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You can also find other information on fun facts and secrets of Walt Disney World by consulting with your local independent bookstore or visit our online bookstore. These are real Disney secrets. For more Disney secrets and trivia and bloopers try DISNEY Ever Notice... ?. If you are interested in rumors (some true, most not), checkout Disney Urban Legend Reference Page and Urban Legends Archive.

1. Opened 17 March 1999
2. Test Track is Disney's longest, fastest, most sophisticated indoor/outdoor attraction.
   REPORTED: Disney/GM 13 FEB 97
   Confirmed on "Inside Out."
   CONFIRMED: Joe Cutroni 17 JUL 97
3. Test Track is the longest delayed attraction after the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland
4. Cost $300M
5. Orrin Shively was chief imagineer on Test Track
   REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
6. Reedy Creek Improvement District was involved in each decision during development. WDI asked them for input form the time the concepts left Orrin Shively's desk. WDI wanted this to be the fastest ride Disney guests had ever experienced, but they also wanted it to be among the safest. Stops and evacs on high-speed advanced-tech thrill rides can be tricky.
   REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
7. The original concept for the "victory lap" at Test Track had the vehicles doing closer to 95mph (they're capable of 150!), which would've increased the angle of the bank to nearly 70 degrees. However, during stops and evacuations, hanging sideways can become incregly uncomfortable, especially for disabled guests. Therefore, the angle was decreased, the speed slowed to 65.
   REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
8. Disney asked GM to sponsor Rocket Rods in Disneyland, when GM heard that Rocket Rods was using the same technology as the Test Track in Florida, they refused.
   REPORTED: anon 07 AUG 98
9. In the preshow area, the one with the donut and umbrella, inside the cabinet is a safety sticker with the "Professor Einstein Duck"
   REPORTED: Holland Hayes 12 DEC 98
10. Next to the Mickey offerid=97760.10000047href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">type=3href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">subid=0" >bids=97760.10000047href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">type=3href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">subid=0" >Koosh
    REPORTED: Jonathan Zielinski 13 DEC 98
    There is also a hidden Woody from "Toy Story" along with the cactus and the Mickey offerid=97760.10000047href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">type=3href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">subid=0" >bids=97760.10000047href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">type=3href="http://www.hiddenmickeys.org/Shop/eToys.html?type=5">subid=0" >Koosh in the uppper right corner of the workbench in test area 8B at Test Track
    CONFIRMED: Ray Petti 19 JAN 99
    CONFIRMED: Eric Hoke 23 JAN 99
    CONFIRMED: MEarnhardtFan 01 MAY 02
11. Throughout the entire attraction the pictures are of the Imagineers' kids.
    REPORTED: Weazel 11 OCT 98
    I live in Orlando and my dad worked on the Test Track Ride, it is true that the people who worked on placed their kids pictures in the queue line as you're on your way the to pre-show. I know it's true because my picture is there.
    CONFIRMED: Ashley 18 MAR 00
12. In the area where they brief you on what you'll go through, the woman that pulls everything up on the screens is the EXACT woman from Star Tours (the one that tells you the boarding things).
    REPORTED: indiana jones 11 MAR 01
13. Once you exit the Semi-room in Test Track there is a dummy there. It is now wearing 3-D glasses from Honey, I Shrank the Audince!
    REPORTED: anon 29 NOV 00
14. Test Track facts
    1. The crash-test dummies will be struck in the chest, banged on the knees and have their necks bent in pre-show demonstrations 720 times per day.
    2. Maximum speed reached by test vehicles is Disney's fastest at 65 mph.
    3. Each test vehicle was designed to last 1 million miles! Enough miles to make a trip from the Earth to the Moon more than four times.
    4. Each test vehicle will travel 50,000 miles per year. Equivalent to nearly four times the miles the average U.S. car is driven annually.
    5. Each vechicle was designed to last 1,000,000 miles
    6. 250 horsepower is generated by each test vehicle. This is roughly equal to the super-charged 3.8 Liter/240 horsepower 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix
    7. The test vehicle go from 0-65 mph in 8.8 seconds.
    8. The "highway" loops around building which is 320-feet diameter.
    9. The test vehicle have three computers each of which have more processing power than the entire Space Shuttle.
    10. You will go through 34 turns
    11. The ride traverses 15¡ hill that is 3 stories tall.
    12. Read the 85 road signs.
    13. The ride takes you thru 100¡ temperature swings.
    14. There are 2108 blue anechoic cones lining the walls and ceiling at electromagnetic compatibility test in attractions pre-show
    15. There are 4 visible wheels per vehicle but 22 total wheels on each vehicle.
    16. There are 6 braking systems on board each vehicle unlike the one or two braking systems on cars sold today .
    17. The vehicle's chassis is made of composite materials
    18. The display vehicle will collide headfirst, then reset, in high-speed barrier test 4446 times per day.
    
    REPORTED: Disney/GM 13 FEB 97
15. The Hot Room uses banks of heat lamps
16. The heat chamber only gets up to about 90 degrees. If it were 140, that would be more impressive than the 119 that our on-board computer displays to the guests. The cars tell the guests that they are experiencing temps ranging from 10 degrees fahrenheit through 119, however, it's actually only about 40 through 90-95, depending on how frequently vehicles trip the sensors that turn on the effects. They don't run constantly, only as needed.
    REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
17. The Cold Room has its own dedicated AC unit
18. The Corrosion Room sprays you with water
19. In addition to hidden Mickeys, in the heat chamber are some fried eggs on an electric heat compressor, in the cold there are popsicles in an ice cube tray, in corrosive, the robots serial numbers spell out CRUS-T and RUS-T, and plenty of people, not just imagineers, have placed pictures, initials, birthdays, etc... throughout the ride. The driver of the semi truck during the evasive maneuver is actually a cardboard cut-out of President LBJ.
    REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
    I believe the cardboard cutout of the "man" driving the truck (look for sunglasses) is Richard Nixon, not LBJ.
    UPDATE: Jeff Kozlowski 21 AUG 99
20. The crash doors right before the ride's climax are designed to open (obviously) as a car trips the sensor. Every few months, or so, the sensor fails (which now causes a zone stop). During early testing when this happened the car would just barrel through it. But not to worry, the doors are constructed of a very lightweight poly-foam. They're actually built on hinges overhead just in case that happens; they just swing out. There are replacement doors in a closet no more than fifteen feet from the sight, and it only takes maintenance 20 minutes to hook a new one in.
    REPORTED: anon 24 MAR 99
21. Turn around the building: 53¡ banking. It was made 53 because WDI researchers discovered that the steepest race track turn was 52¡ at Talladegga.
    REPORTED: Anon 03 AUG 98
    The angle of the high-bank through "victory lane" is 48 degrees, not 53. It's 48, because of safety issues put forth by Reedy Creek Improvement District. It was supposed to be a faster, steeper bank, but Reedy Creek Improvement District said no.
    UPDATE: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
22. The ride will be shut down if lightning is within 5 miles or if it is raining.
23. While waiting in line for Test Track one day, we were informed that there were "technical difficulties" and our wait would be extended. Almost an hour later, we were told that the ride was shut down and we would have to leave. We went to the gift shop and Mom struck up a conversation with an employee. He told us that cars are programmed to be 11 seconds apart, and if they are less than 8 seconds apart the ride shuts down temporarily and the cars realign. That accounts for the hour wait. Unfortunately, just as the cars were almost done being realigned, some bozo decided to get out of his car. At Test Track, no one (not even an employee) is allowed to walk on the track because the cars move so fast. If someone does, the ride shuts down completely and it takes at least 3 hours to power up. Well, we were pretty bummed out but the employee was able to get us a pass and we got on the ride with no wait later in the day!
    REPORTED: Kristin 05 SEP 01
24. The computer power in a single Test Track car is greater than the computer power required to run entire Magic Kingdom!
    REPORTED: anon 07 JAN 99
25. On the first road sign of the handling hill climb at test track the mile marker is supposed to say 000. The sign above it however is a cattle crossing sign and the milage reads M00.
    REPORTED: anon 18 JAN 99
26. While on Test Track, you can see a countdown clock billboard on one of the buildings backstage. It is visible to the right during the high bank turn outside. The billboard shows the countdown to October 1, 1999, the start of the Millennium Celebration at Epcot.
    REPORTED: Alex 26 DEC 98
    CONFIRMED: anon 05 JAN 99
    The Millennium celebration countdown clock referred to earlier in the Test Track Fun Facts section has been replaced by a giant poster. It reads something like this: WE DID IT!!!! [Disney 2OoO symbol] Thanks to all of you!!!
    UPDATE: Harry Walker 18 JUN 00
27. I just came back from Walt Disney World and I rode Test Track which is a such a great ride. Anyway, I had just gotten off the ride and went to browse in the gift shop. I saw that they sold a small model of the Test Track car and I decided to buy it. When I got to the register, the cashier said something like, "you buying a car. You reperesnt a small group of people that actually buy a new car with cash and do not have to worry about insurance and registration." I just thought it was very funny to me and I wanted to share it with everyone.
    REPORTED: John 16 AUG 99
28. There is a total of 31 vehicles, numbered 2-16 and 18-33, however there could never be be more than 25 or 26 on track at one time, the software simply won't accommodate it. The hourly capacity tends to run in the neighborhood of 1200. The current record is 1541, which was set between 1 & 2 pm on Feb. 13, during guest previews.
    REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
    The infamous Car 17 - well, 17's the gap. During a test, WDI eliminated 75 of the cars safety features to see what might happen in the event of a computer glitch. As the vehicle whirred around "victory" back into the building, it failed to decelerate, and the bogey chain snapped. The "dog-bone" connection at the rear of the car held fast, causing the top half to swivel away from track. It tore through some structure and permanently damaged the vehicle. So, it was removed, the building repaired, and the software adapted, so that when those sort of glitches do occur, the vehicle knows how to behave to prevent such an accident. That was more than a year before opening. Nothing like that has occurred outside of the realm of testing.
    UPDATE: anon 24 MAR 99
29. Car 17 is displayed in the gift area, although there is not a number on it. It gives you a chance to see the underside.
    REPORTED: Jim Gerard 07 APR 99
    Car 17 was a car that was in an mishap before the ride opened but it is not displayed in the gift shop, that car is the first car to run the track, car 17 was destroyed for parts before the rides opening.
    UPDATE: anon 28 JUN 00
    Definitely not! Car 17 is the car in the gift shop! I spoke to several cast members about Car 17 and they said its on display in the center of the gift shop after you leave the the Cadillac Car Show.
    REPORTED: Jason 05 DEC 01
30. Originally, the tires were literally burning themselves to pieces during testing. WDI was using standard street tires then. They've since switched to a slick-tread racing tire that can endure the stress a bit better. They've been lasting in the neighborhood of 8-10 weeks...
    REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
31. The on-sight maintenance crew goes through a preventive maintenance checklist every night between 1130pm and 6 am, so things get checked on all 31 vehicles on a daily basis.
    REPORTED: Jeff Williams 23 MAR 99
32. GM employees get to skip the entire line! All you have to do is present your GM card and you can take up to 8 people with you. You enter an elevator and are taken up to an observation room, where you get free beverages. There's a life-sized Mickey in there, and you can look out at the people riding the ride. Whenever you feel like it, you can just get on the ride. Great way to save 1-2 hours!!
    REPORTED: Abbey K 15 MAY 99
33. Go through the singles line. They are always looking for single riders for this ride and instead of a 2 hours wait, its 5 minutes max. And sometimes if your lucky they will pair 2 of the single riders up.
    REPORTED: Mike Lawrence 18 JUL 99
    As it has been reported, if you use the single line at Test Track, you save an enormous amount of time. True, your group will be split up, but usually for no more than 5 minutes. Your friends/family members are usually in a car right behind you. What a great find.
    CONFIRMED: Brian White 29 JUN 00
34. If the ride breaks down, they give a TEST TRACK PASS which allowed entry for your whole party through the exit for your next ride. This pass is good forever, not just for the same day.
    REPORTED: Mike Lawrence 18 JUL 99
35. Just after unloading, you can notice a huge metal press or something like that. Well, it continuousley presses down onto a piece of sheet metal, and lifts back up again, revealing a small metal car that it has 'stamped' out. The car then moves foreward and stops, so that the metal behind it can be stamped. If you get right at the level of the sheet metal, though, you can notice that it never actually presses anything. At the instant that the press touches the rest of the machine, the car jets back and stops under the press. It gives you just enugh space to see it. Good effect.
    REPORTED: Brady Johnson 11 FEB 02
36. Just outside the Test Track exit there is a gift shop. Depending on the person behind the cash register, they might tell you a car joke depending on what you buy or what you have to pay.
    REPORTED: Someone 21 JUN 00
37. On a recent visit to EPCOT, my brother and I were waiting in line for Test Track. We had just gotten out of the room where they broef you on what tests are gonna happen, when I noticed that there were no longer any cars comming to pick up passangers. Then a rode attendant told us that the ride had broken down and gave everyone a pass to bypass the whole line. When he handed me the pass I asked him what had happened, and he told me that the ride had lost power for a few minute's. Then I asked how long it would take before its up and running, and he told me anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. Well after and a half hours the ride was finally working, I just thought that it was weird how it takes 2 hours to power up a ride after a power loss.
    REPORTED: Mike Marinucci 18 DEC 00
38. Test track is the most unreliable ride in the history of any Disney park. The ride breaks down at least once a day. Since the ride is so complicated many things can go wrong. The most common thing to go wrong is condensation build up on the sensors that monitor where the cars are on the track. Since the sensor cannot confirm the whereabouts of the car it automaticly shuts the ride down. The cast members actually make bets about when the ride is going to break down. It usually breaks down around noon every day. I hope they get this problem fixed soon as it wrecks the whole ride, standing in line for an hour only to be told "there has been a delay in our boarding process, boarding will commence as soon as possible, thank you" is extremly annoying.
    REPORTED: Matt Griffin 12 FEB 01

Fact	Figure
Type	Enhanced Motion Vehicle
Designer	WDI
Year	1998
Length	5,246 feet
Ride Time	5 min. 34 sec
Speed	? mph (avg), 68.2 mph (max)
Cars	6 riders per car
Capacity	1200 per hour
Number of cars	25-26 cars active, 31 total
Number of computers	142 total, with 3 per car
Temperature Swing	100¡
Hot Room Temperature	140¡
Cold Room Temperature	40¡
Number of Turns	34
Maximum Bank Angle	53¡?
Number of Operators	14 people - 3 greeters, 4 loaders, plus a tower, breaker, grouper, load assist, sender, door, and a unload cast member

Cool Wash

1. As we have seen many times, Disney is in the suggestive marketing business. In this instance, has anybody noticed that the beverage stand that looks like a drive through car wash outside test track, is actually a marketing marvel for Coca-Cola. The car wash brushes are shaped like a Coke bottle.
   REPORTED: Brian White 29 JUN 00

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