Stuck on Test Track!

[LaurenT]

Before I forget to mention it, at Epcot on Thursday, we handed in our FP's for Test Track around 7:30 pm and got on line...it wasn't more than 5 minutes before they announced that the ride was experiencing technical difficulties and that we all had to exit. They gave us our FP back and showed us through a side door....
Well!!! Outside was the slanted track over our heads...with a family sitting in a car on it! The father and son had their belts off! I'm not sure if that's what caused the problem or if they managed to get their belts off after the ride stopped (if it was the latter then they were idiots!), but could you imagine being halfway through the outdoor circuit and having your car stop - tilted all the way to one side?

 

[kamik86]

I wouldn't be surprised if the belts off is what stopped it. I know on some other rides CMs have said that standing or leaving the boat will set off a sensor and stop the ride. Adn it has to be reset before it will start again. It wouldn't be difficult to have sensors in a seat belt (every normal car does to make the seat belt light go on)

 

[Disney Crazy Debbie]

That happened to me once on Spaceship Earth, well, I should say more than once but it was on the same occasion. I went to get on and it stopped before it was out of the docking area, I tried again later and we were about 1/3 of the way through the ride, but they gat it started again. Thank goodness I didn't have to walk down the passage on the side!

 

[Robo]

Before I forget to mention it, at Epcot on Thursday, we handed in our FP's for Test Track around 7:30 pm and got on line...it wasn't more than 5 minutes before they announced that the ride was experiencing technical difficulties and that we all had to exit. They gave us our FP back and showed us through a side door....
Well!!! Outside was the slanted track over our heads...with a family sitting in a car on it! The father and son had their belts off! I'm not sure if that's what caused the problem or if they managed to get their belts off after the ride stopped (if it was the latter then they were idiots!), but could you imagine being halfway through the outdoor circuit and having your car stop - tilted all the way to one side?

Knowing the history of Test Track, I can tell you (except for the seat belts being undone) that cars have been stopped outside thousands of times over the years (maybe tens of thousands of times ??)

What normally happens is that they can "limp" the cars in very, very slowly (as they clear those who are already inside ready to exit their cars.)

Again, I don't know anything about undone seat beats... sounds unusual.

But the habitual breakdowns and ride-stoppages over the years certainly has made Test Track one of the (if not THE) most troublesome of all mechanical attractions.

Heck, they were about 2 YEARS LATE in getting the attraction open even when it was first built, all due to constant repeated shut-downs due
to a myriad of sensor (mis)readings, motor drive problems, premature tire wear-out, computer software glitches, you name it.

ETA: I guess that I should have mentioned that we have been "stuck" on the outside track of the ride more than once.
After the initial stoppage, they did s-l-o-w-l-y roll the car, under it's own reduced power, into the building and up to the unload.



.

 

[Suellen]

How did you know their seatbelts were off?


and 10's of thousands of times? that would mean it happens at least 3 times a day! WoW! I think I might not ride it again!

 

[LaurenT]

How did you know their seatbelts were off?


and 10's of thousands of times? that would mean it happens at least 3 times a day! WoW! I think I might not ride it again!

The son (maybe a 10 year old?) was closer to us, on the lower side of the tilted car. The dad was pressing against him (because that's the way the car was leaning)...he had the seat belt strap in one hand and extended out in front of him...I think he was trying to get it back on..but I'm not sure - we didn't stick around! The mom thought it was all very funny..she was saying something to us - but I don't remember what it was...

 

[Robo]

10's of thousands of times? that would mean it happens at least 3 times a day! WoW! I think I might not ride it again!

I'm counting the number of cars on the track.
When one gets stopped, they all must stop.

Just the same, 3 times a day, is not too far fetched, if you average the stoppages over the years.

I can't imagine there are many here who have not experienced a trip to Test Track when the ride was not operating (at least temporarily.)
Many surely have been aboard during a ride stoppage.

It's always been a troubled attraction.

The entire HISTORY of TT is that it is "down" many, many, MANY times.

As I mentioned, TT was nearly 2 YEARS LATE opening for the first time.
May 1997: Promised Opening
Dec 19, 1998: Soft Opening
19 months late in opening.

The vehicles are so high-tech (and "touchy") that they just can't seem to get them to "all run at once".

Its almost a standard joke for many WDW vets to say, "Wow, don't know what's going on at Test Track... It was OPEN nearly all day today."

BTW, the same kind of motor and drive-system used at TT, was used at Disneyland in the amazing attraction called "Rocket Rods"...
Never HEARD of it? Not surprising...
it was broken down so MUCH that they simply closed and REMOVED the entire attraction about a year or so after its much-ballyhooed (and EXPENSIVE) creation and premiere!

We were lucky enough to actually ride that "E-Ticket" attraction before they finally "pulled" it.
It was FANTASTIC!

Look HERE:
http://www.yesterland.com/rocketrods.html

It took place (at high -speed) on the (former) "People-Mover" tracks that circled Disneyland's Tomorrowland, high above the guests walking below.

GREAT -when the Rocket Rods where actually MOVING-.
But once they STOPPED due to malfunction (which was quite frequently) there was NO EXIT path for guests out on those narrow tracks.
They had to SIT and WAIT (sometimes for an hour. or so!!!) until the CM's could "limp" the cars back to unload.

At least at Epcot, when Test Track "stops" (and it does so frequently), the guests can "walk away" if need be.

So sad that Rocket Rods could not "perform" at DLR. Otherwise, I'm sure we would have had these amazing Rods at WDW's MK now.

 

[Barnhill9586]

Knowing the history of Test Track, I can tell you (except for the seat belts being undone) that cars have been stopped outside thousands of times over the years (maybe tens of thousands of times ??)

.

Broken down that much, wow! Sounds like a couple of GM products I've owned!

 

[MayzDisney4]

I don't understand why someone would take the belt off or not make sure they were belted up. Even if the ride stopped I would never take the belt off, it will have to start up again, its just not safe. Its frustrating when someone else's stupidity (no seat belt, standing on ride, etc) ruins it for everyone else!

I have to say that I have been on TT many many times over the past 12 years and I am one who has never experienced any technical difficulties nor do I recall having seen the ride down due to technical difficulties. Not saying it doesn't happen, I am just shocked that I had no idea it happened so often.

 

[LaurenT]

I have seen it down a few times before...once we waited in the FP line for 45 min....not sure why they didn't just close the ride..but we did eventually ride...other times we've headed over there to ride and it's been down..but this was the first time I've seen a family stuck in the car on the track.

 

[Mom2aJessieGirl]

that would mean it happens at least 3 times a day! WoW! I think I might not ride it again!

We saw it was "broke down" at least 3 times on our trip just prior/during President's Week. We never got to ride it!

The entire HISTORY of TT is that it is "down" many, many, MANY times.

As I mentioned, TT was nearly 2 YEARS LATE opening for the first time.
May 1997: Promised Opening
Dec 19, 1998: Soft Opening
19 months late in opening.

The vehicles are so high-tech (and "touchy") that they just can't seem to get them to "all run at once".

Let's just hope that the Radiator Springs Racers' 3rd Gen Test Track technology doesn't doom it to the same fate...

 

[MYD714]

I was stopped on the track outside once--luckily, not on the curve.

We were cruising along, and then--wham--stopped instantly. It was quite a shock. We had to get out and walk back into the attraction through the back doors.

 

[sharona]

I don't understand why someone would take the belt off or not make sure they were belted up. Even if the ride stopped I would never take the belt off, it will have to start up again, its just not safe. Its frustrating when someone else's stupidity (no seat belt, standing on ride, etc) ruins it for everyone else!

I have to say that I have been on TT many many times over the past 12 years and I am one who has never experienced any technical difficulties nor do I recall having seen the ride down due to technical difficulties. Not saying it doesn't happen, I am just shocked that I had no idea it happened so often.

Maybe the guys seat belt came unbuckled during the ride and he was just trying to get it back on. It may not have been on purpose.

 

[Ali]

Can you imagine being stopped in the environmental testing area? Freezing or burning for the time it takes to fix whatever is wrong would not be fun

 

[bits-n-pieces]

Before I forget to mention it, at Epcot on Thursday, we handed in our FP's for Test Track around 7:30 pm and got on line...it wasn't more than 5 minutes before they announced that the ride was experiencing technical difficulties and that we all had to exit. They gave us our FP back and showed us through a side door....
Well!!! Outside was the slanted track over our heads...with a family sitting in a car on it! The father and son had their belts off! I'm not sure if that's what caused the problem or if they managed to get their belts off after the ride stopped (if it was the latter then they were idiots!), but could you imagine being halfway through the outdoor circuit and having your car stop - tilted all the way to one side?

HAppened to us in December we were stuck for 20 min and a CM finally came and got us and we had to walk our way around the rest of the track. DD thought it was the coolest part of vacation. Of course we kept our seatbelts on until the CM arrived to get us!!

 

[torinsmom]

We got stuck in the room where the "acid" sprays for about 5 minutes. It was pretty annoying!

As far as Spaceship Earth, the ride usually stops when they load someone from a wheelchair. It may not stop at all for one ride or it may stop 4-5 times, depending on who is in line.

 

[Belle & Ariel]

I'm counting the number of cars on the track.
When one gets stopped, they all must stop.

Just the same, 3 times a day, is not too far fetched, if you average the stoppages over the years.

I can't imagine there are many here who have not experienced a trip to Test Track when the ride was not operating (at least temporarily.)
Many surely have been aboard during a ride stoppage.

It's always been a troubled attraction.

The entire HISTORY of TT is that it is "down" many, many, MANY times.

As I mentioned, TT was nearly 2 YEARS LATE opening for the first time.
May 1997: Promised Opening
Dec 19, 1998: Soft Opening
19 months late in opening.

The vehicles are so high-tech (and "touchy") that they just can't seem to get them to "all run at once".

Its almost a standard joke for many WDW vets to say, "Wow, don't know what's going on at Test Track... It was OPEN nearly all day today."

BTW, the same kind of motor and drive-system used at TT, was used at Disneyland in the amazing attraction called "Rocket Rods"...
Never HEARD of it? Not surprising...
it was broken down so MUCH that they simply closed and REMOVED the entire attraction about a year or so after its much-ballyhooed (and EXPENSIVE) creation and premiere!

We were lucky enough to actually ride that "E-Ticket" attraction before they finally "pulled" it.
It was FANTASTIC!

Look HERE:
http://www.yesterland.com/rocketrods.html

It took place (at high -speed) on the (former) "People-Mover" tracks that circled Disneyland's Tomorrowland, high above the guests walking below.

GREAT -when the Rocket Rods where actually MOVING-.
But once they STOPPED due to malfunction (which was quite frequently) there was NO EXIT path for guests out on those narrow tracks.
They had to SIT and WAIT (sometimes for an hour. or so!!!) until the CM's could "limp" the cars back to unload.

At least at Epcot, when Test Track "stops" (and it does so frequently), the guests can "walk away" if need be.

So sad that Rocket Rods could not "perform" at DLR. Otherwise, I'm sure we would have had these amazing Rods at WDW's MK now.

We were there in March 1999 and it was down most of the time. It was really fun though, maybe better than Test Track or maybe TT has just lost its novelty.
More nostalgia--remember the crash dummy "statues" that would jump at you as you exited Test Track?

 

[Amy276]

This brings back memories. My family got stuck in the curve the first time we ever rode test track. We were only stuck like that for a few minutes fortunately, but it was a little awkward hanging like that. Then when they put us through the second time we got stuck in the heat test room. They actually evacuated us that time and gave us passes for later. Fortunately the third time we rode, we got the full experience.

 

[WDW*Dreamer]

OK, I'll add my story..pretty much the same as others.

About 3-4 years ago our car stopped just as we went through the door to the outside. We sat for about 10 minutes. Then I heard a noise behind us and turned around to see a guy working on the back of our car. Once he finished we crept around the outside loop and back to the unloading area.

It wasn't that big of a deal. The only difficulty was not crushing my little girl who was on the low side of the car as we inched around the high-banked curve.

 

[MadFF]

We were told by a nice CM to check that the ride was working before getting in line, but still after only a little while in line we ended up having to wait an extra 45 minutes due to Test Track being stalled.

So, what am I missing about Test Track? What is the big deal? Waited in line for a long time, and the ride itself was ho-hum.