Previews of the reimagined Test Track 3.0 at EPCOT are officially underway as of today, June 27, 2025. With the first Cast Members and their invited guests now having experienced the overhauled attraction, we now have our first POV ride-through videos as well as a sneak peek at the PhotoPass on-ride photo.
Let’s start with the basics, which is that Walt Disney World announced that Test Track will officially open on July 22, 2025. So regular ticket holders have to wait another full month (almost) before taking a spin on the reimagined ride. In between now and then, there will be a range of previews and (hopefully) a few days of soft openings.
Imagineers along with teams from corporate alliance partner Chevrolet have reached back into history for inspiration from the original World of Motion, and have brought that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of Test Track. They’re pushing innovation forward and celebrating humanity’s enduring drive on the thrilling road to a brighter tomorrow.
The queue of Test Track 3.0 features six distinct exhibits, and within each room celebrate the vehicles – and people behind the vehicles – that push the envelope and help get people to our next chapter in our motion journey. New show scenes will be added showcasing technological advances and how our lifestyles and relationships to mobility connect everyone.
Walt Disney World has described the reimagined Test Track as offering guests a joy ride through scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization and personalization. Followed by a trip through a scenic outdoor route reminding us all of the joys of driving, taking in the world around us and spending quality time with friends and family.
All of this is the official description from Walt Disney World. You can judge for yourself how well they accomplished these aims in the first ride-through video below, courtesy of our friend Jack at DSNY Newscast:
I’ll be honest with you–I stopped watching before the 1-minute mark. As longtime readers know, we normally have a no spoilers policy for ourselves, and experience attractions or entertainment for the first time in person. I thought maybe I could make an exception for this, as it’s “just” a ride reimagining of something I’ve done countless times. But as soon as it seemed to be starting to “get good,” I had to turn it off. I’ll ride it for myself very soon–I can wait.
Not that you care about any of that, but the point is that I can only offer limited commentary about the first minute or so of the reimagined ride. My first thought is that I like that the windows offering a view into the queue ahead of belt-check. This has shades of World of Motion, and is a nice little touch that sure beats gazing at corrugated metal.
I also like the new dual-narrator format, featuring both a human guide and an automated (AI?) vehicle voice. The interplay between the two seems both humanizing and futuristic, and is EPCOT-esque. I also like what I heard of the score so far, and the brief glimpse of how vehicles can use advanced cameras and sensors to “see” the world they drive through via over 29,000 points of light (per a previous behind-the-scenes Imagineering video). That’s all I’ve got.
So I ask you, fellow EPCOT Center fans, are we back???
Is Test Track 3.0 better than its predecessor? Is this the best or worst incarnation of the attraction? How does it compare with World of Motion? Is this a better reimagining than Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Does this make you more or less optimistic about the upcoming overhauls of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and DINOSAUR? Does it give you hope about potential reimaginings of Spaceship Earth and Journey into Imagination, or reaffirm that Imagineering should just leave them as-is for now?
As those questions suggest, a lot rides on the Test Track reimagining. This is the first big project of the current ‘era’ of Imagineering under Bruce Vaughn, and I really hope they’ve turned a corner under new (old) management! I’m genuinely curious to hear your first impressions, especially since this isn’t really a ride that can be spoiled via text, only video.
In addition to the full ride-through video, PhotoPass has also shared a first look at the on-ride photo for Test Track 3.0 (above). This strikes me as a nice glow-up from the old on-ride photo (below).
Based on thumbnails for the ride-through videos that have already been posted, it appears that futuristic skyline is actually in the attraction. I can’t wait.
I just hope my expectations aren’t too high. I know this is only a ride reimagining, and that the track layout is unchanged, and the arrangement of several show scenes probably isn’t that different. I just hope it’s an upgrade and more in the spirit of EPCOT Center and the original World of Motion. Test Track 2.0 felt woefully dated by the time it closed and the original Test Track was never as good as some fans now make it out to be, so this being the best of the trio should (hopefully) be a low bar to clear.
For those anxiously awaiting more details about previews, Walt Disney World teased that fans keep an eye out for more information to share in the coming weeks about special previews for Cast Members, Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, Golden Oak residents and Club 33 Members to ride Test Track 3.0 before the attraction officially reopens.
Honestly, I’m surprised these haven’t been announced already–I was expecting details earlier this week (but it does seem that Walt Disney World is behind with everything, and that the Hong Kong Disneyland 20th Anniversary has pushed back some announcements).
In the meantime, Cast Members previews of Test Track 3.0 will occur through July 10, 2025. In all likelihood, the timing of CM previews pushes back AP, DVC, and other guest previews of Test Track 3.0 until July 11, 2025 at the absolute earliest.
Whether AP and DVC previews for Test Track 3.0 will be via advance registration or virtual queue is anyone’s guess at this point. As discussed previously, I could see it going either way.
With that in mind, our recommendation if you want to hedge your bets and try to potentially “pre-register” for Test Track 3.0 previews would be to make park reservations for EPCOT from July 11 through July 19, 2025.
To be abundantly clear, these are NOT confirmed or even rumored dates. It’s an educated guess, at best, based on the cadence of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure previews last year. It seems like Walt Disney World will probably pull a page from that same playbook given that this is also a ride reimagining and getting more people into the park during ‘Diet EPCOT’ is probably a priority.
If it were me and I didn’t care about being first, I’d probably target July 13-18, 2025 for EPCOT reservations. I would hazard a guess that those are the dates most likely to have AP previews, and if you’re wanting the best hedge, multiple reservations during that window will probably have you covered. Of course, that’s assuming the previews use a park reservation and virtual queue system, and I really think it’s about 50/50 at this point.
I wouldn’t bother with park reservations for EPCOT on July 20-21, 2025. The number of simultaneous reservations you can hold is finite, and it’s best to keep them in the sweet spot of likeliest dates.
While it’s possible that previews continue until the absolute last minute, I doubt it. There probably won’t be a big gala media event given the last minute nature of the announcement and this being smaller-scale than a fully-fledged new attraction, but I’d expect a couple of private events for media and General Motors executives. Alternatively, it’s possible that those days are ‘surprise & delight’ soft openings.
To each their own, but if it were me…I’d probably make multiple days of park reservations to hedge my bets. I would want three cracks at the virtual queue. That’s the smart play, and you better believe other Annual Passholders have the exact same idea. Given that, it wouldn’t surprise me if the success rate for this theoretical Test Track 3.0 preview is under 50%. Maybe it’s closer to 25% or 33%?
It’s also possible that the Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club preview window is even tighter, leaving more room for soft openings. I’m skeptical of that, though. I think it’s probably more attractive to Walt Disney World to lure locals out to EPCOT during Diet EPCOT than it is to increase capacity for tourists who are already visiting, regardless.
Aside from TRON Lightcycle Run, which was an anomaly since Disney clearly timed previews in such a manner to allow for soft openings during spring break, Walt Disney World hasn’t done soft openings for a major attraction in several years. It’s all been these controlled previews for select guests. Test Track 3.0 is even more of a ‘known quantity’ less in need of previews since the ride system is unchanged from its predecessor, so I’m inclined to bet against soft openings in this case.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the Test Track 3.0 ride-through video? Are we back, EPCOT Center fans? Is this the best version of Test Track? Does it give you optimism or pessimism about other upcoming ride reimaginings? Really looking forward to hearing your hot takes and first impressions of the redone ride! Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
