Disney fans, start your engines!
A recent wave of closures, changes and cancellations at Disney World has drawn plenty of ire from longtime visitors, but the amusement park’s latest announcement has given Disney devotees something to be excited about.
On Monday, June 16, Walt Disney World revealed that Test Track, a fan-favorite Epcot ride, is slated to reopen later this summer on July 22.
The ride was originally closed down in June 2024, much to the disappointment of park-going adrenaline junkies.
According to Walt Disney World News Today, the ride is expected to return as Test Track 3.0, and will boast several new features — a fresh musical score, revamped story, and new insights on futuristic technology, among others.
General Motors, which sponsored the original Test Track 1.0, has also been confirmed to return as the ride’s backer for the revamp, ousting Chevrolet, which was responsible for Test Track 2.0.
Aside from its intriguing futuristic aesthetic that attracts car buffs and Epcot enthusiasts alike, Test Track is best known for its speed — it’s the fastest attraction among all Disney Park rides, clocking in at a dizzying 65 miles per hour.
Overwhelmingly, fans responded to the announcement with excitement.
“Yay! I can’t wait,” one fan gushed, while another said: “I’m ready to speed.”
“This just made my son’s day,” shared an enthusiastic fan, while another chimed in, “This is what I needed to hear.”
Given that Test Track has been through several notable renovations — with some better received than others — several commenters were suspicious of the reopening news.
“Hopefully it’s better than the previous iteration,” said one skeptical park-goer.
Refurbishments at Disney parks can take anywhere from a few days to a few months, and breakdowns are generally pretty rare, thanks to the meticulous inspection and repair process the park maintains.
“We have a meter-based program,” Fredrick Cox Jr., the director of manufacturing at Walt Disney World’s Central Shops, told Fox Business. “Every coaster that we have does X number of laps around the track.
“We do a tear-down,” Cox continued. “We tear it apart, and we inspect everything, everything on the ride. Bolts, bearings, bushings, panels, you name it.”
Typically, closures are scheduled ahead of time — the Test Track shutdown is proof of that — but the occasional malfunction does occur, much to the rage of Disney-goers. Cox says fixes usually take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or two to complete.
As a result of other closures, some Disney fans began to fret that Test Track would be among the shuttered rides.
After all, beloved attractions like Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat were recently announced to be closing down to make way for Piston Peak National Park, a new area dedicated to Pixar’s “Cars” franchise.
Nostalgic park-goers have also commiserated over the long-felt loss — the area closed back in 2011 to make room for Fantasyland — of Mickey’s Toontown, the whimsical, life-size village that mimicked some of the most famous Mickey Mouse-themed attractions.
Luckily for Test Track fans, the ride will be back later this summer, but dedicated Disney fans should keep an eye out for any other potential closures — and spend time on your favorite attractions before they’re gone, as one fan advised in the comments of the park’s Instagram announcement.
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