Right now, the news from Destination D23 is pumping out, and the changes are abundant. Whether it’s new meet and greets, fireworks shows, or ride changes, fans have been left with no lack of juicy breaking news this Saturday morning.
However, no news today has come to the relief of fans quite as much as the news that Test Track is finally getting a renovation.
Located in the heart of Walt Disney World Resort, EPCOT is a unique Disney park that combines entertainment, education, and innovation. One of the featured attractions in this expansive park is Test Track, an exhilarating ride that takes guests on a one-of-a-kind automotive adventure.
Test Track was originally meant to provide Guests with a high-speed, adrenaline-boosting ride experience. With high-speed turns, hair-raising accelerations, and heart-pounding thrills, Test Track was at one time a testament to the Disney Imagineering team’s commitment to creating unforgettable experiences.
However, as the years have passed, Test Track has not aged in the way that Disney may have hoped it would have. Fans now find the ride underwhelming, and it doesn’t really hold the nostalgic element with crowds either.
It has just been announced at Destination D23, the fan expo happening this weekend at Walt Disney World Resort, that Disney Imagineers are working alongside Chevrolet to create a reimagined version of the Test Track attraction. Disney explains that the new version will be looking “back into history fo inspiration- from the original World of Motion- and bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the Test Track attraction! “
At EPCOT, Test Track will be reimagined! Imagineers along with teams from Chevrolet are reaching back into history for inspiration—from the original World of Motion—and bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the Test Track attraction! #DestinationD23pic.twitter.com/sKGFs9ZJ9o
By the looks of the post’s comment section, fans are thrilled at this news. For a lot of fans, this news has been a long time coming, and it is great to see Disney listen to the feedback from fans and implement it in such a way.
Back in 2020, Disney announced that it would be retheming one of its most iconic attractions — Splash Mountain. The new attraction will be themed after the hit Disney film, The Princess and the Frog. The retheme is going to take place at both Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort in California. People expected Disney Imagineers to quickly jump on the massive project and complete it as soon as possible, but years have passed, and no work has started at either Resort. However, we may have just learned when the ride retheme will be completed.
Anika Noni Rose voiced Princess Tiana in the original film and revealed during a recent interview that the Princess and the Frog Splash Mountain retheme will be complete, and the ride will be open by 2024. A lot of Princess and the Frog fans were thrilled to hear that the project was still happening, but just as many people were upset, as they love the original ride and don’t want to see it changed.
While Rose seemed confident in what she said, Disney would not confirm that the retheme would be complete in 2024. After Rose revealed the completion date in her interview, Disney released the following statement:
“We have already shared how we are bringing Tiana’s story to life at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. While timing has not been determined, we look forward to sharing more details during Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans in July.”
At this time, we don’t have a ton of details about the ride, we do know that it will take place after Tiana and Prince Naveen’s final kiss. Disney Parks Blog did share the few details we know, saying:
Tiana is an ambitious and resilient woman, who proves that success comes through a connection to her family and community and has learned to never lose sight of what’s really important – giving back to others through great food and inspiring them to achieve their full potential.
As seen in this latest rendering of the attraction, the story will take place after the final kiss as Naveen and Louis join Tiana on her latest adventure, hosting a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is welcome – during which some original music inspired by songs from the film will bring guests into the story. Tiana is leading the way and fans will be able to encounter old friends and make new ones along the way as well!
The theme park attraction retheme has been a very controversial one that has brewed a massive debate between Disney purists and those Disney fans who like change. Those who are excited about the change say that when something is realized to be problematic — something Splash Mountain has been accused of — then you change it and acknowledge that changes are needed.
On the other side, Disney purists believe that classic attractions are classic for a reason and not everything needs to change simply because society is changing. Splash Mountain is based on the film Song of the South — which has been deemed racially insensitive. Many acknowledge that the film is insensitive, but feel that the ride is not.
Last year, Disney announced the reimagining of the classic attraction, Splash Mountain with a Princess and the Frog theme. Since then we haven’t heard much of anything on the project. In celebration of World Princess Week, Disney has released new concept art and details on the soon to be updated Splash Mountain.
From a Disney Cast Member;
Last year, we announced that Imagineers are developing an all-new attraction coming to both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort inspired by the fan-favorite Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “The Princess and the Frog.” With the kick off of World Princess Week, celebrating the characteristics these Disney heroes inspire in fans all around the world, we are thrilled to share the latest developments in this exciting new chapter for Tiana and her friends!
Tiana is an ambitious and resilient woman, who proves that success comes through a connection to her family and community and has learned to never lose sight of what’s really important – giving back to others through great food and inspiring them to achieve their full potential.
As seen in this latest rendering of the attraction, the story will take place after the final kiss as Naveen and Louis join Tiana on her latest adventure, hosting a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration where everyone is welcome – during which some original music inspired by songs from the film will bring guests into the story. Tiana is leading the way and fans will be able to encounter old friends and make new ones along the way as well!
We recently gathered at Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans — founder Leah Chase was one of the inspirations for Princess Tiana — to talk about Tiana’s impact over the past decade and the creative process behind the upcoming attraction, including the next-level technology Imagineers are employing to bring it to life. Generations of the Chase family welcomed us while Chef Dook cooked up some of their famous gumbo. We sat down with Leah’s daughter, Stella Chase Reese who shared that “The two coming together, music and food, brings joy and happiness to all” and isn’t that the truth?
Watch Kenneth Moton, National Correspondent for ABC News as he joins Stella Chase Reese, Owner of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant and daughter of Leah Chase; Carmen Smith, Creative Executive, Vice President, Inclusive Strategies for Walt Disney Imagineering; Charita Carter, Senior Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering; and Marlon West, VFX Supervisor for Walt Disney Animation Studios to hear more:
Imagineers often do in-depth research to help inspire their work. In this case, that involved digging deep into the culture of New Orleans to tell a story that’s as authentic to the region as it is to the characters’ stories. From the food, music, art and architecture to the diversity of its people and their traditions, there is much from which to draw inspiration. The team has done virtual research trips through Zoom and this was their first of many in-person research trips to come and get the story right.
Tying to Leah Chase’s love of art, one of the early sources of inspiration has come from Sharika Mahdi — a visual artist, art educator, and alumna of the renowned YAYA (Young Aspirations Young Artists) Arts Center located in New Orleans — who was commissioned to create a series of four original paintings to inspire Imagineers, one of which was revealed today.
To celebrate all of these developments, our love and appreciation for New Orleans, and our commitment to arts education, Disney announced a $50,000 donation to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), a regional, pre-professional arts training center that offers students intensive instruction in culinary arts, dance, media arts, classical instrumental music, jazz instrumental music, classical vocal music, drama, musical theatre, theatre design, visual arts and creative writing.
It’s been well over a year now since Disney first announced the ever-so-popular Splash Mountain attraction in Magic Kingdom would be reimagined to The Princess and The Frog theme. When the news broke on June 25, 2020, the response from Disney fans seemed about a 50/50 split as many Disney fans wish the iconic attraction would remain the same, while others are all for the removal of the Song of the South elements. Fan petitions went out in favor of the attraction’s reimagining while another went against any changes. And after a year plus now, we have yet to see any changes in Splash Mountain.
Last fall, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products shared the company’s new approaches to operations and inclusion in the wake of 2020 via a keynote session of IAAPA Expo Virtual Education Conference. One key note included was that the reimagining of Splash Mountain has been expedited. With new information however from Disney’s Vice President of Magic Kingdom, it looks like the attraction reimagining may still be farther off than we suspected, noting that the revamping of Splash Mountain is going to take a little time.
As reported by OrlandoSentinel: “Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Magic Kingdom, talks with Orlando Sentinel tourism reporter Dewayne Bevil about upcoming changes at the Disney World park. Melissa dishes on the golden vibe guests can expect at the 50th-anniversary celebration, including “Disney Enchantment,” the new nighttime spectacular, and the 50 golden character statues spread across Disney World’s four theme parks. She also discusses Tron, Jungle Cruise and the revamping of Splash Mountain. Melissa asks for some patience as Splash Mountain transitions from “Song of the South” theme to “The Princess and the Frog,” “Our Guests are going to have to put a little bit of trust into us for a bit because we promise not to let you down. We’re going to deliver a wonderful attraction that is inspiring and beautiful and worthy of this princess, Princess Tiana.”
On November 16, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products shared the company’s new approaches to operations and inclusion in the wake of 2020 via a keynote session of IAAPA Expo Virtual Education Conference. One key note included was that the reimagining of Splash Mountain has been expedited.
As shared by IAAPA.org: “We believe that truly inclusive environment is critical to fostering ideas from all people to help us grow, innovate, and create the best stories possible,” D’Amaro said. More information about Disney’s backstage commitment to inclusivity will be rolling out in the next few months. Guest facing changes, like the reimagining of “Splash Mountain,” have been expedited to ensure that all who visit the company’s parks do feel welcome as well.
