We Rode the Updated Test Track at Disney World – Our Review of All the Changes

Test Track is one of the most popular rides at EPCOT at Walt Disney World and we've noticed its absence during its long refurbishment for over a year. Test Track has been undergoing a retheme to incorporate a more modern design while also paying homage to nostalgic EPCOT designs.

We just rode the newly designed Test Track and we have a first look at the new queue, ride vehicle, and the changes to the ride!

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New Test Track Queue Improvements

Let's start with the changes which we feel are all improvements to the experience for queuing up for Test Track.

The new Test Track design removed the Chevrolet Design Center which previously allowed guests to create their own virtual concept cars to race. I'm not sad to see the car design go as I felt this often just clogged up the line. This also helps move away from the heavy sponsorship of Chevrolet as the main “theme” which was starting to feel a bit tired.

Some other notable changes to the queue is the incorporation of natural light. Imagineers have added a window in the first queue room so you can see the ride vehicles pass by. Overall, there is now more space in both the queue and post-ride area that generally makes things feel more inviting.

Now for the new theming in the Test Track queue! The queue includes six exhibits with each one focused on different vehicles and the people who created them.

The first room focuses on the history of mobility that shows three exhibits with three different concept cars and media displays highlighting each era and how we’ve been dreamers and doers.

• 1st exhibit: 1900-1970 showcasing the Astro III.
• 2nd exhibit: 1970-2010 showcasing the Autonomy, focusing on safety and design innovations.
• 3rd exhibit: 2010-today showcasing the PEV (which looks like Honda at Autopia)

Now when guests move into the second queue room, they will see three additional exhibits with three different aspects of future technology.

• 1st exhibit: advanced materials that are earth friendly.
• 2nd exhibit: battery exhibit that shows how the same battery can be used to power our cars and our homes.
• 3rd exhibit: scaled down concept cars and sneak peak of attraction itself (most future-forward part of the queue)

The changes to the queue by opening up the space, incorporation of more natural light, and a stronger move towards a storyline immersion are all positive improvements. While we know that many guests will miss the build your own car design, removing it makes total sense with the new Test Track design.

Redesigned Test Track Cars

These ride vehicles have been redesigned to look more futuristic in appearance and less like a traditional Chevrolet ride vehicle.

As you can see, the ride vehicle has remained the same but has just received a sleek update to align more with the new theme.

Is the New Test Track Better than the Original? Our Test Track Review

Part of the goal of this reimagining was to incorporate elements from the opening day EPCOT attraction World of Motion which was replaced by Test Track in 1996. The main feature of this area was an omnimover attraction that looked at the history of transportation. The new Test Track brings in these historical ties into the experience to showcase technological advances and how our lifestyles and relationships to mobility connect everyone. According to Imagineers at the media preview event, they really wanted to bring the story of humanity and how “we're dreaming about the future and we're constantly innovating and unlocking new things.” It was important to Imagineers to showcase that celebration of the human spirit and open up a new humanity lens to the story.

Our initial thoughts are that this now feels much less like a General Motors advertisement and more like a Walt Disney World attraction which is a huge improvement and aligns with those goals that Imagineers shared with us.

In the most impressive scene for the ride is a show scene that is meant to show how vehicles can use advanced cameras and sensors to “see” the world they drive through. The ride represents this technology by utilizing over 29,000 points of light. This part of the ride is so grand in terms of the technology that is used. According to the Imagineers we spoke to, the screen that appears in these scenes is all new technology to incorporate the emphasis on the lighting as part of the storyline. This is definitely our favorite part of the ride and also a favorite that Imagineers called out as well. This is the last scene before you speed outside and the transition to the thrill aspect of the attraction feels seamless.

One of our other favorite scenes in the ride is where you are going through a forest which is a lot more unique than the previous version of Test Track. Disney actually brings in the smells of the leaves, trees, and grass and makes the experience truly immersive.

You are truly immersed in this story that Disney has created and we loved it! This is a huge improvement over the previous version of Test Track and feels more much quintessential Disney. This update is refreshing and blends in really well with the aspects of the World Discovery neighborhood of EPCOT (previously “Future World”) and the spirit of the park. And this is exactly what Imagineers had in mind, by bringing in storytelling that is just uniquely EPCOT.

Now keep in mind that these aren't the most drastic changes, the experience of Test Track will still largely feel similar. Imagineers did a wonderful job using Test Track to take EPCOT as a whole back toward the original spirit of EPCOT: “edutainment”. The 1st queue room educates us on where we came from, the 2nd queue room shows us where we’re going into the future, and the ride takes us deeper into the story of our future of mobility (very World of Motion-esque) with added thrill and awe.

Annual passholder previews for Test Track take place July 13-19, 2025. Test Track will then reopen to the public on July 22, 2025 just two days after the new Disney Starlight parade debuts at Magic Kingdom.

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