Disneyland celebrates the country's 250th birthday in 2026

[PiratesMansion]

Because I've been there, and I know for a fact that much of the Midwest and South is relatively flat. It's a topography that doesn't lend itself easily (or at all really, without manmade structures) to the Soarin' IMAX format.

Now, certainly you could do a movie like Soarin' Over Kansas. But I'm not sure how many Lightning Lanes you could sell for that.

To showcase the beauty and Americana of much of the Midwest and South, where natural beauty mainly hugs the flat ground or maybe some softly rolling hills, you are going to need to focus on manmade structures when working with the unique format of a Soarin' IMAX dome theater. Much like you can't show too many skylines in this movie, there's only so much rolling farmland and softly curving tree-covered hills you can show before you build a line of complaints at Guest Relations.

What about that national park way up in the Michigan UP? It's got craggy and dramatic cliffs sort of like Maine, but it's on the freshwater Great Lakes. They aren't massive, but they are striking as I recall. That could be something to work with for the upper Midwest!

Again, your reading comprehension leaves much to be desired.

No one is advocating for Soarin' Over Farmland.

Stop condescending to people that aren't from the coasts that you know more about their geography than they do, and that we couldn't possibly know anything about coastal or western geography because obviously we've never left the farm.

That's it. That is the only thing people are asking of you. Alas, I'm sure you'll gleefully fail the test by responding with many, many paragraphs entirely missing the point, as is your habit.

 

[TP2000]

No one is advocating for Soarin' Over Farmland.

Stop condescending to people that aren't from the coasts that you know more about their geography than they do, and that we couldn't possibly know anything about coastal or western geography because obviously we've never left the farm.

That's it. That is the only thing people are asking of you. Alas, I'm sure you'll gleefully fail the test by responding with many, many paragraphs entirely missing the point, as is your habit.

I could also point out your reading comprehension is a tad weak here. You seemed to enter the conversation with a chip on your shoulder, and then I dared mention facts about the geography and topography of much of the Midwest and South owing to it being crushed under two miles of ice 15,000 years ago. You don't get out of that ice sheet with a curvy figure.

We all seem to be fine with a Chicago skyline flyover from across the lake. But what do you propose to do for the rest of the Midwest or the Deep South?

Care to show us, with a pic or two, of what you would choose to feature in an aerial IMAX format for Pennsylvania, Michigan or Georgia? South Carolina? Indiana? Iowa? Alabama and Mississippi? There are beautiful things to be had there, but I'd bet two churros most of them are manmade structures. And are they big enough to play well to the IMAX camera dangling 1,000 feet up from a helicopter? Which was my point, after all.

I'd throw Kentucky in there under the ice sheet, but you could easily do a flyover of the Kentucky Derby and have the Soarin' helicopter blow away some of the ladies hats! The Kentucky Derby is pure Americana, and would play well to the cameras. But it might be too similar and take the wind out of the sails for the flyover of the Ohio State game at halftime.

 

[MisterPenguin]

No one is advocating for Soarin' Over Farmland.

Umm... Soarin' (Over California) had its fair share of farmlands.

 

[Disney Irish]

Again, am I the only one who remembers Soarin' is an IMAX theater shot from an airplane?

Helicopter -

And boat -

So there will be both aerial and ground shots.

 

[TP2000]

Helicopter -

And boat -

So there will be both aerial and ground shots.

Looks like they're going with the airboat ride through the swamp idea from up thread a bit!

Will that be for Florida or for Louisiana, I wonder?

 

[Disney Irish]

Looks like they're going with the airboat ride through the swamp idea from up thread a bit!

Will that be for Florida or for Louisiana, I wonder?

The assumption is Florida, but either would fit.

The point is that this isn't going to just be an aerial presentation. There will be ground shots as well, so it really doesn't matter if you think that much of the Midwest is "too flat" or whatever, they will be covering much of the geography of this great country, from "sea to shining sea", from the lowest valley to the highest mountain, it all will be covered. And my bet is even a corn field and other farmland will be featured too.

 

[TP2000]

Umm... Soarin' (Over California) had its fair share of farmlands.

The only farmland that Soarin' Over California has is the 15 second shot flying over some orange groves. Squint your eyes and you can even make the hills go away.

I'm sure there will be a farmland and/or ranchland shot in Soarin' Over America. How can you not have that? Our great middle west and plains states have led the world in agricultural technology, with more than enough left over to help feed the Allies in two world wars. The story of our farms and ranches and dairies is an inspiring part of America's story.

But once you've done one cornfield flyover, and a swoopy dive or two over a 1,000 head of cattle, you've done it.

Which then gets us to the question at hand... what else to show of the Midwest and South that would be iconic and recognizeable?

 

[Distorian]

No one has said that. Again, am I the only one who remembers Soarin' is an IMAX theater shot from an airplane?

You are looking down and across whatever the IMAX dome is showing. In huge, panoramic scale.

I've been to the Smokeys; specifically Knoxville and the national park drive. Lovely country, with lovely people. But do those gently rolling hills of East Tennessee lend itself to a Soarin' film format that 2 minutes earlier was covering the Rockies and Polynesian Volcanoes and calving glacial sheets thundering into the icy Pacific? I'm not sure it does. In Soarin' Over America, the gentle rises of the Smoky Mountains are now competing against almost the entire continent, after all.

Why do the Smokys have to follow the Rockies? Why can't they precede? The Smokys are a beautiful country worth putting in the show, especially with the clouds of fog resting in the valleys.

Because I've been there, and I know for a fact that much of the Midwest and South is relatively flat. It's a topography that doesn't lend itself easily (or at all really, without manmade structures) to the Soarin' IMAX format.

Now, certainly you could do a movie like Soarin' Over Kansas. But I'm not sure how many Lightning Lanes you could sell for that.

To showcase the beauty and Americana of much of the Midwest and South, where natural beauty mainly hugs the flat ground or maybe some softly rolling hills, you are going to need to focus on manmade structures when working with the unique format of a Soarin' IMAX dome theater. Much like you can't show too many skylines in this movie, there's only so much rolling farmland and softly curving tree-covered hills you can show before you build a line of complaints at Guest Relations.

What about that national park way up in the Michigan UP? It's got craggy and dramatic cliffs sort of like Maine, but it's on the freshwater Great Lakes. They aren't massive, but they are striking as I recall. That could be something to work with for the upper Midwest!

"Anybody can love the mountains but, it takes a soul to love the prairie” - Willa Cather

A shot of buffalo herds across South Dakota badlands or even wild mustangs in the North Dakota Badlands would both be beautiful shots of the Great Plains.

 

[TP2000]

Why do the Smokys have to follow the Rockies? Why can't they precede? The Smokys are a beautiful country worth putting in the show, especially with the clouds of fog resting in the valleys.

Well, that's a good question. Which direction will this film be traveling? I had assumed it would go west to east, so that the New York City skyline/Statue of Liberty and the Washington DC finale' fireworks would be at night. From morning in Waikiki to the big fireworks finale' in DC.

But maybe it could go east to west, in a nod to Manifest Destiny and how we settled and built the country. Start in New England, work down the eastern seaboard, and then head west. But then what's the finale' scene? Back to DC at night?

 

[TP2000]

I'm going to pad my Christmas gifts this year to family with America 250 clothing. Knowing how patriotic my sister and her kids and their growing families are, it will be a big hit. T-shirts and sweatshirts on the way from Santa and Uncle Sam!

But I was looking for myself too, and there aren't any golf shirts or Hawaiian style shirts available. At least not yet. I really like the modern take they've gone with on the designs here, it's great looking merchandise! But I don't wear t-shirts in public, at least not past the end of my driveway. Maybe I'll have to settle on a sweatshirt and wear it this spring and then this summer at the beach in the evenings. I can pull off a sweatshirt worn with chinos.

If you haven't checked out the official America 250 merchandise, do so! They really are snazzy looking offerings.

America250

America250

store.america250.org

 

[Disney Irish]

Well, that's a good question. Which direction will this film be traveling? I had assumed it would go west to east, so that the New York City skyline/Statue of Liberty and the Washington DC finale' fireworks would be at night. From morning in Waikiki to the big fireworks finale' in DC.

But maybe it could go east to west, in a nod to Manifest Destiny and how we settled and built the country. Start in New England, work down the eastern seaboard, and then head west. But then what's the finale' scene? Back to DC at night?

I think the assumption that just like other versions this version will end in either DL or MK.

Also no real reason why they have to go in an linear route from west to east or even east to west. The other versions sort of go all over the place, so no reason why they can't here too.

 

[TP2000]

Also no real reason why they have to go in an linear route from west to east or even east to west. The other versions sort of go all over the place, so no reason why they can't here too.

Well, that's a valid point. Although the previous two Soarin's definitely worked through a full day, from morning to dusk to night. I'm sure they'll do the same for Soarin' Over America, if only to build to a nighttime fireworks finale'.

Still, it seems natural to work in a specific, if broad, direction for a movie like this. West to East, or vice versa.

 

[Disney Irish]

Well, that's a valid point. Although the previous two Soarin's definitely worked through a full day, from morning to dusk to night. I'm sure they'll do the same for Soarin' Over America, if only to build to a nighttime fireworks finale'.

Still, it seems natural to work in a specific, if broad, direction for a movie like this. West to East, or vice versa.

Did the previous versions really start from "morning" or did they just start during daylight and you assumed it was morning? I don't believe there was a clock used that showed the specific time during the day of each location. lol

Otherwise I don't see a problem with jetting all over the US in some random pattern, or even in a linear fashion from east to west and ending in DL with fireworks.

 

[Chi84]

 

[MisterPenguin]

Otherwise I don't see a problem with jetting all over the US in some random pattern, or even in a linear fashion from east to west and ending in DL with fireworks.

Jetting?

We traverse the whole world in six minutes in a hang glider. That "takes off" from an air terminal.

 

[Disney Irish]

Jetting?

We traverse the whole world in six minutes in a hang glider. That "takes off" from an air terminal.

Do you know of any hang glider that can go that 24k mile distance in 6 minutes without jet power?

 

[truecoat]

Well, that's a valid point. Although the previous two Soarin's definitely worked through a full day, from morning to dusk to night. I'm sure they'll do the same for Soarin' Over America, if only to build to a nighttime fireworks finale'.

Still, it seems natural to work in a specific, if broad, direction for a movie like this. West to East, or vice versa.

If you go east to west and end up at Walt Disney World, it would be weird. They should just edit 2 versions and make each one go a different direction.

 

[TP2000]

How long is each Soarin' movie exactly? I thought it was only about 3 or 4 minutes long.

Six minutes seems longer than reality; from the time you leave the floor to the last fireworks burst as you are going back down to the floor.

EDIT: I just checked a recent YouTube video of Soarin' Over California. It's exactly 4 minutes and 20 seconds long.

In this clip, the IMAX screen transitions from blue to clouds at the 18 second mark (although the Golden Gate Bridge doesn't first appear for another 10 seconds), and the last fireworks burst morphs into a black screen at the 4:38 second mark. So the actual movie itself is 4:20.

You can't make the movie longer without cutting into hourly ride capacity. The ride capacity, especially at DCA, is abysmal for this unique and very popular E Ticket. They need 4 theaters.

Just another reminder that Paul Pressler was a visionless and cheap IDIOT! (With perfect hair and a winning smile!)

 

[Disney Irish]

How long is each Soarin' movie exactly? I thought it was only about 3 or 4 minutes long.

Six minutes seems longer than reality; from the time you leave the floor to the last fireworks burst as you are going back down to the floor.

EDIT: I just checked a recent YouTube video of Soarin' Over California. It's exactly 4 minutes and 20 seconds long.

In this clip, the IMAX screen transitions from blue to clouds at the 18 second mark (although the Golden Gate Bridge doesn't first appear for another 10 seconds), and the last fireworks burst morphs into a black screen at the 4:38 second mark. So the actual movie itself is 4:20.

You can't make the movie longer without cutting into hourly ride capacity. The ride capacity, especially at DCA, is abysmal for this unique and very popular E Ticket. They need 4 theaters.

Just another reminder that Paul Pressler was a visionless and cheap IDIOT! (With perfect hair and a winning smile!)

Official ride time is about 5 minutes (4:51) I believe, that doesn't include load/unload. Obviously Penguin here was exaggerating for effect with saying 6 minutes.

 

[TP2000]

Official ride time is about 5 minutes (4:51) I believe, that doesn't include load/unload. Obviously Penguin here was exaggerating for effect with saying 6 minutes.

Per the actual movie, the time spent showing images (not the blue screen of death) is 4:20. That's the amount of time in Soarin' Over America they'll have to show, you know, America.

4 minutes and 20 seconds is not a lot of time, really. They will need to choose locales wisely.

EDIT: I just checked a ride-thru video of Soarin' Around The World, and it's also 4:20 of video imagery. They seem locked into keeping the movie offered to that time length, likely in an attempt to maximize hourly capacity even at Epcot.