Cool! I didn't know Test Track had one too. We were able to check out the HP Lounge above Mission Space because we were chosen to be Family of the Day at Epcot. It was great!
If you are a GM or Delphi employee you can use the lounge. There is soda and coffee with a few tables to sit at. The entire area is big and you can see out windows across the front of the building or look out onto the ride itself. Just show a CM out in front of the ride your GM or Delphi ID (polar badge will do) and ask for directions. It does close in the evenings and on weekends but you can still skip the line with your ID. Just go to the counter where the new cars are located.
The lounge is open to GM retirees, as well. You just have to show something official showing that you're a GM/Delphi employee or retiree. I plan to visit next Friday with my parents. Better make sure my Dad is carrying his Blue Cross/Blue Shield card.
I work for Siemens and to access our VIP lounge, I had to request a PIN and schedule a date for my visit. The PIN is good for fifteen days either side of that date for flexibility, but it's still not nearly as simple as GM's system.
We've been in the lounge before. There's a neat viewing window that lets you see a good bit of the inside of test track (looking down at the cars as they go over the bricks and thru some of the 'tests' I believe.) The view out of the other side of the building was really cool. You're at the same level as the monorail and your looking even w/ Spaceship Earth (instead of up at it). When you go in the will have you sign in and when you are ready to leave, they give you a 'ticket' kinda like a FP. but you don't have to go thru the room where they play the tv recording. They take you overtop of the loading area and you go right to loading into a car. There are signs in the lounge that tell you that bypassing the line is a priveledge and you need to follow the CM's instructions, not make a scene, and be patient. We were back on the ride w/ 5 min. We were invited by one of CM's that works for GM as his special guests. It is only open during weekdays and I believe it does close around 5pm. We enjoyed it. the kids thought it was cool. But the best part was I got some fab pics of the inside of test track, some of the Monrail driving by (at eye level) and some of Spaceship Earth at a different height. I'll have to look for them. It's been a few trips ago since we were at the lounge.
If you get to go, have fun and enjoy!!
Subscribing to this thread! My father is a retiree of GM and I know he will love this ride. He will think he is "Joe Cool" to get us through the lounge and line with his ID.
Pretty much all of the rides at Epcot have private rooms/lounges. When not in use by the company, they rent them out for special events (weddings, birthdays, etc). Most of them are themed. I can't remember which one, but one of them is actually themed like a big top circus complete with a red/white striped tented roof inside.
Cool! I didn't know Test Track had one too. We were able to check out the HP Lounge above Mission Space because we were chosen to be Family of the Day at Epcot. It was great!
I have some pictures from last month. When my husband can show me how to post them I will. They are in Picasa and I can't figure how to post them...they show the view from the windows looking out into Epcot and the line. We didn't get any that show the view of the ride itself from the lounge.
We did not know about the area before your trip last year. My husband works for a GM dealership and all he had to do was show his business card. I was not with him at the time and am sorry I missed it.
hp employee here and I was in the lounge back in May. Free soda and candy. It is really not that big at all. They have a booth you can make a photo in and email to folks showing you at MS. You get a FP/VIP pass. The CM working the lounge happened to be from the city right next to our hometown.
They were also able to give us a VIP pass to the GM lounge for Test Track. That was pretty cool. You can bet I'll be trying to work the combo again in December.
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