Test Track 2.0

[jtsalien]

In context, yes - you could say many good thing about Test Track in 1997.. but you have to remember it was 1997. Horizons, JII, and SeaCabs were all open in Epcot and Spaceship Earth just got the Irons upgrade and Land was just overhauled. Test Track was a brand new and experimental ride system no one had ever heard of before and going to do things that were originally planned for the pavilion but cut due to budget constraints. Also, the World of Motion was, in fact, painfully boring. Of the original omni's it was the weakest and the saw the most dramatic decline in guest attendance. It used to out-pull Spaceship Earth, but then Spaceship Earth got fixed and it continued to decline. WoM opened to 8+ million guests a year and had dropped to ~6.5 million when it closed - a big drop. If you had to pick one to remove, that was going to be it.

GM did not make mistakes in their choices when they chose to change over to Test Track. Creatively WDI made some poor choices and it was done by the same man - the evil that is Orrin Shively. Don't know him? Look him up, he's responsible for most of the late 90's mistakes we attribute to Epcot's decline.

Nobody has ever questioned removing WoM for a second. But that doesn't excuse the bare bones theme that Test Track ended up with.

It doesn't matter what GM chooses to do. It's still being designed by WDI. Their bloated structure and asinine way of doing business will blow through whatever money GM puts up more quickly than they should.

 

[ReelJustice]

Nobody has ever questioned removing WoM for a second. But that doesn't excuse the bare bones theme that Test Track ended up with.

It doesn't matter what GM chooses to do. It's still being designed by WDI. Their bloated structure and asinine way of doing business will blow through whatever money GM puts up more quickly than they should.

Which is allegedly why GM has insisted on doing as much of it as they can by themselves. They've known WDI long enough to know the score.

 

[jtsalien]

Which is allegedly why GM has insisted on doing as much of it as they can by themselves. They've known WDI long enough to know the score.

We'll see come November. I've got my fingers crossed, but we've been burnt before.

 

[epcyclopedia]

And, just so we're clear.. you think Orrin Shively is who and what in relation to Test Track?

Because he was the lead designer and also responsible for Imagination and also a major force behind much of what went wrong at Imagineering for a long time with cost overruns and bloat and bad management and their problems...

And is now removed..

 

[Teebin]

^ wow, you really have it in for Orrin! What does dear Orrin do now?

 

[jtsalien]

And, just so we're clear.. you think Orrin Shively is who and what in relation to Test Track?

Because he was the lead designer and also responsible for Imagination and also a major force behind much of what went wrong at Imagineering for a long time with cost overruns and bloat and bad management and their problems...

And is now removed..

I think Orrin Shively is just one man.

Is he responsible for the absolutely absurd price of Carsland? Was he one of the designers of the failure that is the Yeti? Did he design the bare bones Wii Game experience we have in Toy Story Midway Mania? Was Orrin the man responsible for the horseshoeing of Donald Duck into the El Rio De Tiempo? I guess Chester and Hester was Orrin's idea back then too, right?

Whether he is an origin of the problem or not, it's bigger than him.

 

[epcyclopedia]

You see, there's a difference between knowing and making random accusations on the internet. Like knowing that Shively was not just "one man" and everything you listed after Carsland he had his hands in because he was in the top ranks and over R/D. So yes, many many MANY of the major blunders are his fault.

And it can easily be argued that the skyrocketing cost of Carsland is due to the institutionalized lunacy within the company that he brought about.

 

[Hatetofly]

Which is allegedly why GM has insisted on doing as much of it as they can by themselves. They've known WDI long enough to know the score.

Because GM never blows money....

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Because GM never blows money....

Not anymore. Read up on the restructuring that's happened since the bail-outs.

 

[slappybob]

So has there been any news on the retheme? Havn't heard anything in a while.

 

[Cecilia]

So has there been any news on the retheme? Havn't heard anything in a while.

I think it's been said before, but I really don't think we'll know much until either Disney reveals more details, or until it actually opens.

 

[slappybob]

Well the only reason im interested in this is because the art work looks really good so i'm hoping Disney can live up to my expectations, even though I really shouldn't hold my breath.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

So has there been any news on the retheme? Havn't heard anything in a while.

Various reports I'm hearing is that

1.) Infrastructure improvements are more substantial than initially estimated. (per Epcyclopeida)
2.) Last I heard from a source, inside has been totally gutted, excluding track and show scene rooms (test chambers, etc)

You won't hear updates from Disney for awhile, right now it's the boring, nitty, gritty, if not somewhat NDA stuff right now. Nothing flashy, like fountains or statues like with FLE.

 

[jtsalien]

Various reports I'm hearing is that

1.) Infrastructure improvements are more substantial than initially estimated. (per Epcyclopeida)
2.) Last I heard from a source, inside has been totally gutted, excluding track and show scene rooms (test chambers, etc)

You won't hear updates from Disney for awhile, right now it's the boring, nitty, gritty, if not somewhat NDA stuff right now. Nothing flashy, like fountains or statues like with FLE.

That's some good news. Hopefully they're taking what they learned in California to Test Track.

I really want some more info on the cars and how the whole design process will work.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I really want some more info on the cars and how the whole design process will work.

My guess is that it'll be similar to Sum of All Thrills. You enter the queue, moved preshow of some sort, then go to the design stations. At design stations you'll take an RFID card, design your car, then when you board you'll scan it, and in the car on the TVs you'll see your car being tested.

 

[slappybob]

Ok that will actually be really cool if you get to create your own car.

 

[Disneyhead]

My question is how will the "design concept" work with 6 individuals in each car. Usually at least 2 different families. Do you design it as a group? I can see issues with non english speaking people being grouped with less than bright mid-westerners.

 

[slappybob]

Oh God I wonder what a conservative that drives hybrids and a redneck with his "Jacked-up" truck would work out when designing your car? lol But they'll probably limit people to what kind of vehicle people can create.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

My question is how will the "design concept" work with 6 individuals in each car. Usually at least 2 different families. Do you design it as a group? I can see issues with non english speaking people being grouped with less than bright mid-westerners.

Groups will be at each station. I don't see why the several LCD screens on the cars won't be used to display individual characteristics. More could be added so that each person gets one. Ta-da!

 

[BJCool]

Epcyclopedia posted a look at the work being done of the exterior.