Soarin'

[MagicalMonorail]

Last night I watched the thrill show about WDW on the Discovery Channel. I saw a short shot of people in a room in front of a screen that looked like Soarin. It all looked like pictures I have seen of the attraction. My question is: Is Soarin a simulator? I thought you actually went somewhere and it wasn't a Star Wars type ride. Please let me know!

 

[Michael72688]

I'm pretty sure it's like a simulator, you move around, but the screen is huge, and you are suspended 40 ft. in the air

 

[1stStarIC2nite]

From whatm I've read, you board the hanglider like things and then it moves up and stops vertically in front of a screen (like what was shown last night). It's a big IMAX screen so it feels like you're right there.. and the chairs move up and down slightly to give it a more realistic effect. And then they just fly over Cali and pump scents into the room and what not.. and then at the end of the show it goes down and out of the theater and ends up horizontally like how you got on. That's about all I know...

 

[Michael72688]

It looks really cool! cant wait till it opens

 

[iluvstitch]

I thought you were actually strapped into a ride, but from the clip last night, it looked like you're just sitting in a seat. Either way, I think it will be really neat! -Stephanie

 

[Sir Hiss527]

Thanks for Info!! I never knew the whole ride through. So thanks for giving those answers in.

 

[PeeplMoovr]

Yeah,
you're strapped into a seat (more of a bench seat if I remember correctly). If you sit in the front row (I recommend the front row), you end up being on top of everyone else during the 'ride', and I remember being pretty high off the ground - at least 20-25 feet - maybe higher.
It does feel like you're actually flying if you let your imagination take over. Very nice.

 

[Merlin]

Soarin' is, hands down, the most overrated Disney attraction ever (but that's another debate).

To answer the original question though, yes that was Soarin' that you saw on the program. It is not a ride. You sit in benches that are suspended in front of a huge IMAX type screen. It has often been inaccurately described as a hang glider simulation. It is not like a hang glider at all and to my knowledge, it is not meant to be (if it IS supposed to be a hang glider, then I'm sorry but they did a really poor job). In a real hang glider, you are laying horizontally and dangling from the "wings" while holding onto a handle bar. In Soarin' you are simply sitting on a bench...that's it. The benches themselves don't seem to really have much movement, but because the screen is so big, that's how it seems as though you are moving.

 

[Michael72688]

Well I think Disney did the best job they could with what they had, and personally I think the ride looks pretty cool! Isn't it the most popular ride at DCA?

 

[stitch rocks]

soarin' is one of the best rides at dca, all seats are front row... since when u are suspended from the ground all seats are on top of each other... if u sit in the second or third row u can see feet dangling from above.. thats the only down side i see about the ride... it's sort of like a simulation ride.. cuz u feel like ur actaully at the places it shows you (like the smell of oranges or pine, also the changes in temperature)

 

[andre85]

Disregard Merlin, he's just a bitter old wizard. For the vast majority of sane people, they'll find Soarin' Over California to be a delightful and awe filled trip.

 

[General Grizz]

Originally posted by andre85
Disregard Merlin

I agree.

What do you think these are - message boards? It's ludicrous to think that people post what they feel!! LUDICROUS, I SAY!!

 

[Slosh]

being someone a little too tame to have ever been hangliding, but as an old school fan of Baywatch and similar bad television, I'd say the seating arrangement is more like parasailing. Too high up. Over land. With 100 other people. In formation. Being Dragged from a helicopter. Sorta.

 

[xfkirsten]

Regardless of what people tell you, there IS a best spot on the ride. It's row B1 - front and center. I always ask to sit in this row. If you're in the 2nd or 3rd orw, you see feet in front of you, and if you're off to the side, the image is distorted.

Awhile ago, I was waiting for B1 and started talking to the guy next to me (who had also waited for B1) and his son. We started talking about how B1 is hands down the best spot. Well, come to find out this guy is an Imagineer. Wouldn't say what he was working on now, or spill any good info, unfortunately. But we had a great time talking about the newest attractions, and he agreed that B1 is hands down the best place to sit.

-Kirsten

 

[COProgressFan]

Originally posted by Michael72688
Isn't it the most popular ride at DCA?

Soarin' may be the best ride at DCA but that's not saying much!

I have to agree, that Soarin' really isn't that great. The simulation of flying seems real enough, but there's no story, no plot...really, no point. All of the sudden the seats lift up and you're flying over the ocean, then CUT -- now you're flying over the mountains, then CUT -- now the desert, CUT -- until the finale when you fly over Disneyland. There is no narration, no story, or any real connection between each of the flying scenes, so in the end you have a bunch of isolated scenes over different California locales.

It could have been so much more, if they had simply made more of a story out of it, and at least had clouds or something for the transition from one scene to another. It is kind of disappointing that we are supposedly getting the same film in Epcot as the DCA attraction. The only upside is that it is rumored the film will be changed after a few years, and hopefully by making these few improvements, you could really have a much better ride.

 

[Merlin]

Originally posted by Michael72688
Isn't it the most popular ride at DCA?

It is far and away the most popular ride at DCA. In fact, it is the signature attraction for the park. And personally, I think that says a lot about just how dull DCA is.

 

[xfkirsten]

I'm curious how they determine "popular." Number of guests? Or wait time? Because it's wait time is ALWAYS longer than other attractions, due to the fact that it can only load so many people into each of the two theaters, and they cycle every 5-10 min. Screamin', on the other hand, can run people through like crazy, and the longest I have ever had to wait in standby (including the middle of Spring Break) was maybe half an hour.

-Kirsten

 

[Merlin]

Originally posted by andre85
Disregard Merlin, he's just a bitter old wizard. For the vast majority of sane people, they'll find Soarin' Over California to be a delightful and awe filled trip.

Ouch! That one hurt!

Just for clarification though, I didn't necessarily say that Soarin' was a BAD attraction, but merely the most OVERRATED one. Case in point, it's practically the only attraction at DCA that gets any real press or attention. Granted, I think that's largely due to the fact that DCA doesn't have a whole lot else to offer in terms of originality in it's attractions. I just think that if it existed at any other Disney park, it wouldn't be considered such a big ticket item. The majority of people on these boards seem to be very impressed by it, so I acknowledge I'm close to alone in my opinion. But I have to say that it just amazes me that so many people ARE impressed by it. It's fun, but certainly nothing spectacular by any stretch of the imagination (in MY opinion, that is).

 

[Slosh]

Originally posted by COProgressFan
It is kind of disappointing that we are supposedly getting the same film in Epcot as the DCA attraction.

seriously; why can't they do a soaring over Florida or something? at least the landscape is a little more interesting. Or at the very least different. Plus they can still use the stupid "spray the room with orange oil" gag if they really want to.

 

[Merlin]

Originally posted by xfkirsten
I'm curious how they determine "popular." Number of guests? Or wait time? Because it's wait time is ALWAYS longer than other attractions, due to the fact that it can only load so many people into each of the two theaters, and they cycle every 5-10 min. Screamin', on the other hand, can run people through like crazy, and the longest I have ever had to wait in standby (including the middle of Spring Break) was maybe half an hour.

-Kirsten

This is just a guess, but I would assume they make that determination based on the number of guests who ride it over a particular period of time (compared to other attractions, and then adjusted for ride capacity). Then again, it may be based on guest surveys. Good question though.