Is WDW's Soarin better designed than DL's?

[thecompman]

Ok so I know Soarin isn't discussed much anymore with EE and the new POTC currently in headlines, but I thought I would elicit some opinions.
I've been to WDW many times but never to DL before today. I went on Soarin Over California at DL and it seems to me that the one at WDW is a little better designed. I noticed at the one at DL it seems that the gliders are all built in a straight line whereas at WDW the center column of gliders seems to be more forward than the side columns because I was clearly able to see the people in the two gliders to either side of me and the ones above me. I almost felt crowded by all the feet that I saw. I was sitting in the dead center, middle row, middle column. Now I have sat in this position before at WDW and have never noticed the crowding to the sides. Yeah you see some dangling feet from above, but it just seemed so much more noticeable at the DL version.
Has anyone else noticed this or am I way off base?

 

[uglybug2005]

According to the WDI project manager for Soarin' here in FL, the two attractions have identical blueprints and structural specs. The only differences (besides cosmetic differences like signage and paint schemes) are the queue building, and the fact that they were not able to sink the building into the ground in FL due to the high water table (hence being visible from elsewhere in Epcot).

 

[TP2000]

I have also read that the WDW version of Soarin' was an identical architectural/blueprint lift of the Disneyland version.

The changes in WDW were limited to the coverings on the walls in the pre-show areas, and the queue setup itself, as WDW is themed to a modern commercial international airport and Disneyland is themed to a high-desert aviation test facility.

Perhaps because you were naturally looking around at the differences in the Disneyland version you just noticed your fellow riders more than you do at WDW?

 

[CSUFSteve]

As has been posted, they are the same. We here at DL were actually disappointed b/c we were REALLY hoping that WDW would fix the infamous "non 1st row" problem. i.e. the best seat in the house really is the first row of a glider. A friend agreed that there's no design reason why they couldn't have separated the gliders a little more. We were all surprised they didn't do that in Florida since it wouldn't have required much effort, at least according to the friend.

For me, and this has probably been talked to death so not trying to rehash any ancient arguments, it's just weird to have "Soarin'" be an airport theme. Aside from the fact that we all know the original theme and the nexus around which Soarin' and the film were constructed, I don't quite get an airport being in "The Land". To me, just kinda sticks out like a sore thumb with the rest of the pavillion. I'd really like to eventually see Florida get its own film. I'm sure it would work much better than borrowing our very DCA-centric film.

 

[Chape19714]

I thought I heard that DCA's version was lifted on a chain, while Epcot's was pnnuematic (sp?). Maybe just my Imaganation.

 

[jedimaster1227]

If you are just going by factors of construction, build and mechanics, then they are the same.

If you go by the fixes in problems when the transfer took place from DCA to WDW's Epcot, then ours is better and worse in different ways.

Better- Fixes any mechanical problems and bugs in the original
Worse-Disney didn't fix the large problem of extreme wait times by building extra theaters. Now, they are stuck with having 2 and half hour waits just for one ride. I'm sorry, but I'm going to be bold when I say that Soarin' isn't worth that much of a wait....:lookaroun

 

[bassman]

If you are just going by factors of construction, build and mechanics, then they are the same.

If you go by the fixes in problems when the transfer took place from DCA to WDW's Epcot, then ours is better and worse in different ways.

Better- Fixes any mechanical problems and bugs in the original
Worse-Disney didn't fix the large problem of extreme wait times by building extra theaters. Now, they are stuck with having 2 and half hour waits just for one ride. I'm sorry, but I'm going to be bold when I say that Soarin' isn't worth that much of a wait....:lookaroun

i think that it is worth the wait but itys just really annoying and boring to be stood in a queue for 2 hours.
i know thats what the themeing is for but the soarin queue areas themeing isn't all that much,so there isn't really all that much to look at. IMHO

 

[napnet]

Now, they are stuck with having 2 and half hour waits just for one ride. I'm sorry, but I'm going to be bold when I say that Soarin' isn't worth that much of a wait....:lookaroun

Agreed... It is worth a Fast Pass but i would never wait in line like that for it.

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

I know this has been discusses before, but do you think anything will ever be done to the outside of the building to try to blend it in more?

 

[RickEff]

Agreed... It is worth a Fast Pass but i would never wait in line like that for it.

I wish the Fastpass Distribution was outside the Land. It's a pain to have to go in, all the way down just to find out they're all gone, or the time won't work for you.

Other than that - I think Soarin' is one of the best attractions at WDW.

 

[jedimaster1227]

i think that it is worth the wait but itys just really annoying and boring to be stood in a queue for 2 hours.
i know thats what the themeing is for but the soarin queue areas themeing isn't all that much,so there isn't really all that much to look at. IMHO

I love Soarin', don't get me wrong, but it isn't worth a two hour wait when you have done it before. It is great everytime, but the wait is only worth it the first time.

There have been rumors about a flume ride based on Brother Bear going into Canada.

 

[DisneyRoxMySox]

There have been rumors about a flume ride based on Brother Bear going into Canada.

Do you beleive this would be sufficient to cover the ride building?

 

[brertigger]

I love Soarin', don't get me wrong, but it isn't worth a two hour wait when you have done it before. It is great everytime, but the wait is only worth it the first time.

I agree, usually it is not worth a two to four hour wait. I have only waited in line for it for about 2.5 hrs once, and that was because we had already been at Disney for several days, and seen everything at EPCOT.

At DL, I was able to go on Soarin three times in a row, in only 30 minutes. The wait time difference is amazing! (Although DL probably has longer waits too, just not when I was there).

 

[westie]

Well, "Soaring Over California" actually means something when your in CA. And for some reason, the "Smellavision" isn't the same. All I smell in FL is liquid smoke. No pine or oranges or sea air....

 

[imagineer boy]

Well, the one in California has a much better qeue line, that's for sure. Atleast it has something to look at, unlike WDW's long blank walls. But other than that, they're about the same.

 

[Chape19714]

At DL, I was able to go on Soarin three times in a row, in only 30 minutes. The wait time difference is amazing! (Although DL probably has longer waits too, just not when I was there).

You're assuming people still visit DCA:lol: :lol: !

Seriously, Epcot is a successful park, DCA is not so much, so Epcot has more daily attendance, making longer lines. Seriously, if they knew the line at DCA is normally 20-40 min, they should have realized Epcot would be twice that, which it is, so 2 extra theatres would have solved all the world's problems!

 

[MrsGracey]

I wish the Fastpass Distribution was outside the Land. It's a pain to have to go in, all the way down just to find out they're all gone, or the time won't work for you.

I totally agree. The FP for the ride is rediculous. They could at least show the available time outside instead of clogging up the area down there even more.

 

[thecompman]

Thanks for the input everyone. I guess TP2000 was right, since I was looking for differences I probably noticed the other riders much more. I do have to say that I like the theming of the queue better at DisneyWorld. Plus they do try to tie it into the land with the environmental questions at the beginning of the queue and the clouds and sky part of the queue before you head to the theaters. It's true you have to go into the Land to see the FP times, but usually when the FP's are given out for the day they put a sign outside of The Land so you don't have to go all the way into the building to find out. I also agree that they really should have done something about the "not first row" problem. Seeing those dangling feet just detract from the experience so much.

 

[jedimaster1227]

You're assuming people still visit DCA:lol: :lol: !

Seriously, Epcot is a successful park, DCA is not so much, so Epcot has more daily attendance, making longer lines. Seriously, if they knew the line at DCA is normally 20-40 min, they should have realized Epcot would be twice that, which it is, so 2 extra theatres would have solved all the world's problems!

Actually, DCA isn't that much of a failure because when I went it was more busy than Disneyland. It isn't viewed as a corperate failure because if it was, WDW wouldn't have gotten as much work for the Happiest Celebration-considering that they would have gone the extra mile to fix any "errors" with DCA (And the only one that they fixed was turning Ssuperstar Limo into Monster's Inc.)

 

[Chape19714]

It may have been busy, but attendance still lacks from Disneyland across the esplande. DL has so many rides and lands that everyone spreads out to, where DCA has less attractions, making the lines longer. It still doesn't get the attendence that the WDC wants. There are certain days when DCA is busy, but it normally doesn't last too long, because everyone goes to DL later in the day. One thing that DCA is really lacking is Annual Passholder attendence, which is huge for any park. Most of the annual passholders in cali prefer DL to DCA any day. Where here, passholders go to all 4 parks. that is a huge business. Aladdin really helps attendence, with people coming in just for that show. I wouldn't say it's a complete failure, it;s just not preforming in the top runnings like the other Disney parks world wide.