File this one under "oh dear" - the Orlando Sentinel is reporting that GM is considering pulling its sponsorship of Test Track. Because of the economy. And you know, a possible impending bankruptcy.
A failure to strike a deal could end up having a significant impact on the attraction. As you Mouseheads probably know, Epcot (then EPCOT) relied heavily on corporate sponsorhip in its early days. This way, Disney could open the park and keep its budgets under control - namely, because other companies were doing the check-writing. But then, inevitably, shiz happens and best laid plans go awry. The Norway pavillion is a perfect example - a once dynamic area of the park, complete with ride, is now little more than a character greeting spot (and a misleading one at that - Snow White, get your ass to Germany. And as for you, Sleeping Beauty - allez en France!). Norway's sad decline is due to - you guessed it - lack of sponsorship funds.
It's pretty obvious that Disney won't allow this to happen to Test Track - it's one of the most popular rides in all of Disney World - but they'll now have to fork over some extra cash to keep it running. Remember when Exxon pulled out of the Universe of Energy? Goodbye snorefest, hello Ellen. But the UoE is a perfect example of where the sponsorship money comes in handy - as I've mentioned before, Ellen's Energy Adventure is woefully outdated, just begging for some other industry giant to sponsor it and give it the revamp it so badly needs.
The auto industry is sputtering badly, so I doubt we'll see any other company step up to take over. So until then, let's just hope Disney and GM can work something out, lest Test Track be subjected to the no-sponsor-Disney-makeover that The Living Seas got and the next thing we know, guests are riding in Lightning McQueen cars that take you through Radiator Springs while learning about vehicular safety.
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