Difference between revisions of "Test Track (Pavilion)"

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Test Track is a pavilion located in [[Epcot]]. The pavilion was known as the World of Motion pavilion from 1982-1996.  
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{{Template:Infobox Disney ride |
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| image= Testrack2.jpg
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| caption='''The entrance sign for the Test Track pavilion.'''
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| theme=Transportation
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| sponsor= General Motors (1982-2012) <br> Chevrolet (2012-Present)
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| land=World Discovery
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| park= Epcot
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| opened=October 1, 1982
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| custom_label_1    = Number of Attractions
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| custom_value_1    = 1
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| custom_label_2    = Formally Known As
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| custom_value_2    = World of Motion (1982-1996)}}
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Test Track is a pavilion located in World Discovery within [[Epcot]]. The pavilion was known as World of Motion from 1982-1996. For the attraction located within the pavilion see [[Test Track (Attraction)]]
 
==Pavilion History==
 
==Pavilion History==
 +
The history of what eventually be known as the Test Track pavilion began in 1975 with Disney's plans for a "Future World Theme Center"<ref name= "widen"> http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/wom.htm </ref>. An early precursor to what would eventually become EPCOT Center's Future World, the Future World Theme Center was to be made up of pavilions, in a similar fashion to the World's Fairs. Inside this park, Disney planned on creating a Transportation pavilion.
  
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Test Track opened as the World of Motion pavilion in 1982 with the rest of EPCOT Center. The pavilion was sponsored by General Motors, the first company to agree to sponsor an Epcot pavilion. The World of Motion pavilion was shaped like a large, chrome wheel. The pavilion only featured one attraction, also called the World of Motion, which took guests through the history of human transportation. The attraction featured 30 different scenes which showed transportation advance, from the invention of the wheel, all the way to the modern highway system. The World of Motion even predicted what the future of transportation would be like, by showing guests  CenterCore, a futuristic metropolis where everything seemed to be in motion.  The ride specifically focused on how advancements in transportation have made our lives more fun and free.  Unlike the other Epcot pavilions, The World of Motion took a humorous approach to its subject. Imagineer Ward Kimball helped create the attractions storyline, while Imagineers X Atencio and Buddy Baker penned the attractions theme song "It's Fun to Be Free". After exiting the attraction, guests would enter General Motors' TransCenter. Here guests could see new prototype transportation methods, and even watch automated robots assemble various vehicles.  
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A chance meeting in 1976 between General Motor's head of design, Bill Mitchell, and Imagineer Bob Gurr led to GM and Disney to enter negotiations for GM to sponsor the Transportation pavilion<ref name= "widen"/>. Remembering the success that Ford had in partnering with Disney at the 1964 World's Fair, GM agreed to 15 year contract, becoming the first of EPCOT Center's many sponsors <ref> http://progresscityusa.com/2011/06/28/whirl-of-motion/ </ref>.
  
 +
By 1978 the Transportation pavilion began to take shape <ref name= "Martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?s=World+of+Motion </ref>. In this iteration of the pavilion, guests would enter the building into a large atrium which was to feature a series of interactive exhibits. Upstairs, the pavilion's major attraction, was to be a dark ride that took a historical look at the evolution of transportation<ref name= "Martin"/>. This "history of transportation attraction" was designed to end in a model city of the future (a concept borrowed from Ford's Magic Skyway pavilion at the 64 World's Fair) <ref name= "Martin"/>. The attraction was initially created by Imagineer Claude Coats, however due to GM's preference for a more lighthearted tone, Imagineers Marc Davis and Ward Kimball (whose career had primarily been in animation) were brought onto the project <ref name= "widen"/>. A secondary attraction for the pavilion that was to feature an outside track, was scrapped, as plans for the pavilion continued to develop<ref name= "Martin"/>. Another aspect of the pavilion that was eventually removed, was the idea that the omnimover attraction would weave in and out of the pavilion <ref> http://progresscityusa.com/2011/06/28/whirl-of-motion/ </ref>. Finally, the space cleared on the pavilion's first floor to house the preshow exhibits was never used <ref name= "book">  Pedersen, R.A. The EPCOT Explorer's Encyclopedia:. United States: Epcyclopedia, 2011. Print. </ref>.
  
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In 1992 General Motor's ten year sponsorship of the pavilion ran up, and General Motors was unsure if they wanted to renew it. Due to the slumping economy, GM was facing large cutbacks and layoffs, and the company was not sure how beneficial their Epcot sponsorship was. If General Motors was to renew their sponsorship, it would require them to perform major renovations or even develop and new attraction altogether (as Disney wanted). GM eventually decided to renew their sponsorship for one year. The stop-gap sponsorship allowed the company to determine how beneficial their sponsorship was, while also protecting the pavilion from a rival sponsor. The one year sponsorship also gave GM time to see if the economy would recover. At the end of the year GM decided to re-up their sponsorship for (presumably) ten years. With the signing of the new sponsorship, GM and Disney decided to create a new attraction for the pavilion. It was also decided that the World of Motion attraction would remain open until the new attraction was developed.  
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The Transportation pavilion was eventually named the World of Motion and construction began in 1979 <ref name= "widen"/>. The pavilion itself was designed to look like a large wheel (albeit one that was 65ft high and 320 feet across), with guests entering through a “wedge” that had been removed from it <ref name= "Martin"/>. On October 1, 1982, the World of Motion pavilion opened with the rest of EPCOT Center. When the pavilion opened it featured the aforementioned "history of transportation" attraction (also named World of Motion) and the TransCenter, a postshow area that featured interactive exhibits <ref name= "Martin"/>. Although there were minor changes to the TransCenter, from 1982 until 1992 World of Motion remained essentially unchanged <ref name= "Martin"/>. 
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By the end of GM's original contract in 1992, the popularity of the World of Motion had declined <ref name= "book"/>. With this is mind General Motors was hesitant about continuing their sponsorship of the pavilion <ref name= "intercot"> http://www.intercot.com/edc/Motion/facts.html </ref>. At this time, GM agreed to sponsor the pavilion for 12 months, in order to reevaluate the benefits of their sponsorship, while also protecting the pavilion from a rival sponsor <ref name= "Martin"/>. Eventually, General Motors decided to renew their sponsorship, but with the understanding that  World of Motion would be updated <ref name= "Martin"/>. Instead of renovating the existing attraction however, Disney and GM decided to create a new attraction for the pavilion all together.  
 +
[[Image:OldschoolTestTrack.jpg|thumb|400px| The Test Track pavilion as it looked from 1998-2012. Photo by Josh Hallett]]
 +
With instructions from GM to narrow the focus of the new attraction to automobiles, Walt Disney Imagineering decided to revisit one of the original ideas for the World of Motion pavilion. In 1976, Imagineers had visited GM's testing ground in Milford, Michigan,  where they got to see the process that GM's prototype cars went through when they were tested<ref name= "Martin"/>. With this in mind, Imagineers had originally planned on creating a secondary attraction for World of Motion that would have had guests testing futuristic automobiles<ref name= "Martin"/>. Taking inspiration from the General Motors proving grounds, Imagineering pitched the idea of Test Track, an "E-ticket" attraction that would take guests through the rigorous testing that GM cars are put through<ref name= "Martin"/>.  
  
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When designing the new attraction, General Motors decided that they wanted to the new attraction to focus on the automobile side of transportation. Walt Disney Imagineering decided to revisit one of their original ideas for the pavilion, an attraction that would let guests experience how cars were tested before making in to the lot. Disney and GM engineers then visited the GM's proving grounds, to get ideas for the new attraction. It was eventually decided that the attraction would be called Test Track, and that it take guests through the rigorous testing that GM cars are put through. On January 2, 1996 the World of Motion was permanently closed. Later in the year, the GM Test Track Preview Center opened giving guests an idea of what the new attraction would be like. Although Test Track was supposed to open in the spring of 1997, problems with the ride vehicles plagued the attraction. Due to the delay, Test Track officially opened on March 17, 1999. Test Track took guests through the various training exercises that crash test dummies usually go through. When it opened, the attraction was the fastest in Walt Disney World, with speeds reaching 65 mph.  
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With plans for Test Track underway, on January 2, 1996, the World of Motion pavilion closed for renovations <ref name= "Martin"/>. Subsequently, on February 13, the GM Preview Center opened in front of the closed pavilion. The GM Preview Center featured concept art for Test Track, and a large mural painted by Catherine Feff (which was installed in order to hide the pavilion during its construction) <ref name= "Lou"> http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_tt2.htm </ref>. Due to a series of delays related to both Test Track's ride system and ride vehicles, the attraction was not ready for its May 1997 opening <ref name= "Lou"/>. Instead, in 1998 the GM Preview Center was updated to feature new attraction artwork. Next, in late 1998, the Preview Center was removed and the attraction soft opened to guests on December 19, 1998 <ref name= "Lou"/>. Despite the fact that both guests and Cast Members were able to ride Test Track in December 1998, due to constant ride breakdowns, Test Track's Grand Opening was pushed back to March 1999 <ref name= "Lou"/>. Finally, after three years of construction, Test Track was officially dedicated on March 17, 1999 <ref name= "Lou"/>.
 +
 
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On January 6, 2012 Disney announced that Test Track would be closing for a major refurbishment in April of that year<ref> https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/re-imagined-test-track-will-put-guests-in-the-designers-seat-this-fall-at-epcot/ </ref>. On April 15, 2012, the original Test Track closed <ref> https://insidethemagic.net/2012/04/test-track-allstars-singing-group-extra-hours-fill-void-as-disney-world-closes-epcot-ride-to-become-chevrolet-design-center/ </ref>. At this time, the attraction's aesthetics and theming completely changed, despite the fact that the track and ride vehicles remained the same. As opposed to showing guests how cars were made, the new version of Test Track focused on the testing of cars. In Test Track 2.0, guests design their own ride vehicle in the queue before testing its capability, efficiency, responsiveness, and power on the attraction itself. Following the attraction, guests now receive a card with their car information on it, which they can use to play various interactive games. 
 +
 
 +
On December 6, 2012 Test Track reopened to guests <ref>  https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/10/test-track-to-reopen-at-epcot-december-6 </ref>. Since the 2012 refurbishment, Test Track has been sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet as opposed to the parent company GM <ref>  http://www.autonews.com/article/20121109/BLOG06/121109854/chevy-supercharges-test-track-at-disney-world </ref>.
  
 
==Attractions==
 
==Attractions==
 +
[[Image:Worldofmotionscene.jpg|thumb|400px|A scene from the World of Motion attraction.]]
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'''[[Test Track]]'''- This high speed attraction lets guests design, and then test, their own SimCar. Reaching a top speed of 65 mph, Test Track is the fastest attraction in Epcot.
 +
 +
===Former Attractions===
 +
'''World of Motion'''- This dark ride attraction took guests through 30 different scenes depicting the history of transportation. The ride concluded by showing guests the future of transportation in CenterCore- a futuristic metropolis.
 +
 +
'''General Motors' TransCenter'''- The General Motor's TransCenter featured 10 exhibits that allowed guests to further explore the history and future of transportation.
 +
 +
==Shopping==
 +
'''Test Track Shop'''- Located at the exit of Test Track, the Test Track Shop allows guests to purchase ride photos, General Motors merchandise, and other Epcot souvenirs.
 +
 +
==Former Shopping==
 +
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'''Inside Track'''- The original Test Track gift shop, Inside Track sold automobile souvenirs, Epcot merchandise and guests' on-ride photos. Inside Track was open from 1998-2012.
 +
 +
==Restaurants==
 +
'''[[Taste Track Burgers and Fries]]'''- Located just outside of the Test Track pavilion, this quick service stand sells hamburgers and fries.
 +
 +
==Fun Facts and Trivia==
 +
* The closure of the World of Motion pavilion (as well as Universe of Energy), led to Horizons being briefly reopened in 1995. This was done to make sure there were enough attractions for guests to experience in Future World <ref> http://www.horizons1.com/history.htm </ref> <ref> http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=35 </ref>.
 +
 +
* General Motors is the only sponsor that the pavilion has ever had (current sponsor Chevrolet is owned by GM). This makes it unique among Epcot pavilions.
  
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'''Test Track'''- This high speed attraction lets guests experience first hand, the rigorous testing that General Motors vehicles go through. On this attraction, guests will board futuristic ride vehicles and travel through, the brake room, the hot and cold room, and a handling test room. The finale of the ride takes guests on a thrilling 65 mph loop around the pavilion.  
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* The third floor of the Test Track pavilion holds GM offices and the GM VIP lounge <ref> http://www.intercot.com/edc/Motion/facts.html </ref>.
  
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==Former Attractions==
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* When the World of Motion pavilion closed, many the attraction's Audio Animatronics and props were moved to the [[Backlot Tour]] at [[Disney's Hollywood Studios]] <ref> http://www.lostepcot.com/worldofmotion.html </ref>.
  
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'''World of Motion'''- This dark ride attraction took guests through 30 different scenes, depicting the history of transportation. The ride concluded by showing guests the future of transportation in CenterCore, a futuristic metropolis.  
+
* During Test Track's 2012 refurbishment, the Test Track All Stars musical group performed outside of the pavilion <ref> https://touringplans.com/epcot/attractions/test-track-all-stars </ref>.
  
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'''General Motors' TransCenter'''- The General Motor's TransCenter allowed guests to watch automated robots assemble GM cars. Here, guests could also see prototype vehicles from GM.
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==References==

Latest revision as of 14:15, 8 October 2021

Test Track (Pavilion)
Testrack2.jpg
The entrance sign for the Test Track pavilion.
Epcot
Land World Discovery
Theme Transportation
Opening date October 1, 1982
Number of Attractions 1
Formally Known As World of Motion (1982-1996)
Sponsored by General Motors (1982-2012)
Chevrolet (2012-Present)

Test Track is a pavilion located in World Discovery within Epcot. The pavilion was known as World of Motion from 1982-1996. For the attraction located within the pavilion see Test Track (Attraction)

Pavilion History

The history of what eventually be known as the Test Track pavilion began in 1975 with Disney's plans for a "Future World Theme Center"[1]. An early precursor to what would eventually become EPCOT Center's Future World, the Future World Theme Center was to be made up of pavilions, in a similar fashion to the World's Fairs. Inside this park, Disney planned on creating a Transportation pavilion.

A chance meeting in 1976 between General Motor's head of design, Bill Mitchell, and Imagineer Bob Gurr led to GM and Disney to enter negotiations for GM to sponsor the Transportation pavilion[1]. Remembering the success that Ford had in partnering with Disney at the 1964 World's Fair, GM agreed to 15 year contract, becoming the first of EPCOT Center's many sponsors [2].

By 1978 the Transportation pavilion began to take shape [3]. In this iteration of the pavilion, guests would enter the building into a large atrium which was to feature a series of interactive exhibits. Upstairs, the pavilion's major attraction, was to be a dark ride that took a historical look at the evolution of transportation[3]. This "history of transportation attraction" was designed to end in a model city of the future (a concept borrowed from Ford's Magic Skyway pavilion at the 64 World's Fair) [3]. The attraction was initially created by Imagineer Claude Coats, however due to GM's preference for a more lighthearted tone, Imagineers Marc Davis and Ward Kimball (whose career had primarily been in animation) were brought onto the project [1]. A secondary attraction for the pavilion that was to feature an outside track, was scrapped, as plans for the pavilion continued to develop[3]. Another aspect of the pavilion that was eventually removed, was the idea that the omnimover attraction would weave in and out of the pavilion [4]. Finally, the space cleared on the pavilion's first floor to house the preshow exhibits was never used [5].

The Transportation pavilion was eventually named the World of Motion and construction began in 1979 [1]. The pavilion itself was designed to look like a large wheel (albeit one that was 65ft high and 320 feet across), with guests entering through a “wedge” that had been removed from it [3]. On October 1, 1982, the World of Motion pavilion opened with the rest of EPCOT Center. When the pavilion opened it featured the aforementioned "history of transportation" attraction (also named World of Motion) and the TransCenter, a postshow area that featured interactive exhibits [3]. Although there were minor changes to the TransCenter, from 1982 until 1992 World of Motion remained essentially unchanged [3].

By the end of GM's original contract in 1992, the popularity of the World of Motion had declined [5]. With this is mind General Motors was hesitant about continuing their sponsorship of the pavilion [6]. At this time, GM agreed to sponsor the pavilion for 12 months, in order to reevaluate the benefits of their sponsorship, while also protecting the pavilion from a rival sponsor [3]. Eventually, General Motors decided to renew their sponsorship, but with the understanding that World of Motion would be updated [3]. Instead of renovating the existing attraction however, Disney and GM decided to create a new attraction for the pavilion all together.

The Test Track pavilion as it looked from 1998-2012. Photo by Josh Hallett

With instructions from GM to narrow the focus of the new attraction to automobiles, Walt Disney Imagineering decided to revisit one of the original ideas for the World of Motion pavilion. In 1976, Imagineers had visited GM's testing ground in Milford, Michigan, where they got to see the process that GM's prototype cars went through when they were tested[3]. With this in mind, Imagineers had originally planned on creating a secondary attraction for World of Motion that would have had guests testing futuristic automobiles[3]. Taking inspiration from the General Motors proving grounds, Imagineering pitched the idea of Test Track, an "E-ticket" attraction that would take guests through the rigorous testing that GM cars are put through[3].

With plans for Test Track underway, on January 2, 1996, the World of Motion pavilion closed for renovations [3]. Subsequently, on February 13, the GM Preview Center opened in front of the closed pavilion. The GM Preview Center featured concept art for Test Track, and a large mural painted by Catherine Feff (which was installed in order to hide the pavilion during its construction) [7]. Due to a series of delays related to both Test Track's ride system and ride vehicles, the attraction was not ready for its May 1997 opening [7]. Instead, in 1998 the GM Preview Center was updated to feature new attraction artwork. Next, in late 1998, the Preview Center was removed and the attraction soft opened to guests on December 19, 1998 [7]. Despite the fact that both guests and Cast Members were able to ride Test Track in December 1998, due to constant ride breakdowns, Test Track's Grand Opening was pushed back to March 1999 [7]. Finally, after three years of construction, Test Track was officially dedicated on March 17, 1999 [7].

On January 6, 2012 Disney announced that Test Track would be closing for a major refurbishment in April of that year[8]. On April 15, 2012, the original Test Track closed [9]. At this time, the attraction's aesthetics and theming completely changed, despite the fact that the track and ride vehicles remained the same. As opposed to showing guests how cars were made, the new version of Test Track focused on the testing of cars. In Test Track 2.0, guests design their own ride vehicle in the queue before testing its capability, efficiency, responsiveness, and power on the attraction itself. Following the attraction, guests now receive a card with their car information on it, which they can use to play various interactive games.

On December 6, 2012 Test Track reopened to guests [10]. Since the 2012 refurbishment, Test Track has been sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet as opposed to the parent company GM [11].

Attractions

A scene from the World of Motion attraction.

Test Track- This high speed attraction lets guests design, and then test, their own SimCar. Reaching a top speed of 65 mph, Test Track is the fastest attraction in Epcot.

Former Attractions

World of Motion- This dark ride attraction took guests through 30 different scenes depicting the history of transportation. The ride concluded by showing guests the future of transportation in CenterCore- a futuristic metropolis.

General Motors' TransCenter- The General Motor's TransCenter featured 10 exhibits that allowed guests to further explore the history and future of transportation.

Shopping

Test Track Shop- Located at the exit of Test Track, the Test Track Shop allows guests to purchase ride photos, General Motors merchandise, and other Epcot souvenirs.

Former Shopping

Inside Track- The original Test Track gift shop, Inside Track sold automobile souvenirs, Epcot merchandise and guests' on-ride photos. Inside Track was open from 1998-2012.

Restaurants

Taste Track Burgers and Fries- Located just outside of the Test Track pavilion, this quick service stand sells hamburgers and fries.

Fun Facts and Trivia

  • The closure of the World of Motion pavilion (as well as Universe of Energy), led to Horizons being briefly reopened in 1995. This was done to make sure there were enough attractions for guests to experience in Future World [12] [13].
  • General Motors is the only sponsor that the pavilion has ever had (current sponsor Chevrolet is owned by GM). This makes it unique among Epcot pavilions.
  • The third floor of the Test Track pavilion holds GM offices and the GM VIP lounge [14].
  • During Test Track's 2012 refurbishment, the Test Track All Stars musical group performed outside of the pavilion [16].

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/wom.htm
  2. ↑ http://progresscityusa.com/2011/06/28/whirl-of-motion/
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 http://www.martinsvids.net/?s=World+of+Motion
  4. ↑ http://progresscityusa.com/2011/06/28/whirl-of-motion/
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pedersen, R.A. The EPCOT Explorer's Encyclopedia:. United States: Epcyclopedia, 2011. Print.
  6. ↑ http://www.intercot.com/edc/Motion/facts.html
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_tt2.htm
  8. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/01/re-imagined-test-track-will-put-guests-in-the-designers-seat-this-fall-at-epcot/
  9. ↑ https://insidethemagic.net/2012/04/test-track-allstars-singing-group-extra-hours-fill-void-as-disney-world-closes-epcot-ride-to-become-chevrolet-design-center/
  10. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/10/test-track-to-reopen-at-epcot-december-6
  11. ↑ http://www.autonews.com/article/20121109/BLOG06/121109854/chevy-supercharges-test-track-at-disney-world
  12. ↑ http://www.horizons1.com/history.htm
  13. ↑ http://www.martinsvids.net/?p=35
  14. ↑ http://www.intercot.com/edc/Motion/facts.html
  15. ↑ http://www.lostepcot.com/worldofmotion.html
  16. ↑ https://touringplans.com/epcot/attractions/test-track-all-stars
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