THIS IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE WALT DISNEY WORLD WITH DISABILITIES BOOK: Just to give you an idea of it’s like, here’s an attraction description from the book. We give you the most in-depth descriptions of each attractions’ “feel” and experience so you can decide if the attraction is for you. Please enjoy!
| Test Track Presented by Chevrolet |
| Disney Warning: Guests should be in good health and free from high blood pressure, heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Pregnant women should not ride. |
| Cautions: Includes periods of darkness, light effects (see below), sharp hairpin turns, sudden braking, sudden acceleration, skidding, riding uphill, and over 50-degree banked curves at speeds up to 65 mph. People of size may find these seats challenging. |
| Quick Notes: Ride in a car that you design, as it’s tested in various conditions. |
| Extra Info: The ride is approximately 5 minutes. You must transfer from your wheelchair or ECV to the ride car. Service animals are not allowed on this ride. Height requirement 40″ (102 cm) or taller. Children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by someone at least 14 years old. Video Captioning, Assistive Listening, Attraction Translation. Automated External Defibrillators. FASTPASS. Single Rider Queue. |
Overview: Re-imagined and re-opened in December of 2012, the cooler, sleeker look of this ride reminds me of the movie Tron with its futuristic feel. Though the queue and post ride experience were altered significantly, the actual ride was not radically changed. Minor changes include removal of the hot and cold temperature room, “acid” spray, and riding over rough surfaces.
In the prior version, you played the role of a test dummy. In this version, you’re a designer testing out your vehicle’s design efficiency. Prior to your ride you’ll “custom design” your own virtual vehicle using a 42 inch touch screen to choose things like the size of the wheels and length of your vehicle. You’ll then get to ride through various tests, seeing your virtual car design’s performance scores.
During the ride, you’ll experience motion including sharp hairpin turns, sudden braking, jerking, skidding, sudden acceleration, climbing a hill and riding along 50-degree banked curves that have you almost sideways up to 65 miles per hour. At one point the vehicle skids and the rear end slides back and forth. Some people find the outside portion of the ride more exciting at night, since the darkness can add to the thrill.
Waits here can be long so we recommend using FASTPASS for this ride if possible. Get your FASTPASS as early as you can because there’s only a limited amount given out each day and they’re usually gone early. There’s also a single rider queue which can cut down on your wait considerably, but you’ll most likely be separated from your party. At times guests using the FASTPASS or single rider queues will bypass the area where they design their own virtual cars.
Queue, pre-show & loading: FASTPASS and the Single Rider line are highly recommended options here. The main queue has some futuristic looking vehicles along with some other things to see related to car design. Guests will enter a room off of the queue to design their virtual vehicle. This is a quick process lasting approximately 2-3 minutes, and some guests report that the time constraint feels somewhat stressful.
The ride car is a 6-passenger (2 rows of 3 people) ride vehicle with no top. If you don’t have three people in your party, a stranger will be placed in your row. The seats are like auto bucket seats with a headrest. The outside seats have shoulder/lap-style belts, and the middle seats have only lap belts. People of size may find these seats challenging. There vehicle seats are on the low side.
Wheelchair riders use the main queue. You must transfer from a wheelchair onto a ride car. To make transferring into the vehicle easier you can use the seat as a step. Once you’re on the load platform, you’ll need to get on board as quickly as possible. Be sure that you know exactly how you’ll board by the time you reach the platform. If you feel you may have trouble with boarding, you can practice on the stationary vehicle outside the main entrance to the left. Mobility devices left at the boarding area will be waiting for you at the exit side when you unload.
If you’re unable to step up and down over the side of the ride car, ask to board at the alternate boarding area where you’ll load onto a special ADA ride car, though you may have to wait for it to come around. You can also request a grab bar be added to make pulling into the car easier. This alternate area is the seat belt check point, and it’s designed to make transferring easier because the side of the ride car is more level with a wheelchair seat. You’ll be brought up one level in a very small elevator while riding in your wheelchair. The elevator is just large enough for a single wheelchair, and there’s no room for a companion. The rest of your party will be directed up a flight of stairs, and they’ll meet you at the alternate boarding area.
The transfer is similar to getting into a bathtub with a side close to wheelchair height. The wheelchair can be parked as close to the ride car as needed for transferring. After boarding, the cast member will move the wheelchair out of the way. When the ride is over, your party will remain in the ride car, passing through the regular boarding/unload area. You’ll end up in same spot you loaded, with the process being reversed to unload.
Details: The top car speed is 65 mph, but it can feel faster since you’re in an open car. There’s one moment where it looks like you’ll crash through a wall, but of course you don’t. There’s also a “close call” with a truck that looks like it’s going to hit you head on. There are a wide variety of light effects, including lightning. There’s a bright light when your photo is taken just before you’re about to crash through the wall.
Since part of the ride is outdoors, they’ll shut it down if there’s lightning within 5 miles. If a thunderstorm threatens, you may wish to skip this attraction and come back another time.
Personally, I find that this ride is not roller-coaster scary. It does seem faster moving than the old version because they removed some of the pauses, slowdowns and stops. Though there are a few moments meant to be scary, I would say that the majority of this ride is not scary. Still, those who are sensitive may find it scary at times. I did not find this ride to be as physically demanding as many of the other Disney thrill rides. I didn’t experience any irritation or discomfort with my moderate back or neck issues, nor did several others that we’ve heard from who have mild to moderate back and neck issues. However if any of the above described experiences would bother you in a regular car in the real world, then you should definitely avoid this attraction. Also keep in mind that Disney does post a warning concerning back and neck problems, high blood pressure, and anything else this attraction could impact, and as always, their warnings should be taken seriously.
This ride prior to the revisions was known for breaking down more frequently than most others. It’s too soon to know if that will still be true, but if you happen to be on it when it breaks down, don’t panic. They’ll get you going again soon. If they need to evacuate the guests, you’ll either need to walk over stairs and through narrow passages, or wait to be evacuated by cast members. This is quite rare, however. It’s almost always possible for the ride vehicles to be brought back to the station, even if it’s at a very low rate of speed.
After the ride, as you exit you’ll find many things to do. You can see the score of the car you created, take a photo with the car you built and email it, and view some Chevrolet cars (it looks like a new car showroom).
