Epcot's Test Track closed??

[Sabi]

The Epcot attraction remains uncertain as GM and Disney executives negotiate a possible contract extension.
TT is one of the most popular rides at the park and draws in over 11,000,000 visitors per year.
Executives for GM and Disney have continued to negotiate a possible contract extension to keep the beleaguered Detroit auto giant as sponsor of Epcot's Test Track. But so far nothing has been announced.
GM paid Disney $100 million for the sponsorship, according to a person familiar with the contract. The deal was front-loaded: GM paid nearly all of its sponsorship fees during the first five years of the 10-year pact, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on behalf of either company.

GM also spends between $1 million and $2 million a year operating a post-ride showroom inside the attraction, with more than a dozen vehicles on display and terminals that guests can use to order sales brochures.
Since March, rumors have circulated around Epcot that Disney was permitting GM to stay on a month-to-month basis while negotiations continued.
Two of the companies often rumored as potential Test Track sponsors — Toyota and Honda — both said they were not interested.
"We have no plans to sponsor that," said Marcos Frommer, spokesman for American Honda Motor Co.
Added Toyota Motor Sales USA spokesman Joe Tetherow: "This is something that's not even on the radar."

A representative for Ford did not return a phone message.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I don't think it's closed.
I suppose a good question might be whether or not Government Motors should be allowed to spend taxpayers $$$ to sponser a Theme Park Ride.
Did Test Track actually result in any substantial business for the company? Does anyone leave Test Track absolutely DYING to buy a GM car??

 

[safetymom]

It is not closed. If GM doesn't sponsor it I can't imagine Disney closing it. They will keep it running and look for a sponsor.

 

[bicker]

Yeah, I can imagine the Japanese carmakers actually evaluating sponsorship from the standpoint of what's best for their owners (and, of course, by that measure, Test Track sponsorship perhaps doesn't measure up). Having said that, I wonder if Disney would actually close the attraction without a sponsor. Test Track isn't like Body Wars. I think they'll work hard to find a new sponsor, and if they're unsuccessful, might just eat the cost themselves, perhaps seeking to cut costs at Epcot some other way (closing some other, less cost-effective, non-sponsored attraction).

 

[Uncleromulus]

I guess Test Track sort of suggests a car company should be the sponsor. But I suppose it dosen't HAVE to be. Maybe we'll see Test Track sponsored by Hershey's Chocolate

The fact that those other car companies show not the slightest interest suggests to me that they know they wouldn't get enough business to make it financially worth-while.

 

[Bete]

Disney could be in trouble. There are so many sponsors for Disney that could pull the plug.

Even if they find new sponsors or the old sponsors continue you can bet it won't be the same monies as before for whatever.

I think this is real scary when you think about it. Disney can't eat it all and continue, either.

 

[deej696]

It would seem to make sense that any contract done when ride opened would have been front loaded, as Disney usually wants to re-coup their investment very quickly. Now that those dollars have been captured, Disney would probably just move on without a sponsor. That said, its probably a lousy investment from GMs standpoint as I'm sure the exposure isnt worth the money. As Uncleromulus said, I highly doubt that anyone left the pavillion any more likely to buy a GM car than they were before they entered. The fact that no Japanese auto-maker thinks its a worthy expense speaks to that as well....

 

[10_Kyle_10]

Disney could be in trouble. There are so many sponsors for Disney that could pull the plug.

Even if they find new sponsors or the old sponsors continue you can bet it won't be the same monies as before for whatever.

I think this is real scary when you think about it. Disney can't eat it all and continue, either.

I think that a sponsorship at Disney is about as good as one company can get/do. Though the times are tough I feel that a sponsorship/advertising is still in alot more budgets than you might think. Disney may not get the 100million over 10 years it got from GM but it will 100% find a sponsor for Test Track as well as other Sponsored attraction even in these tough economic times if they need one at all.

 

[YCFAN]

I don't think it's closed.
I suppose a good question might be whether or not Government Motors should be allowed to spend taxpayers $$$ to sponser a Theme Park Ride.
Did Test Track actually result in any substantial business for the company? Does anyone leave Test Track absolutely DYING to buy a GM car??

LOL!!! My son now owns an H2 Hummer that I still say is directly linked to a trip to Test Track that resulted in him buying an H2 t-shirt until he was able to actually drive!

 

[WDSearcher]

It makes no sense for Disney to close Test Track simply because they lost a sponsor. It's not like GM's bankruptcy was a surprise -- everyone saw it coming. If Disney was going to close the attraction, they had plenty of time to warn people or to set that up. They didn't. And why close a perfectly good attraction -- and one of the most popular? You just find another sponsor.

Kraft walked away from The Land and Nestle stepped in. Spaceship Earth lost its sponsor, and Siemens picked it up. Neither of those two sponsor switches happened overnight, but Disney didn't close either attraction due to not having a sponsor.

 

[bradk]

I believe Nestle stepped out as well. and if The Land can survive without Sponsorship, so can...

- The (Living) Seas
- The Universe of Energy
- Space Mountain

and others I'm sure

 

[disnut8]

General Motors also pulled sponsorship from NASCAR and they are still racing every week with GM cars on the track. The team owners are simply finding other ways to get that pool of money.

I wouldn't worry about Test Track closing. As Sabi said, it's a popular attraction since just about everyone can ride it. It really isn't a thrill ride so most families can enjoy together. The lines in the queue bear that out.

It doesn't have to be a car company that sponsors Test Track. A tire company, a gas/oil company, NAPA, etc. It doesn't have to be the entire car, it can be parts of the car.

 

[lessit]

GM has to do something with TT. Right now it shows why they are in the situation they are in. They spend how many millions on this attraction and you get off the ride and are confronted with a Hummer, Saturn and Pontiac -all close to not being GM products anymore. Most people coming off the ride recognize the irony. How can they not have a Volt on display here? This attraction is more appropriate in Dinoland!

 

[Elvistelth]

If GM doesn't sponsor it I can't imagine Disney closing it. They will keep it running and look for a sponsor.

Like they did with the Wonders of Life pavillion?

 

[dalt01]

this "sponsor" thing was a cash cow for disney. it has blew my mind from the beginning. can you imagine it at any other level? ABC PARKS NEW JITTNEY COASTER SPONSERED BY 7/11 or COUNTRY CORNERS AMUSEMENT PARKS NEW "SHOOTIN GALLERY" SPONSERED BY THE N.R.A. and how long did spaceship earth set there with an empty room at the exit.

 

[DebbieB]

Did Space Moutain get a new sponsor after Fed-Ex dropped out?

 

[snykymom]

Wonders of Life wasn't nearly as popular as Test Track is. GE used to sponsor Carousel of Progress. Last time I looked, that was still there.

 

[Elvistelth]

this "sponsor" thing was a cash cow for disney. it has blew my mind from the beginning. can you imagine it at any other level? ABC PARKS NEW JITTNEY COASTER SPONSERED BY 7/11 or COUNTRY CORNERS AMUSEMENT PARKS NEW "SHOOTIN GALLERY" SPONSERED BY THE N.R.A. and how long did spaceship earth set there with an empty room at the exit.

I never understood the sponsor thing either. You shell out nearly $80 for a single day ticket and then you're supposed to be grateful to a sponsor for paying for the atttraction? What did my $80 pay for then?

 

[doconeill]

It can all come down to operational costs. If the sponsorship still defrays most of the costs of day-to-day operations (and Test Track is likely higher maintenance than Spaceship Earth), then if the sponsorship goes away Disney may not be willing to swallow those operational costs and shut it down.

 

[Elvistelth]

Wonders of Life wasn't nearly as popular as Test Track is. GE used to sponsor Carousel of Progress. Last time I looked, that was still there.

They don't seem to have a problem shuttering attractions in EPCOT. Look at how long Horizons sat unused. Also, the upstairs part of Journey into Imagination. Futureworld has been neglected for a decade or more.