Infamous Test Track Incident Remembered, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Post Pulled



In this week’s biggest Disney news, Imagineers recall an infamous incident of a car flying off of the track at Test Track, a post about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was later deleted, and much more. Join Tom Corless every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for the latest from Disney theme parks around the world.

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CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro
02:07 – Dining Reservations Search Shows All Available Time Slots
02:43 – Surveying Guests About Removing TRON Virtual Queue
03:49 – Louis and Charlotte Animatronics Teased for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
05:36 – Former Imagineers Allude to When a Test Track Car Flew Off The Tracks
08:35 – beourguestvacations.com/wdwnt
09:04 – Animatronic from The Great Movie Ride Being Sold on eBay
10:21 – Lawsuit Claims Disneyland Underpaid Maintenance
11:15 – California Adventure Food and Wine Festival!
11:46 – Redwood Creek Closed for Refurbishment
12:14 – Disneyland Resort Announces ‘Movie Nights’
12:53 – Marvel Day at Sea Returning to Disney Cruise Line in 2025
14:39 – Closing Date Announced for Studio 1 Reimagining at Paris
16:34 – Disney Legend Carl Bongirno Passes Away at Age 86
19:24 – Outro

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50 thoughts on “Infamous Test Track Incident Remembered, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Post Pulled”

  1. Test Track is a great ride, but lately noticing more and more portions of it malfunctioning: Virtual design cars not showing up in the “tests,” the semi truck scene disabled, and the doors to exterior portion stuck fully open. Enjoy it a lot, but it’s time for a refurbishment.

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  2. I remember when Rise opened with a virtual queue, it was a regular fuster cluck of an experience where literally all the queue spaces were gone within the first 60 seconds of "park opening". Places like Disneyland that was further compounded by locals with annual passes showing up simply to see if they can get a queue spot, then leaving whether they got one or not because they could always come back when their 2 hour window opened, some time later the virtual queue disappeared and wait times for Rise aren't really that bad after all, sure it could be a long wait but honestly nothing that would justify a virtual queue (Chapek's stupid comment about 11 hour wait not happening…). Then the abomination that is Lightning Lane happened, and every ride that had a virtual queue got even worse, because oh no it isn't just a free for all with everyone trying to grab a spot, if you pay money you can almost always get a spot while the rest of the stiffs who still paid to enter the park get shafted and no queue space for them.

    So yes get rid of all virtual queues, that way the frustration and anger about having to wait for 3 hours while lightning lane people just walk right on by can hopefully get rid of that horribly greedy idea that is Genie+ and Lightning Lane.

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  3. There was also a legend that one of the cars that is missing from the lineup (ie #17) was a car that had all its safety features disabled and hit a divide, caught fire, and was a total loss.

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  4. Test track car leaving the track was always one of those rumors that was true but made its rounds. The rumor I heard was that it left the track on one of the outside loops and came close to hitting a family.

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  5. that would be scary seeing one of the test track ride cars make a flying leap and hit a wall; i only hope no one was near when that happened🤭😲 correct me if i’m wrong here, didn’t tom say it happened when they were in the testing phase right before they officially opened test track back in the late 90’s? SCARY!😬

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  6. I think they need to get rid of the virtual queue system for Tron and guardians, especially guardians, because that’s been out for a long time. Now, I’d rather just go to the park and wait in line instead of having to get up early in the morning just to get a virtual queue And try to speed over to Disney so I can make it in time, but overall the virtual queue just needs to go

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  7. Story time kids!

    I was a CM at Epcot 1997-1998 and literally watched the Test Track … ummmm … “mishap” happen. The car didn’t exactly fly off the track. I was sitting with a friend/fellow CM at the Epcot cast member cafe at the costuming building which at the time was right behind the Test Track building between the show building and the Epcot cast member parking lot. We were eating before going onstage. The table we were eating at was basically right underneath the left hand bank turn in the “outdoor” portion of the ride. We were enjoying watching the sand bag families do their test runs while we ate. When the vehicle hit that left turn, we heard a horrendous crunch sound that was similar to stepping on an aluminum can. The plastic body that connects to the actual frame of the car came disconnected, went airborne, and crashed into the fenced area between the show building and the costuming building. We looked at each other, shrugged and went back to eating. This was after the billboards had already been changed from “Coming Fall 1997” to “coming soon.” I’ve laughed for years that the Test Track fiasco is why Disney stopped giving dates for their attractions openings.

    Thanks for covering this, Tom. I actually sent this video to my kid, who was a CM last year with DCP. She’s been enduring my lame “when I was a CM” stories for years, this one included. I said, “SEE?!??!?! IT REALLY DID HAPPEN!!!!”

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  8. Carl B makes a memorable presence in The Imagineering Story, particularly in telling how he instructed his team to drag their feet implementing the layoffs being ordered from the higher ups. A true leader.

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  9. My husband been a mechanic for over 25 years and he had always had to buy his own tools. That is completely normal in that job. He has been a mechanic and diagnostics tech for everything from auto to small and large motor and warehouse equipment; he has always needed his own tools. Yes it cost a lot but you start out with just the basics from harbor freight and work your way up to Snap-On and Mac tools that have lifetime warranties. As long as Disney isn't forcing you to leave your tools at work and available to other technicians providing your own tools is normal.

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  10. It is a load of crap that the only way to ride this Tron is to go thru the hassle of getting a virtual reservation, I feel like when a person pays this kind of money to get into the magic Kingdom then they ought to just be allowed to wait in line until they get to ride Tron. I would like to see them get rid of all these methods that allow some guests to pass others by. I would say if you want to ride you wait in line. It holds up the standby lines allowing all these people to hope to the front of the line. Level the playing field everyone waits.

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  11. I worked at Test Track when that happened, it was my day off but as I understand it the attraction was in maintenance mode, in this mode most of the safety is turned off. This was during test and adjust before the attraction opened. This was car number 17 and when it got to the outside track the computer could not tell how fast the car was going so when it came around the back it was going to fast and came off the track. So if you ever look at the car numbers there is no 17. The cars have bogie wheels underneath to keep them on the track.

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  12. How has Disney Parks not been hit with a massive ADA discrimination lawsuit for forcing everyone to use smartphone for scheduling? Some people can't use phone apps as intended… the app isn't compliant.

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