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View Full Version : What should the next attraction using the "Test Track technology" be?



coronamouseman
01-12-2002, 07:29 AM
So WDW has Test Track itself and TDS has the Journey to the Center of the Earth ride based upon the Test Track vehicle technology - what should the next "application" of this technology be and should it be at Disneyland or DCA or as a lead attraction to the "Strawberry Fields (Forever)" park?

(By the way, didn't mean to say that DP couldn't get this type of attraction but DL and/or DCA and/or SF seems like a sure place to build a ride with this technology)

merlinjones
01-12-2002, 08:28 AM
If Test Track and Rocket Rods are any indication.... who cares?

USofA
01-12-2002, 09:59 AM
Test track is an awesome ride. part traditional dark ride, part thrill ride, yet educational. I say more rides like Test Track

merlinjones
01-12-2002, 10:45 AM
Test Track is boring and ugly - - the only good part was the outdoor fast segment. It was just another disappointing part of my last trip to WDW, which was dominated by the contrast between WDW's cheap looking new additions (TT, Pooh, Buzz, etc.) and Islands of Adventure's thrilling and attractive Disney quality rides.

As it stands I have no interest in going back to WDW for some time - - but I'd love to take friends to IOA. Too bad its in Orlando...

DisneylandKid
01-12-2002, 01:24 PM
Could we have an explanation of Test Track technology?

Ace
01-12-2002, 05:52 PM
yes, I too would like an explanation of this alleged "test track" technology...

Fancy Pants
01-12-2002, 06:53 PM
I think DCA could do a "You're the stuntmen and stuntwomen of this film shoot" and as you go through the indoor attraction, the director describes the scene and what you do. Avoid a truck and whatnot.

I like Test Track. It's totally original and interesting and fun.

LIMANDL4EVA
01-12-2002, 08:07 PM
that a great idea!

coronamouseman
01-12-2002, 08:25 PM
The Test Track technology I have been referring to is the full scale electric vehicles (really full scale "slot cars") and the all-important tracking system to allow mulitple cars safely on the track at the same time. The cars, after much development, now appear to be much more reliable than the old Rocket Rods ever were and as you can see when you ride Test Track are capable of speeds up to 65 mph. Additionally, with the advent of wireless networking technology, you now have a means of tracking each car's place on the circuit to keep minimum safe distancing between each car and ensuring that each "event zone" of the track is functioning as it should. During my days as a networking technology marketing manager I came in contact with a wireless networking guru who was working with TDS to implement the equipment to track the cars through JTTCOTE.

The result of all this is that Disney has the capability of an attraction where speeds certainly up to 65 mph or even higher are possible and you have the ability to create events along the way which can be accurately timed to the arrival of the vehicles in that scene (like the tanker truck "interlude" on Test Track).

Obviously, at JTTCOTE, this vehicle technology has been intergrated with some very large animatronics and a large drop to provide the primary thrills of that attraction. The question I am posing for this thread is what kind of themed attraction using this technology would you like to see at DL?

Here are a couple of potential uses:

(1) Build an elevated track on a similar path of the old Rocket Rods over Tomorrowland - since the vehicles themselves provide the acceleration or decelerations, you can vary the speed as necessary for the shorter sections within the buildings and you could accelerate the cars into some very highly banked turns ......
For example, what if the current Rocket Rod area was actually in the middle of the attraction's track layout and was a steeply banked 180 degree turn? What if the track travelled only a short distance in Star Tours, then turned upward and outside to travel on an elevated section which circled outside around the base of Space Mt and then around the back of Innoventions only to dive down some 40-50 feet at full speed into the area around the Autopia?

(2) At DAK in WDW, build an outdoor "African Off-Road" attraction which simulates one of those 24-hour road rallys (dust storms, rain, other cars, animals (most like fake) seen along the way)

What do you guys out there think?

merlinjones
01-12-2002, 08:42 PM
Until the Disney cheapskates decide to retool the track layout to accommodate a thrill ride, the Rocket Rods in any form, modified or no, are likely an impossible dream. I can't beleive that the moneymen would advocate doing anything even similar to RR after that financial fiasco. Executives rarely revisit decisions - - too bad it wasn't done right the first time.

coronamouseman
01-12-2002, 08:53 PM
MJ: Agree with you on that point. There is no reason to expect anything of a grand scale at DL until DCA gets it's due and then, even after that, if the "Strawberry Fields" park project becomes a reality then it will undoubtly be the focus of the new technologies because Disney couldn't afford for it to open in the same manner as DCA - a TDS type of opening will be the only option otherwise Disney's credibility in SoCal will suffer serious permanent damage.

Nigel2
01-12-2002, 09:22 PM
Test track is nice, it is supposed to be "ugly" since it is a "test facility" so whatever... but more on its power system they call it a "bus bar" and it is noted as having more processing power than the space shuttle, but whatever. Actually if they didn't cheap out SSL was intended to be a high speed attraction possibly like test track.

Ace
01-13-2002, 12:18 PM
sounds cool. But I wouldn't want to see anything above space mountain in TL because it would be distracting and too "messy". I think, if they do build a test track type ride, it should be where the autopia are now. I seriously dislike that ride, since it's nothing special and it takes so long to get on. If you want cars, go ride Indy. it's cooler.

Rider
01-13-2002, 07:33 PM
I've always had this ride idea in my head (even a few drawings) of a ride using TT Tech.

It would be a James Bond ride and you are in his BWM zipping around London. Dodging bullets, missles, and explosions.

zapppop
01-13-2002, 07:45 PM
I hear they have something fancy in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Something called....people..mooo..ver ? ;)

MonorailMan
01-13-2002, 08:20 PM
Originally posted by zapppop
I hear they have something fancy in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Something called....people..mooo..ver ? ;)

Never heard of it. :D I have heard of the transit thingey. I think it moves people, but unsure.

coronamouseman
01-14-2002, 06:49 AM
Rider - not a bad idea ........

Who owns the James Bond "franchise"? Isn't it the Broccoli family and are they tied already to a studio (UA/MGM)? Aren't there already James Bond rides at other parks? Would be a lot more interesting if it had some kind of popular identity ......

What about a higher-speed "PM" for WDW? "That-place-that-they-used-to-call-Tomorrowland-before-it-became-Buck-Rogers-land" in WDW could sure use something to spruce it up now that it has been reduced to SM, BL, AO, PM and AE. A high-speed PM that could perhaps be routed into a "city of the future" set (MK has plenty of room for a new building) could be pretty cool ......

Good ideas ..............

Nigel2
01-14-2002, 09:45 PM
Originally posted by zapppop
I hear they have something fancy in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Something called....people..mooo..ver ? ;)

Don't make me slap you:D but moving on...

Yeah MGM owns bond (well for now)

AlsoI wouldn't want to see TT on autopia unless they could do like or better than the one at WDW (I am assuming that you don't mean put the track on the ground). But oddly I don't think TT could fit in as well in T land (yes I know its in future world) becuse it just doesn't have the tland feel (also its noisy as hell)