Test Track 2.0

The first visit I had to the parks in quite some time, occurred over the past month.  My dad and I visited for a couple of days as part of a graduation gift and some friends from school and I visited for about five days a couple of weeks later.  This roundup/review/recollection thing will pull from both experiences.  This first post will discuss some of the new and refurbished attractions.  

Firstly, Test Track in Epcot has always been very enjoyable for me.  The experience itself is fun and I have always appreciated riding with people who have never experienced it before.  In the past year, it went under a sorely needed refurbishment and redesign.  As much as I had liked the ride, crash test dummy warehouse is not futurey(?) enough for Future World.  

The new look of Test Track definitely fits well within that future theme.  The music is much better and no longer gives me a pounding headache.  Everything is much cleaner, as in no thematic clutter, than what it used to be.  

The best addition, I believe, is the design room where you and your party can custom build a car to then “take” with you during the attraction.  A cast member hands your party a card implanted with an RFID chip and you take it to a station where you can customize the look and elements of your digital vehicle, which affect capability, efficiency, responsiveness, and power.  I want to emphasize digital because the ride experience is the same every time no matter what alterations you make to your design.  The design process is very fun and there seem to be limitless ways you can design the perfect automobile.  

The ride experience itself may look different, think Tron, but feels the same as Test Track 1.0.  This is because the track layout did not change at all which I feel is a missed opportunity.  I could still predict every ride beat due to my experiences.  

Overall, Test Track 2.0 is a solid upgrade.  Pre and post show areas are fun and engaging, but I wish they did more with the ride experience itself.  The addition of a model of Progress City during the ride does get a nod of approval from me. 

Thanks for reading,

-Brian