Family rode Test Track in 2011, and we loved it to bits! So sad to see that they downgraded it so hard, I thought it was highly educational as it really was a "test track" for vehicles in its original form. This new one feels sanitized and corporate comparatively
"Corporate" is an excellent word I think. So many new Disney attractions and overlays feel constructed by committee, rather than imagination.
Or just a huge futuristic aesthetic.
Test Track went from one of my top 10 rides to one that unless it has a wait under 15 minutes (which never happens) I ignore. It's so sad because the queue alone made the ride great, fun to wait in, and unique. Now it is a car dealership. If I wanted that I would've just stayed home. I get branding and advertising, but it lacks subtly and treats guest like they are stupid.
It's always been a show floor for GM vehicles, but at least they had fun attractions and activities surrounding them. A fun and fulfilling experience like the original Test Track would have made me more inclined to purchase a vehicle than what sits there now.
Car dealerships are far more interesting than this hunk of junk
@@PoseidonEntertainment I'm a Mopar guy, so I prefer Dodge muscle cars to Chevy's but nonetheless the showroom is always good as an exit. That being said, aside from the showroom appearing to be more of an intentional ad after the downgrade it also makes less sense.
The original plot centered around simulating the Milford proving grounds where Chevy tests it's vehicles. Placing their cars at the end of a ride where you are a crash test dummy for a Corvette or Camaro etc makes much more sense than placing existing GM models at the end of a ride where you were supposed to have been riding in a concept vehicle of your own design.
Waiting in the queue was actually a highlight as a kid. I loved all the motion and clanking, and upon watching this video now, the jumble of metal and swinging things actually reminds me of a real-life Mouse Trap! It really enlivened your imagination and got you excited for the experience.
The original Test Track had so much atmosphere from the queue to the actual attraction, you really felt like you were in GM’s testing facility…. the new version feels so sterile, it lost all of its charm. Test Track use to be in my top 3 at WDW, not after its “upgrade” sadly
I remember riding the “upgrade” and being so disappointed. It’s all in the dark and screens and projections - like…why get rid of the fun old stuff that made Test Track TEST TRACK. A budget version of the ride indeed.
Contracts is my guess.
Driving my Miata at night with the top down is far more thrilling than the new test track ride.
I was very disappointed when we rode the 'upgrade for the first time as the original Test Track was a big favourite of ours. In the years since, we just went through the whole thing just for the outside speed run.
I remember not liking it either, but not really knowing how to articulate it. That's part of the reason I produce these videos, because I like to examine attractions for their individual elements to find out what does and does not work.
Funny how there was that period in the 2010s where it felt like every new ride at Universal and Disney had to be filled with screens and projections while now it seems they've realised that actually we kinda like real stuff. I'm also happy to see the move away from simulators to thrill rides and coasters
Yet Disney is still doing screen based like Mickey Runaway, Ratioulle, and Guardians too.
@@cardman1031 I think there are places for screens, but in general props are superior. I think rise of the resistance is a fantastic usage of screens and props.
Yep, the element rooms were my favorite part of Test Track, too - I especially like how in the corrosion chamber, the operators' chat reveals that the robots were supposed to be turned off. It made the whole experience feel more organic, with the sense that things aren't going entirely as planned in the tests.
One thing that wasn’t mentioned was that the original test track had some of its effects cut before it even became 2.0. Things like running over the cones, the sparks in the truck scare, and the car that crashes into the wall before the barrier test, got removed or changed to static props and were much more impressive than any projection on 2.0
You can see the sparks and crash at 27:44 - ua-cam.com/video/DFxQTBVcScI/v-deo.html
And the cones at 0:58 - ua-cam.com/video/rf7fW7L-Yb4/v-deo.html
The one thing I will give 2.0 is the music, I love the soundtrack to 2.0, but 1.0 wipes the floor with everything else
I completely forgot about those elements. Now that you mentioned it, I do recall them.
I also agree with the music. I never found the previous soundtrack to be annoying like a lot of people did, but the new one is actually pretty great.
I concur with Posiedon 100% - this retheme (just like the majority of post-2010 attractions) just plain sucks. There is no defending it at all. And to all of you who keep saying "Make it a Tesla attraction", that is a terrible idea. Tesla won't be attainable for the masses for a long time, if ever, and there is literally no thrill in quiet cars with no unique torque characteristics. If you want something exciting at Test Track, use the Camaro or Corvette likeness on the cars and turn it into a Chevy GT road course experience (people would then be interested in Sebring & Daytona which are only 2 hours away). OR partner with Formula 1 at the end of the Chevy sponsorship and make it about the insane ENGINEERING that goes into F1 machines. Disney needs something for the gear heads/automobile enthusiasts at WDW since we don't have a Cars Land or Cars attractions.
@Michael Teti what?
@@600HP_Camaro Dude, a Daytona or Sebring version with a preshow discussing endurance racing history and how race car innovations pave the way for road cars. You are absolutely right about all that and amen to the Tesla's lacking thrill. You should be an imagineer. As a huge cary guy, the only Disney attraction I found really appealing after Test Track's downgrade was Rock N' Rollercoaster because of how well they made the coaster trains look like old Cadillac Eldorado's
@@boltspeedman4724 thanks for the kind words sir. Yes people don't realize how racing innovations led to automobile safety, efficiency, affordability & sustainability for regular civilian cars (pushing the limits with a human driving vs a test dummy). I like your idea a lot. I also miss World of Motion dearly! Poseidon described it very well in his videos. Fyi if you're a car person you would really like Radiator Springs Racers/Cars Land at DCA.
I'd argue that a tie in to Tesla, and perhaps SpaceX, both associated with Musk would be far more fitting in terms of Epcot's original mission, and the original World of Motion experience. Who says it just had to have been about traditional driving experiences? I mean these Teslas accelerate as quick as a powered launch coaster. That's fun. Flying cars maybe with spacex tech? Why not? That's the knock on this era of Disney....not much imagination.
When I see videos of 90s and early 2000s Disney, I realize that the old Disney mentality and old Disney experience are completely extinct. Wish I knew what I had back then.
I agree. Even the lows of the Eisner era look far better than the last decade.
It makes me sad when I think what they’ve lost.
As someone who’s ridden both (Once in 2011 and in 2019) I totally agree with this
My immediate thought when you mentioned pirates projected onto a flat wall was "don't give Chapek & co any ideas!!"
I mean... now that I think about it, that's essentially what they did in Shanghai. Granted, it's better than I just made it sound... but that would have probably been a good example to use in the video.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Funny you mention the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle For the Sunken Treasure because the Shanghai Disneyland version shows what Disney Imagineering can come up with when given a sizeable budget. This Pirates ride has many innovations one is a new, highly controlled ride system that allows your boat to spin, travel sideways and even move backward. Which sadly is unlike anything the North America Pirates of the Caribbean have ever encountered in before.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Welp, yeah, good point. Thanks for the video! I miss TT 1.0 and fondly remember the running jokes in the late 90s about the wildly delayed opening.
@@PoseidonEntertainment
When we last saw the Parks in Japan, China and Paris, they were but a learner. Now they are the masters.
Wonder what B.C's a master at...maybe at getting caught?
I agree!!!!!!
I remember that when I was walking through Epcot some years ago, I was approached by a cast member asking for feedback about the park. The first thing out of my mouth: bring back the old Test Track.
The biggest problem with Disney bosses is that they want to do things cheap, so the stuff turns out mediocre at best. But the executives make no effort to excel or produce a great show. Their attitude is that "it's good enough". Which leads to more and more cheep mediocre attractions.
We rode GM Test Track for the first time when it was in soft launch and surrounded by ride engineers tweaking things. During subsequent trips, it remained a favorite. I feel as though we went to WDW during its Golden Age, when crowds weren't insane, prices were (but not like today), and you could get on any ride you really wanted to get on (so long as it didn't break down). We were planning another trip, but looked at things like Genie +, Lightning Lane, and all of the upgrades (above the recent price hikes) required to have the same level of experience, and changed our plans.
Disney has always been expensive since Eisner, but I felt that it was always justified because everything was always top tier. Now that everything is more crowded than ever, prices are higher despite cut perks, and new attractions border on boring, it's becoming extremely difficult to justify going. If I didn't live half an hour away, I wouldn't consider WDW a travel option.
Man, your videos are so good. I cant stop watching! Keep up the good work!
I haven't been on either version, but I love riding these rides along with you. I get so excited every time I see you have a new video out. I love your attention to theming. Thanks for another great video.
Hey thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
I bring this up all the time. I remember the last time I road the original Test Track was when I was 12 in 2008(ish) and LOVED it. The temperature elements, the break tests, the truck... all so great. I went back to Disney for the first time since then last February, and while it was fun due to the lack of many thrill rides in EPCOT, it was definitely disappointing not having known much about the revamp. Is it still a fun ride? Yea, but it's nowhere near as fun, entertaining, or story driven as the original iteration.
I got to ride test track three separate times before the retheme. I loved it so much, waiting in line never really felt like waiting in line, and it was a staple part of my family’s Epcot visits. I rode 2.0 in 2013 when I graduated highschool, and once more again in 2017 because a friend made me, but after 2013 my family didn’t bother on the two trips we took after 2013. It makes me really sad that a ride that I used to love is now something that I don’t even bother with. I’ve rode 2.0 twice and the only things that I even remember when I think about it in comparison to the old test track are the car-designer part in the queue, the futuristic overlay, and then the car dealership that you exit in to. Watching this video, I remembered every single thing that was shown in the originals ride video VIVIDLY. And then when I watched the 2.0 ride video, the only parts I remembered were the ones that I mentioned. Ugh. They really could have kept expanding on the testing idea by updating the ride to feature new innovations and new tests that have been made for the cars we drive today, but nope.
I had no clue that the rebrand wasn’t tron themed! I clearly remember my family and I calling it the new “tron test rack.” Granted, I was still in middle school so maybe I was just going off of aesthetics, but we’re big theme park junkies, so I was so sure that it was tron themed! Goes to show how there may actually be some truth behind that theory
I went to the original test track in 2012, and it was an amazing experience, coherent and well themed. The new one seems cheap, like a 2nd thought overlay (which it was). Sometimes you should only refurbish something if it's really for the best, i'd love to still have the charming original test track, with the very nice themed queue and factory floor enviroment,
We saw the original Test Track in 2005. When we went back in 2013, and then in 2016, the ride had devolved into a snoozer that emptied out into a GM showroom, complete with the company's sales pitch. I didn't fly in from a couple of thousand miles away to shop for a vehicle. Meh. We've decided not to go back to DW, or any Disney property, for a lot of reasons, but chiefly the shrinkflation. Cheaper-feeling rides for three to four times the money, and less amenities. Way to ruin an IP, Iger.
The new Test Track design looks like what would happen if you tried to drive through a laser tag arena at a failing shopping mall.
Perhaps I've been lucky, but I've never seen a laser tag arena look as bad as this...
@@PoseidonEntertainment Heh true, by the way your video essays are amazing. How do you go about writing these videos?
An oddly effective way to describe TT 2.0 :)
As a car and Disney Parks enthusiast, I loved the original TT. I loved the original as a kid, and I was sad when it got changed. It doesn’t feel like a car ride, it feels like a Tron ride. TT 2.0 is still my favorite ride at WDW, but it was far better in its previous state.
Favorite ride at WDW? I'm surprised. What appeal do you still see in it?
@@PoseidonEntertainment I like it because it’s the fastest and I’m obsessed with cars. (if you can’t tell by my channel) The ride itself is fun, although the theming isn’t.
Great video but it is hard not to put aside nostalgia and my preference for the old-non IP Epcot but I prefer the old version of Test Track it fit with EPCOTS education theme much better. They tried to fix what wasn't broken, and ended up dumbing down the ride the ride which seems uninspired and bland. The old test track in my opinion was more coherent and had a "storyline" (see what testing and engineering goes into something we use everyday and what goes into it) while the new one feels confusing it used to be fascinating waiting in line, learning how cars were designed, developed, and tested. I can't think of a single remarkable thing about the new line I liked. IMHO, the old one was much better with the machine sounds hot/cold rooms and the other tests - that made more sense where this version just seems like they were trying to make it as hands-on and futuristic as possible. The car building thing just seems like they are caving into the touchscreen addiction everyone has these days.
As much as I like World of Motion, I also felt original Test Track was a worthy successor. I still appreciate that it was educational, yet still incredibly thrilling. I agree that the new version is "dumbed down", not just in education, but the thrill aspect is gone too. It doesn't build up anticipation like the original version did, and lacks the more extreme elements like the temperature chambers or the effectiveness of the jumpscare truck. Going through video, lighting was used really effectively throughout the attraction, especially with how the whole "Crash Test" room's lights turn on just as your car parks in front of the seemingly solid wall. By not knowing its there and revealing it just before the car accelerates, it doesn't give riders enough time to process and immediately puts them into a panic, especially with adrenaline still high from the truck encounter.
Another strong suggestion that TT 2.0 was meant to be a Tron ride is that the Tron Light cycle Run in Shanghai is sponsored by Chevrolet.
I didn't even know that, but it makes a lot of sense.
I just recently went to Disney this last December for the first time since 2011, and MAN so much disappointed me.
I know a lot of it is nostalgia, and I'll never get the feeling I did as a kid, but some things seemed to just be changed for no reason, while others are exactly the same as they were the first time I went in 2002, almost like they were throwing darts at a dart board as to what gets updated, and what kinds of updates they got.
Test Track was probably one of my most disappointing changes. I LOVED the original ride, and now it just feels lifeless to me
No, I certainly agree. Pre-2018, I was excited for all the changes coming to the parks but they all seem to fail to deliver. It's almost as if leadership wakes up every day and tries to come up with the worst possible change they can think of. Let classic attractions either rot, or replace them with committee designed mediocre IP nonsense.
@@PoseidonEntertainment It's honestly extremely disappointing to me, because I took my girlfriend (now fiance, as of that trip) to Disney and Universal in December, and I know I couldn't expect it to be the same as when I'd went when I was younger, but I was so disappointed, trying to show her these experiences that used to get me so excited (and I was so excited to experience again) just to find out that so many of them had been removed, or changed to be drastically inferior, for seemingly no reason
I rode the new one a few years ago and I can't even remember it. When I think of test track I think of the older version. I can remember every bit of the old version but the new one... well it just was there. After I got out I was more excited to go to the store to get my dad another corvette shirt.
I believe that comes down to a fundamental difference in design. The original version has so many elements that made each scene stand out and feel distinct. Now, it's just all generic digital media projected onto flat walls, making it feel like a singular experience.
I loved the immersiveness of the old ride. In my opinion, that is what Disney used to be perfect in. Going through the ride, it felt as if the engineers were just on a quick break and would return soon to work on something. You could see the office spaces with documents and tools laying around. The transition between the Heat and Cold chamber is a perfect example of that. To a degree, you also have this in Living with the Land, where you can see the labs and especially in the queue of the jungle cruise or the boiler room of Tower of Terror.
Another video I agree with completely. I was so disappointed with 2.0. As I went through the line and designed my car, I thought it would be cool if my design somehow caused changes in the ride experience, but when I realized we were all loaded into the same car that there was no way to differentiate different people's designs during the ride..... it was all fake.
As you said, the whole original narrative was lost and the new narrative wasn't compelling or interesting.
I also suspect Disney didn't want to continue paying for the Crash Test DummyTM license.
Did they really have to pay for that license?
I don't know, but guessed they would have to since it was an IP owned by either the test dummy manufacturers or the Transportation department who ran the test dummy safety campaign back in the 80s and 90s. It was a big thing back then with toy lines and TV shows.
Nobody has a trademark on the concept of crash test dummies, only on the "Incredible Crash Dummies" shows.
Test Track will forever be my favorite ride in EPCOT as well as Walt Disney World as a whole. I never experienced the old version, but I’ve always enjoyed the one we have now. Being able to design your own car and battling for the highest score in your ride vehicle is such a fun addition, and it makes each ride-through unique and memorable to me.
With that being said, however, this is an incredibly well-made video. A lot of the unique ride elements from the old version (hot/cold rooms, corrosion chamber, rocky road) sound awesome, and I wish I was able to experience them when I could have. Adding more story elements to it in its current definitely wouldn’t hurt. I’d say it’d make an already great ride even better.
I don't know if the nuance of the original ride can really be felt without having been on it, but if you haven't already, I would highly recommend watching an old ride-through video. When I produced this one, I was surprised to be reminded of how well it played with the emotions of the riders and there hasn't really anything quite like it since.
@@PoseidonEntertainment That is a very excellent point, and I can certainly see that aspect in play with the old version of the ride. In hindsight, I believe it would have been pretty neat if they were to carry that aspect over once they did the overhaul. There’s a lot of potential with the digital setting, and they totally could have done a lot more with it.
Thank you for your comment and insight. It is much appreciated.
The only time I've been to Epcot was when I was 5 or 6 years old and honestly I dont remember from that trip. However, i have vivid memories of test track specifically the heat, cold and corrosion rooms and the barrier test. I'm so sad to see that it's been new disney-fied. Newer disney attractions just lack so much of the charm the older rides have. I dont doubt that if this were the test track I had ridden as a kid I probably wouldn't remember it at all.
I remember back when I considered something to be "Disney-fied", it meant being plussed in a way that made it exceptional. Now though, it's taken on the meaning of becoming sanitized and safe.
I remember first riding it in 2009 or 2010. I think any other time my family had gone to Disney (it was rare or we were in a different park) we always skipped Test Track because the wait was always too long, so I only ever got to experience the original once. The next time I did Epcot, I thought it was cool to design the car, but when you went on the ride, there wasn't anything that felt special about doing so, and any time I've ridden since, I'm pretty sure they've shortened the design time to where I didn't feel like I could ever make something I'd be satisfied with. The car even felt slower outside than I remembered. Maybe it's because I had actually driven a car now, and on I-4 going as fast if not faster just to stay alive is more of a thrill because there are actual stakes, but everything just felt off. What's even weirder is that if GM is still sponsoring the ride, but wanted to shift the focus specifically to Chevrolet, exactly what was preventing that in the ride as it existed? So you reshoot the opening preshow and redesign the cars with Chevy logos, maybe spruce up a couple things in the test so it wasn't completely 90s, but there wasn't anything that needed to be changed, only refurbished. I guess I also never really noticed the brands everywhere sponsoring rides when I was younger, but this just felt like one big advertisement, too, which I don't care a lot about because I'm not in the market, and you're showing me cars that don't exist and never will exist, so what am I being sold exactly? Doesn't make sense.
It's like "Chevy is the future" or some nonsense like that. I agree that the advertising feels more prominent, but I believe a large factor in that is how bland the new Test Track experience is. The backgrounds for the cars on the show floor are more interesting than anything that the ride offers.
The old one is something that would have scared me as a child because I would’ve taken the dark comedy as seriously dark with the adults not noticing and thinking it’s funny instead! But as an adult I would love to be able to experience it!
I also want to add that it also is so similar to Radiator Spring Racers. Many elements.
from the videos i've seen i've always thought the old version was themed way better, but it's really awesome to see you go in depth about the theming differences since i haven't been able to experience either version myself
Video doesn't even do the old version justice. For example, something I noticed in the video clips was the camera being positioned above the windshield. In the original version of the ride, when you round the corner for the crash test, the lights under the doors weren't perceivable, making it really look like a solid wall. After swerving to avoid the semi-truck, you round the corner and see the crash test, musing how the ride wouldn't really attempt something like that. However as the room lights up, you don't have time to register what's happening before you start accelerating into a seemingly solid wall.
@@PoseidonEntertainment that seems so cool! i wish i were able to see that
The original track made my Disney childhood. I’ve rode the new one many times since but it doesnt feel right. Thank you for showing the old memory
THANK YOU! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I’m so glad I’m not alone in thinking the original TT was far superior to what we have now.
Are you alone? I think that most people who experienced the original agree that it's significantly better.
Last time i rode test track was 13 years ago so I didn't know it changed, what I'm basically getting from this is that driving on the interstate or thruway is more entertaining than the theme here
It alwas feels like Epcot as a whole is full of downgrades.
I was there the other day and thought: "Why am I here?"
I don't enjoy any of the attractions other than Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land. If you haven't seen it, a point I made in my classic EPCOT Center video, was that despite propagating the myth that the old attractions were outdated, the irony is that the new IP-driven additions will date themselves even quicker, leading to an expensive mess down the line.
It's weird... I took my first ever ride on test track in November 2022 and I felt the queue line was a very dated attempt to look "futuristic." That's the aesthetic I remember from visiting Epcot way back in 1998, so it didn't seem out of place to me.
The crash test fake out at the end was so compelling. While you knew in the back of your mind that you weren’t going to crash into this wall, the ride had built this idea so much in your mind, showing you the crashed car right before, that it manages to override the logical part of the ride. This is helped by how close you come to the wall before it opens and reveals the outside. Now there’s no point to this whole scene as it exists in the line. There’s several points in the new ride where they didn’t replace the elements they took out and just left blank areas in the ride like the former heat and cold rooms and traveling down the bumpy road which is now just a flat hill.
The whole aesthetic of the ride is just more generic now. It has the empty commercialism of a car show instead of the recreation of a factory floor and testing facility the original had.
Also just the simple change from a physical test track to computer program test really changes how you feel about the ride. The physicality of the original made it more compelling and made the truck jump scare and the crash test fake out feel more real and legitimate than the empty computer world of Test Track 2.0,
I remember the first time riding it and going through the "efficiency chamber" and telling my parents that whatever effect was supposed to happen must not be working that day only to later learn it was working as intended.. its just that literally nothing happens there. Its especially sad since the hot and cold parts were my favorite rooms in the original test track. I generally skip this ride at this point which is honestly easy since it breaks down like every day anyway.
I wouldn't say nothing happens. You can't forgot to look up at the mirror and awkwardly look away when you make eye contact with someone else.
Bravo and thank you.
I only rode the new test track once after the downgrade and this video is how I find out that there were supposed to be screen effects throughout the ride
I absolutely agree with this. I get that the new version is more futuristic, but it just looks so cheap and there is absolutely no fun to be had on the ride before the fast part. Even the fast portion isn’t that great. I’m glad to see somebody who acknowledges the flaws with many Disney attractions.
I believe what made the speed test so appealing in the first version was the fake-out for the crash test. Riders were already accelerating outside before they had time to register what had happened, leading to the experience feeling a lot more intense from what I recall. I think the outside portion is still fun, but it has lost a critical component.
Agree! Me and my sister we so sad when we went on and got the newer version after we'd wasted a fast track not realising it had changed!! :(
I agree with you! I love the look of the new test track, but it feels like cotton candy. It’s good, but there’s nothing to it-and when it’s done, it’s done.
I think updating the ride was good-but I wish they would have kept the old story with modern elements.
I think the new aesthetic has a lot of potential, but it's just far too superficial. If it had been given a more distinct visual style in conjunction with more creative scenes throughout the ride, I believe it could have worked.
I've only been on it once, earlier this year. I did single rider and I guess I bypassed most of the queue. I thought it was fun enough, but the original does indeed look a lot better.
100% agree with your observation. I think if they changed a few small things to the current version it would go a long way.
if they took the time with the new test track and used real effects and not just visuals it would be perfection
Weirdest thing about the changes in the new Test track is that, even tho they gave the ride this new digital futuristic look, the section that takes place outside still has the industrialized aesthetic from the old version, so when you get to that part of the ride, the look of it feels unintentionally out of place, even tho it would have fit naturally with the original iteration of the attraction. Nowadays, anytime they launch you into the outdoor track, it just looks like you're driving past an ugly airplane hangar or something along those lines.
I believe that supports my point though. This overlay didn't do anything to change the bones of the old attraction, leaving it abundantly obvious where old elements executed things better.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Exactly! It's only after watching your vid that everything clicked. 'Cause last time i rode it, I was asking myself why they have this weird hangar in the exterior, and now I know. I wish I had the opportunity to ride the old one. Such a shame.
I had no idea they changed the ride. I was on the test team when they were still trying to get the ride to work.
What a mess but it was amazing to be a cast member inside the building seeing how the process worked. Not to mention I always felt I was part of a really cool project. Back when Disney built cool rides with new ideas.
Sad to see such a great ride turn into this monstrosity. I will miss the old ride. Wow the stories I could tell about the testing of this thing. 😳
It's been so long that you haven't experienced the new one then? I'd say its worth at least a ride once just to get a feel for the experience.
@@PoseidonEntertainment Thanks for the reply! I will check it out but right now Epcot doesn't seem to be worth the trip honestly. Which is a shame because the old Epcot will always have a special place in my heart. 😞
Keep up the excellent work! Your channel is going to grow fast if you keep producing great content like this.
"Re-theme quickly" = Lazy. That pretty much sums up the "Bob's" business model for the parks.
It's really kind of a waste of money too. What benefit has Disney seen with the disgustingly overpriced overlay of Pixar Pier?
@@PoseidonEntertainment I used to go to WDW every 2-3 years for 25+ years, since I was 5. But, in the last decade I only went in 2011 and 2018 and the difference was... stark. Test Track changed by then, but I had no idea it was going to get this bad. I was thinking about visiting in 2023, but if Twilight Zone Tower of Terror goes the way of TT, I'm never going back again. WHY would you throw away guests like that?
@@PoseidonEntertainmentThe irony is Disney doesn't even deny it anymore, my favorite example being the pre-ride video for incredicoaster when Violet is asked how she feels about the ride and literally says it's just a cheap retheme. The shocked laughter in line was hilarious
The original Test Track was a ride that never got old. You were a part of the attraction. The new one was absolutely disgraceful. You ride it once and never want to again. This version is for simulated people, not REAL people. Because watching a ride video and being there in person, you get the exact same experience, just watch it in your car, and you achieved that, then you completely failed at making a quality experience.
The aesthetic isn’t the problem, it’s that they took more out and replaced it with less. 10 years later, and that’s basically the Disney motto. Good job Bob and Bob, you’re single-handedly killing the Disney Parks.
Given the right effort and budget, the new "futuristic" theme of Test Track could have been great.
Ya know I still maintain that if they wanted to put a digital themed pavillion in Epcot...
Why wasn't Tron put in Epcot to anchor a Computer Science Pavillion? They could have used Wonders of Life too to add several other attractions and to simulate really being on the Grid.
People keep suggesting Tron, but in the context of a larger digital pavilion, I'm actually on board with that idea.
Back when I was a kid, the original Test Track was pretty scary to me. The heavy industrial themes combined with the crash-test dummies being mauled in violent ways made it memorable because of how much it creeped me out, so when I first rode 2.0, the Tron-esque theme- at first glance- felt like it was an improvement, but in hindsight it came at the cost of all of the personality of the original. Sure, it made me uncomfortable to see a giant hammer repeatedly whack a dummy in the chest, but elements like that are what made the whole ride experience stick so strongly in my mind. I won't say the new aesthetic is bad, as I do love the almost vaporwave look the setpieces have, but I would have much preferred the original concept as opposed to the new one.
I recently discovered that the perfume “you” by glossier smells just like the corrosion test room in the original test track. Do with this info what you will, but lmk if you confirm so that I know I’m not misremembering it.
I doubt I'll happen upon it, but that's an interesting observation.
I remember taking my wife to ride it for the first time after hyping the ride up and I had absolutely no idea it had been changed. We got inside and she was like visibly worried about me I was so shocked at what it had become. But the time we actually finished riding I was profusely apologizing that it sucked so much and had to find a video to prove I hadn’t been bullshitting lol
I feel that way with a lot of new Disney attractions. Back in 2019, I tried to convince a co-worker that Disney was worth going to and wasn't just for kids. Now though, having gone with him and his family, I realize how wrong I was. Even his kids were over it, thinking it catered too much towards the elementary school demographic.
Test Track then actually felt like a test track.
Now it's just Windows XP screensavers plastered on walls for no reason.
The car design activity for the ride is interesting in theory, but the fast pass or single rider (I can’t remember which) line avoids that preshow area so you would have to always make the design aspect optional.
The fastpass line merged right into the room with the design consoles. The single rider line bypasses the room completely, but there are a few consoles to the side if you want to design your own car anyways.
looking at test track and we’re it could go in the future, it almost reminds me of the rocket rods. ironically both attractions where in development around the same time. test track is the actual realized version of the rocket rods
They can't keep getting away with it!!!
Well, it appears they can. How long until people wise up though? I think it'll happen, but I'm not sure when.
I can't remember much about riding the original track, but I can still feel those hot and cold rooms...
I remembered that ride Sean’s I was a kid of the old version that was the best one
The aspects of building your own car was cool, but they could have added that without rethemeing so poorly.
Never got down to ride the original test track, when the second version came out, didn't want to..
I'm disappointed on your behalf. Video cannot convey the effectiveness of certain elements like the uneven terrain for the rough road test, or the drastic temperature changes between the temperature rooms.
My one and only time in Epcot and on Test Track was in 2021. Glad to experience this breakdown of what the original version was like. I agree with you - it was definitely better.
Ah, that's disappointing. Epcot used to be my favorite park, and now it's arguably the worst.
Rode it in 2011 scariest thing I rode at that point fun ride I miss it though would like to experience it again and it was also somewhat educational
It was a terrifying attraction in its original form. The way it toyed with riders was quite effective.
was that John Michael Higgins in the preshow?
I’m glad you made a video on this because I always felt like the test rack 2.0 was such a cheap skin of the original and didn’t find many people which the same opinion
Can’t they do a new overlay for test track
I haven't been to Disney in decades but I loved the original Test Track. This new version just depresses me and leads to me having even less reasons to bother with Disney in the future.
14:35 "the original test trak was outdated" line is spoken when showing a car in the queue from a brand that doesnt exist anymore. Dont know if that was intentional but I was just a thing I noticed. 100% agree though, test track 1.0 was way better.
It wasn't intentional. I was referring specifically to how people continued to state that testing cars practically is outdated and how the design process is all done on computers... which is obviously false.
Hubby and I first rode test track in very recently. We found it boring and felt like a giant advertisement. Your video explains why, and showed us just what we missed out on. Version 1.0 looks like it was a great ride. Did Test Track 2.0 come before or after Radiator Springs Racers?
Radiator Springs premiered about 6 months before the new iteration of Test Track. I have mixed feelings on that as well. Radiator Springs and Cars Land are really well designed, but my issue is that they have nothing to do with California Adventure's theme. To my knowledge, the original idea was for a "California Car Culture" themed attraction, but the Cars IP firmly placed it in Arizona instead.
@@PoseidonEntertainment I'm sure they have some sort of tangental stretch to work that out 😅
I agree completely. The first interation of the ride was so much fun, no matter how many times you went through. The new interation was such a let down, we don't see the worth of waiting in line anymore. It seems Disney forgot one important thing, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
i had never ridden test track before the renovation, and after hearing family members who had ridden the old one act like it was great i was incredibly underwhelmed
This is so true. The new version feels incredibly short now despite being the same ride.
Test Track is in my list of top rides not worth the wait. If they did not have a single rider that significantly reduced waits, I don’t think I’d ever go on it. It’s also remarkable how this attraction seems to breakdown every single day. Good video!
The single rider line hardly seems worth it to me. I always feel like I end up waiting around 40 minutes just through that line alone.
I rode the original test track, and the next time I went to Disney years later I was excited to go again, only to be crushingly disappointed by the changes. You captured perfectly all the ways the retheme is a downgrade. The car design mini game is really dull and ultimately has zero bearing on the actual ride, and I miss all the tests (especially the environmental ones).
Never knew that Test Track was rethemed but I absolutely agree that the original was definitely a lot better. Disney just wants to Renovate areas so that they can replace them with screens to keep maintenance costs down. It's sad the direction Disney has taken these past few years 😔
I just visited WDW and EPCOT. I hadn't been there since EPCOT opened in the mid 1980s. So I never got the chance to ride TT1. However seeing it in the video I wish they hadn't changed it.
I can't even begin to convey how poorly video does justice for the original. It was an actual thrilling experience with how it toyed with riders and used clever tricks to make each scene feel distinct and memorable.
I’ve always thought since Tron Legacy came out over a decade ago “CRIMINAL UNRATED AND ONE OF THE BEST MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS EVER” how well Tron would fit into EPCOT. When the EPCOT update was announced I even thought that maybe they would be finally doing something to combine the two. Like seriously… you can’t get much more technology, future, and imagination then Tron!!! They could have taken even one step further and have made cyberspace be an area with The Grid being that area’s own country!! I get excited just thinking of the possibilities! Hell the clone Tron coaster would fit so well with it and be so damn aesthetically pleasing!! But no, we get a GOTG indoor coaster with an ugly show building that has nothing to do with the feel of EPCOT. People keep telling me that Tron isn’t a very well known and also old IP, which ok fair it is, but I would much rather have an original and groundbreaking IP that shows a futuristic idea of what technology can become “VR??!” Than an IP that they bought only 12 years ago.
Someone else made the suggestion that a Tron attraction would fit into a "Digital Pavilion" and I think that's a fantastic idea. I wouldn't want the Lightcycle coaster to be a part of it, but it's an IP that would make sense when framed in an educational context.
@@PoseidonEntertainment that makes me super happy someone else mentioned it! I’m pretty sure any time you make a video about anything EPCOT I always mention how great Tron would work in there. And I have to sort of agree with you and the light coaster, however I would rather it go anywhere but magic kingdom. If I’m being honest, even though it looks really cool and I’m excited to ride it, I would much rather get something new that’s not a clone at a different Disney park.
I was surprised when I first heard that this was the fastest attraction at a Disney park.
I don't really see why they did this re theme because it kind of looks like a budget Tron but worse in almost every way
I think that was the point. "Make it Tron, but not really".
Does anyone else remember the wooden “soapbox” Hummer that would be on display in the gift shop after the original version of the ride?
While I obviously love the shade you throw at Disney, shown by my subscribing to your channel, I was very underwhelmed by the old Test Track. My family and I all love the new version as it’s a family friendly thrill ride. I was actually shocked at how much more I liked the ride’s renovation.
Yes, it’s less thematic but Disney has plenty of theme first attractions and this one is actually thrilling physically. Yet not so much so as to turn off 6 year olds. So while I definitely cannot stand 99% of what Disney has done I do appreciate a “thrill” ride that helped get my kids interested in the sensations available at cheaper parks based more on sensation vs immersion. Clearly not what Disney planned on but a platinum pass for a family of 4 is cheaper for 12 months than 1 trip to Disney World. And this new version of Test Track helped to get us there.
So while I enjoy it more than the original, it’s greatest benefit is introducing my kids to cheaper parks we can easily visit and enjoy equally these days, far more often.
An interesting take on things.
I haven't started the video yet but I agree 100%
I personally think of this re-theme of Test Track as more a genuine sequel to the ending found in the original World of Motion dark ride. Considering that films scenes from the original TRON were used extensively in early Epcot (especially the famous "Into the Grid" scene in most of future world), aesthetically this is better. Additionally, the Chevolet sponsorship is still by GM (but not as obvious to some extent.)
I do agree with you that the testing segments in the new re-theme, such as the loss of the warm and cool rooms, are a major downgrade. Some of the pre-show queue elements could have been carried over as oppsoed being torn out altogether (maybe even thrown some stuff inspired by World of Motion. A best of both worlds perhaps?)
While not on topic to the video, I still think Disney missed a bet by not having Tron Light Cycle Run in Epcot with Guardians of the Galaxy in the Magic Kingdom. Mainly because GotG fits more in line of the few remnants of Tomorrowland as the Future that Never Was (excluding the "Marvel in the park's agreement with Universal in Florida" as GotG was never featured in Islands of Adventure.) While Tron Light Cycle Run would have finally came full circle in a park that was crossed promoted with the original movie and planned to come to the park. The hypothetical reasons for not coming to Epcot being oversaturation of "Tron: Legacy like aesthetics" (which is kind of dumb for a land trying to focus on the future) and the deal with Chevolet (since Chevolet, as of this writing, still sponsors Tron Light Cycle Run in Shanghai Disneyland.)
As a suggestion for your next video, could you talk about Tron and its aesthetic influence in the Disney Parks?
The original version was a *perfect* theme park attraction. Thematically it didn't fit in any of the 4 parks (car test facility in "Future World" was kind of weird) but, like I said it was just the perfect ride. So many great elements of a top quality Disney ride. I do enjoy the current version (music, aesthetics, fit in "Future World").
Like you said at the beginning it's not as interesting or exciting. Nowadays I feel like it just.. exists.
I kind of like the minimalist approach to its design, but all the projections can be underwhelming.
It's especially jarring when you go outside (during the day) from inside the very dark show building.
Great video and overview on both versions.
I remember in my last trip to disney (2013) I got on this version and was... very disappointed. I was in the singles line so it was maybe 15 minutes for the ride. I was like "What, where's the cheesey jokes? Where's the stuff?"
It doesn't help that the family I was paired with tried to act like they could keep me out and sat in the close seat and the cast members had to get involved and unlock their belts to get them in. I'm not sorry I probably ruined their photos with some silly memeing if they wanted those (Doubt it, but still)
Ruining people's photos is the best 👍
Epcot's current design philosophy is
if it ain't broke: break it
Seems to be applied everywhere.
"How can we compromise the theming of Animal Kingdom and make it more cartoony?"
"Let's crash kites into a stadium!"
"Genius!"
I hadn't been to EPCOT until 2019, and never rode the original, so that's my perspective.
I love Test Track, it's one of my Top 10 WDW rides. It's thrilling, fun, and I like the creative elements and the post-show interactive things to do to. But, what from what you presented, I can see some things that seem superior in its older incarnation.
I think it's difficult to convey on video, but certain elements, like the uneven terrain for the "Rough Road Test" can't be underestimated in their impact. It was far more memorable and felt like a distinct scene, in a way that video can't convey. The original Test Track also had excellent pacing and used effects in clever ways. It was one of Imagineering's best attractions.
I think this sums up modern Disney perfectly, everything is done on the cheap.
In retrospect, this should have been a canary in a coal mine.
@@PoseidonEntertainment in the next update the cars will have pedals
My reaction after this ride I came off thinking well thats a ride. Glad I didn't wait and just rode single rider line instead we hopped right on but I am glad I got to experience it.
Did you ever get to experience the original version?
Great video. I totally agree with this.