As a former Test Track Technician (Yes, that's what we're called) for 2.0, it was so fun to hear you talk about the ride. Some more fun facts for everyone: 1. Another reason why the ride was delayed from '97 to '99 is that during testing, the imagineers pushed the ride too hard and a car came into the station too fast and wrecked the car and part of the station. This is why there will never be a car 17 on the track. 2. For the 2.0 version, the test dummies were still in the ride, they just sat in the semi. If you were evaced from that part of the ride or the lights came on, guests would be able to see them. They also have names - Rusty and Crusty - which were also the names of the cast member rotations. 3. The track and tires of the ride/cars operate how nascar operates, where the tires are smooth and the pavement is textured. As for the "reliability" of the ride, the system old and each car is its own system, so if one car had a problem it could possibly shut the whole ride down if maitenance couldnt fix it in time. Depending on where a car stopped on the track, we could pretty much call if it would be an evacuation or not as each car has a countdown timer for when it stops moving. Another thing, like Ryan mentioned, the cars are not supposed to operate in the rain. Even a light drizzle can affect the sensors on the seats, which will require the car to 1. Be taken off and moved to maintenance or 2. Have the potential to bring the ride down. Most times we would run in light rain, but Leaders would watch how heavy the downfall was and call if we needed to stop because the rain was too heavy. Overall, my hope for 3.0 is that they fix the system and give the ride the updates that it needs. New consols and possibly a new system would likely fix the issues that the old Test Track had.
I have a weird question for you since you are a former CM on TT… my dad and I got pulled to the side after our ride and taken back around to ride again and we have been debating why for the last year 😂 we thought maybe it was because it stalled for a minute after the outside loop but it wasn’t for that long. Any reason why you guys would do a magical moment for a car of people?
@@deansgrl90 Sometimes if a cast member was feeling nice they would call us on unload and tell us which car they want to offer to ride again and we would. It was also an easy form of recovery for anyone who got stalled on the ride (due to a stopped car or a backup of dispatching cars) to offer a re-ride in order to give them the full experience without any delays. Also if a car had audio issues, we typically gave them a re-ride so they could experience the full attraction.
The aesthetic of Test Track 1.0 worked so well when compounded with (at least for me) the booming popularity of Mythbusters. It felt like walking into a real working tech space. and they had all these experiments, the test dummies, and the danger. It wouldn't have felt out of place for Adam and Jamie to step out during a safety video.
The one thing I thought FOR SURE you guys would talk about was something Jenny Nicholson talked about in your episode with her: Test Track 2.0 lost all sense of danger. In the original version, there was always this sense of foreboding. It definitely started in the queue, which is still embedded in my memory. I must have been like 12 years old. You're seeing all these smashed up cars and crash test dummies get absolutely pummeled. The preshow video even had this kind of tongue-in-cheek "We're gonna put you through the wringer" mentality. The "surprise" test they tease continues to add on to it. Before a time of on-ride videos, I remember feeling like "What the heck am I in for?" Then the ride goes, and I got swept up in the thrill of it. Weaving through turns, going over bumpy terrain. It's a fun ride. Then the truck scare happens and immediately I was reminded of all the stuff we saw in the queue. Which leads right into that wrecked car and the guy saying "Okay, one last test: impact." My heart was RACING when I saw that wall. The car speeds up, the wall opens, and it was AWESOME. The adrenaline was already pumping before the big outdoor finale. Test Track 2.0 has NONE of that. All the preshow elements are, as you rightly pointed out, Chevrolet propaganda of "look how eco-friendly we are!" The designing the car is kind of cool, but also as you said, has zero impact on the overall ride experience. The ride is too dark. You can't see what's going on, so there's no chance to be thrilled or surprised. On top of ALL of that, it's just a "simulation." You're in a digital world. There's no sense of real danger because, as the ride presents it, none of it's real. It's all in some digitized version of reality. I don't think the rating you guys gave Test Track 2.0 was too harsh. It felt pretty spot-on for me. The original version holds a very special place in my heart as being one of the first thrill rides I remember. I'm really hoping whatever new version they have at least makes it feel like something "real" is happening. We all know "immersion" is the new buzz word, so that does give me some hope that Test Track 3.0 (or whatever it'll be called) will bring the ride back to some kind of worthy place among Disney thrill rides.
I found this podcast maybe a week ago, and I’ve blown through all of the episodes. So exciting to see that the ad breaks are increasingly getting more sponsors 🙏 this has become my favorite podcast and I don’t want it to ever go away
My wife once summed up test track 2.0 as “Why would I wait an hour to ride in a convertible for two minutes?” And I will never look at it differently until it’s redone
I adore this pod. One thing I think would help is a brief overview at the beginning of what the ride is for those of us that haven’t been on it or haven’t been in a while. Just a brief verbal walkthrough of the theming of the queue, what the ride mechanism is, and the key points the ride moves through. More than anything though, never stop making this pod, please.
Ryan in fairness, the last time I was there I had JUST put in an order for the Chevy Bolt EUV and I was PISSED I hadn’t waited so I could say I bought it at Disney 😂 I walked out into the showroom and saw my exact car and it was a weird sicko related thrill lol
My sister and I had the best time with Test Track at WDW in 2013, we laughed the entire time: While we were making our horrible bat mobile knock off, while we were on the track and when we saw our abomination on the screen after winning at the end... it was also a night ride, so it felt super fast. definitely one of the most memorable moments from our week long vacation.
just wanted to say, this podcast is easily one of my favorite things to come out of watcher. i was born in orlando just 30 minutes away from the big cheese, grew up here, still live here, and have never recovered from the disease that is loving theme parks. i went to court and had my last name changed to "graves" with the haunted mansion in mind for fucks sake. i was so enthused to learn ryan suffers the same disease, albeit the california version. ive watched/listened to some of these eps 2 or 3 times over now. cant wait to see what you two cover next, keep goin boys (if i were a guest, i would probably have to pick either iron gwazi or that fuckass cat in the hat ride at universal, just to ruin everyones day).
My Test Track experience was waiting for 60 minutes of a posted 40 minute wait, being evacuated from the building, and then the ride staying closed until I had to fly home.
As someone who grew up in 90s early 2000s world of automotive manufacturing. From factories to warehouses, the original test track was amazing. The level of detail, testing, machines, even down to the smell, was extremely accurate. I remember my dad saying "it felt like I was back at work, but I don't hate it here haha". You can tell the original test track was designed along side people that really worked at those facilities. Test Track 2.0 was "In my opinion" the absolute worsts redos of a ride ever. The waiting area was so bland and "Corporate" felling that I was actually miserable waiting in line. It felt like GM was trying to change people perception of the company to be more Eco/Modern feeling, instead of showing people what it takes to make a car. The TRON ride re-theme wasn't the worst, but the original was much better. I Hope 3.0 brings back the feel of the original version.
I love this show...and im the type of person that always has the TV on and when I'm not watching an episode it's still on in the background while I'm doing chores or whatnot....I'm not even sure why I love it..I just do..rock on my peeps
Glad that you are getting some sponsors. I love this podcast. Makes me so excited for theme parks! Would love to see some more Disneyland stuff. Also- if you get the opportunity to travel overseas, Efteling in the Netherlands is a charming park with a decidedly European feeel.
Test tack is not a terrible ride but every time I ride it I’m like “there was so much potential here” Knowing it could a radiators racers ride. They went the cheapest most boring way.
I know I am a few days late listening to this in its entirely. But I figured I would save it for a rainy day. Today seems like a day I needed a distraction with my family watching and later debating the climate of future events. Thanks for continuing this podcast. If you do more Extinct Attractions I would love that! My vote would be either Original Journey into Imagination and/or Horizons! Thank you again for producing this podcast. Take care and stay well all of you! Have a great old magical day! Thank you!
Shortly after 2.0 opened Ricky Brigante of Inside The Magic made a Tron playlist to play while on the ride. It made the experience SO much better. I always referred to 2.0 as TRON TRACK! Yes, I shouted it every time I said it)
Hearing Byron call I-4 “The 4 freeway” is so funny to me as a Floridian because that’s such a Californian way to refer to it 😂 Not that anyone cares about colloquial/linguistic differences between states but in Florida we call them it “the highway” not “the freeway” and we call them all I-(whatever number they are) like I-4 and I-95
The irony of you guys talking about the ever-moving goalpost for fastpass/lightening lane when it literally got moved again the same day this podcast dropped 😂
I’ve only been on this ride once in 2020. I was very excited to ride it because I do like going fast. It was a stinker for me, but not for the reasons you guys stated here. My four year old son wasn’t tall enough to ride so he had to hang out with a friend at the exit. Apparently he didn’t tell my friend he had to go to the bathroom so… I will forever associate test track with what I had to clean up after😂😂😂
I’ve only ever been on 2.0. I rode it one time back in 2016, and the only thing I remember from the indoor portion was the part where the car swerves around a semi-truck
I'm 31 and I raced Slot cars with my dad as a teenager!! He still races Slot cars and travels out of state to race with his friends. It's so heckin wholesome I tried to convince my dad to visit WDW with me by hyping up Test Track and he's like...no thank you 😂
having never ridden the og test track, I must say I absolutely love 2.0 and I think the fact that it is goofy makes it even better! but i’m so excited to see 3.0
My parents worked for GM so we got to skip the line and they had a little lounge where I got free soda. Made this my favorite ride for a while 😂 Also re: paper fast passes - I was a CM when they switched to FP+ so we went around and got a paper fast pass from every ride and I still have them. One of my favorite souvenirs from my time as a cast member.
Crazy that neither one of them said that they could see Test Track being a Disney Channel Original movie. The level of B Movie potential this ride has is crazy
Unpopular opinion; they should get rid of Star Wars launch way and the little mermaid show at Hollywood studios and build cars land. It’s the best theme land Disney has ever done. And it would fit Hollywood studios way more.
That’s indeed a rather unpopular opinion. Cars Land ought to stay an exclusive for DCA, and the ride system is already there at Epcot, makes no sense to clone it. But yes SOMETHING has to be replacing Animation Courtyard soon
There's not nearly enough space there to clone Cars Land, and the scale would be way off for the peaks of Ornament Valley. It would look terrible. (I do agree with you that DHS is a better thematic fit for the land, but it's not horribly off for DCA, either.)
The only time I went to WDW in ‘07 I was 10 years old I didn’t get on many big rides bc I was too scared but I’m so glad that I went on Test Track even while crying, I always think about it how fun this ride was it’s the only thing I remember from Epcot
Why isn't this just it's own channel? I'm constantly getting recommended and accidentally clicking on stuff I don't wanna watch because the algorithm thinks I'm a fan of the buzzfeed guys or whatever. I'm just here for Byron and cool rides
As someone who only started going to Disney as an adult in the past couple years, I think Test Track 1.0 might be my biggest personal One That Got Away. I LOVE the wacky industrial art direction it had and I love the crash test dummies. Reminds me of Mythbusters and other fun stuff from that era-- definitely a bit dated but in a way I really dig. I hope the new one brings some of the whimsy back. Now that we have a real deal Tron ride, I think the cold cybernetic aesthetic of 2.0 seems redundant.
So many times I have been on Test Track and someone else in the vehicle doesn’t realize that the seatbelt check is around the corner and they will start freaking out and yelling that the ride has started and they don’t have their seatbelt on yet. That’s always pretty amusing.
One of the times I road Test Track 1.0 when I was little, they had people dressed up as crash test dummies for some reason. One of them was waiting around the corner when you get off the ride, and it scared the CRAP out of me. I was terrified of crash test dummies from then on. But I still loved the ride so I faced my fear many times 😅
my dad was always eating up that chevy showroom we never got one but it def caused us to consider (in times when we actually needed a new car… would never buy one at disney but would poke around at the dealership back home 😭)
The only thing I enjoyed about the 2.0 version of TestTrack was the interactive, build your own car element. However, upon repeat visits, I noticed that it would save the cars I made from years prior and wouldn't let me make a new one. So the one element I liked rarely worked after it's prime time. And the door that opens prior to the outdoor portion was just left open so it wasn't very thrilling.
I’ve only been on Test Track once, last year and it thought it was fun, for that last sprint to the end but it was such a weird concept of a ride to me. I can’t remember waiting in line, but surely we didn’t pay for Genie+ or whatever in Epcot. I guess the fact that I remember so little from a year ago is a testament to how much of an impression it (didn’t) make.
So you guys mentioned fast pass plus, and that was kind of announced to be returning with lightening lane multi pass....so did you manifest this?? Can you manifest a new spooky ride at Disney.
During this episode, I looked up to see if anyone had bought a car from Test Track, and wound up on the same thread Matt mentions - it blew my mind when he started to read the same comment I was reading at the same time
Never-rode-the-original person here! Loved 2.0 when I was younger, but the last two times I went, solo, I really started to see its flaws. I had totally forgotten that the temperature didn’t actually change in the temperature tests (like…???), that the ride itself wasn’t affected by your choices, and as an unreasonably competitive person it pissed me off that now the cars were often not synchronized with the scores showing up on the screen. This happened both of my last trips. Overall I realized how underwhelming it was. As a huge fan of sci-fi there’s a lot I do like about the aesthetic, but knowing that there was a story in 1.0 makes me mourn something I never knew! lol. I go to Disney because their rides tell immersive stories (huge fan of dark rides for that reason rather than outdoor coasters), so it’s very disappointing to know that they just abandoned that for this version. That said, I wouldn’t want them to just go completely backwards for this refurb. The concept art for the outside of the building still looks very sleek, so I hope they still incorporate some kind of futuristic aesthetic while combining it with old elements. I’d love to see “the sim track” replaced with something more tangible that still gives off a sci-fi vibe. And hopefully it’ll have some kind of story! Also, I absolutely cannot wait for you guys to talk about Cosmic Rewind. Paid LL and did virtual queue every day of my last trip so I could ride it a total of six times! Such an incredible coaster, ugh I love it so much. Edit: The bit where you guys were arguing about the showroom and then got interrupted multiple times with proof that ppl bought cars because of Test Track was hilarious.
I'd definitely be interested in some FYA autopsy episodes for extinct rides, but I think they should only be rides that both of them have been on prior to closure and ideally with a guest who had ridden it as well.
1:18:39 Coincidently Dynamic Attractions who manufactured the ride did develop a second-gen version of the system that can actually be considered a roller coaster, even if it will ever open is up in the air (Mad Ramp Peak at Genting SkyWorlds in Malaysia) Also just to name another ride that has gotten worse after a refurbishment is something I would actually ride Test Track 2.0 over and that is Wildcat at Lake Compounce (pre 2024)
I would personally pass the smart phone test. After drinking around the world, you can take a little nap inside in the AC when you're waiting and it inevitably breaks down
This episode is making me realize that the current version of test track isn’t that great, it’s just that my brain turns off whenever I start to go fast lmao. I am however very excited for test track 3.0, I really hope it is more of a callback to World of Motion as they said it will be.
I feel like this would have been considered world class in its 1.0 variant. It was THE Epcot thrill ride. I remember it fondly but over time I have just skipped over it on my last 3 trips to WDW. 5.5 feels right
Have I been on Test Track? Yes Do I now drive a Chevrolet? Yes Did I get a Chevrolet because of Test Track? No Do I think about Test Track when I’m in my Chevrolet? No, but I do think about the post-Test Track Chevrolet showroom 🤷♂️
I have similar thoughts on this as I do on the Simpsons. Where the ride that's there is good, but everyone is too hung up on what it was instead of what it is. Except this attraction actually holds a place in my heart since back in the day, Inside The Magic (before it sucked) put out a custom soundtrack to Test Track 2.0 that put the Daft Punk score of TRON Legacy over the ride to match the aesthetic. That video is what put me onto Daft Punk in general, The TRON franchise and would essentially kick off my journey of making electronic music and now persuing a career in theme park music and audio. Also, hot take but the OG test track queue music SUCKED
I'm so glad yall are as mad (and hopeful!) about the old/new respectively. I'm cautiously optimistic about 3.0, but my god, I haven't touched test track in YEARS because the 2.0 version is such a slog to get through.
such a fair assessment. I remember get ting on the current version after not being in the parks for YEARS and got out thinking "what the fuck happened????"
I don't have any insider knowledge about Disney's/Chevy's motivations, but I think there is a misunderstanding of what the point of this "gift shop" is. It's marketing. The point is to associate the riders' positive experience they just had on the ride with Chevy as a brand so in the future they subconsciously associate the brand with the excitement and fun feelings they got from the ride. So, in the future when they start thinking about buying a car, maybe they are theoretically primed with positive brand recognition for Chevy. Test Track is fun and you feel cool driving fast. Now you might think in a part of your mind that Chevy is fun and you'd feel cool driving fast in a Chevy. That's my thought 🤔
I like test track any version, because I live in the Netherlands I only got to experience the 2.0 so I have no past references other than pov's, and those video footages are not the greatest so I just like it. But I agree that the 1.0 sounds way better.
Not a harsh score at all- just right for Test Track 2.0. I’m not as harsh on it as y’all were but nonetheless, it’s definitely a downgrade from 1.0 and the big draw is car go fast lol. It’ll be interesting seeing how World of Motion plays into the retheme. Trying to be optimistic like Ryan at the end haha. Let’s hope they highlight what makes this attraction great again.
I am like 75% sure that Disney company vehicles are GM made so I think that also ties into the partnership agreement - Disney likey puts in orders on a corporate rate
If you wanted to put even this version of the attraction into world class, I have an easy pitch for how Test Track works as a movie script... there might not be a fictional story backing the ride, but there is a REAL story to test track and its journey, as a reflection of the automotive industry as a whole. Picture a movie about a mechanical engineer, struggling in the modern era that is too clean, too digital, where his skillset in practical mechanics just isn't appreciated any more. Maybe he's stuck working as a used car salesman now, Cobra Kai style. Then he runs across some young plucky kid who is interested in automotive design, but, kid only knows this simulator modeling software hand has no idea how to bring his dream car to life. Maybe plucky kid's family is poor, kid can't afford a car, and is having self esteem issues. Gotta have the car to Get The Girl(tm). So the old washed up engineer decides to help the kid build his dream car, and heartfelt feelgood lessons ensue over generational bonding. The kid learns some hard lessons about how simulators are no replacement for the real deal, while the older engineer can find happiness knowing there are those who still appreciate and even depend on skills like his. I would even argue there's more connective tissue between the ride and my pitch than there is between a few of the based-on-a-ride movies we've gotten in the past.
Hopefully one day they’ll stop testing it and just give us Track 😔
Always testing, never tracking 😢
As a former Test Track Technician (Yes, that's what we're called) for 2.0, it was so fun to hear you talk about the ride. Some more fun facts for everyone:
1. Another reason why the ride was delayed from '97 to '99 is that during testing, the imagineers pushed the ride too hard and a car came into the station too fast and wrecked the car and part of the station. This is why there will never be a car 17 on the track.
2. For the 2.0 version, the test dummies were still in the ride, they just sat in the semi. If you were evaced from that part of the ride or the lights came on, guests would be able to see them. They also have names - Rusty and Crusty - which were also the names of the cast member rotations.
3. The track and tires of the ride/cars operate how nascar operates, where the tires are smooth and the pavement is textured.
As for the "reliability" of the ride, the system old and each car is its own system, so if one car had a problem it could possibly shut the whole ride down if maitenance couldnt fix it in time. Depending on where a car stopped on the track, we could pretty much call if it would be an evacuation or not as each car has a countdown timer for when it stops moving.
Another thing, like Ryan mentioned, the cars are not supposed to operate in the rain. Even a light drizzle can affect the sensors on the seats, which will require the car to 1. Be taken off and moved to maintenance or 2. Have the potential to bring the ride down. Most times we would run in light rain, but Leaders would watch how heavy the downfall was and call if we needed to stop because the rain was too heavy.
Overall, my hope for 3.0 is that they fix the system and give the ride the updates that it needs. New consols and possibly a new system would likely fix the issues that the old Test Track had.
I have a weird question for you since you are a former CM on TT… my dad and I got pulled to the side after our ride and taken back around to ride again and we have been debating why for the last year 😂 we thought maybe it was because it stalled for a minute after the outside loop but it wasn’t for that long. Any reason why you guys would do a magical moment for a car of people?
@@deansgrl90 Sometimes if a cast member was feeling nice they would call us on unload and tell us which car they want to offer to ride again and we would. It was also an easy form of recovery for anyone who got stalled on the ride (due to a stopped car or a backup of dispatching cars) to offer a re-ride in order to give them the full experience without any delays. Also if a car had audio issues, we typically gave them a re-ride so they could experience the full attraction.
@@hayleew good to know! Thank you!
The aesthetic of Test Track 1.0 worked so well when compounded with (at least for me) the booming popularity of Mythbusters. It felt like walking into a real working tech space. and they had all these experiments, the test dummies, and the danger. It wouldn't have felt out of place for Adam and Jamie to step out during a safety video.
The one thing I thought FOR SURE you guys would talk about was something Jenny Nicholson talked about in your episode with her: Test Track 2.0 lost all sense of danger.
In the original version, there was always this sense of foreboding. It definitely started in the queue, which is still embedded in my memory. I must have been like 12 years old. You're seeing all these smashed up cars and crash test dummies get absolutely pummeled. The preshow video even had this kind of tongue-in-cheek "We're gonna put you through the wringer" mentality. The "surprise" test they tease continues to add on to it. Before a time of on-ride videos, I remember feeling like "What the heck am I in for?"
Then the ride goes, and I got swept up in the thrill of it. Weaving through turns, going over bumpy terrain. It's a fun ride. Then the truck scare happens and immediately I was reminded of all the stuff we saw in the queue. Which leads right into that wrecked car and the guy saying "Okay, one last test: impact." My heart was RACING when I saw that wall. The car speeds up, the wall opens, and it was AWESOME. The adrenaline was already pumping before the big outdoor finale.
Test Track 2.0 has NONE of that. All the preshow elements are, as you rightly pointed out, Chevrolet propaganda of "look how eco-friendly we are!" The designing the car is kind of cool, but also as you said, has zero impact on the overall ride experience. The ride is too dark. You can't see what's going on, so there's no chance to be thrilled or surprised. On top of ALL of that, it's just a "simulation." You're in a digital world. There's no sense of real danger because, as the ride presents it, none of it's real. It's all in some digitized version of reality.
I don't think the rating you guys gave Test Track 2.0 was too harsh. It felt pretty spot-on for me. The original version holds a very special place in my heart as being one of the first thrill rides I remember. I'm really hoping whatever new version they have at least makes it feel like something "real" is happening. We all know "immersion" is the new buzz word, so that does give me some hope that Test Track 3.0 (or whatever it'll be called) will bring the ride back to some kind of worthy place among Disney thrill rides.
I found this podcast maybe a week ago, and I’ve blown through all of the episodes. So exciting to see that the ad breaks are increasingly getting more sponsors 🙏 this has become my favorite podcast and I don’t want it to ever go away
Agreed! This is such a great and wholesome podcast! As a theme park nerd, it’s so much fun to listen to.
Welcome to the most niche podcast family 😂❤
Livestream would be cool. What rides are missing? Frozen?
My wife once summed up test track 2.0 as “Why would I wait an hour to ride in a convertible for two minutes?” And I will never look at it differently until it’s redone
Buying a car at an amusement park is a tax bracket I long to be in
I adore this pod. One thing I think would help is a brief overview at the beginning of what the ride is for those of us that haven’t been on it or haven’t been in a while. Just a brief verbal walkthrough of the theming of the queue, what the ride mechanism is, and the key points the ride moves through. More than anything though, never stop making this pod, please.
3 sponsors?! wooooo
Ryan in fairness, the last time I was there I had JUST put in an order for the Chevy Bolt EUV and I was PISSED I hadn’t waited so I could say I bought it at Disney 😂 I walked out into the showroom and saw my exact car and it was a weird sicko related thrill lol
I really hope v3 goes back to its roots and gives everyone both nostalgia and new!!
My sister and I had the best time with Test Track at WDW in 2013, we laughed the entire time: While we were making our horrible bat mobile knock off, while we were on the track and when we saw our abomination on the screen after winning at the end... it was also a night ride, so it felt super fast. definitely one of the most memorable moments from our week long vacation.
just wanted to say, this podcast is easily one of my favorite things to come out of watcher. i was born in orlando just 30 minutes away from the big cheese, grew up here, still live here, and have never recovered from the disease that is loving theme parks. i went to court and had my last name changed to "graves" with the haunted mansion in mind for fucks sake. i was so enthused to learn ryan suffers the same disease, albeit the california version.
ive watched/listened to some of these eps 2 or 3 times over now. cant wait to see what you two cover next, keep goin boys (if i were a guest, i would probably have to pick either iron gwazi or that fuckass cat in the hat ride at universal, just to ruin everyones day).
My Test Track experience was waiting for 60 minutes of a posted 40 minute wait, being evacuated from the building, and then the ride staying closed until I had to fly home.
Well you didn’t miss much trust me 😂😂
As someone who grew up in 90s early 2000s world of automotive manufacturing. From factories to warehouses, the original test track was amazing. The level of detail, testing, machines, even down to the smell, was extremely accurate. I remember my dad saying "it felt like I was back at work, but I don't hate it here haha". You can tell the original test track was designed along side people that really worked at those facilities. Test Track 2.0 was "In my opinion" the absolute worsts redos of a ride ever. The waiting area was so bland and "Corporate" felling that I was actually miserable waiting in line. It felt like GM was trying to change people perception of the company to be more Eco/Modern feeling, instead of showing people what it takes to make a car. The TRON ride re-theme wasn't the worst, but the original was much better. I Hope 3.0 brings back the feel of the original version.
We need a cosmic rewind or hagrids episode already haha
The Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™️ episode has to have Molly from Mammoth Club
@@honeysuckle754thank you for saying the full ride name…it’s the name that must be said in its entirety 😂
Agreed when they cover Hagrids I hope it's Molly who is on! @@honeysuckle754
I just love the iteration of this pod and Matt finally has the energy to be active as the episode goes by 😂.
I love this show...and im the type of person that always has the TV on and when I'm not watching an episode it's still on in the background while I'm doing chores or whatnot....I'm not even sure why I love it..I just do..rock on my peeps
Glad that you are getting some sponsors. I love this podcast. Makes me so excited for theme parks! Would love to see some more Disneyland stuff. Also- if you get the opportunity to travel overseas, Efteling in the Netherlands is a charming park with a decidedly European feeel.
Test tack is not a terrible ride but every time I ride it I’m like “there was so much potential here”
Knowing it could a radiators racers ride.
They went the cheapest most boring way.
Test track is absolutely trash. Felt that way since I was a kid when I first went on it 😂
I know I am a few days late listening to this in its entirely. But I figured I would save it for a rainy day. Today seems like a day I needed a distraction with my family watching and later debating the climate of future events. Thanks for continuing this podcast. If you do more Extinct Attractions I would love that! My vote would be either Original Journey into Imagination and/or Horizons!
Thank you again for producing this podcast. Take care and stay well all of you! Have a great old magical day! Thank you!
Shortly after 2.0 opened Ricky Brigante of Inside The Magic made a Tron playlist to play while on the ride. It made the experience SO much better. I always referred to 2.0 as TRON TRACK! Yes, I shouted it every time I said it)
I miss Ricky
@@jeskuo same here
Hearing Byron call I-4 “The 4 freeway” is so funny to me as a Floridian because that’s such a Californian way to refer to it 😂
Not that anyone cares about colloquial/linguistic differences between states but in Florida we call them it “the highway” not “the freeway” and we call them all I-(whatever number they are) like I-4 and I-95
Day 15 of asking for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree
You can do it 👍🏼.
@@bambikiller338 Even as an April Fools Day Episode! I'd take a spin with Mater!
Pls be srs
Mater's is elite.
@@imaginationstationyt6948 I wanted to ride it last year but ran out of time ⌛️. Now if i wanna ride that style its got to be alien swirling saucers.
When Chevy showed up as a sponsored ad mid the guys crapping all over this ride, I lost it 😂 Keep it up gents. Always a joy
65 mph isn’t due to legal. They just didn’t want to be seen as encouraging speeding. It’s not a public road.
Um, am i crazy? I LOVED Tron Legacy!!!
The irony of you guys talking about the ever-moving goalpost for fastpass/lightening lane when it literally got moved again the same day this podcast dropped 😂
I’ve only been on this ride once in 2020. I was very excited to ride it because I do like going fast. It was a stinker for me, but not for the reasons you guys stated here. My four year old son wasn’t tall enough to ride so he had to hang out with a friend at the exit. Apparently he didn’t tell my friend he had to go to the bathroom so… I will forever associate test track with what I had to clean up after😂😂😂
I’ve only ever been on 2.0. I rode it one time back in 2016, and the only thing I remember from the indoor portion was the part where the car swerves around a semi-truck
Test Track 1.0 was superior in every way. It was one of my favorite rides ever. Love the classic pre-ride video lol
aww yeah best day of the week is here
I'm 31 and I raced Slot cars with my dad as a teenager!! He still races Slot cars and travels out of state to race with his friends. It's so heckin wholesome
I tried to convince my dad to visit WDW with me by hyping up Test Track and he's like...no thank you 😂
The one podcast where I like seeing the increasing number of sponsorships
tron legacy is the greatest i'll die on this hill i wrote an entire essay on this for my film class
having never ridden the og test track, I must say I absolutely love 2.0 and I think the fact that it is goofy makes it even better! but i’m so excited to see 3.0
Yes right when I needed you guys you came in clutch 🙌
It's under 65 because they didn't want to influence people to speed on legal roads lol
My parents worked for GM so we got to skip the line and they had a little lounge where I got free soda. Made this my favorite ride for a while 😂
Also re: paper fast passes - I was a CM when they switched to FP+ so we went around and got a paper fast pass from every ride and I still have them. One of my favorite souvenirs from my time as a cast member.
loved the pre and post shows of Test Track 2.0 loved the attraction itself better in 1.0
Crazy that neither one of them said that they could see Test Track being a Disney Channel Original movie. The level of B Movie potential this ride has is crazy
Damn, now I want the alternate timeline where this is a thing that got made.
Gotta love the timely episodes!
Unpopular opinion; they should get rid of Star Wars launch way and the little mermaid show at Hollywood studios and build cars land.
It’s the best theme land Disney has ever done. And it would fit Hollywood studios way more.
That’s indeed a rather unpopular opinion. Cars Land ought to stay an exclusive for DCA, and the ride system is already there at Epcot, makes no sense to clone it. But yes SOMETHING has to be replacing Animation Courtyard soon
There's not nearly enough space there to clone Cars Land, and the scale would be way off for the peaks of Ornament Valley. It would look terrible. (I do agree with you that DHS is a better thematic fit for the land, but it's not horribly off for DCA, either.)
This comment aged interestingly
The only time I went to WDW in ‘07 I was 10 years old I didn’t get on many big rides bc I was too scared but I’m so glad that I went on Test Track even while crying, I always think about it how fun this ride was it’s the only thing I remember from Epcot
So I’ve never been on the original test track but I loved test track 2.0 it also has the best music
Why isn't this just it's own channel? I'm constantly getting recommended and accidentally clicking on stuff I don't wanna watch because the algorithm thinks I'm a fan of the buzzfeed guys or whatever. I'm just here for Byron and cool rides
As someone who only started going to Disney as an adult in the past couple years, I think Test Track 1.0 might be my biggest personal One That Got Away. I LOVE the wacky industrial art direction it had and I love the crash test dummies. Reminds me of Mythbusters and other fun stuff from that era-- definitely a bit dated but in a way I really dig. I hope the new one brings some of the whimsy back. Now that we have a real deal Tron ride, I think the cold cybernetic aesthetic of 2.0 seems redundant.
So many times I have been on Test Track and someone else in the vehicle doesn’t realize that the seatbelt check is around the corner and they will start freaking out and yelling that the ride has started and they don’t have their seatbelt on yet. That’s always pretty amusing.
One of the times I road Test Track 1.0 when I was little, they had people dressed up as crash test dummies for some reason. One of them was waiting around the corner when you get off the ride, and it scared the CRAP out of me. I was terrified of crash test dummies from then on. But I still loved the ride so I faced my fear many times 😅
fav podcast
We actually talked with someone in the showroom area getting off Test Track. Ended up buying a Chevy Bolt when we got home.
my dad was always eating up that chevy showroom we never got one but it def caused us to consider (in times when we actually needed a new car… would never buy one at disney but would poke around at the dealership back home 😭)
The only thing I enjoyed about the 2.0 version of TestTrack was the interactive, build your own car element. However, upon repeat visits, I noticed that it would save the cars I made from years prior and wouldn't let me make a new one. So the one element I liked rarely worked after it's prime time. And the door that opens prior to the outdoor portion was just left open so it wasn't very thrilling.
I’ve only been on Test Track once, last year and it thought it was fun, for that last sprint to the end but it was such a weird concept of a ride to me. I can’t remember waiting in line, but surely we didn’t pay for Genie+ or whatever in Epcot. I guess the fact that I remember so little from a year ago is a testament to how much of an impression it (didn’t) make.
Okay wow, I went to watch a ride through of both versions and wow, what a downgrade.
So you guys mentioned fast pass plus, and that was kind of announced to be returning with lightening lane multi pass....so did you manifest this?? Can you manifest a new spooky ride at Disney.
The past 2 times I went to Epcot, it said the wait was 45 mins but both times it was actually only 20 mins
Another video that doesn’t look like it’s about the iconic Spaceship Earth. Weird.
another banger!!!! just curious, but is there any chance of the vodcast getting uploaded to the watcher app? i want to support y'all directly
I’d love to talk with the two of you about the Hogwarts Express, as someone who opened the attraction.
Tron legacy is a fantastic movie. Had the movie, a prequel cartoon, 2 rides, and a sequel. Don’t knock Tron legacy
During this episode, I looked up to see if anyone had bought a car from Test Track, and wound up on the same thread Matt mentions - it blew my mind when he started to read the same comment I was reading at the same time
I miss the engine sound effects from 1.0. Really helped sell we were in a car with a beefy v8.
Never-rode-the-original person here! Loved 2.0 when I was younger, but the last two times I went, solo, I really started to see its flaws. I had totally forgotten that the temperature didn’t actually change in the temperature tests (like…???), that the ride itself wasn’t affected by your choices, and as an unreasonably competitive person it pissed me off that now the cars were often not synchronized with the scores showing up on the screen. This happened both of my last trips. Overall I realized how underwhelming it was. As a huge fan of sci-fi there’s a lot I do like about the aesthetic, but knowing that there was a story in 1.0 makes me mourn something I never knew! lol. I go to Disney because their rides tell immersive stories (huge fan of dark rides for that reason rather than outdoor coasters), so it’s very disappointing to know that they just abandoned that for this version. That said, I wouldn’t want them to just go completely backwards for this refurb. The concept art for the outside of the building still looks very sleek, so I hope they still incorporate some kind of futuristic aesthetic while combining it with old elements. I’d love to see “the sim track” replaced with something more tangible that still gives off a sci-fi vibe. And hopefully it’ll have some kind of story!
Also, I absolutely cannot wait for you guys to talk about Cosmic Rewind. Paid LL and did virtual queue every day of my last trip so I could ride it a total of six times! Such an incredible coaster, ugh I love it so much.
Edit: The bit where you guys were arguing about the showroom and then got interrupted multiple times with proof that ppl bought cars because of Test Track was hilarious.
I'd definitely be interested in some FYA autopsy episodes for extinct rides, but I think they should only be rides that both of them have been on prior to closure and ideally with a guest who had ridden it as well.
Begging y’all to have Pugh two on the pod ❤
I’ve only been on 2.0… I asked my friend “do you like this ride? Is it cool?” And he just said “well, I’ve BEEN on the highway….” 😅
1:18:39 Coincidently Dynamic Attractions who manufactured the ride did develop a second-gen version of the system that can actually be considered a roller coaster, even if it will ever open is up in the air (Mad Ramp Peak at Genting SkyWorlds in Malaysia)
Also just to name another ride that has gotten worse after a refurbishment is something I would actually ride Test Track 2.0 over and that is Wildcat at Lake Compounce (pre 2024)
I am a Florida resident, the speed limit on most highways is 70 mph
We need Byron’s mom on this show. Her remarks on both this ride and ET seem very insightful, I feel like she would be a cool, smart lady.
I would personally pass the smart phone test. After drinking around the world, you can take a little nap inside in the AC when you're waiting and it inevitably breaks down
My mom wants to make an argument for Skull Island! She loves this queue
This episode is making me realize that the current version of test track isn’t that great, it’s just that my brain turns off whenever I start to go fast lmao. I am however very excited for test track 3.0, I really hope it is more of a callback to World of Motion as they said it will be.
I feel like this would have been considered world class in its 1.0 variant. It was THE Epcot thrill ride. I remember it fondly but over time I have just skipped over it on my last 3 trips to WDW. 5.5 feels right
Have I been on Test Track? Yes
Do I now drive a Chevrolet? Yes
Did I get a Chevrolet because of Test Track? No
Do I think about Test Track when I’m in my Chevrolet? No, but I do think about the post-Test Track Chevrolet showroom
🤷♂️
I have similar thoughts on this as I do on the Simpsons. Where the ride that's there is good, but everyone is too hung up on what it was instead of what it is. Except this attraction actually holds a place in my heart since back in the day, Inside The Magic (before it sucked) put out a custom soundtrack to Test Track 2.0 that put the Daft Punk score of TRON Legacy over the ride to match the aesthetic. That video is what put me onto Daft Punk in general, The TRON franchise and would essentially kick off my journey of making electronic music and now persuing a career in theme park music and audio. Also, hot take but the OG test track queue music SUCKED
I'm so glad yall are as mad (and hopeful!) about the old/new respectively. I'm cautiously optimistic about 3.0, but my god, I haven't touched test track in YEARS because the 2.0 version is such a slog to get through.
such a fair assessment. I remember get ting on the current version after not being in the parks for YEARS and got out thinking "what the fuck happened????"
I love Tron, so I loved the new themeing for 2.0. It was hard to hear you poopoo on it 😅
I love this show!
Universal Epic Universe have taken nearly a decade
I still have a few paper Test Track Fast Passes. We used to get about 5 a day. 😂
I'm looking forward to 3.0, I Hope they go back to the actual car testing idea.
I had a feeling you guys you were going to do this attraction lol.
Is Ryan doing Bruno Madrigal cosplay? 😄
I don't have any insider knowledge about Disney's/Chevy's motivations, but I think there is a misunderstanding of what the point of this "gift shop" is. It's marketing. The point is to associate the riders' positive experience they just had on the ride with Chevy as a brand so in the future they subconsciously associate the brand with the excitement and fun feelings they got from the ride. So, in the future when they start thinking about buying a car, maybe they are theoretically primed with positive brand recognition for Chevy. Test Track is fun and you feel cool driving fast. Now you might think in a part of your mind that Chevy is fun and you'd feel cool driving fast in a Chevy. That's my thought 🤔
The rain delay is more for the passengers. I've been on when the rain starts and it hurts.
"...Disney having to DO AWAY with those programmers and program the ride themselves." -- Read it in the Ghost Host voice.
Ok, hear me out; the muppets test track
Hilariously the test track cars are the only vehicles in Florida obeying the speed limit
I like test track any version, because I live in the Netherlands I only got to experience the 2.0 so I have no past references other than pov's, and those video footages are not the greatest so I just like it. But I agree that the 1.0 sounds way better.
No joke, I got 3 Chevy ads while watching this.
Is it possible to invite FYA to a media night event for a haunted attraction? It’s also a 501c3 so it would be awesome to get more eyes on it
Original test track was 10/10 !!
Yall listen here, I am addicted to this podcast and you said you gave Winnie the Pooh 50% and I CANNOT find that episode 😫
It's been set to private for some reason 😢 it was a good episode but im sure theres a reason.
@@novalyn.shelby darn!
Wonder if the CM they had on for that pod got in trouble for talking about work?
There are multiple roads that are 70mph in Florida… Turnpike, i4… I’m sure I’m forgetting some. Sounds like some goofy imagineering 🤪
Not a harsh score at all- just right for Test Track 2.0. I’m not as harsh on it as y’all were but nonetheless, it’s definitely a downgrade from 1.0 and the big draw is car go fast lol. It’ll be interesting seeing how World of Motion plays into the retheme. Trying to be optimistic like Ryan at the end haha. Let’s hope they highlight what makes this attraction great again.
Incredible Hulk or Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket would be cool
I am like 75% sure that Disney company vehicles are GM made so I think that also ties into the partnership agreement - Disney likey puts in orders on a corporate rate
Pretty sure I rode this for the first time in like 2003. Went to Disney World with my family then again with my high school class in like 2005.
If you wanted to put even this version of the attraction into world class, I have an easy pitch for how Test Track works as a movie script... there might not be a fictional story backing the ride, but there is a REAL story to test track and its journey, as a reflection of the automotive industry as a whole.
Picture a movie about a mechanical engineer, struggling in the modern era that is too clean, too digital, where his skillset in practical mechanics just isn't appreciated any more. Maybe he's stuck working as a used car salesman now, Cobra Kai style. Then he runs across some young plucky kid who is interested in automotive design, but, kid only knows this simulator modeling software hand has no idea how to bring his dream car to life. Maybe plucky kid's family is poor, kid can't afford a car, and is having self esteem issues. Gotta have the car to Get The Girl(tm). So the old washed up engineer decides to help the kid build his dream car, and heartfelt feelgood lessons ensue over generational bonding. The kid learns some hard lessons about how simulators are no replacement for the real deal, while the older engineer can find happiness knowing there are those who still appreciate and even depend on skills like his.
I would even argue there's more connective tissue between the ride and my pitch than there is between a few of the based-on-a-ride movies we've gotten in the past.