Soarin' done better in Washington

[dweezil78]

I think it's great that smaller players are investing in themed attractions like this. Looks like they may have even solved the "hanging feet" problem.

Evidently Disney owns the rights to the Soarin' system, so the competition was forced to find new ways to more or less do the same thing -- and I think in the process, was able to refine it and make it even better! I love how it looks like you are sitting in a theater here (a pretty tiny room compared to Soarin) with your feet on the ground and the whole floor literally rises.

 

[Phroobar]

Just goes to show that some times things are better outside of the Disney universe.

 

[dweezil78]

Just goes to show that some times things are better outside of the Disney universe.

Better theming for sure and a cool twist on the ride system, but I kind of doubt the effect is as dramatic with such a small screen compared to Soarin's mammoth-sized OMNIMAX screen.

 

[Phroobar]

Better theming for sure and a cool twist on the ride system, but I kind of doubt the effect is as dramatic with such a small screen compared to Soarin's mammoth-sized OMNIMAX screen.

At least the Space Needle doesn't bend like the Effie tower does at DCA.

 

[Andrew C]

At least the Space Needle doesn't bend like the Effie tower does at DCA.

So did you just start this thread to bash soarin then?

 

[lazyboy97o]

All the examples shown are basically just fly over some scenery in a tilting chair in the air. How are these different from Disney's version except better themed in some cases?

Depending on the ride system, a greater amount of motion in the seats is possible.

 

[Bacon]

 

[deix15x8]

We did Fly Over Canada in Vancouver last year and enjoyed it. It wasn't as good as Soarin' in our opinion though. They did a nice job with the video and ride system and it was worth it for someone like us on a vacation to their. Where it lacked though was the lack of scents and other environmental effects. Their ride system is identical to Disney's except it has you board the cars in the vertical position and then the guard rails are dropped and the ride system pushes forward into the open space to move around. They retrofitted an old iMax theater for their version of the ride so the huge screen already existed. We left for a cruise from Vancouver to Disneyland the next day so it was only about 10 days between riding the two making it easy to compare. If visiting as a tourist I'd recommend trying it, but for the price it's a once and done thing. They change it throughout the year with special endings for the different seasons but that's not worth repaying.
https://www.flyovercanada.com

 

[Magenta Panther]

I think it's great that smaller players are investing in themed attractions like this.

In that vein, the Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield Illinois is amazing. Check this out:

 

[Phroobar]

Cool. They have their own Knott's Mystery Lodge!

Goes to show. If you stick exclusively with Disney, you miss some incredible things done better. I would love to see that kind of show replace Lincoln or at least be added to Lincoln.

 

[Darkbeer1]

Cool. They have their own Knott's Mystery Lodge!

Goes to show. If you stick exclusively with Disney, you miss some incredible things done better. I would love to see that kind of show replace Lincoln or at least be added to Lincoln.

And add to that Knott's Voyage of the Iron Reef. First off, the cars are designed much better for families than Midway Mania, the ride system does not require the cars to stop and play. The system is more advanced than Disney in how the player interacts with the animated scenes.

Universal has taken the Dark ride, and made it the best in the industry between Spider-Man, Transformers and Forbidden Journey (Harry Potter) .

As someone who has done Fly Over Canada in Vancouver, and both versions of Soarin', I thought the overall attraction of Fly Over, with its good preshow better than Soarin'. And it looks like Wings over Washington also hits the mark in its preshow, something that is truly needed at DCA.

But heck, look at Shrek 4-D at Universal and how well they did their preshow. Or the Forbidden Journey queue.

Shame that Disney forget the lessons they learned with things like the Enchanted Tiki Room and its Pre-Show in which sets the scene and mood for the main event.

But alas, I am lucky enough to be able to visit many different Theme/Amusement Parks companies, and have for decades. Disney does some very good things, but so do others. I was amazed by Ghost Town Live at Knott's this summer, and the dirty little secret, many of the Ghost Town Characters also worked at Disneyland. But the interaction with guests at Knott's was so much more "casual" and involved the crowd as compared to the "forced" experiences at Disneyland.

So those who think Disney is the best, and everything else is not worth it. Well, look at the price of a Knott's SP as compared to any Disneyland AP, and then tell me it is worth 4 to 10 times the price.

My opinion, expand your horizons, and enjoy life..... Heck, I was having issued yesterday between attending a live Soccer Match, and then catching the end of afternoon Football and Vin Scully's last home Dodgers Baseball game. What an amazing day, and a variety of sports. Too bad Dale Jr. is out of NASCAR due to a concussion. That would have added and made the day even better.

And that is the key, making the day even better. Alas, Disney seems to try and do "just enough" lately. But heck, I only have 4 and 1/2minutes of fireworks noise a few days a week now....

 

[dweezil78]

In that vein, the Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield Illinois is amazing. Check this out:

Is that a live actor or is he a video? I feel like watching some real dude do that live is kind of awkward, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Darkbeer1]

It is an live actor and a special set, where projections cover up the actual set the actor is in, and allows the "magic" of his transforming, etc. just by stepping behind a wall.

http://entertainmentdesigner.com/ne...aham-lincoln-presidential-library-and-museum/

The system is called Holovision, and is what Knott's Mystery Lodge also uses.

It is a neat effect. I have been backstage at Mystery Lodge, and the actual set is a strange looking and barren place. The "actor" has to learn his cue's, which are based on the soundtrack. The actor doesn't actually talk, anything is lip sink. But he/she needs to match their actions to the "movie" and has to be on time, all the time. The system does offer special cues behind the scenes to help out though...

 

[Phroobar]

It works a lot like the ghosts at the Haunted Mansion. They are peppers ghost reflections.

 

[SSG]

OK, so I made it downtown yesterday and checked out this attraction, and overall I was pretty impressed.

The attraction is at Pier 57 on the waterfront in Seattle, next to the Ferris Wheel. The attraction lasts about 20 minutes, but this includes a rather dopey pre-show. You may have a bit of sticker shock at the price of $18 per person (tax included), but we decided to go for it.

The building is decently themed to look like the sort of wooden lodge you’d find in a national park, and the cast members are wearing park ranger gear to help carry the theme. There are a lot of reproductions of Native American totems, masks and art work to look at. Unfortunately, all that stuff is inside and you spend most of the queue time just waiting outside. It’s not a long wait---maybe 20 minutes—but it wouldn’t be much fun in a cold Seattle rain.

When you get inside, you head upstairs to the Ranger’s meeting room. This is an open space with wooden benches. There are more wooden masks representing different animals on the walls and some stuffed animals. At the front are good sized screens showing images of scenic areas in Washington. The images are in the style of the WPA posters from the 1930’s of the different national parks, which was a nice touch.

When the pre-show starts, the poster images fade and hapless park ranger Jesse comes on. He basically performs the chief flight attendant Patrick role. He explains a bit about the ride, how to fasten your seatbelt, how to stow you bags under the seat, and makes some unfunny jokes. This could have been considerably shorter. The set-up is the Spirit Eagle will guide you on a tour over Washington. Jesse thankfully fades away and the Spirit Eagle enters. Then the masks and animals (actually animatronics) comes to life and start interacting with the audience. These animatronics are on a par with those found in the Tiki Room, so pretty good but nothing outstanding.

The cast members open the theater doors and we go in. This is pretty much a smaller version of Soarin’. Three rows of seats about ten across and a large curved screen maybe clocking in at 2/3 the size of the Soarin’ screen. We get seated and take off just as you would at DCA; the front row rises to the top and the others stack underneath.

The movie itself follows the Soarin’ model. The Spirit Eagle takes you from the lodge to sights all over the state: Elliott Bay, Olympic National Forest and the San Juan Islands, to the Cascades and Snoqualmie Falls, the Tieton River, the Walla Walla Valley Balloon Stampede, hydroplane races at Seafair, to wineries and tulip fields. The scenery is pretty spectacular and the film technology is very good for a local attraction. It reportedly uses 6K cameras; innovative art laser projection; drones for image capture; MUSHROOM Virtual Reality system—god bless if any of that means something to you—and the final result works pretty well.

There are a few problems. The film isn’t as sharp as it could be and some of the effects are very obvious CGI. If you’re in the first row like I was, you can see the theater’s ceiling, which was distracting when the image went high on the screen. And the overall experience is a bit short, especially when you’ve just spent nearly $40 bucks for two people. But overall I liked it and would recommend it if you are visiting Seattle.

 

[TP2000]

Cool. They have their own Knott's Mystery Lodge!

Goes to show. If you stick exclusively with Disney, you miss some incredible things done better. I would love to see that kind of show replace Lincoln or at least be added to Lincoln.

Agreed. They Mystery Lodge show at Knott's Berry Farm was originally the featured attraction of the General Motors Pavilion at Expo 86, the big World's Fair in Vancouver, Canada in 1986. They had two theaters in the GM pavilion to increase capacity, and a giant showroom of shiny 1986 GM cars and trucks to look at before the show. It made a lot more sense up in the Pacific Northwest since it's a show about Salish Indian culture, but it works at Knott's too.

Very interesting to see them using the same technology 30 years later at the Lincoln Library.

 

[TP2000]

OK, so I made it downtown yesterday and checked out this attraction, and overall I was pretty impressed.

Thanks for the review! There are only about a half dozen states in the country who have pretty enough scenery and diverse enough geography and sights to warrant a five minute Soarin' film. California is the obvious choice, but Washington would make the list as well. I think all three West Coast states would work, plus Alaska, and maybe... Montana or Utah?

I know there's a lot of local boosters who will want to claim that Texas or some such flat place would work fine and you should see how much the skyline of Bigtown has changed since the 80's, and how pretty the hills are upstate, and how colorful their State U Pumpkin Festival in the fall is, and that they have a beach, and blah-blah-blah. But honestly, there's a small minority of states where this concept would work for five minutes of tourist entertainment. Washington is one of those few places.

 

[Phroobar]

There is only so long that you can look at rows and rows of corn. (unless they throw a few crop circles in)

 

[NobodyElse]

Thanks for the review! There are only about a half dozen states in the country who have pretty enough scenery and diverse enough geography and sights to warrant a five minute Soarin' film. California is the obvious choice, but Washington would make the list as well. I think all three West Coast states would work, plus Alaska, and maybe... Montana or Utah?

I know there's a lot of local boosters who will want to claim that Texas or some such flat place would work fine and you should see how much the skyline of Bigtown has changed since the 80's, and how pretty the hills are upstate, and how colorful their State U Pumpkin Festival in the fall is, and that they have a beach, and blah-blah-blah. But honestly, there's a small minority of states where this concept would work for five minutes of tourist entertainment. Washington is one of those few places.

And for all the states that don't get their own attraction, there's always this:

AERIAL AMERICA