The one main journey debuting at Walt Disney World in 2025 is Check Observe, and technically, that’s a reimagining versus a brand-new attraction. Regardless, common WDW followers and EPCOT purists alike are excited concerning the third iteration of the joys journey, with many questioning its opening date this summer season.
Let’s begin with that final level, as there’s been minor inconsistency about when Check Observe 3.0 will debut at EPCOT. In a press launch from final December detailing every little thing new coming to Walt Disney World in 2025, the corporate shared that Check Observe offered by Common Motors “is making its return lap in late summer season 2025.”
This late summer season 2025 timeframe has since been repeated on social media in numerous posts, however with no consistency. Equally notable is that Check Observe has largely been omitted from releases about Summer time 2025. However this isn’t essentially trigger for concern. In any case, the advertising push is “Cool Child Summer time,” so just about all grownup additions–equivalent to new lounges–haven’t been wrapped up into that.
However, there’s been a reasonably conspicuous lack of timeline updates about Check Observe 3.0 at EPCOT. Including gasoline to the fireplace about hypothesis that it’ll take longer than anticipated are a few inconsistencies.
First, there was a previously-released and deleted press launch stating that Check Observe would reopen in Late 2025, versus Late Summer time 2025. That one phrase makes a several-month distinction. Nonetheless, this was clearly deleted for a purpose, and the “Late Summer time 2025” timeline has been shared subsequent to that with out retraction. Clearly, it’s the anticipated and supposed timeline on condition that. It nonetheless makes us ponder whether there was inside debate concerning the timeline to share.
Second, there’s the attraction web page itself. The closure banner merely states the next: “Check Observe Offered by Chevrolet is being reimagined and is presently closed. The attraction will reopen in 2025. Please test again later for updates.” (Word the 2025 versus late summer season 2025.)
This isn’t a brand new change, and isn’t essentially a problem. That hyperlink directs visitors to the replace asserting the “late summer season 2025” timeline. The verbiage additionally very clearly has not been up to date, because it nonetheless displays the Chevrolet sponsorship, which has since reverted to Common Motors.
Talking of Common Motors, Walt Disney Imagineering simply reached one other milestone: set up of the brand new marquee at Check Observe! This reveals the revised GM sponsorship, with the design echoing the attraction’s structure, whereas incorporating the brand new brand in illuminated letters so it’s seen each day and night time.
Actually, I’m not tremendous jazzed on the marquee. I’m wonderful with a easy and clear look, however thought the unique idea artwork threaded that exact needle completely. This appears a bit too fundamental, however then once more, the identical may’ve been mentioned concerning the unique World of Movement marquee. So I’m additionally not too labored up over this.
Greater than something, I’m drawing consideration to this as a result of it means that work on the outside of the attraction is drawing to an in depth. Along with the marquee and planter which are seen in these photographs, work is winding down on the encircling courtyard and cover on the entrance. All of this means that they’re executed with heavy gear exterior the outside.
Along with that, Walt Disney World has been automobile testing on Check Observe 3.0 throughout EPCOT working hours for over 2 full months. This implies that the reopening will happen proper in step with the previously-announced late Summer time 2025 timeline. Usually, automobile testing can be one of many final phases of a venture like this, suggesting that opening is simply a month or two away. We might warning towards that interpretation.
Journey automobiles had been beforehand faraway from the attraction, presumably for each refurbishment and aesthetic updates for the reason that look of Check Observe 3.0 will change away from the SIMcar. All this might sign is that the journey automobiles are actually able to roll, and Imagineering is testing these regardless of present scenes not being prepared.
Every little thing we’ve seen thus removed from contained in the attraction suggests there’s nonetheless work to be executed on this bold overhaul. Maybe the venture has kicked into excessive gear and Walt Disney World is fast-tracking Check Observe 3.0 as a way to beat the previously-announced schedule. Nonetheless, it’s equally seemingly that Disney is throwing extra assets at Check Observe to keep away from the reopening slipping into late 2025 versus late summer season.
The dearth of updates on the present scenes are the largest crimson flag for me.
Walt Disney World has been providing plenty of information these days, together with on the Piston Peak Nationwide Park growth in Magic Kingdom that hasn’t even began development. It will be particularly reasonable to say that we all know extra about that venture than Check Observe 3.0! Identical goes for every little thing that has opened or will debut this summer season–we’ve seen idea artwork for each single float in Starlight!
My concern right here is that work is not on time on the present scenes, and that’s why they haven’t been proven off but. Alternatively, that they’re underwhelming, so there’s nothing to point out off. Neither can be reassuring! Maybe I’m overly delicate to this, because the final time little was proven of precise present scenes, we acquired the darkish expanses of Tiana’s Bayou Journey, and I’m frightened this might be a repeat of that.
Nonetheless, there’s one other extremely believable clarification: Imagineering is working with groups from company alliance companion Common Motors. Which means Disney doesn’t have full authority over how this journey reimagining is revealed. As the corporate writing the checks for the majority of the venture, GM can dictate so much. It’s solely attainable that they merely don’t need to share an excessive amount of earlier than the attraction reopens. It’s additionally attainable that Disney PR simply doesn’t need to trouble with limitless approvals and conferences for every replace. I’m optimistic that that is the case.
Towards that backdrop, the place does that go away the “late summer season 2025” opening date of Check Observe?
Let’s begin with the exhausting deadline for that timeline to be correct: September 22, 2025 is the official finish of summer season. So so long as Imagineering hits that focus on, they’ve technically delivered on Walt Disney World’s promise.
Nonetheless, that’s not how seasons work at Walt Disney World. In Disneyspeak, summer season begins Memorial Day weekend (when the brand new reveals opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) and ends round Labor Day. Regardless that it’s technically nonetheless summer season, anytime after Labor Day would usually be deemed early fall. Have in mind, Halloween ‘season’ begins in mid-August at Walt Disney World and kicks into excessive gear come September.
Level being, “Late Summer time” would usually be someday in July.
And for that timeline to have any that means for households on summer season trip, I’d hazard a guess that the unique goal opening date for Check Observe 3.0 was round early-to-mid July 2025. The actual final hurrah of summer season season journey is the final week of July into the primary week of August. That is exactly why there was/is a race towards the clock to get Disney Starlight: Dream the Evening Away open by July 20, 2025.
At this level, it’s most likely secure to say that July 4, 2025 is out the window for Check Observe 3.0’s official opening. That’s lower than a month away, and if it had been going to be then, we’d already know. The announcement would’ve occurred earlier than Starlight.
That leaves mid-to-late July 2025 because the logical best-case state of affairs for Check Observe’s official reopening.
That feels prefer it’s pushing it at this level simply based mostly on the dearth of reports, however that shouldn’t be considered as conclusive. Actually, it wouldn’t shock me within the least if Check Observe 3.0 will get an official opening date of Thursday, July 31, 2025–simply slipping in underneath the wire on the month of July.
In that case, I may additionally see a restricted variety of previews for Check Observe 3.0 beginning proper across the time of Starlight’s debut. It’d be good counterprogramming for EPCOT, and in addition give out-of-state Annual Passholders a sweetener for visiting Walt Disney World over the opening week of Starlight. I view this as pretty believable, and an affordable goal for Walt Disney World management at this level.
It’s additionally vital to emphasise that targets aren’t all the time hit. In the event that they had been, Starlight would’ve debuted a few weeks in the past as an alternative of over a month from now. Delays are a reality of life with new or reimagined rides, and so they’ve develop into more and more frequent.
On this case, the opening timeline for Check Observe was set final December and fairly far into the long run. On the danger of stating the apparent, so much can change in over 6 months, and one of the best laid plans of the Mouse usually go awry. It’s very straightforward to see how the goal may slip throughout that prolonged span of time.
If that does occur with Check Observe 3.0, it gained’t be for lack of effort. My understanding is that Imagineering is throwing assets on the attraction and Walt Disney World operations needs it again up ASAP. I’ve no perception into the thought course of at Common Motors, however I can not think about they like the development partitions with vehicles parked exterior to an operational attraction. So let’s simply go forward and assume all stakeholders are on the identical web page in wanting this executed ASAP.
Even so, there’s solely a lot work that may be completed in a day/week/month, and even beneficiant useful resource allocation has its limits. Check Observe’s reopening would possibly slip from July regardless of each effort on the contrary. If that does occur, there’s little incentive to open the reimagined journey through the low season.
In that state of affairs, possibly the venture groups take a step again and sluggish issues down–as an alternative of overspending on extra time (and so on.), maybe they recalibrate and goal a completion date in late August, previews for the whole lot of September, and an official opening on October 1, 2025.
This method would additionally make sense. Vacation spot D23 is over Labor Day weekend. Releasing new idea artwork and asserting an official opening, whereas giving these D23 superfans an unique likelihood to preview the journey can be a win–and would generate extra buzz. This might be similar to the playbook used for Moana’s Journey of Water.
It will additionally mirror what was executed for Remy’s Ratatouille Journey. That journey had a prolonged preview interval, which was helpful for pulling individuals to the park throughout September, earlier than debuting October 1. That traces up with Disney’s new fiscal 12 months (most likely doesn’t matter to GM!), and what’s usually the largest stretch of the 12 months for Walt Disney World.
Having Check Observe 3.0 be a marketable new addition throughout these closing three months–from Fall Break to Halloween to Veterans Day to Thanksgiving to Christmas/NYE–would make sense. This additionally is likely to be engaging to Common Motors, as Check Observe would “personal” that stretch of the 12 months, versus sharing the highlight with Starlight.
The underside line is that both of those eventualities strike me as roughly equally believable. That it’s a race towards the clock and Check Observe 3.0 makes it slightly below the wire with a gap date on or round July 31, 2025. Alternatively, the joys journey blows previous that deadline and recalibrates to October 1, 2025 with a lengthier preview interval beforehand.
This predicted dates assume that Disney and Common Motors are strategic with the reopening date of Check Observe. It’s solely attainable that the reimagined journey does miss the primary goal, however the powers that be shrug their collective shoulders and decide it’s higher to get it up and operating when attainable versus ready for probably the most opportune timing. We already know park operations needs this journey again and it stands to purpose that GM needs ROI on their sponsorship {dollars}, so we may find yourself with some random date in mid-August 2025.
Personally, I hope Imagineering takes nonetheless lengthy is critical to do the job proper. I’m actually trying ahead to Check Observe 3.0 and hope it pulls from one of the best facets of all its predecessors. It appears like Disney and GM are positioned to study from previous successes and failures, making enhancements in Check Observe 3.0 on these bases. I simply hope Imagineers have sufficient time, inventive freedom and Chevy Bucks to finish a high-quality journey reimagining. Clearly, it’s a completely totally different venture, however hopefully classes had been realized from the error of opening Tiana’s Bayou Journey too early.
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Your Ideas
What do you consider the Check Observe reimagining announcement? Completely happy that Imagineering is being given an additional couple of months to work on the reimagining or dissatisfied it isn’t reopening till Late Summer time 2025? Excited for Check Observe 3.0, or will you miss the present model? Which model of this journey is your favourite? Hopeful that World of Movement conjures up greater than only a sense of optimism within the new journey? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!