▁question ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁to ▁sign ▁another ▁spons or ship ▁agreement . ▁Upon ▁dec iding ▁to ▁sign ▁another ▁agreement , ▁G M ▁wanted ▁Disney ▁to ▁construct ▁a ▁new ▁ride ▁on ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁World ▁of ▁Mot ion . ▁The ▁new ▁ride ▁would ▁focus ▁specifically ▁around ▁their ▁autom ob iles , ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁f anc iful ▁history ▁of ▁transport ation ▁from ▁the ▁pre - histor ic ▁( an imal ▁transport ation ) ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁age ▁( autom ob iles , ▁plan es , ▁etc .) ▁that ▁were ▁previously ▁hous ed ▁in ▁the ▁space . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁Disney ▁Im agine ers ▁had ▁visited ▁G M ' s ▁Mil ford ▁Pro ving ▁Gr ound ; ▁the ▁Im agine ers ▁later ▁made ▁a ▁second ▁trip ▁to ▁the ▁facility ▁as ▁they ▁designed ▁Test ▁Track . ▁After ▁numerous ▁problems ▁encountered ▁during ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁the ▁ride , ▁Test ▁Track ▁soft - open ed ▁on ▁December ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁officially ▁open ▁until ▁March ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁nearly ▁two ▁years ▁later ▁than ▁planned . ▁ ▁After ▁World ▁of ▁Mot ion ▁closed ▁on ▁January ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁everything ▁inside ▁the ▁ride ▁building ▁was ▁removed . ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁elev ated ▁track ▁was ▁already ▁being ▁constructed ▁outside ▁and ▁behind ▁the ▁building , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁high - speed ▁test ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁ride . ▁Work ▁outside ▁the ▁building ▁began ▁in ▁fall ▁ 1