[DCA] Soarin' Around the World Opens on June 17

[Old Mouseketeer]

I see. Just wondering if at some point it'll close for an extended period before the new film debuts. Will there be any changes to the queue? I'm guessing the pre-flight safety film will be upgraded, if so I'll miss Patrick Warburton's spiel.

They can always use the FL version which is virtually identical to CA, except it only says "Welcome to Soarin'" and omits the "Over California". They have already updated the graphics in the indoor cue and loading area. I didn't notice if they have changed out the round, back-lit emblems at the ends of the canopies. The ones in FL only say "Soarin'."

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Does the Florida version have the Legends of Flight exhibit? I'm kind of fond of that section for some reason.

 

[Old Mouseketeer]

No. It's a dated airport concourse that goes on for days (weeks if you are routed to the new theater). There have been some good reviews of the interactive games in the standby queue, but on my only visit we had fastpass.

 

[TP2000]

Does the Florida version have the Legends of Flight exhibit? I'm kind of fond of that section for some reason.

Nope. It's a generic "airport terminal" circa 2003, and the CM's wear horribly tailored and cheap looking polyester suits that are supposed to make them look like flight attendants. It's not good.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Nope. It's a generic "airport terminal" circa 2003, and the CM's wear horribly tailored and cheap looking polyester suits that are supposed to make them look like flight attendants. It's not good.

Yikes that outfit! Are you sure that's the correct attire at Soarin and not for some circus attraction in Fantasyland?

 

[Curious Constance]

Yikes that outfit! Are you sure that's that correct attire at Soarin and not for some circus attraction in Fantasyland?

That's one of those rare outfits that no one on the planet would look good in no matter what body type they are.

 

[Phroobar]

That place makes our Soaring bunker tunnels look highly themed.

 

[Phroobar]

There is a 20 minute wait right now. I think they only use one theater on week days.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

At one point a few years ago before the EPCOT version was built Disney said Soarin' ranked as the most popular attraction at DLR based on survey results.

 

[Curious Constance]

At one point a few years ago before the EPCOT version was built Disney said Soarin' ranked as the most popular attraction at DLR based on survey results.

That's interesting. I like it quite a bit, but it's not my favorite by far. I mostly like how my whole family can go on it, including my chicken husband.

 

[RandomPrincess]

Is Soarin' Over California currently open?

I rode it on 4/15 - none of the scents were going.

 

[Rich T]

I adore Soarin'--It works its illusion 100% on me: I feel like I'm flying. I get emotional, exhilarated...I even tear up sometimes because of the combination of the score, the motion and the beautiful, beautiful imagery. I love how it gives the illusion of acceleration at a couple of points just through a bit of tilting as the rocks below get closer to the camera.

The only thing that keeps me from riding it more often is that awful lower portion of the queue. It's as cold, dreary and dull as ToT's boiler room.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Interesting, I still don't understand why

I think it's because it's the one attraction at DLR that offers a combination of mild thrills, beautiful scenery and music in a big way that's pure Disney for the entire family. It doesn't treat audiences like babies, it isn't hokey, there are no character brands, and it doesn't lecture. It isn't my favorite ride, but I can see why it would be at or near the top of the rankings.

 

[TP2000]

That place makes our Soaring bunker tunnels look highly themed.

But that's just the exit. Hans was talking about the pre-show and entry queue, which in DCA is this "Hall of Aviator Fame" thing with some really interesting photos and information about California aviators and aviation along the queue.

 

[TP2000]

That's one of those rare outfits that no one on the planet would look good in no matter what body type they are.

Yes, it's just unfortunate. That they are fabricated out of polyester with a "one size fits most" mentality, when a suit like that really needs to be tailored to the person, only makes it worse.

I cringe when I go to Epcot and see those poor kids wearing those uniforms, looking like sexless sacks of potatoes in bright blue miracle fibers.

But in the designers defense, almost all American airlines except Virgin America now dress up their stewards and stewardesses in sexless polyester potato sacks, without even giving the ladies hats and gloves. Which compares very unfavorably to most other 1st world countries whose national airlines have stewardesses who look like this;

Porter Airlines - Canada

Air Berlin - Germany and Etihad - United Arab Emirates

Aeroflot - Russia

And those are just a few European or Arab airlines; don't even get me started on the service level and personal polish of most Asian airlines.

But here in the good old USA we get sexless potato sacks. So Disney's costume designers for the Epcot Soarin' uniforms are only representing what most Americans who have never traveled on foreign airlines know and expect. And most Americans only know and expect bland mediocrity and poor service swathed in a shapeless polyester muu-muu.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I had a layover at LAX on my way to Sydney in December and the Emirates and Koren Air flight attendants passing through the International Terminal had quite a few heads turning.

 

[TP2000]

I had a layover at LAX on my way to Sydney in December and the Emirates and Koren Air flight attendants passing through the International Terminal had quite a few heads turning.

I'm a patriotic American, but our airlines are just really, really crummy. I can't figure out how it happened, or why we as a nation allow it to continue. It pains me to think the Russians and the French are laughing at us in airline terminals around the world.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I'm a patriotic American, but our airlines are just really, really crummy. I can't figure out how it happened, or why we as a nation allow it to continue.

Not sure about the others, but Emirates receives billions of dollars in government subsidies, including 7.8 billion in government money to fund a terminal for the airline in Dubai. Maybe if we taxed citizens here the way we should we'd have the kind of transportation infrastructure that has become the standard the world over. But that's for another discussion.

 

[Curious Constance]

I'm a patriotic American, but our airlines are just really, really crummy. I can't figure out how it happened, or why we as a nation allow it to continue. It pains me to think the Russians and the French are laughing at us in airline terminals around the world.

I can tell from your photo you like fancy traveling.

 

[Phroobar]

I'd blame the labor unions that keep old sixty year old flight attendants working instead of bring in fresh young twenty year olds.