Construction continues!
EPCOT’s Test Track is in the midst of a massive construction project. The large, E-Ticket (Disney parlance for a massive, advanced, or thrilling attraction) ride closed in June for a massive months-long reimagining and refurbishment. A recently filed construction permit sheds further light on the project.
Filed in July 2024, the new permit is to “install set elements” at 1440 Avenue of the Stars EP, Bay Lake, Florida 32830. The contents of this permit are very similar to another Test track permit that we’ve previously covered.
The installation of set elements makes sense and fits with what little Disney has released about the new version of the attraction. Concept art shows a Test Track vehicle traveling through a wooded area.
In addition, it seems that the redone Test Track will “take inspiration” from World of Motion, the original EPCOT attraction that “took visitors on a time travel journey through the history of transportation” which Test Track replaced in the late 1990s. This has led many to speculate that Disney may be adding show scenes that either recreate or at least homage to the beloved classic.
The original version of Test Track opened in 1999 — after numerous construction delays — and was a relatively “realistic” version of General Motors (the sponsor of both the original version of General Motors and all versions of Test Track under their Chevrolet brand) proving ground that the company uses to test vehicles. That concept had actually existed since the early development stage of EPCOT, when it was initially planned to join World of Motion as part of a larger single pavilion.
The first Test Track closed in April of 2012. The ride reopened that December — in an iteration reified to by many as Test track 2.0 — with updated theming that allowed guests to “design” their own virtual ride vehicle in the queue, and then see how it performed during the “tests” present in the attraction.
It remains to be seen how different “Test Track 3.0” will be from its predecessors, or how much inspiration it truly will take from World of Motion, but this new permit gives us some hope that construction is continuing at a brisk pace. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Test Track’s refurbishment.
“It’s Literally the Stuff Nightmares Are Made Of” Disney Fans Despise These 10 Things in EPCOT
Join the AllEars.net Newsletter to stay on top of ALL the breaking Disney News! You'll also get access to AllEars tips, reviews, trivia, and MORE! Click here to Subscribe!
What do you hope to see out of the new Test Track? Let us know in the comments below.
Honestly, I hope they drop the design room, it slows down the loading of the ride.
Ok who’s gonna be the first one to call disney woke for this?
So it will finally stop “knocking you around” & giving you whiplash. Get off that ride with knee caps and elbows rearranged. Only fun when you get outside.