Test Track has only been closed for a few weeks, but it looks like Disney has wasted no time getting to work on the much-anticipated update to this attraction. Not only have cast members recently been spotted breaking down and removing set pieces from inside this ride, but just a few days ago new permits were filed by Walt Disney Imagineering that indicate work is moving forward quickly on this project.
The most recent permit filing names long-time Disney vendor Jon Richards Company FL, Inc. as a vendor. Eagle-eyed Disney fans may remember this organization, which has worked with Disney on several high-profile projects in the past, notably including Cars Land at Disneyland, home to Radiator Springs Racers, which uses the same ride system as Test Track.
Interestingly, while Disney has yet to reveal an official timescale for this project, the permit does not extend past the default 12-month expiration date, potentially hinting that this new vision of Test Track could be open before the end of next year.
What is changing about Test Track?
Image: Disney
Disney confirmed earlier this year that Test Track is being imagined into a “3.0” version of itself. This updated version will draw inspiration from the future of transportation as well as the past, specifically the previous World of Motion attraction that opened alongside EPCOT in 1982.
Concept art of the outside of the attraction shows the same basic format, with the ride’s exhilarating high-speed conclusion still visibly intact. Interior attraction concept art shows guests riding on a reimagined vehicle through a show scene with trees and what looks like highway guardrails. This is notably a more natural setting then the futuristic Test Track 2.0 (or “Tron Track” as it was nicknamed by fans), and hopefully is a sign of the new direction for this updated ride .
When will the new version of this ride be open?
Image: Disney
Disney has yet to announce how long this project will take. However, given the volume of work involved with re-theming an attraction, it seems likely that Test Track will be closed at least through the end of 2024, and probably well into 2025. The permit’s 12-month expiration date could hint that a summer 2025 re-launch might be in the current plans, but without official word from Disney, this is just speculation on our part.
Not much is known about this re-imagining right now beyond the simplest of details. However, it seems all but guaranteed that Disney will share more about what to expect from this reimagined attraction at the upcoming D23 Expo Parks and Experiences panel, which is happening on Saturday, August 10 and will stream live online via Disney’s various social media channels.
