Test Track

[Lowillian]

Hello,
I've never posted on this board and I hope this is the right place to post this. My husband and I went to WDW recently. My husband brought up something I hadn't thought of. With GM not doing so well, do you think they will pull their sponsorship of TT? If they do, what will happen to TT, if anything?

Any thoughts on this?

[wannabef]

If they're smart, they'll keep the sponsorship and re-furb the ride to emphasize alt energy technologies. That's where their ad money seems to be focused these days.

[Condorman]

That's so funny. Can you imagine solar-powered cars? The moment you zoom out of the indoor facility and onto the track - if the sun is shrouded behind an overcast sky - your vehicle just slows to a crawl, CMs collect you, apologize, and give you a FastPass to Ellen's UoE.

I don't think GM will pull sponsorship, but you can absolutely forget about them providing any funding for a much-needed update or refurb. We'll be living with the current TT for a long time to come. I don't mind. I enjoy it.

[OKW Lover]

GM can't just "pull out" they have a signed contract for a set number of years that they entered into when the old World of Motion was demolished to install Test Track.

[mitros]

GM can't just "pull out" they have a signed contract for a set number of years that they entered into when the old World of Motion was demolished to install Test Track.

Wonder when that contract expires...........:confused3

[CanadianGuy]

Wonder when that contract expires...........:confused3

Well.. how many years delayed was test track? Because GM originally signed a deal to sponsor thru 2007.

But then... the ride debut was delayed by .. more than months.. years if I recall correctly... originally to open in May of 1997.. it didn't actually open til March of 1999.

So I would guess that it is sponsored thru 2010 anyway.

[Padrepride]

GM as well as the economy is struggling. Even if GM does pull sponsorship, I don't see Disney shutting Test Track down. Of course, we can always look at Rocket Rods at DLR which lost their sponsor [Goodyear i believe] and further heightened Rocket Rods spiral to doom. But Test Track is a successful ride and is a staple of Future World.

[KYMickey]

Maybe GM pulling their sponsorship would be a good thing. Then Toyota or Honda who are making money could take over sponsorship, put some money into the ride in make it truly memorable like it once was. I mean Toyota has gotten into NASCAR and is kicking butt this year so they obviously want more exposure in America.

[Mad-Jasper]

That's so funny. Can you imagine solar-powered cars? The moment you zoom out of the indoor facility and onto the track - if the sun is shrouded behind an overcast sky - your vehicle just slows to a crawl, CMs collect you, apologize, and give you a FastPass to Ellen's UoE.

And hows that different from now? :)

[wdw4us2]

Maybe GM pulling their sponsorship would be a good thing. Then Toyota or Honda who are making money could take over sponsorship, put some money into the ride in make it truly memorable like it once was. I mean Toyota has gotten into NASCAR and is kicking butt this year so they obviously want more exposure in America.

Blasphemy!:scared1: GM has been sponsor of this attraction since Epcot first opened starting with World of Motion and now Test Track.

[fightinfire21]

Maybe GM pulling their sponsorship would be a good thing. Then Toyota or Honda who are making money could take over sponsorship, put some money into the ride in make it truly memorable like it once was. I mean Toyota has gotten into NASCAR and is kicking butt this year so they obviously want more exposure in America.

Toyota making money???? Toyota has lost volume and money for the first time in a long time recently. I am in the automotive business and right now it is not good for ANYBODY!

[Metro West]

Blasphemy!:scared1: GM has been sponsor of this attraction since Epcot first opened starting with World of Motion and now Test Track. :thumbsup2

[mitros]

That's so funny. Can you imagine solar-powered cars? The moment you zoom out of the indoor facility and onto the track - if the sun is shrouded behind an overcast sky - your vehicle just slows to a crawl, CMs collect you, apologize, and give you a FastPass to Ellen's UoE.

I don't think GM will pull sponsorship, but you can absolutely forget about them providing any funding for a much-needed update or refurb. We'll be living with the current TT for a long time to come. I don't mind. I enjoy it.

Oh please anythjng but Ellen's UoE! They screwed that place up royaly.
And before anyone says anything, this is, in fact: IMHO!

[Condorman]

They seriously need to update TT, redo MS, raze WoL, gut and re-imagine UoE, take Nemo out of TLS, put a new Soarin' movie into TL, and sinkhole that last pavilion - the one with Figment and HISTA. I don't even know what that area is all about but it's a waste.

They should get right on that and send me the bill.

[mitros]

They seriously need to update TT, redo MS, raze WoL, gut and re-imagine UoE, take Nemo out of TLS, put a new Soarin' movie into TL, and sinkhole that last pavilion - the one with Figment and HISTA. I don't even know what that area is all about but it's a waste.

They should get right on that and send me the bill.

DW and I agree with all that you have stated. We will go halfsey's on you with the bill. Or maybe we can get Ei$ner to go in with us and we could split it 3 ways!:goodvibes

[Condorman]

DW and I agree with all that you have stated. We will go halfsey's on you with the bill. Or maybe we can get Ei$ner to go in with us and we could split it 3 ways!:goodvibes

You're on!

I know some of us have had this conversation on another thread, but I'm not so much of an Eisner hater. True, the last couple years of his tenure he did flush the company into the toilet. However, he did leave us with DHS, AK, DLP and TDS. I've been to all of them, and I'll never knock the guy for giving us those. Of course he had nothing to do with Epcot, so you decide what you want to replace Figment. UoE is all mine.

[mitros]

You're on!

I know some of us have had this conversation on another thread, but I'm not so much of an Eisner hater. True, the last couple years of his tenure he did flush the company into the toilet. However, he did leave us with DHS, AK, DLP and TDS. I've been to all of them, and I'll never knock the guy for giving us those. Of course he had nothing to do with Epcot, so you decide what you want to replace Figment. UoE is all mine.

THAT is the reason, we no longer care for Ei$ner. While he in fact did great things for Disney, it eventually went to his head and he started to ride roughshode on everyone. He felt he could do no wrong, but after a while, he did a lot wrong. But as you said, that's another thread. And by the way, DW says she will be glad to take a sledge hammer to that twice-tried-to-fix-it Figment pavilion......

[DC7800]

DW says she will be glad to take a sledge hammer to that twice-tried-to-fix-it Figment pavilion......

Please leave the actual building structure alone, however. It will make it easier to restore the original attraction after you've demolished the (vastly inferior) Imagination Institute.

Oh, and can you also bulldoze Mission Puke-A-Twirl (Mission Space) instead of just redoing it?

[mitros]

Please leave the actual building structure alone, however. It will make it easier to restore the original attraction after you've demolished the (vastly inferior) Imagination Institute.

Oh, and can you also bulldoze Mission Puke-A-Twirl (Mission Space) instead of just redoing it?

Hey, wanna join the demolition group? You could work on the Mission Puke-A-Twirl. And don't worry, DW will leave the Imagination building . She only wants to gut the interior and then perhaps Disney will get the hint and re-fill it.......properly.

[KYMickey]

Toyota making money???? Toyota has lost volume and money for the first time in a long time recently. I am in the automotive business and right now it is not good for ANYBODY!

Yes, Toyota's profits fell but they still made a significant PROFIT, something the U.S. auto industry hasn't done in a longtime. A large part of the profit dropped was because of the strength of the yen. They also lost volume but not to the degree other auto companies have. This loss was mostly due to the world's economy not Toyota and they're certainly in a much better position than any American automotive company.

[ChrisFL]

Yes, Toyota's profits fell but they still made a significant PROFIT, something the U.S. auto industry hasn't done in a longtime. A large part of the profit dropped was because of the strength of the yen. They also lost volume but not to the degree other auto companies have. This loss was mostly due to the world's economy not Toyota and they're certainly in a much better position than any American automotive company.

Right and Toyota is sitting on billions of dollars it isn't even using

[dinodak]

I would think they would just find a new sponsor or have it go sponsorless for a while until someone else is found to fund the attraction.

[c4a]

Condorman;26875554] said:"That's so funny. Can you imagine solar-powered cars? The moment you zoom out of the indoor facility and onto the track - if the sun is shrouded behind an overcast sky - your vehicle just slows to a crawl, CMs collect you, apologize, and give you a FastPass to Ellen's UoE"


:lmao: :worship: Too funny!

[deej696]

To me, ride sponsorships are puzzling. We hear so much negative opinions on the Disney license craze at the parks, I have never really understood what makes sponsorships different. I mean, we complain that there are McDonalds fries in the parks, yet we are ok with "Test Track presented by General Motors."

Dont get me wrong, I have no problem with them and think its a smart way for Disney to push some of the cost burden elsewhere. I guess I just dont see the difference.....

[DC7800]

We hear so much negative opinions on the Disney license craze at the parks, I have never really understood what makes sponsorships different. I mean, we complain that there are McDonalds fries in the parks, yet we are ok with "Test Track presented by General Motors."

Simplistically stated, perhaps, General motors isn't selling cars at Test Track (or the World of Motion), while McDonald's is offering standard menu items for sale. They are not just sponsoring Conestoga Fries, for instance - Conestoga is selling McDonald's products under the McDonald's name. You couldn't find Kraft or Nestle products for sale in The Land, no General Electric light bulbs sold in Horizons, and no Exxon mini-mart (or gas) available over at Universe of Energy. Those are sponsors, 'selling' the corporate name or image maybe, and certainly benefiting from good publicity and promotion, but they don't have a store set up in the park.

McDonald's does have stores set up in the parks, even if it is only a fry cart. That crosses a line, from sponsor of a Disney establishment, to having an actual retail presence in the parks. I might not have a problem with McDonald's sponsoring a Disney counter-service restaurant, but it couldn't be a 'McDonald's' restaurant offering a McDonald's menu. For instance, if the only change made to Flame Tree BBQ was to add "sponsored by McDonald's" to the bottom of the sign - and the menu remained unchanged - that would probably constitute a sponsor arrangement, and might be completely appropriate.

[KYMickey]

Simplistically stated, perhaps, General motors isn't selling cars at Test Track (or the World of Motion), while McDonald's is offering standard menu items for sale. They are not just sponsoring Conestoga Fries, for instance - Conestoga is selling McDonald's products under the McDonald's name. You couldn't find Kraft or Nestle products for sale in The Land, no General Electric light bulbs sold in Horizons, and no Exxon mini-mart (or gas) available over at Universe of Energy. Those are sponsors, 'selling' the corporate name or image maybe, and certainly benefiting from good publicity and promotion, but they don't have a store set up in the park.

McDonald's does have stores set up in the parks, even if it is only a fry cart. That crosses a line, from sponsor of a Disney establishment, to having an actual retail presence in the parks. I might not have a problem with McDonald's sponsoring a Disney counter-service restaurant, but it couldn't be a 'McDonald's' restaurant offering a McDonald's menu. For instance, if the only change made to Flame Tree BBQ was to add "sponsored by McDonald's" to the bottom of the sign - and the menu remained unchanged - that would probably constitute a sponsor arrangement, and might be completely appropriate.
While you do demonstrate a difference between the two arrangements its extremely small at best. The only reason GM sponsors Test Track is to sell cars and having them on display certainly helps do that. Exxon has basically the same reasons for sponsoring World of Energy. Actually at one point in time Kraft Food Products were sold in The Land. I personally don't see anything wrong with either of these arrangements. Of course he didn't mention the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom which is even worse in my opinion because it's a completely "foreign" object for the park and it's the only true outside restaurant within the park.

If people didn't want McDonald's fries it would be one thing but they're definitely better than any of the other fries sold at CS restaurants!

[DC7800]

While you do demonstrate a difference between the two arrangements its extremely small at best. The only reason GM sponsors Test Track is to sell cars and having them on display certainly helps do that. Exxon has basically the same reasons for sponsoring World of Energy. Actually at one point in time Kraft Food Products were sold in The Land. I personally don't see anything wrong with either of these arrangements. Of course he didn't mention the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom which is even worse in my opinion because it's a completely "foreign" object for the park and it's the only true outside restaurant within the park.

If people didn't want McDonald's fries it would be one thing but they're definitely better than any of the other fries sold at CS restaurants!

I would have to contend that the differences between having an attraction (or restaurant, etc.) sponsor, versus an outside entity with an actual company presence within WDW or the parks, is substantial. Some arrangements, however, fall somewhat within a 'gray area' and likely make the difference between a sponsor and outside retail presence seem more negligible than it really is. The Disneyland Carnation Cafe actually carries the name of its sponsor, but it is exclusive to the park (no national chain of Carnation Cafe's in every town in America - such as with McDonald's) and is not just a store selling company products. Rainforest Cafe, however, is not a sponsor arrangement - instead it is an actual retail presence (for lack of a better term) within WDW, and yes, I have a problem with its (inappropriate) place at Disney. Still, RC is more distinctive than McDonald's, isn't found everywhere across the nation, and technically it isn't actually within the park itself. Hence, I'd have to hold McDonald's out as the worst offender, though I would definitely prefer to be rid of RC (at least at AK; Ideally in the Marketplace too).

Just to further confuse the issue, Kodak sponsored Journey into Imagination from the beginning and sells its products at a shop there (as well as across WDW). The difference, of course, is that it is not ostensibly a Kodak store - it is an attraction sponsored by Kodak, with an attached camera shop. Conestoga Fries, on the other hand, is instead a (themed) McDonald's retail establishment, not a sponsor of a counter-service eatery. Again, the differences can be murky.

[deej696]

Again, the differences can be murky.

Which I guess was my original point, because I dont see the difference. These companies provide sponsorships in an effort to earn customers in one form or another. Whether the dollars are made on WDW property, or the local grocery store, these companies do profit as a result of their presence in the parks. The argument by "purists" is usually "When we come to Disney we dont want to see other brands." Pure is "Disney's Contemporary Resort." "Test Track presented by General Motors" is not....

Sorry if I stirred up the pot, I was just trying to understand the point of view...