Test Track
Encyclopedia
Test Track is an attraction at Epcot
at the Walt Disney World Resort
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
, sponsored by General Motors The ride is a simulated excursion through the rigorous testing procedures that General Motors
uses to evaluate its vehicles, culminating in a high-speed drive around the exterior of the attraction.
Test Track opened to the public on December 19, 1998 after a long delay due to problems revealed during testing and changes to the ride design. It had many opening dates that it missed, such as May 1997 and August 1998. It replaced the World of Motion
, though it uses the same ride building. It did not receive its official grand opening until March 17, 1999.
Guests ride in futuristic "test vehicles" in a GM
"testing facility" and are taken through a series of assessments to illustrate how automobile
prototype
evaluations are conducted. The highlight of the attraction is a speed trial on a track around the exterior of the Test Track building at a top speed of 65 miles per hour (104.6 km/h) on a 50-degree banked curve, making it the fastest Disney theme park attraction ever built, next to California Screamin'
, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
and Tokyo DisneySea's Journey to the Center of the Earth
(which uses an improved version of Test Track's ride system).
The ride remains powered up 20 or more hours a day, due to lengthy start up times and nightly maintenance.
During the entering of the queue, guest view a sample repair and test shop. As guests enter the queue in the welcome center they are shown tests performed on cars and parts before they are released. The queue winds past different tests for tires, car doors, an anechoic chamber
for radio receivers, and an area for crash test dummies
to be tested. At the end of the queue a group of guests are brought into a briefing room where they are shown automobile testing facilities and examples of tests being performed. The host, Bill McKim ( John Michael Higgins
) tells the guests that they will take part in some of these tests and tells the technician Sherrie what tests to set up. Small videos of each test are shown as he speaks. He finally tells her to choose one final "surprise test," and a video of a car crashing into a barrier is shown as a door is opened for guests to enter the interior queue.
Upon reaching the end of this second queue guests are loaded into the test cars to begin. Upon dispatching from the loading dock, the car is brought through an accelerated hill climb. Next, the car's suspension is tested over different road surfaces, including bricks and cobblestones. Next, the car's anti-lock braking system
is turned off and the car tries to navigate a course of cones, knocking many over in the process. The anti-lock brakes are then turned back on and a similar cone course is navigated easily. Guests are shown a video overlay of the difference. Next, the cars are brought through environmental chambers: a hot chamber of 110°F (43°C), a cold chamber of 10°F (-13°C), and a corrosion chamber. The nozzles on the corrosion robots are actually Hidden Mickeys.
The handling of the car is tested next. It climbs a set of hills with blind turns while increasing its speed each time. At the top the car almost crashes into an oncoming semi-truck before swerving out of the way. The car is now on the final test shown in the briefing room: the barrier test. The car lines up across from a barrier and begins to accelerate towards it. Just before hitting the barrier a series of flashes occur, where a picture of the guests is taken, and the barrier opens to a track outside. The car takes a lap around the building with banked turns and a max speed of 65 mph (104.6 km/h). As the car returns to the loading dock a thermal scan is taken of the guests and shown on a large screen.
Like many Disney attractions, Test Track exits into a themed gift shop featuring merchandise associated with the attraction. Guests can also view and purchase photos taken of their vehicle on the ride or scan their Photopass
to view or purchase the photos later. There is also an area where there is a showroom of all new, prototype, or legendary GM vehicles.
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
in Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista, Florida
Lake Buena Vista is a city in Orange County, Florida, United States. It is mostly known for being home to the Walt Disney World Resort. It is one of two Florida municipalities controlled by The Walt Disney Company, the other being Bay Lake....
, sponsored by General Motors The ride is a simulated excursion through the rigorous testing procedures that General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
uses to evaluate its vehicles, culminating in a high-speed drive around the exterior of the attraction.
Test Track opened to the public on December 19, 1998 after a long delay due to problems revealed during testing and changes to the ride design. It had many opening dates that it missed, such as May 1997 and August 1998. It replaced the World of Motion
World of Motion
World of Motion , sponsored by General Motors, was the former tenant of the Transportation pavilion at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort...
, though it uses the same ride building. It did not receive its official grand opening until March 17, 1999.
Guests ride in futuristic "test vehicles" in a GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
"testing facility" and are taken through a series of assessments to illustrate how automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
prototype
Prototype
A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing to be replicated or learned from.The word prototype derives from the Greek πρωτότυπον , "primitive form", neutral of πρωτότυπος , "original, primitive", from πρῶτος , "first" and τύπος ,...
evaluations are conducted. The highlight of the attraction is a speed trial on a track around the exterior of the Test Track building at a top speed of 65 miles per hour (104.6 km/h) on a 50-degree banked curve, making it the fastest Disney theme park attraction ever built, next to California Screamin'
California Screamin'
California Screamin is a steel roller coaster located at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, CA.-History:This boardwalk-themed coaster was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, and was built by Intamin AG. California Screamin' is the 6th longest roller coaster in the world , at long...
, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is an enclosed steel roller coaster ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort and at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris...
and Tokyo DisneySea's Journey to the Center of the Earth
Journey to the Center of the Earth (attraction)
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an attraction at Tokyo DisneySea, based on Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.The attraction uses similar technology to Epcot's Test Track.-Story:...
(which uses an improved version of Test Track's ride system).
The ride remains powered up 20 or more hours a day, due to lengthy start up times and nightly maintenance.
Ride overview
Anechoic chamber
An anechoic chamber is a room designed to stop reflections of either sound or electromagnetic waves.They are also insulated from exterior sources of noise...
for radio receivers, and an area for crash test dummies
Crash test dummy
Crash test dummies are full-scale anthropomorphic test devices that simulate the dimensions, weight proportions and articulation of the human body, and are usually instrumented to record data about the dynamic behavior of the ATD in simulated vehicle impacts...
to be tested. At the end of the queue a group of guests are brought into a briefing room where they are shown automobile testing facilities and examples of tests being performed. The host, Bill McKim ( John Michael Higgins
John Michael Higgins
John Michael Higgins is an American actor whose film credits include Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, the role of David Letterman in HBO's The Late Shift, and a starring role in the American version of Kath & Kim....
) tells the guests that they will take part in some of these tests and tells the technician Sherrie what tests to set up. Small videos of each test are shown as he speaks. He finally tells her to choose one final "surprise test," and a video of a car crashing into a barrier is shown as a door is opened for guests to enter the interior queue.
Upon reaching the end of this second queue guests are loaded into the test cars to begin. Upon dispatching from the loading dock, the car is brought through an accelerated hill climb. Next, the car's suspension is tested over different road surfaces, including bricks and cobblestones. Next, the car's anti-lock braking system
Anti-lock braking system
An anti-lock braking system is a safety system that allows the wheels on a motor vehicle to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs while braking, preventing the wheels from locking up and therefore avoiding skidding.An ABS generally offers...
is turned off and the car tries to navigate a course of cones, knocking many over in the process. The anti-lock brakes are then turned back on and a similar cone course is navigated easily. Guests are shown a video overlay of the difference. Next, the cars are brought through environmental chambers: a hot chamber of 110°F (43°C), a cold chamber of 10°F (-13°C), and a corrosion chamber. The nozzles on the corrosion robots are actually Hidden Mickeys.
The handling of the car is tested next. It climbs a set of hills with blind turns while increasing its speed each time. At the top the car almost crashes into an oncoming semi-truck before swerving out of the way. The car is now on the final test shown in the briefing room: the barrier test. The car lines up across from a barrier and begins to accelerate towards it. Just before hitting the barrier a series of flashes occur, where a picture of the guests is taken, and the barrier opens to a track outside. The car takes a lap around the building with banked turns and a max speed of 65 mph (104.6 km/h). As the car returns to the loading dock a thermal scan is taken of the guests and shown on a large screen.
Like many Disney attractions, Test Track exits into a themed gift shop featuring merchandise associated with the attraction. Guests can also view and purchase photos taken of their vehicle on the ride or scan their Photopass
Disney's Photopass
Disney's PhotoPass is a professional photography service offered at Disney theme parks, water parks, and resorts. Photographers positioned at locations in the theme parks, dining events at the resorts, and at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Downtown Disney are linked to a free card containing a...
to view or purchase the photos later. There is also an area where there is a showroom of all new, prototype, or legendary GM vehicles.