Disney has turned the Test Track sliding door effect back on. The change comes more than a year after a ride vehicle impacted the doors during Cast Member previews. New video posted to Twitter shows the doors opening again as vehicles exit the finale scene into the outdoor portion of the ride. The door now appears to open earlier in the launch sequence than it did before. BlogMickey.com exclusively reported on the malfunction when a Test Track vehicle hit the sliding doors, prompting Disney to turn off the effect during previews ahead of the attraction’s 2025 reopening.
Sliding Door Effect Returns to Test Track
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- The Test Track sliding door effect has returned after being turned off for more than a year
- The door now appears to open earlier in the launch sequence than in past versions
- The doors currently serve a lighting purpose rather than the story beat used in earlier versions of the ride
Video Shows Working Sliding Doors
New video shared on Twitter by Nick Palermo shows the Test Track sliding doors opening as a ride vehicle moves through the indoor finale scene. The effect had stayed off after a vehicle impacted the foam doors during Cast Member previews last year. That incident left four guests with injuries requiring on-site treatment. Their vehicle hit the doors after the doors failed to open properly. Disney turned the effect off following the malfunction. It remained off through the attraction’s public reopening and into the current version of the ride.
Based on the new footage, the door now appears to open earlier in the launch sequence. That’s different from the version guests experienced before the incident.
Why Fixing The Doors Matters in Test Track 3.0
In earlier incarnations of Test Track, the sliding doors were built around a specific story moment. Guests were meant to feel like their vehicle was about to crash into the doors, acting as a wall, before they slid open at the last second. That tied into the ride’s original testing and crash-test narrative. The current version of Test Track doesn’t use that story beat.
Instead, the doors now function primarily as a way to prevent light bleed into the finale scene. Projected media showcasing future transportation technology fills that scene. Keeping the doors closed until the last possible moment darkens the room enough for those projections to be seen clearly. Of course, there was a thrill element to it when the timing was different before the vehicle impact. Now, not so much. That said, having the effect working again is not only an accomplishment for the ride engineering team, but also for the show.
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