Single rider Test Track question

[bnewman27]

This is my week of booking 30 day out fp's. A priority for my boys is Test Track so I initially booked that as my tier 1fp at Epcot. After reading the strategy of using single rider and using my fp for Soarin', I switched it. When I told my boys, they were mad because they think that they can't design their own car. I figured you Dis experts would know if this was the case.

 

[hydrotony]

The single rider line has a design station but it has only 2 or 3 choices. The regular line has several more choices. You scan your MB or card for both lines and get a score.

 

[SeilerBird]

I think that designing the car is a scam. You design a car. Not the one you are riding in, but a virtual car that has nothing to do with the ride. When you finish the ride your scores tell you how well your theoretical car would have preformed. I don't see the point or the connection to the ride. The cars all ride identically no matter what the design is like.

 

[Raenstoirm]

Go into the exit first. There are a few machines where you can spend hours designing your car if you so choose. Once you designed it you can put it on your band and test it.

 

[CountyMounty]

I too kind of thought the whole "design your own" thing was a bit of a scam but I can tell you my 8yo thought it was just as good as the ride itself. He loved designing the car and seeing the theoretical results displayed during the ride. I am not so sure that your design actually really transfers over completely and is really somehow virtually tested but it makes it seem that way. I can see why OP sons would be upset.

I can confirm as previous poster said that if you go into the area where you exit there are a couple stations where you can spend all the time you want to design your own car. There are also several other neat things you can do, like make a pretend commercial with the car you designed. Ask a CM there which stations allow you to design the car because there are only a few of them that do as most of the stations there are for the commercial or something else.

Unfortunately I cant confirm that the car you design at the exit can be transferred over to the ride. I assume it can, and I was told by a CM that it could, but when I designed my own there it did not xfer over to the ride. I spent a long time designing my own car because when I rode the ride with my son he was the one to design our cars, which of course was fine, but I decided while I waited for him to ride with DW I would design my own to surprise (and compete with) him. I designed this mean looking police cruiser and scanned my magic band, but when we went on the ride again a couple hours later my design did not xfer over. I am not sure if that is because the one he designed waiting for that ride and scanned his own band replaced it or if something else happened.

 

[bumbershoot]

I think that designing the car is a scam. You design a car. Not the one you are riding in, but a virtual car that has nothing to do with the ride. When you finish the ride your scores tell you how well your theoretical car would have preformed. I don't see the point or the connection to the ride. The cars all ride identically no matter what the design is like.

Absolutely.

DS and I rode it SR (separately, of course) and we each had the opportunity to "design" a car, and then there were something like 4 stations to scan your card for each ride vehicle. Anyone paying attention to that knows that you haven't designed anything you're riding in.

DS was, hmm, 8 or 9 and he noticed that quickly, and from then on he didn't care about "designing" the car.

 

[Princess Yvey]

I think that designing the car is a scam. You design a car. Not the one you are riding in, but a virtual car that has nothing to do with the ride. When you finish the ride your scores tell you how well your theoretical car would have preformed. I don't see the point or the connection to the ride. The cars all ride identically no matter what the design is like.

Completely agree. We went on this ride after I told my DH how thrilling it is and that he would have a good time. I hadn't been on it since they re-did it because I never wanted to wait in line.

We used our fast passes, and had to do the whole design thing, and it just felt like a waste of time. We couldn't care less how "our design" ranked against the metrics of all the tests.

My husband liked the actual ride part, but bc of the whole process, he never wants to go on it again.

I told him, if we do, we have to do single rider, since it's not so extensive in creating a useless car.

That being said, DH and I are in our 30s with no kids... If you think your kids would really enjoy spending 5 or so minutes designing a car that really has nothing to do with the ride, then maybe it's worth going thru the line.

 

[SeilerBird]

TT is one of my favorite rides. I am solo so I always use the single rider line and walk right past the terminals. There are six people in the car. The car cannot possibly be following six different profiles.

What really cracks me up is the TT billboard on 192 just before entering the park.

Design it!!! Floor it!!!!

You don't design the car and there is no gas pedal. Talk about false advertising. It is about as silly as the ToT billboard with people hanging out of the car as it is falling. A bit dramatic.

 

[davkata]

If your kids have used any video games or apps where they "pick" an item and then choose the color, size, other details, etc. they will not miss anything. It is basically a glorified version of this. It was ok once, but we are more about the ride, not the pre-ride "designing". I guess it would depend on their ages too.

 

[anniemae]

Completely agree. We went on this ride after I told my DH how thrilling it is and that he would have a good time. I hadn't been on it since they re-did it because I never wanted to wait in line.

We used our fast passes, and had to do the whole design thing, and it just felt like a waste of time. We couldn't care less how "our design" ranked against the metrics of all the tests.

My husband liked the actual ride part, but bc of the whole process, he never wants to go on it again.

I told him, if we do, we have to do single rider, since it's not so extensive in creating a useless car.

That being said, DH and I are in our 30s with no kids... If you think your kids would really enjoy spending 5 or so minutes designing a car that really has nothing to do with the ride, then maybe it's worth going thru the line.

This is how we felt too. It was kind of a waste and felt silly. Why did they switch the old ride, I kind of liked the theme of "testing" the car in different driving conditions.

 

[goodgodmrsmolly]

I think that designing the car is a scam. You design a car. Not the one you are riding in, but a virtual car that has nothing to do with the ride. When you finish the ride your scores tell you how well your theoretical car would have preformed. I don't see the point or the connection to the ride. The cars all ride identically no matter what the design is like.

I think all of Disney is a scam. I mean, none of the princesses are real royalty form real countries, Mice are not 6 feet tall and I wasn't really flying on Soarin. Don't get me started on Tomorrow land, where it is only like how the past saw the future. Its just a joke how it is all so fake. BTW, don't try the Speedway, you really don't go fast.... at all.

 

[SuperTink]

Sometimes our car would should up on the screen and sometimes it wouldn't.

Didn't seem to matter who scanned what, or when.

 

[hydrotony]

When you design the car, it's to get a point score that you then compare to your friend's score. Highest score get bragging rights. However, this gets old real fast and no one cares. I had to do it a few times to get the system right. At the end of the ride is a wall with several touch points in front, this is where you get the final score. All the in-ride scores mean nothing for figuring out the final score.

I understand the idea, I just think it is a stupid rehab on a formerly great ride. I don't really care about riding it unless there is no wait.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

They can still design their own car if they go through the single rider line.

 

[mom2AidanAndEli]

We did FP and designed our cars and then did single rider. My boys (12 and 14 at the time, so certainly know it's not real!!!) were incredibly disappointed in the single rider "designing". It's nowhere near as detailed or creative as the regular line. They loved the bragging rights part of the design your own.

I know this goes against what everyone else here has said, but I would totally make sure you go through the regular line! Especially if your kids were looking forward to it. If they knew what to expect with the regular line, they'll be very disappointed in the little bit they get to do in the single rider line.

 

[SeilerBird]

We did FP and designed our cars and then did single rider. My boys (12 and 14 at the time, so certainly know it's not real!!!) were incredibly disappointed in the single rider "designing". It's nowhere near as detailed or creative as the regular line. They loved the bragging rights part of the design your own.

I know this goes against what everyone else here has said, but I would totally make sure you go through the regular line! Especially if your kids were looking forward to it. If they knew what to expect with the regular line, they'll be very disappointed in the little bit they get to do in the single rider line.

I should add that while I think the design process is a scam I am also certain that many kids would get a big kick out it. I just see it as a waste of time but different strokes for different folks.

 

[letsgoreds]

How old are your boys? The designing part (regular line) was more enjoyable for me, DH, and both my boys (8 and 3 at the time). Soarin' is kinda lame. I am done riding it, unless I have a kiddo with me that has never ridden it before. I would switch them back.

I would rope drop, and b-line it to either Soarin' or TT, and then FP the other. Honestly, I would FP TT, because sometimes it is closed due to weather (part is outside), can ride it later if outside of your FP time. Last time we were there, it didn't run until 45 min. after park opening, making it tough to time a 'rope drop' approach.

Oh...and make sure Sum of All Thrills is on your to-do list. It was an overlooked ride for us for many years, and now one of my oldest faves.