On March 26,
2013, during our trip to Florida for Spring Break, we had the amazing
opportunity to visit the Epcot theme park for the day. Though we spent the day
hitting the rides we usually hit, and a new experience in Innovations (See
Habit Heroes Article), we were even more excited for the new version of Test
Track, recently renovated. This version, now sponsored by Chevy, featured the
way cars are designed, rather than how they are tested. At first glance, and
from reports about the ride, it seemed to be just as great as the original Test
Track, but it turned out to be better.
Because of our
normal schedule of getting into the park, sending either me (Quinn), or Dad
(Ed), to get fastpasses for Soarin’, we missed the huge development of the stand-by
line at Test Track. It was at 40 minutes so we decided to take the single rider
line, to avoid the long wait. Though it was obvious the normal line had a more
in-depth demonstrations about how cars were designed, the line we went on, had
a slick silver sports car, and models of engines, one normal one, and one that
seemed futuristically possible. We also passed through the area were we would
choose our design.
The monitors were on a platform, about four on each side of
the platform, and displayed a choice of four different attributes of a car,
Power, Efficiency, Responsiveness, and Speed. After you chose one, it would give you a set
of cars to pick, and you would record that onto either your Key to the Kingdom
card, available only if you were staying at a resort hotel, or a white card
given at the beginning of the platform.
One thing I
noticed as we walked through the line is that the single riders have to choose
from a set of cars that were pre-made, while the normal line riders would be
able to shape and mold their car choice. This was discovered as we walked
through the line, because of a glass wall that looked down on the normal line’s
monitors. After going through where the engines were displayed, the loading
dock for the cars came into view, where you would be matched up with any odd
numbered party.
Due to what I
suspect is a way to cut down the price of this renovation, the track wasn’t
different, at all. What was around the track was. After going through the
Seatbelt check, the cars, now designed like they had technological wires
running around the car, took you up the hill where the power test would be
conducted. This was tested by going down the track at a high speed, and using
the brakes. After going through the test, the results were shown, ranking our
virtual cars that we made by earlier. Next, the Efficiency was tested, by going
through various tests to decipher that miles per gallon, and the aerodynamics
of the created cars. Once again the results were shown. The Responsiveness test
was next, and this test had you curving around the winding road, through the
forest. After almost colliding with a virtual truck, the results are again
shown (My car ranked first for this one). Next was the one everybody enjoys,
which was the Speed test. This sent you flying against a wall, only for it to
open just before you hit it, sending you to the outdoor track, which loops
around the back parking lot, and to the front of the attraction. After the
rankings are shown, you are taken back to the loading dock, where you would
exit.
After you get
your photos from the Speed Test, you enter a room where you can create your own
car commercial, using your virtual car. Unfortunately, we did not get to
experience this as we walked to the next room. In the next room, there were
games, in which there was a track, and you could key in your car to race around
a virtual track. Continuing on, there were car models filling half the room, as
another room revealed the gift shop. We had to return our cards, as they were
to be reused by other riders.
In my opinion, this ride was just as great, if
even better than the original. One downside I found was the tests were just put
in to match the track, but besides that, the ride fit together nicely. It was
nice to see how the cars were created, for the four
attributes, and how a balance of each was a great car. 
