Test Track, closed since June 2024, will reopen on July 22, 2025 at Epcot. The ride received a significant rework—the second of its lifetime—and we’re expecting Test Track 3.0 to be quite different from previous iterations—but still with that awesome finish.

We’re most interested in what this will mean for touring Epcot, though. Let’s dive into that, starting with a quick reminder…

Reminder: This Is Not The Season (Or Park) For Stress

July is typically not a very busy month at Disney World. Epcot is rarely a park that requires much stress, and with July being festival-free (Diet Epcot), it won’t carry any unwarranted crowds.

Of course a new ride debuting will bring some additional crowds in. You won’t have a ton of fun trying to ride Test Track on July 22.

But If you’re visiting more than a few days later, you don’t need to overthink this one. Maybe you’ll buy Multi Pass even though you weren’t planning to (Test Track Lightning Lane details still to come, though). Maybe you’ll get there a bit earlier for a better rope drop. But this is not a “throw out the playbook” moment. It’s more of a “check the data the day before you visit” type moment.

We’ll update this post as details roll out, and our existing content will get updates along the way, too.

With that in mind, let’s move onto what we expect, starting with the current state of things at Epcot…

The Current State of Affairs at Epcot

Epcot’s most popular ride is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This is the newest ride at Epcot and pretty much unquestionably the best. That ride sits near the front of the park, close to Test Track.

The next two most popular rides at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Frozen Ever After, both located in the World Showcase section of the park.

Cosmic Rewind has a Lightning Lane available via Lightning Lane Single Pass, while Remy’s and Frozen Ever After are both Tier 1 rides on Lightning Lane Multi Pass.

The oddity about Epcot is that it has two entrances—the front of the park and the International Gateway. At rope drop, guests entering through the main entrance are well-positioned to rush to Cosmic Rewind, but not in good position for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. Guests entering via the International Gateway (though staying at Boardwalk area hotels and those arriving by Skyliner) are well-positioned for Remy’s but not Cosmic Rewind. All guests are, practically, equally well-positioned for visiting Frozen Ever After at rope drop.

What Will The Return of Test Track Mean?

It would be reasonable to recall that Cosmic Rewind debuted in 2022 and think “well, we had two years of both Cosmic Rewind and Test Track at Epcot!” But not so fast.

Cosmic Rewind used a virtual queue for the entire time it was open alongside Test Track. It wasn’t until February 2025 that Cosmic Rewind got a traditional standby queue, and Test Track was closed for refurbishment by then.

Complicating things even more is that Test Track still hasn’t operated with Lightning Lane Multi Pass! This is one of those “George Washington didn’t know about dinosaurs” factoids that I can’t wrap my head around. But Multi Pass debuted in July 2024, while Test Track began its refurbishment in June 2024.

This is all to say we are in uncharted territory. And there are some unanswered questions…

A brand new old ride couldn’t possibly need a virtual queue for that long, right? RIGHT?!

Unanswered Questions

Will Test Track use a virtual queue? It wouldn’t be unheard of for Disney to use the system for the debut of Test Track. This will turn on the same two factors that seemingly always dictate this decision—demand and reliability. We expect demand to be high for a few days, but once the initial burst passes by, I don’t think a typical guest in August 2025 will care more about Test Track than they did in 2023.

There’s no reason to question the reliability of an attraction that is, in its bones, nearly 30 years old and fresh off a refurbishment. So, we don’t expect a virtual queue to be in use long, if at all.

That said, I am aware that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure happened. That ride was also a major rebuild of an existing attraction, and it wound up needing a virtual queue for much longer than anyone, including Disney, expected.

Will Test Track be on Multi Pass? If Test Track is on Multi Pass, it will be a Tier 1 ride. I think this is the prevailing expectation. At some point at least, Disney listed it as a Tier 1 attraction even though it was under refurbishment (I don’t know if they still do—I don’t see it anywhere). But they also could relaunch it with a Single Pass Lightning Lane, because $$$.

How does this impact Lightning Lane Planning?

If Test Track is a part of Multi Pass, I’d put it at the top of my Tier 1 rides. If nothing else, this is a “safe” play.

Keep in mind, the ride had single rider before it closed. If single rider returns, then families with small kids (under 40 inches) might still prefer to book Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure with their Tier 1 pick, figuring they’ll use single rider for Test Track is necessary.

How Does This Impact Rope Drop Strategy

I don’t think this impacts rope drop strategy that much. I think Cosmic Rewind will still get the bulk of the crowds from the front of the park, and I think guests entering via the International Gateway should probably still focus on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

From the front of the park, you might alternatively reason that if Cosmic Rewind is substantially more popular than Test Track, then maybe you can quickly get through both Test Track and Frozen Ever After to start the day. That’s probably a good outcome.

From the International Gateway, you might read success stories of guests getting decent waits on Cosmic Rewind even from that entrance and figure the situation will only be improved by the addition of Test Track. I don’t find huge fault in this, but it’s a little too risky for me given that Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is right there.

All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered

Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.

Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.

When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!

Don't forget to master your Disney World Lightning Lane Guide and Strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.

Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.