Disney Files New Permit with Projection Dome Supplier for EPCOT's Test Track 3.0

Jul 31, 2024 in "Test Track"

Gallery / 5 Photos
New Test Track concept art

Posted: Wednesday July 31, 2024 3:15pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Walt Disney Imagineering has filed another new construction permit for the Test Track 3.0 project at Walt Disney World's EPCOT.

New Test Track concept art

This latest permit filing is with Spitz, a Disney vendor that previously worked with WDI on EPCOT's Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind project in World Discovery.

Although the permit does not specify the scope of the work beyond "Install set elements," Pennsylvania-based Spitz specializes in providing projection dome screens for planetariums and giant-screen cinemas.

Concept rendering of the exterior track section

As with previous permits for Test Track, the default 12-month expiration period has not been extended, suggesting that the reimagining project may be completed within a year.

Construction Walls Up at Test Track - June 17 2024

We expect to hear more about the latest version of Test Track at the upcoming D23 event in California.

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Chef idea Mickey`=47 minutes ago

I don't see at all how they are to make this Test Track through World of Motion and it looking relevant. World of Motion was like Spaceship Earth a timeline from past to future through the discovering and making of transportation. Will it be a learning adventure like Spaceship Earth except you'll be sitting in a moving car. Test Track 1.0 was road safety, 2.0 was capabilities of a vehicle, now 3.0 is reflection on how far we've come through transport? The speed portion will be where are we onward to next just the same as when your descending back beholding on your future on SE.

MrPromey1 hour ago

As a kid, I always thought that lift going outside was the most amazing thing. I loved seeing it walking up and I loved being on it looking out at the start of the ride. I suppose the high speed run is a bit of a spiritual successor to that, minus the attention to site-lines, of course but wouldn't it have been cool if they'd been able to keep that initial lift after loading as part of the experience too? I understand there are probably tens of millions of people who've stood in that air conditioned indoor queue that would disagree with me, though.

MrPromey1 hour ago

I think in a lot of ways, this has to do with the differing standards the two companies have set for themselves. One has basically been largely crap about it since day-one choosing to not even try to embrace the high standards the other had been operating under for decades, prior. As a result, when Universal does a good job, they get treated the way a remedial student does when they manage to pull off a B on a test and Disney is judged more as previously being an honor roll student who's been caught smoking in the bathroom. Is it fair? I'm sure executives between the two companies would have different opinions on that.

James Alucobond1 hour ago

The vehicles? Yes. Almost all of the detail in the 2.0 version is part of the wrap. The black one is the exact same shape minus the lights.

TrainsOfDisney2 hours ago

The new treehouse at Disneyland is very well done. Avatar at DAK is pretty much a home run. Rat is a great addition to Epcot. Magic Happens Parade and Wondrous Journeys at DL were both complete perfection.

monothingie2 hours ago

The intent was a futuristic design, which they did very well at the time, however it looks extremely dated now in comparison. The greenery was all over EPCOT to be fair. Communicore and the FON was chock full of green space. Inventions removed most of that. We've gotten a lot of that back now, but the design is underwhelming for what you'd expect from Disney. What's here is nice, but it's safe. Not really imaginative or exciting, but not too awful, very much like the everything else WDI seems to be putting out.

Sir_Cliff2 hours ago

This sounds a lot like clutter by other means, but maybe that's just me. Honestly, I'm also not sure I love the landscaping around it in the older image you posted. Specifically, those tall trees around the building make it look as though they were trying to hide the building which suggests they did not find it attractive. I think it's better to embrace it and try to make it appear as sleek and monumental as possible. Otherwise, they may as well demolish it and build something else.

Biff2152 hours ago

We clearly disagree on this which is fine, but do these really look “exactly the same” to you?

James Alucobond3 hours ago

I'm not a person with any inside knowledge who ever claimed that it would or wouldn't have anything to do with WoM. I was just commenting on what I imagined based on the one piece of interior art we have. 🤷‍♂️

Jrb19793 hours ago

Then that's not really World of Motion. It's slight nod to the it.

James Alucobond3 hours ago

It was never left raw in the style typical of the movement, nor was it constructed in such a way that it could be left raw.

Jrb19793 hours ago

How about making them look like the World of Motion vehicles and less like Lightening McQueen

Jrb19793 hours ago

How about making it an updated World of Motion with the AAs to go with it.

monothingie3 hours ago

It was a big round uniformly colored cross section of a tube with no unique ornamentation or features. Perfectly cutting edge modern architecture for the time and application.