The Test Track vs Soarin dilemma

taythecray

TinkerTaylor
Joined
Nov 16, 2014
Messages
360
Considering worse-case scenario here. If we do not do rope drop and will not be utilizing the single rider line at Test Track, which one would you recommend fastpassing and when would be a good time to ride the other? We will be going on a level 2 crowd day in January with Epcot being most recommended, but I still don't want to risk waiting 40+ minutes in line. Unless I shouldn't worry about it because of the crowd level. I've never been to Epcot and I've never been in January so I am completely clueless when it comes to crowds and touring plans there. Thanks :)
 
Always get a FP for Soarin'. On either coast, it always has a wait.
 

We found a 10 minute wait on Test Track at 8 pm on a crowd level 8 day earlier this summer. The posted wait was 40.
 
Fastpass Test Track and wait to do Soarin' later in the evening. During Illuminations the park is nearly quiet - especially if there is a magic hour after closing time.

We have Soarin' at Disneyland - so if you've been there and done it, don't waste time doing it at EPCOT. Same ride.
 
I would FP Soarin and take my chances with TT, but that is partly because I like Soarin a lot better.

But, that having been said, on very low crowd days I have sometimes found very short waits at Soarin around 8 PM, even though the posted wait was still 40 minutes.

I have guessed that, because of its location deep in the Land building, and the layout of the queue, people see a posted wait of 45 minutes and don't bother to check it out. But, at that time, a lot of people who are still in the park are headed to Illuminations and don't want to get in a line if they think it will be too long. One time I couldn't see the back of the line from the entrance to the ride and walked in to see how long it was. I walked all the way around the corner to where I could see the FP merge point, and there were maybe 15-20 people waiting.
 
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I always FP soarin. Test track line gets better than soarin later from what I have seen, so if I couldn't do rope drop, you have a better chance of getting on test track later.
 
I would FP Soarin and try and do Test Track via the stand by line. But what time do you plan on arriving at the park? You won't be able to ride TT without a long wait if you arrive much later than 10:30 or so, even on a lower level day.
 
Fp Soarin. Even with FP, the wait can be long.
I've tried getting into the Soarin standbye line a few times later in the evening (cause the wait was posted as 25 minutes) and ended up leaving both times, cause our line just wasn't moving.
 
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I've always had better luck getting onto TT w/o a FP, so I'd recommend getting the FP+ for Soarin' -- always seems to have the longer wait.
 
I have done EMH to do Soarin' and there was still a huge wait, a think close to 50 minutes, granted it was a crowded day during spring break season.
 
Rumors are circulating that Soarin will close for refurb some time in January. If that happens TT will likely be slammed by people trying to move their cancelled Soarin FPs.

Something to consider.
 
I always FP Soarin even if I don't plan on doing the single rider line for TT, I can change my mind once I see the wait times.
 
If you want to see Illuminations, aren't planning rope drop, and can't/won't do single rider on TT then even on a low crowd day you will have a long wait for either one- the que is more interesting at TT so I would choose that one for standby if I was going to set my day up to give myself a long wait on one or the other.
 
I would say FP+ Soarin and go standby at TT. Both could have potentially long lines but the difference between FPing TT and not FPing it is that if you do standby you can make your own car from the entirety whereas during FP, you don't choose the car, just some of the specifics.
 
Wow thanks everyone! Went to bed and woke up to a ton of replies. Looks like it's pretty split actually. Yes unfortunately my family has the "sleep in" mentality and also won't want to ride alone so both our good options are out! I do think the test track queue would be fun, but then we have dinner at Garden Grill at 7 so maybe we could pop over to Soarin after. Decisions.....
 
Wow thanks everyone! Went to bed and woke up to a ton of replies. Looks like it's pretty split actually. Yes unfortunately my family has the "sleep in" mentality and also won't want to ride alone so both our good options are out! I do think the test track queue would be fun, but then we have dinner at Garden Grill at 7 so maybe we could pop over to Soarin after. Decisions.....

I wouldn't count on the line for Soarin being short after your dinner.
 


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