Test Track refurb

[Robo]

According to this it is closing April 16

http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/04...ne-16th-test-track-close-to-orlando-sentinel/

Yes, The Orlando Sentinel article has been discussed.

However, it's been brought up that this info could be based on the same "early January announcement" (posted only once, and since removed from the web) by Disney.


So...
There has still been no "official word" from any Disney AUTHORITY about any specific closure date.



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My disclaimer:
Test Track could close at any time (April 16, or any other date.)

However, it makes little sense that there is no word from a legitimate Disney authority when we are now only about a dozen days out from the "expected" closure date.

If TT does close on April 16, we have to chalk that up to a failure of Disney to
communicate important information to guests via the expected and proper channels.

 

[mesaboy2]

According to this it is closing April 16

http://www.epcyclopedia.com/2012/04...ne-16th-test-track-close-to-orlando-sentinel/

The funny thing about that one is that the URL itself says June 16. Continue on, confusion!

 

[mesaboy2]

I bet most folks have no idea it's closing. Aww... I feel bad for the first person that makes this discovery.

This happens hundreds of times a day at Disney, I'm sure, if not thousands. The vast majority of people there simply show up, find out the state of things that day, and then roll with it.

It's us who are weird and uptight about these things.

 

[Reddog1134]

This happens hundreds of times a day at Disney, I'm sure, if not thousands. The vast majority of people there simply show up, find out the state of things that day, and then roll with it.

It's us who are weird and uptight about these things.

I posted about this a while back.

A few years ago on my first Disney trip as a "frequent" visitor, I arrived at my favorite attraction (Haunted Mansion) to find it closed.

Now, picture in your mind, the final scene from the original Planet of the Apes. That was my reaction.

 

[JetsetJAK]

This happens hundreds of times a day at Disney, I'm sure, if not thousands. The vast majority of people there simply show up, find out the state of things that day, and then roll with it.

It's us who are weird and uptight about these things.

In five visits to Disney World, I've been to Magic Kingdom four times (my 1994 trip was with my school when I was in 6th grade, and whatever genius planned that trip decided that Magic Kingdom was the one Disney park we DIDN'T need to go to) and would you believe that on every single visit, for one reason or another BTMRR has been down every single time? I guess it's never been as big a deal for me since, because of the fact that I've never gotten to ride it, I don't know what I'm missing, lol. But each of those times I didn't know the ride was down until I got there.

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

IF and WHEN this refurbishment becomes a reality, I think it should be mentioned to guests before wandering over to the attraction. I can't see why they wouldn't put a bulletin in welcome packages upon guest arrival. As always, I agree with Robo. It's totally bonkers that this wouldn't be addressed on Disney's website somewhere. I feel like it should have been clearly posted several months ago.

 

[mesaboy2]

I can't see why they wouldn't put a bulletin in welcome packages upon guest arrival.

You assume too much. You assume people look at that stuff.

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

It's us who are weird and uptight about these things.

This may be true But I bet you there are truck loads of people that are totally crushed when a ride they were expecting to go on is closed. I guess I'm just glad to have some information versus none.

It's really hard to get large herds of people to read pamphlets or pay attention to signs. It's not even about that. I just think people who have their act together enough to check into this oughta be able to find it. I'll be eager to hear what happens on April 15th. We'll know soon.

 

[mesaboy2]

This may be true But I bet you there are truck loads of people that are totally crushed when a ride they were expecting to go on is closed. I guess I'm just glad to have some information versus none.

Oh yeah, no doubt.

Last month in the span of a few hours, I heard two different parties talk to their kids about Big Thunder--once on the ferry, and once in line for FPs at Space. I mentioned quietly not to build that up too much for them and that it was closed.

 

[Reddog1134]

At this point, I don't think TT will close on April 16th. I also don't think Disney knows when they are going to close it. Otherwise, they would have posted a date.

When their plans change, Disney has a bad habit of ignoring what they previously stated and acting like it didn't happen. Look at their track record (pun partially intended).

Flamingo Crossing
Original Fantasyland Expansion
Hyperion Wharf

Some would also put Avatarland on this list.

 

[bluecastle]

This happens hundreds of times a day at Disney, I'm sure, if not thousands. The vast majority of people there simply show up, find out the state of things that day, and then roll with it.

It's us who are weird and uptight about these things.

The year was 1990, my DD was 3 and looking forward to riding IaSW. As we were walking toward the entrance I heard some teenage boys singing "It's a closed world after all" and wondered what that was about. When we got to the entrance I saw the sign-Closed for your future enjoyment. My DD took it pretty well (we have it on video), but from that moment on I became a WDW researcher, starting with guide books and phone calls to WDW before we left to make sure that never happened again and evolving (devolving?) into spending countless hours on internet sites and newsgroups, developing an ongoing obsession with keeping up with all things WDW. What a long, strange trip it's been-and it all started with an unexpected closure. For our upcoming August trip, (my DD now 25 and bringing her DBF)I have already told the group about TT and how that will affect the lines for Soarin'. ("my teeth and ambitions are bared..be prepared")

 

[SaraJayne]

Serious Question: I enjoy Test Track, especially the outside loop at night. But would anyone seriously consider postponing or re-scheduling a Disney World vacation because of Test Track? That's a bit silly.

By itself, probably not. Add in all the other closures and yup, we'd reschedule.

 

[JetsetJAK]

Since I've started following "The Saga Of The Test Track Refurb: Will They Or Won't They?", I've been going over to Twitter every day and doing a search for "Test Track" just to see what other people are saying about the whole thing. For the most part, it's other websites and blogs reporting on that Orlando Sentinel article. If Disney doesn't close TT on April 16th, they really are gonna have some explaining to do, because even though those of us here at the Dis know better, there are a lot of websites and travel blogs and whatnot reporting on it as "officially confirmed" because of that article.

And for what it's worth, and not to add more fuel to the speculation fire, but yesterday somebody tweeted that they heard a rumor that the Test Track crews currently over at Radiator Springs Racers at DCA have been scheduled to come off of that attraction. I didn't even know there were TT crews over at RSR, and I don't know what it might have to do with anything, but the person who tweeted it mentioned it in a conversation about the TT refurb, so just throwing it out there.

 

[mbrittb00]

This is like a count down to when the world is coming to an end.

Tick, .... tick, .... tick.

 

[JetsetJAK]

Tick, .... tick, .... tick.

Uh oh.........what if they delay the TT re-opening date from September 21, 2012 to December 21, 2012???

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

Maybe the April 16th date refers only to the refurb of the exit area to the ride??? That certainly wouldn't count as a ride closure, and could explain why there hasn't been an official announcement.

 

[Robo]

Maybe the April 16th date refers only to the refurb of the exit area to the ride??? That certainly wouldn't count as a ride closure, and could explain why there hasn't been an official announcement.

You are absolutely right that if a refurb does not close the operation of an attraction, they don't post it as a refurb.

(They don't list things like repainting the exterior of a ride building, or
even the rebuilding of a queue, if the ride remains open.)

I have not considered this aspect of the TT refurb until your post.
Although I don't think that this is much of a possibility, it certainly IS a possibility, none-the-less.

(And, it throws the whole other bunch of "announcements" by so many sources, that much more into question.)

Time will tell.

 

[JetsetJAK]

I posted about that possibility yesterday - that maybe since the majority of the work is supposed to be to the pre and post show areas, perhaps they're figuring out a way to do some of that work while keeping the ride itself open. Then when it comes time to do work on the actual ride, maybe they'll only have to close it down for 1 or 2 months instead of 5. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they do that during one of the Spaceship Earth refurbs? You exited the ride and just went down this corridor back into Future World, since they were still doing work on the post-show area.

 

[mbrittb00]

There may be something to that. The January 6th blog post states that the ride will be "Re-Imagined". I also thought I had read somewhere that it was going to be completely re-designed. In either case there is likely some work that can be done in the queuing and exit areas that could be done without completely shutting the ride down, and the main "Re-Imangine" work could be done in only 2 or 3 months. That said, in order to be re-opened for the Food and Wine Festival, that 2-3 month window would need to start sometime in the June/July time frame, which brings us back to the question as to why they have not posted that part of the referb to the schedule.

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

Maybe the April 16th date refers only to the refurb of the exit area to the ride??? That certainly wouldn't count as a ride closure, and could explain why there hasn't been an official announcement.

Interesting point. I read somewhere that they will be adding to the Kilimanjaro Safari attraction this spring. Since it won't result in closing the ride, I don't see it listed either. Maybe they don't want to mention anything about TT until the ride itself will be completely shut down? I agree with Robo that it doesn't make complete sense though. And I also don't see the harm in posting information now rather than later.