Browsed by
Author: dzadmin

First look: Epcot’s revised Test Track zooms to future

First look: Epcot’s revised Test Track zooms to future

Comments 0 Comment

When Walt Disney World reopens its Test Track attraction at Epcot, visitors can expect a new look and a new future-pointed emphasis during the indoor-outdoor ride that zooms over theme park goers.

A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride... A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) An exterior view of the renovated Test Track attraction at... An exterior view of the renovated Test Track attraction at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out concept cars on display in the ride... Guests check out concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A guest holds on to his hat during a high-speed... A guest holds on to his hat during a high-speed spin hitting 65 mph on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A guest takes a high-speed spin on the renovated Test... A guest takes a high-speed spin on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests disembark the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview... Guests disembark the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Dinsey World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride... A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated... Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) A guest takes a high-speed spin on the renovated Test... A guest takes a high-speed spin on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out the vehicles on display post-ride at the... Guests check out the vehicles on display post-ride at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated... Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Under stormy skies, a bird takes flight as the monorail... Under stormy skies, a bird takes flight as the monorail passes Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Walt Disney World, Monday, June 30, 2025, in this view from the top of nearby Test Track. Test Track will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out concept cars on display in the ride... Guests check out concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated... Guests check out the ride queue displays at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests check out the vehicles on display post-ride at the... Guests check out the vehicles on display post-ride at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests take a spin on the renovated Test Track attraction... Guests take a spin on the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Dinsey World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Under stormy skies, the monorail passes Spaceship Earth at Epcot,... Under stormy skies, the monorail passes Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Walt Disney World, Monday, June 30, 2025, in this view from the top of nearby Test Track. Test Track will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel) Guests arrive Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025,... Guests arrive Spaceship Earth at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025, at Walt Disney World. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

1 of 18 A guest photographs concept cars on display in the ride queue at the renovated Test Track attraction during a preview at Epcot, Monday, June 30, 2025. The reimagined thrill ride at Walt Disney World, sponsored by General Motors, closed for an extensive overhaul in June 2024 and will officially reopen to Epcot guests on July 22. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel)

Expand

“Previous versions of the ride were very technical. They were car safety. It was kind of showing how cars were designed,” Dan Brookwell, senior project designer, said Monday.

“We wanted to take this humanity lens to the project where we represented this human drive to innovate, this notion that we’ve always been dreaming,” he said.

Test Track’s track remains the same as its predecessors, but its surroundings are changing.

“We brought in a brand new show to the attraction,” said Lisa Dowd, senior producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, during a preview for members of the media.

Last call: When Disney World, Universal Orlando attractions are shutting down

The queue for the new Test Track includes a trio of concept cars from General Motors, dating from 1900. These are followed by small-scale concepts that have been in development more recently. read more

How homebuyers are using new technology to aid their purchase

How homebuyers are using new technology to aid their purchase

Comments 0 Comment

By Andrew Dehan, Bankrate.com

In times of economic uncertainty — like where we seem to find ourselves today, for example — buying a house can come with heightened anxiety. The good news is that there are more tools than ever to help homebuyers make the right choice more efficiently. From AI image-matching to high-tech home inspections, new advancements can make the process easier and faster. Here are some of the top homebuying technologies being used today.

Related Articles

AI image searching identifies homes you’ll like

AI seems to have infused itself into many parts of modern life, and homebuying is no exception. Mortgage lenders have been using tech for decades in the underwriting process, but now AI is being incorporated into home searches, too. (And with housing inventory on the rise, help in narrowing down your choices is becoming even more useful.) read more

Home Depot heads deeper into the building supply business with $5 billion acquisition of GMS

Home Depot heads deeper into the building supply business with $5 billion acquisition of GMS

Comments 0 Comment

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writer

Home Depot is buying specialty building products distributor GMS for $4.3 billion, the second notable acquisition in a little over a year that emphasizes a deliberate push by the home improvement chain into building and materials supply.

The acquisitions arrive as booming sales from the pandemic fade and Home Depot intensifies its focus on professional builders.

GMS Inc. of Tucker, Georgia, is a distributor of specialty building products like drywall, steel framing and other supplies used in both residential and commercial projects.

A subsidiary of Home Depot’s SRS Distribution Inc., the supply company it bought last year, will start a cash tender offer to buy all outstanding shares of GMS for $110 per share. The total equity value of the transaction is approximately $4.3 billion. The deal is worth about $5.5 billion, including debt.

Home Depot purchased SRS Distribution, a materials provider for professionals, for more than $18 billion including debt. SRS provides materials for professionals like roofers, landscapers and pool contractors. read more

US stocks push further into record heights

US stocks push further into record heights

Comments 0 Comment

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market added to its record as Wall Street closed out a second straight winning month. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Monday in its first trading after completing a stunning rebound from its springtime sell-off of roughly 20%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.5%. Oracle helped lead the way after saying it’s off to a strong start in its fiscal year. Banks were also solid in their first trading after the Federal Reserve said they’re financially strong enough to survive a downturn in the economy. Treasury yields eased in the bond market.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are adding to their records on Monday as Wall Street nears the finish of a second straight winning month.

The S&P 500 was 0.3% higher in its first trading after completing a stunning rebound from its springtime sell-off of roughly 20%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 218 points, or 0.5%, as of 11:40 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.3% higher. read more

Two new property insurers approved to sell in Florida. More coming, regulators say

Two new property insurers approved to sell in Florida. More coming, regulators say

Comments 0 Comment

Two more property insurers have been approved to serve Florida’s beleaguered homeowner market, the state Office of Insurance Regulation announced.

The office on Friday identified the two new companies in a news release as Incline National Insurance Company, headquartered in Texas, and Florida Insurance and Reinsurance Company, a Florida-domiciled company that Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky said will primarily offer coverage for condominiums and condo associations.

More companies will be announced in the “near future,” Yaworsky was quoted in the release as saying.

Related Articles

The two new carriers are the 13th and 14th to enter Florida’s market since lawmakers enacted reforms in 2022 and 2023 that have decreased financial incentives for policyholders, repair contractors, roofing companies and plaintiffs attorneys to file what insurers contend are “frivolous lawsuits.”

The others are Apex Star Reciprocal Exchange, Mangrove Property Insurance Company, ASI Select Insurance Corp., Trident Reciprocal Exchange, Ovation Home Insurance Exchange, Manatee Insurance Exchange, Condo Owners Reciprocal Exchange, Orange Insurance Exchange, Orion180 Select Insurance Company, Orion180 Insurance Company, Mainsail Insurance Company, and Tailrow Insurance Exchange read more