Questions About Petty Driving Experience

[henrylovespooh]

We are headed back to WDW in the Fall of 2006 (just got back and DH promised DS we could go back when he's 5- yippee!!). So of course, I'm planning already...

Is it possible to surprise my DH with the Richard Petty driving experience at Disney, or are there forms or anything that need to be taken care of beforehand that would give away the surprise? I would like to surprise him with it since he won't do it on his own. He would love to (huge NASCAR fan), but when we get to the parks, he is all about treating the kids to what they want and puts his needs last (two weeks ago he even skipped Mission Space, Big Thunder Mountain and RRRC because he didn't want to inconvenience them.) He deserves this and I want to make it happen. I talked my parents into coming along so we've covered on watching the kids (and they deserve the trip too!)

My other concerns are that he's six foot four and on the big side so I'm worried that he's too big to fit in the car, and I'm not sure he can drive stick. Do these issues prevent him from doing it?

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[lemondog]

Interested in hearing about this too, as this is the one thing my non-Disney-loving husband actually got excited about when reading the guidebook!

 

[stingmom]

Surprised DH for his Bday a couple of years ago with this. Made his ressie, but had the confirmation papers sent to my work. (I have read from others that they CAN send it in a blank envelope if you ask for it.) All the "legal" (loss of life, paying for totaled car, etc LOL) papers are signed when you get there. My DH is 6'2" and had NO problems sliding into the car through the window (yes, just like REAL NASCAR drivers and Dukes of Hazard). I think I read that "heavier" people may have an uncomfortabke squeeze through though. You can do a search on the net for RPRE and find some good faqs. If you don't have AAA (20% discount), order the FREE Orlando MagiCard and get a 10% d/c. FYI, my sons were 5 & 7 when we went, and they LOVED it. After the "drivers' were given a "track tour," in a van, the kids were given one also, zoooooming around it! They went FAST (and left the parents back at the pit stop!) My sons were even able to announce the drivers. It was VERY family oriented considering it was just a gift for DH. I was VERY pleased with how it all worked out and would do it again in a heartbeat if I had an extra $400 lying around. HTH!

 

[henrylovespooh]

Thanks so much for the info. I will check out the website.

 

[Becky2005]

Just a note though, he DOES have to be able to drive a stick car.

No way around that one. My DH hasn't done the one at WDW...he has done it at 2 other tracks and it!!! definitely a good thing.

 

[Msslaydbug]

I also suprised DH w/ this one two years ago. We a re a big Nascar family and he loved it. He did in the middle of our trip. It was all he could talk abou before he went AND after. it was the highlight of his trip and he said worth every penny. (Yes - they do have to know how to drive a stick !! )

 

[gizfish]

Just this week I made the reservation for DH for his suprise 40th birthday gift. The person who took my info made sure to ask if this was a surprise and said all the info would be sent in a plain envelope. Also made sure that the phone number I gave wouldn't be answered by DH. Other things you may want to know is that they do have a way to dry the track if it rains, but they may not always be able to open depending on how bad the weather is. If that happens, they will try to reschedule (so maybe make your appointment early in your stay to leave room for a rain date.) If they can't reschedule, they give you a voucher that expires in one year (from the date you make the reservation) that you can use at any track.

 

[BettyCv]

Those of you that have taken the kids while dh does the RPDE, how did you entertain yourselves for three hours?

Betty

 

[Wedontloveny]

My fiance did this last year and I wasn't bored for a second. While he was filling out the papers I was wandering around taking pictures. You all watch a video inside and then go outside to the covered bleachers. Anyone who is driving goes to the right side of the bleachers and the rest go to the left. I listened to some of the "lecture" which was interesting and pretty funny. The whole time I was there I was snapping pictures. They take the drivers over to show them the inside of the car. As they were walking over and walking back I found this was a great opportunity to get a picture of my fiance leaning against one of the cars by himself. Once the teaching part is done and they get all the safety gear on you don't get a chance to get many pics of them by themselves with a car. Since you will not be allowed to leave the bleacher area and walk over to the cars I could not get a decent picture of him inside the car. So, of course, we just had to buy the plaque from the gift shop that had a pic of him in front of the Petty car and also sitting inside the car he drove. It was somewhere around $75 for the plaque I believe.

To make a long story short....I was not bored at all. I took three rolls of film and had just as much fun as my fiance did!

Everyone involved in that program has such an awesome attitude. They get to drive these cars every day so I'm sure it's no big deal to them. They know this is probably a once in a lifetime event for the drivers and they make it so much fun.

 

[Svenson]

Those of you that have taken the kids while dh does the RPDE, how did you entertain yourselves for three hours?

I was wondering that too! Is it inconceivable that a 4 and a 6-year-old would be entertained enough to last the whole time Daddy drives?

 

[Becky2005]

I was wondering that too! Is it inconceivable that a 4 and a 6-year-old would be entertained enough to last the whole time Daddy drives?

We haven't been to WDW version of Richard Petty but we were crazy enough to plan an entire vacation around going to the one in Charlotte and Atlanta. Charlotte we only had the oldest & Atlanta we had the older 2 (and my Ds-8 was about 2 at the time!).

I don't remember Charlotte a whole lot (that was a long time ago!), since that one was the Rookie Experience.

At Atlanta, DH did the Experience of a Lifetime (which is now what the King's Experience is) so we were there for quite a while with no where to go. We all were together in the class instructions and that was fine, they also gave out a package of M&M's (I did have my standard Cheerios for bribery too plus a few small toys), I had DS in the stroller and we would stroll around every once in a while. DD just enjoyed watching the cars (plus we would go look at the souveniors - did end up buying earplugs for her, since DS was wearing the ones we brought). They also took the kids out on a van for a tour of the track and parked at the top of a bank no less (no adults were allowed but they let me since DS was so little - that was nice of them - this might not be something WDW one does though and it didn't happen with the Rookie Experience one) while the participants were getting their last minute instructions on the track, etc... All this stuff took up some of the time. I know for me, it was tiring but really wasn't that bad (even though I ended up with a bad headache but that was due to the heat, the kids were well behaved), I know at one point DS just fell asleep in the stroller.

I have no idea how the set-up is at WDW though. I would just bring some small toys, snacks (WATER!) etc... They may enjoy just watching the cars.
Good Luck and have fun! I know DH loved it!

 

[jecarter]

I am thinking about surprising my hubby with it too! A question though, do you have to buy extra insurance or anything, what happens if he crashes the car?

 

[Steffy]

This was the best thing my son-in-law did the entire time he was at Disney (11 days)

He does have to drive stick.

The kids, (7 & 1) had a ball. They drove the kids around the track a couple of times in a van so they would see the track daddy was racing on. The kids just loved watching the cars and of course, watching their dad.

The only time that was a little boring was waiting for the other drivers to finish so they could do graduation. And you have to stay for graduation.

Money well spent...

 

[kkana]

This is some great information for the "driving" experience. However I want my DH to have the "ride along" - for various reasons driving is not an option for him.

How long and what is involved for just the "ride along" experience - does anyone know - and how would our 8 yr old DGD manage - she gets bored very easily and doesn't like racing.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

And, I've got another question, what is the minimum age limit on the ride along experience? Our son is 11 and we know he would LOVE to do this if he was old enough. Unfortunately, the Petty site doesn't give an age limit for it.
Kim

 

[stingmom]

The Richard Petty Driving Experience began in 1997 at the Walt Disney World Speedway.

Open every day, weather permitting, except Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Experience may be closed due to inclement weather, testing or private events. Call ahead to ensure that the track is open.

Hours: 9 a.m. - 5p.m.

Reservations are required for all driving programs. Ride-Along Program is currently offered on a walk-in basis.

Visitors are welcome and Pit Entry is free.

The high speed driving experience now offers 4 types of programs:

Ride-along Program - Ride in one of the two-seater stock cars, driven by a professional instructor, for three laps at top speeds of 145 mph. You must be at least 16 years old to ride. No reservations needed. Cost: $105.44, includes tax.


Rookie Experience - Drive one of the race cars for 8 laps around the one-mile tri-oval. Class includes classroom introduction, track orientation, and safety instruction. Class lasts approximately 1.5 to 2 hrs. You must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver's license to drive. Classes are daily at
8am & 2pm. Reservations are needed. Cost: $403.64, includes tax.


The King Experience: This course is offered in one eight-lap session and one 10-lap session. You will experience the roaring speeds of 125-130mph and feel like Royalty. Class includes classroom introduction, track orientation, and safety instruction. You must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver's license to drive. Classes begin at 11am daily. Reservations are needed. Cost: $797.69, includes tax.


Experience of a Lifetime - 30-lap program that is run in three 10-lap sessions. Work on establishing a comfortable driving line and building speed. Length of class and time varies according to class size. You must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver's license to drive. Classes begin at 11am daily. Reservations are needed. Cost: $1,330.19, includes tax.

Directions: Follow the signs to the Magic Kingdom, keep left approaching the toll plaza. After passing through the toll plaza, turn left at the WDW Speedway sign. Mention that you are going to the Speedway at the Toll Plaza and so you won't have to pay the parking fee.

For reservations and information please call 1-800-BE-PETTY

Read First Hand Reports from Folks who DID the Experience!

 

[nybound]

To answer a few questions about RPDE.

You must be 16 (or 18 not sure) to do the ride along program. They do offer to take younger kids in a van around the race track. These run throughout the morning along with the driving programs. They tend to go pretty quick.

No extra insurance is required to drive or ride in a race car. You will have to sign some waivers. Any property damage caused by a wreck is covered by RPDE. They accept no repsonsibility for personal injury.

It may sound scary, but it's not like they let you loose on the race track by yourself. For the driver experiences, you follow an instructor vehicle around the track. At no time did I ever feel like I was out of control (in fact, I wish I could have gone faster).

There is not much for spectators to do other than spectate. There is a small grandstand in the pits where you can watch. There is some open space to run around, but that's about it.

Here is a quick and dirty breakdown of the day (based on my experience from April 9).

They ask that you show up 30 minutes before your schedule time. You head through the track tunnel and proceed to this small building in the infield.

You check in at the desk and turn in all of you paper work (waivers and such). You then take a seat in the meeting room and watch some videos of Richard Petty until it's time to start.

Once things begin, they show another video explaining what's going to happen and what to expect (5 - 10 minutes).

Then, the fun begins. You get suited up with a firesuit, and they ask you: if you've done this before, can you drive a stick shift, do you have any previous racing experience.

Depending on the size of your class, you are broken up into groups for instructions. They consist of going over the car in detail (how to get in and out, how to roll off without stalling, what to do if things go wrong, etc.) and riding around in a van to show the accelerating and deceleration points on the track.

You get your picture taken outside and inside the car with the pictures available after your done.

Once that's done, its time to start driving! You get fitted with a head and neck restraint device and a helmet. Then, it's a matter of waiting until it's your turn to get in the car and go.

As mentioned, you follow a lead instructor around the track. You should maintain three cars lengths between you and the instructor at all times. YOU SHALL NOT PASS THE INSTRUCTOR (rule number 7).

Based on what you signed up for you will get 8 laps, 20 laps (in two segments), or 30 laps (in three segments) around the track. Each lap around gets progressively faster than the previous one.

When everyone is done, there is a quick closing ceremony back in the meeting room where you get a certificate and your lap times. You're done! All that's left is buying souvenirs.

All told, it took about 3 to 3.5 hours from start to finish (I did the 30 lap Experience of a Lifetime). The people at WDW Speedway were great. They were very friendly and helpful and really seemed to care that everyone had a positive experience.

Having done it, all I can say is that it was too short and too slow ! And, I'm already making plans to go again.

As an FYI, my class began at 8:00 am (track opened at 7:30 am). That seems to be the norm now. AAA members get a 20% discount on all experiences.

I'll post a link to some pictures later today.

 

[LuvN~Travel]

Well that answered my question. My son will have to wait five more years before he can even do the Ride along experience. It's a good thing we hadn't discussed it in front of him.
Kim

BTW, I forgot to say Thanks for the info. THANKS

 

[FishNette]

This is some great information for the "driving" experience. However I want my DH to have the "ride along" - for various reasons driving is not an option for him.

How long and what is involved for just the "ride along" experience - does anyone know - and how would our 8 yr old DGD manage - she gets bored very easily and doesn't like racing.

We just returned and both my hubby and my father did the 'drive along' experience. No reservations needed. We arrived around 11 am and were finished with both of them in less than an hour. I don't know if this is typical or not, but we didn't have a wait at all (nobody else was waiting to do this in front of us). Basically, the guys put on their suits, got hooked up in a harness and put helmets on. Then, they got in the car, drove around 3 times and got out.

They both liked it so much they decided to pay the $35 for the plaque of them sitting in the car.

Definitely an experience they will remember for a long time!!!

 

[nybound]

As promised, here's a link to some of my pictures