Soarin'
Soarin', also known as Soarin' Over California, Soarin' Around the World, Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight, is a flight motion simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea. It employs a mechanical lift system, a projected presentation on an 80 ft (24 m) concave 180-degree dome screen, and artificial scents and wind to simulate a hang gliding flight over locations in six of the world's continents. Many consider it the first flying theater.
| Soarin' | |
|---|---|
| Disney California Adventure | |
| Name | Soarin' Over California |
| Area | Grizzly Peak |
| Coordinates | 33.80837°N 117.92000°W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | February 8, 2001 (Soarin' Over California) June 17, 2016 (Soarin' Around the World) |
| Closing date | June 15, 2016 (Soarin' Over California) |
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Available | |
| Epcot | |
| Name | Soarin' Over California |
| Area | Future World (The Land pavilion) (2005–2021) World Nature (The Land pavilion) (2021–) |
| Coordinates | 28°22′21.66″N 81°33′9.43″W |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | May 5, 2005 (Soarin' Over California) June 17, 2016 (Soarin' Around the World) September 22, 2023 (Soarin' Over California) |
| Closing date | January 4, 2016 (Soarin' Over California) September 21, 2023 (Soarin' Around the World) |
| Replaced | Food Rocks (1994–2004) (Future World) |
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Available | |
| Shanghai Disneyland Park | |
| Name | Soaring Over the Horizon 翱翔•飞越地平线 |
| Area | Adventure Isle |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | June 16, 2016 |
Disney Premier Access available | |
| Tokyo DisneySea | |
| Name | Soaring: Fantastic Flight |
| Area | Mediterranean Harbor |
| Status | Operating |
| Opening date | July 23, 2019 |
Disney Premier Access available | |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Flying Theater simulator ride |
| Manufacturer | Dynamic Structures |
| Designer | Walt Disney Imagineering |
| Theme | Flight |
| Music | Bruce Broughton, based on a score by Jerry Goldsmith |
| Height | 80 ft (24 m) |
| Vehicle type | Hang glider simulator / flying theater |
| Vehicles | 6 in two theaters (California, Shanghai) 9 in three theaters (Florida) (formerly 6 until 2016) |
| Riders per vehicle | Alpha 27, Bravo 33, Charlie 27 |
| Rows | 3 |
| Participants per group | 87 per theater |
| Duration | 4:51 |
| Height restriction | 40 in (102 cm) |
| Host | Patrick Warburton |
| Sponsor | Nestlé (Florida; 2005–2009) |
Must transfer from wheelchair | |
Closed captioning available | |
The attraction's first iteration, Soarin' Over California, was an opening-day attraction at Disney California Adventure on February 8, 2001. It took guests over several locations in California and included a pre-show on the history of California's aviation industry. It was also installed at Epcot in Walt Disney World as Soarin' in 2005.
The current global version of the ride debuted at Shanghai Disneyland Park as Soaring Over the Horizon on June 16, 2016. The American versions were also replaced with the new film as Soarin' Around the World on June 17. A fourth attraction, Soaring: Fantastic Flight, opened at Tokyo DisneySea on July 23, 2019. The original Soarin' Over California has been regular rotations at Disney California Adventure since an initial limited engagement in June 2019, and its popularity led Disney to extend the run through the end of August of that year. Since 2020, Soarin' Over California has returned in continuous temporary operations as part of the park's Food & Wine Festival during the months of the season of Spring.