Test Track Singing Group Video

[DisneyFive]

...so here is my conspiracy theory!...

Their idea is to make the Test Track All Stars so bad that park visitors aren't complaining about Test Track being closed anymore, but how bad the Test Track All Stars show is!!! Totally takes the heat off the Test Track refurb!

Seriously though, this could really be a cool interactive spot, but the act has to drastically change. They can sing well, just need to change the act.

Dan

 

[P00H1010]

When I saw this earlier I didn't have a chance to watch the whole video.....now that I have I have gotta say it's kinda bad. Not really up to "Disney Standards", it almost seems like an afterthought. As if they realized about a week ago that closing Test Track would leave a void they needed to fill so they hurried up and threw something together. Not the best work Disney has done.....

 

[budafam]

I don't understand what cars & singing have to do with each other Epcot already has a musical group (Jammitors, right?) It's not that these people are bad, they sound great but it's just a silly distraction IMO. I won't waste my time going over to see them while we're there (but I hope many others do!) lol..

 

[book_junkie]

It's probably bad that I fazed out of the voices and focused on the bleached blonde and wondered where she got her boots, huh?

If they were going to do it, they could have at least matched the costumes- I found it annoying and trying to figure out how each connected to Test Track or Chevrolet.

 

[AlohaLily]

I feel like this is the whole Epcot wand on Spaceship Earth battle all over again. Haha. Although I never knew a singing group would get this much bad attention? At first when I read that they were going to put in a singing group I thought "Great *roll eyes*" but now I find myself on the other side of the fence thinking, for once Disney didn't take something away and not give anything back.

I suppose they are there to be a distraction, since Soarin probably cannot handle the Test Track crowds they needed to find something entertaining to put in there for the mean time. I think its lovely that these people are that talented, pure vocals and catchy tunes.

Hehe We are always looking for something else to do other than the rides and listening to some cool music will be fun on the next trip!!

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~This is what happens when two sides don't see eye to eye on a project. I got the inside scoop on this whole debacle from a good friend of mine whose father is a top GM executive, this info comes from what is known as GM's "war room".

~GM paid Disney over 100 million dollars for the Test Track sponsorship plus over 2 million a year to maintain the attraction. GM was not pleased with the negative feedback from Test Track, and decided an upgrade was needed "quickly".

~Disney did NOT want the Test Track refurb at this time. While both sides agreed that TT had become quite dated, Disney execs did not find it "urgent" and felt this project could wait. In Disney's best interests, they expressed there could not have been a more worse time for this rehab. Disney pleaded with GM to hold off on the refurb until next year (after the Fantasyland unveiling). GM refused and wants Test Track to be finished "before" the unveiling, which is in their best interests!

~Then, Disney tried to reason with GM to wait just until the BTMR refurb was complete, so two major attractions would not be down at the same time in addition to the Fantasyland refurb and there was "sort of" a verbal agreement, but after Disney could not "guarantee" exactly when the refurb would be complete, GM continued with their original plans.

~Disney is not pleased with the change in sponsorship from the prestigious General Motors brand to the more specific and lower Chevrolet brand. Since the restructuring, GM concluded that associating the GM brand with Test Track weakened their image, and decided that Chevy would be a much better fit to represent Test Track. Chevrolet is the youngest brand in the GM family, and it targets the large demographic of young adults and families that frequent Disney perfectly.

~The closing party for the CM's and the Test Track All Stars are GM's ideas. The extended hours for Soarin' and the Land are Disney's plans to help mitigate the issues surrounding the untimely closure. Disney is quietly seething at GM right now, lol. But I don't blame GM one bit!

~Personally, I don't think its necessary to have a singing group! I like the singers, but the act itself isn't that good. I HATE the white coats, hopefully they're waiting for costumes. The steering wheel attached to the mail cart and having guests drum on a hubcap and funnel is embarrassing!

~I really like the singers but I want them to lose the white coats and the tacky gimmicks and add a dance troupe and DJ into the mix, along with the singers. That would be much better! LOL.

~Also, this refurb is rumored to last seven months! It should be complete on December 1, if everything goes as planned! I'm just glad to finally know!

 

[CentralFloridian99]

If I saw this in person, I would say this (keep the little kiddos away from this video and the Test Track All Stars!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oH5Qc2zTrs

 

[metzgardesign]

I'm embarrassed for the singers. Very unfortunate assignment, for sure.


WDW Big-Wig: "So yeah, great news! We have a performance gig for you!"
Pie-Eyed Singer: "Awesome!"
WDWBW: "Yeah....you know those bathrooms over there near Test track?"
PES: "Yep!"
WDWBW: "You'll be singing there. No music, really. A cappella-style. It'll be great-ish."
PIS: "No....really, where will I be at?"
WDWBW: *grin*


This pathetic performance will go over with the Epcot crowds as good as a pregnant pole-vaulter.

One really has to wonder if Imagineers sit around and try to come up with really, REALLY bad ideas sometimes. And then challenge each other on trying to sell those ideas as being "SPECTACULAR" to their bosses.

The Imagineer who sells the most "SPECTACULAR" ideas in a year's time (say), gets an all-expense trip for him(her)-self and a guest to the Denny's on I-Drive.

 

[smidgy]

oh brother!

no one is questioning the singing talents of the performers.

but, really? the end song, a chevrolet "commercial"? (I grew up listening to that jingle)

they are NO Jamminators, and Definitely NO Four for a dollar!

for entertainment, I did not find them entertaining.

 

[kittykitty87]

It looks ok but a little bit cringy! It sounds like they worked very hard on the singing and all have great voices but I dont really see the point in it...

 

[cah5525]

I could only bear to watch the first minute...

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

I can't speak for everyone but it sounds like nobody really wants or needs this "special entertainment". We might be annoyed by the ride closing but this calls more attention to it. I think people would get over it faster if there was nothing else to do but keep walking. Time is money and nobody really wants to needlessly linger at closed attractions.

I am happy about the park staying open longer. I don't know if it will make a huge difference but it's better than nothing.

 

[Robo]

I am happy about the park staying open longer. I don't know if it will make a huge difference but it's better than nothing.

It's actually only The Land attractions and food service that is staying open an extra hour.
(Plus, characters at The Character Connection.)

But, the thing to remember about that is that the first 15-20 minutes of that hour
is also during IllumiNations.

Many (most?) guests in Epcot at that time would prefer to see the fireworks spectacular.

After IllumiNations, there may be a huge influx of guests heading to The Land and its attractions.

Will Disney "cut off" those (potentially thousands of) arriving guests so that they can close Soarin' and Living with the Land "on time," or will they allow guests to enter the ride queues all the way until "park closing time" (10PM) as they do with most other attractions at all parks, and continue operating
the rides until all guests in line have ridden? (Potentially something that could mean the attractions -Soarin' in particular- well deep into the night... about every night?)

This could be another major sticking point, too.


.

 

[pjpoppins]

Almost as good as the 64.7 mph we hit on TT Sunday lol. Thank you disboards we would have been so bummed if we waited until Monday to go to Epcot.

 

[AlohaLily]

Almost as good as the 64.7 mph we hit on TT Sunday lol. Thank you disboards we would have been so bummed if we waited until Monday to go to Epcot.

Lucky! Hehe.

We went to WDW in December and didn't go on TT because we thought it was going to be open for our trip in April/May.

 

[DisneyAbsolutely]

It's actually only The Land attractions and food service that is staying open an extra hour.

But, the thing to remember about that is that the first 15-20 minutes of that hour
is also during IllumiNations.

Many (most?) guests in Epcot at that time would prefer to see the fireworks spectacular.

After IllumiNations, there may be a huge influx of guests heading to The Land and its attractions.

Will Disney "cut off" those (potentially thousands of) arriving guests so that they can close Soarin' and Living with the Land "on time," or will they allow guests to enter the ride queues all the way until "park closing time" (10PM) as they do with most other attractions at all parks, and continue operating
the rides until all guests in line have ridden? (Potentially something that could mean the attractions -Soarin' in particular- well deep into the night... about every night?)

This could be another major sticking point, too.

Good points. Didn't they also say that this was on a trial basis? They might decide to get rid of these "perks" by the time I go next month. They should let people get in line for Soarin up until almost closing time but they could easily turn people away. One hour is already not that big of a "gift" to us so I hope they will be reasonable with it.

 

[FigNewton]

Yeah it probably IS supposed to be cheesy.

But clearly not all cheese is created equal.

This feels way too forced and it makes the whole endeavor come off as awkward and lame to me. I'll be surprised if most people don't feel the same and shy away from the performances.

I like how they ask people to go by guest services...hahahah

 

[WDSearcher]

I don't understand what cars & singing have to do with each other Epcot already has a musical group (Jammitors, right?) It's not that these people are bad, they sound great but it's just a silly distraction IMO. I won't waste my time going over to see them while we're there (but I hope many others do!) lol..

RE: Jammitors ... okay ... what do trashcans and drums have to do with the future? They're over at Innoventions. What the heck are they doing there? Why isn't anyone saying that Jammitors don't belong there?

And ... well ... it IS a silly distraction! That's exactly what it's supposed to be. It's not a replacement for or a substitute for Test Track, it's just a live entertainment group performing in Future World, no different than any other live entertainment group performing anywhere else.

 

[UNCFanatik]

Did anyone read about how they are handling the Land Pavilion staying open until 10pm:

http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorize...ion-after-hours-no-one-on-soarin-epcot-41712/

Crazy!

 

[WDSearcher]

I can't speak for everyone but it sounds like nobody really wants or needs this "special entertainment". We might be annoyed by the ride closing but this calls more attention to it. I think people would get over it faster if there was nothing else to do but keep walking. Time is money and nobody really wants to needlessly linger at closed attractions.

I am happy about the park staying open longer. I don't know if it will make a huge difference but it's better than nothing.

Then again, the "sample size" here on the DIS is a very very very small piece of the total number of guests who visit the parks. So you can't really say that the small group here represents how everyone will feel about the group. Those people who want to walk on by and move on can do that; those who want to linger and listen can do that too. Disney's putting something out there -- which, I imagine, will get better with time just like pretty much everything except for Galaxy Quest -- and it will be the Guests who are actually in the park watching who will be the ultimate judges.