Soarin' Expansion and new Soarin' Around the World film

[Kman101]

Test Track is a matter of taste and preference. I prefer the other version. This one doesn't really do anything for me. It needed an update but meh ... still a fun ride but it's not the great ride some make it out to be. Again, just my taste and preference. It's hardly a bad ride. I feel the same about Mission: Space. I'm also eh to Soarin'. Maybe a nicer queue and the new movie will regain my interest. Figment is just sad and I don't remember the last time I went on Ellen's Dated Adventure. Future World needs a massive overhaul.

I've started coming through the international gateway as well. So much nicer. Those tombstones have to be moved.

 

[Marlins1]

TT2 fits into Future World theming much better and has a better post show than TT1 but overall I have to vote for the original. I miss the hot and cold rooms, the bumpy downhill, crash dummies and the overall ride theme. I don't understand all of the hate for the SSE descent. I love the whole ride and I think the video finales are pretty funny.

 

[rucifee]

TT2 fits into Future World theming much better and has a better post show than TT1 but overall I have to vote for the original. I miss the hot and cold rooms, the bumpy downhill, crash dummies and the overall ride theme. I don't understand all of the hate for the SSE descent. I love the whole ride and I think the video finales are pretty funny.

The theming of the old ride was much better in my opinion, I dislike the new theming enough to avoid the ride personally but I can see why people like it.

 

[note2001]

Test Track is a matter of taste and preference. I prefer the other version. This one doesn't really do anything for me. It needed an update but meh ... still a fun ride but it's not the great ride some make it out to be. Again, just my taste and preference. It's hardly a bad ride. I feel the same about Mission: Space. I'm also eh to Soarin'. Maybe a nicer queue and the new movie will regain my interest. Figment is just sad and I don't remember the last time I went on Ellen's Dated Adventure. Future World needs a massive overhaul.

I've started coming through the international gateway as well. So much nicer. Those tombstones have to be moved.

Oh man, I forgot all about Mission Space, LOL. For me, the attraction there was the employee lounge.

 

[Prog]

TT2 fits into Future World theming much better and has a better post show than TT1 but overall I have to vote for the original. I miss the hot and cold rooms, the bumpy downhill, crash dummies and the overall ride theme. I don't understand all of the hate for the SSE descent. I love the whole ride and I think the video finales are pretty funny.

Because it is catering to the lowest common denominator (much like the terrible script itself) and completely clashes with the spirit of the rest of the ride, unlike any other incarnation thus far?

 

[wdisney9000]

TT2 fits into Future World theming much better and has a better post show than TT1 but overall I have to vote for the original. I miss the hot and cold rooms, the bumpy downhill, crash dummies and the overall ride theme.

I agree the theming of TT2 fits into FW better, but the execution is just horrid. With TT1, a person would walk off the ride with a better knowledge of how cars are built and how they test them. TT2 is all flash and no substance. Designing the car is fun, but a better educational aspect combined in would be great. But I keep forgetting how people and their kids are bored with all that stuff and they just want to ride something with a character all up in their face

 

[PuertoRekinSam]

Poor timing .... should have waited till at least the Frozen attraction was up and running.

I *think* I disagree with you on this one. Frozen is still popular, and as such it's going to cause an up tick in attendance... Or at least it's going to cause an up tick in people wanting to ride that attraction. Unfortunately, being a glorified overlay the hourly ridership isn't going to be able to handle the demand. We know this. These Guest are going to need to go somewhere, and a third theater at Soarin' should help with this demand.

I don't know why it is going to be such a long down time; it seems excessive. However I can almost promise you both Frozen and Soarin 2.0 will open at the same time. (I'll take a 5% margin of error)

 

[Marlins1]

I agree the theming of TT2 fits into FW better, but the execution is just horrid. With TT1, a person would walk off the ride with a better knowledge of how cars are built and how they test them. TT2 is all flash and no substance. Designing the car is fun, but a better educational aspect combined in would be great. But I keep forgetting how people and their kids are bored with all that stuff and they just want to ride something with a character all up in their face

I agree. Overall, the new version is simply not as much fun or as interesting.

 

[JourneysEnd]

I *think* I disagree with you on this one. Frozen is still popular, and as such it's going to cause an up tick in attendance... Or at least it's going to cause an up tick in people wanting to ride that attraction. Unfortunately, being a glorified overlay the hourly ridership isn't going to be able to handle the demand. We know this. These Guest are going to need to go somewhere, and a third theater at Soarin' should help with this demand.

I don't know why it is going to be such a long down time; it seems excessive. However I can almost promise you both Frozen and Soarin 2.0 will open at the same time. (I'll take a 5% margin of error)

That would be nice, but isn't Frozen looking at May 1st and Soarin currently looking at June 1st at the earliest?

 

[Marlins1]

Because it is catering to the lowest common denominator (much like the terrible script itself) and completely clashes with the spirit of the rest of the ride, unlike any other incarnation thus far?

I hear you about the clash with the theme of the rest of the ride and I understand that it kills the mood for some people. I enjoy many different types of entertainment. I certainly enjoy the historical and educational aspects of the ride but I don't see anything wrong with a light humorous ending. Either way it is Ok to disagree but my family and I enjoy it and we do not fall into the category of lowest common denominator.

 

[Brad Bishop]

Same here, but everyone I know seems to love the thing. The only part I really appreciate is the "launch".
Perhaps if I had ridden it before 2012, when the film was already horribly compromised, I wouldn't have such a lukewarm opinion of it.
Digital projection should help a lot.

I'm with you, too. Hopefully when they rework it they'll go with digital projectors and a clean room and keep everything in focus so it'll be a better experience.

That being said, it's always been just an OK ride to me. I'd wait 20min for it like just about any other ride but I've never understood the incredible lines for it other than people just working themselves up with, "Oh, we HAVE to do Soarin' and we have to get in line early so we don't miss it." I think the same about Toy Story Midway Mania. It's a good ride. It's not a great ride. I think the same deal has happened where word-of-mouth and over-planning has created a kind of "run" on the ride.

Word of mouth meaning: If everyone gets worked up about some ride that they just have to ride and that there are long lines for it so get there early.. It sort of becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

 

[MM311]

I'm with you, too. Hopefully when they rework it they'll go with digital projectors and a clean room and keep everything in focus so it'll be a better experience.

That being said, it's always been just an OK ride to me. I'd wait 20min for it like just about any other ride but I've never understood the incredible lines for it other than people just working themselves up with, "Oh, we HAVE to do Soarin' and we have to get in line early so we don't miss it." I think the same about Toy Story Midway Mania. It's a good ride. It's not a great ride. I think the same deal has happened where word-of-mouth and over-planning has created a kind of "run" on the ride.

Word of mouth meaning: If everyone gets worked up about some ride that they just have to ride and that there are long lines for it so get there early.. It sort of becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

I think the lines for Soarin' and Toy Story Midway Mania are a direct result of lack of rides, sure they are both great rides, but I think it's been mentioned that neither one of them seem to have the massive lines in California that they do at WDW.

 

[Marlins1]

I think the lines for Soarin' and Toy Story Midway Mania are a direct result of lack of rides, sure they are both great rides, but I think it's been mentioned that neither one of them seem to have the massive lines in California that they do at WDW.

I think you are right about TSMM which I agee is kind of fun but not great. Soarin' really is a very good ride even if some people on this board disagree. The combination of sights, score and mild but effective movement is very unique IMO. I rode it in August and was amazed to hear spontaneous applause at the end after so many years. That has happened almost every time I have been on it. It is pretty tough to argue that a ride generating that type of reaction is not a very good one. I hope they don't screw it up with the new version.

 

[MM311]

I think you are right about TSMM which I agee is kind of fun but not great. Soarin' really is a very good ride even if some people on this board disagree. The combination of sights, score and mild but effective movement is very unique IMO. I rode it in August and was amazed to hear spontaneous applause at the end after so many years. That has happened almost every time I have been on it. It is pretty tough to argue that a ride generating that type of reaction is not a very good one. I hope they don't screw it up with the new version.

Don't get me wrong, I love Soarin' and I'm really bummed that it will be closed when I'm there in Feb. , but I do think that if Epcot had more rides throughout the park it would spread the crowds to other areas of the park possibly making the lines for Soarin' and Test Track more manageable. I guess on the other hand a larger number of popular rides would also boost attendance....but either way I think Epcot (just like DHS) is in desperate need for more rides, it has plenty of food, it has plenty of shopping, and it has plenty movies/shows to experience, but for quite some time it has been very short on rides that people actually want to go on.

 

[Brad Bishop]

I'm all for fun, too! And I DO enjoy the characters- but the original EPCOT Center theme park created a real sense of adventure and exploration (and fun!) without shoving characters down our throats. The new direction may be a new vision for a park that lost its way from the original grand one of educating and creating a desire for exploring real countries. It just seems like the WS pavilions are becoming a backdrop for the animated character based attractions. Its nothing personal- and certainly not directed toward you or anyone else by the way- just my opinion.

Also, the characters were specifically not to be in Epcot, originally. You can argue against that and whether it made sense from a business point of view ("Mommy... Where's Mickey?") but Epcot was supposed to be "something different" and part of that was the cerebral side with Future World and the pavilions and the other part was the cultural side with World Showcase.

If you look at Epcot from above you can even see the different sides of the brain in the layout with one side being "logical" and everything being straight lines and the other side being "creative" with no straight lines to be found (look at the walkways and planters).

I'm not 100% against the characters and I get the business decisions but it'll really suck if Epcot becomes Fantasyland 2.

 

[Marlins1]

I certainly agree - all WDW parks other than MK need more rides. Lots of great things to do in all of them but a theme park always needs a decent number of rides. I think ten should be about the minimum.

 

[misterID]

I can say I have yet to ride Soarin and it not receive applause at the end, so a lot of people are legitimately blown away by the ride. But it's too far away from Norway to have any real effect in eating up the coming Frozen crowds. WS has to be built up now. It should have been built up more the last 30 years... But its going to be really ugly for a long while until they build something in WS to help east up those crowds. I'm thinking Japan and France.

 

[MM311]

I can say I have yet to ride Soarin and it not receive applause at the end, so a lot of people are legitimately blown away by the ride. But it's too far away from Norway to have any real effect in eating up the coming Frozen crowds. WS has to be built up now. It should have been built up more the last 30 years... But its going to be really ugly for a long while until they build something in WS to help east up those crowds. I'm thinking Japan and France.

I agree, there is the Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico, then Frozen in Norway, and after that not another ride until you get back to FW, they really need to put a couple rides back there to really spread people out.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

A thought just hit me....what if the ride was completely redesigned and you actually laid on your stomach and looked down at the screen...similar to real hang gliding. That would definitely be interesting!

 

[misterID]

A thought just hit me....what if the ride was completely redesigned and you actually laid on your stomach and looked down at the screen...similar to real hang gliding. That would definitely be interesting!

I think that would be a big disaster for a lot of reasons, especially considering the damage a screen would take from being in that position and the things that would hit and... Splatter on it.