New Soarin Movie Might Be Coming

[WeatherbySwann]

According to Laughing Place (http://www.laughingplace.com/Latest.asp?I1=ID&I2=3300), there might be a new Soarin' movie coming to Epcot and DCA!

[mitros]

After reading the article, I'm just wondering how they can make any significant changes in a little over three weeks?

[Condorman]

This makes sense for Epcot but why change it for DCA? I realize its been at DCA longer, but the theme is California. The area is called Condor Flats. That would be like changing the Chinese circlevision movie into an arctic slideshow.

What they should do is keep the original film and play the new one down the other side - as both Soarin's have two flight mechanisms. Of course everyone would crowd for the new film, but I'd have a Fastpass so I wouldn't care.

[CanadianGuy]

After reading the article, I'm just wondering how they can make any significant changes in a little over three weeks?

The article mentioned an '09 release.

True or not .. changing the film and reprogramming the ride mechanism would actually not be all that difficult. Probably the worst part would be coordinating the smells and the airflow such that they don't linger.

All in all this is an amazing simple attraction when it comes to updating the film.

In fact, if Disney were so inclined, they could simply do much this prep work in the off hours in one of the theatres with minimal downtown for the full ride.

Knox

[jfinke]

Now if only they would do the same with StarTours. :confused3

[jheigl]

Now if only they would do the same with StarTours. :confused3

I believe they are, or will be soon. I think it was mentioned by Spielberg.

[raidermatt]

The article mentioned an '09 release.

True or not .. changing the film and reprogramming the ride mechanism would actually not be all that difficult. Probably the worst part would be coordinating the smells and the airflow such that they don't linger.

All in all this is an amazing simple attraction when it comes to updating the film.

In fact, if Disney were so inclined, they could simply do much this prep work in the off hours in one of the theatres with minimal downtown for the full ride.

Knox

I don't know, when some of us said they should have done a new film or at least updated it for Epcot we were told by many that it would be expensive and a waste.

Not by you necessarily, but it's just interesting how the winds of opinion can change depending on what Disney actually does or is rumored to do.

[OKW Lover]

So, is this a new item? Or just the same old rumor being recycled?

[CanadianGuy]

I don't know, when some of us said they should have done a new film or at least updated it for Epcot we were told by many that it would be expensive and a waste.

Not by you necessarily, but it's just interesting how the winds of opinion can change depending on what Disney actually does or is rumored to do.

Actually to be more precise the article mentioned a LATE '09 release.. there is a LOT of time in a year.

I know it's not thot so by some.. but I tend more towards realist than pixie dust. And it's very much a possibility to do the required work to release this in a year. And let's be in absolute agreement on one thing, film PERMITS do not a film make. Lots of times permits are issued and nothing is done.

Having said all that.. I do tend to agree with the PP who said "It's unlikely Disney will spend the money as long as the attraction is drawing the numbers.."

The question is.. despite anecdotal reporting.. do Disney's numbers show that Soarin is "slipping" from previous peaks?

Knox

[rodkenrich]

I've always thought that the Epcot version needed it's own Florida flair.

[raidermatt]

Having said all that.. I do tend to agree with the PP who said "It's unlikely Disney will spend the money as long as the attraction is drawing the numbers.."

The question is.. despite anecdotal reporting.. do Disney's numbers show that Soarin is "slipping" from previous peaks?

Knox

I know I'm just spinning my wheels here, but the above is just another example of the difference between the Disney that built itself into an icon and succeeded when every other studio went under or was taken over, and the Disney we have today.

Any of us can look at turnstile counts and react to fewer clicks.

[jfinke]

I believe they are, or will be soon. I think it was mentioned by Spielberg.

Not sure what Spielberg would have to do with it. Now, if Lucas came out and said the ILM is working with Disney to revamp the ride, that would be taken seriously.

In all honesty, I don't think that it would take much to revamp it. But, it probably depends on the age of the computers controlling the ride. The hydrolics are obviously still working.

And since the new movies are all cgi anyways, it is not like they have to reshoot everything. Heck, my video card in my computer could render something on the fly that would give the current show a run for its money.

[GoofyWaterCoaster]

I hope it's better than this one, because I would be very disappointed if they changed it and it was bad, because this one is great! They may have the line split for the new or old one too, instead of telling you which way to go

[CanadianGuy]

I know I'm just spinning my wheels here, but the above is just another example of the difference between the Disney that built itself into an icon and succeeded when every other studio went under or was taken over, and the Disney we have today.

Any of us can look at turnstile counts and react to fewer clicks.

Agreed.. now to my point - does anyone KNOW if the Soarin' numbers are down?

As I said, anecdotally that wouldn't appear to be case.. but then.. who knows.

Certainly creating the attraction on the East Coast on the incredibly tight time frames that they did meant the only viable choice was to use the same film initially.

Perhaps the upgrade was planned all along?

I have no idea.. does anyone here?

Knox

[Condorman]

I can't imagine the numbers are down, and even if they are it would be an insignificant amount. Every morning when the rope drops, 80% of everyone who showed up early to Epcot pulls a Carl Lewis right for Soarin' -- not Universe of Energy and not Mission:Space. Soarin' is easily the most popular attraction in Epcot, and for them to make any changes, while I want them, are unnecessary with regards to boosting attendance.

A global theme involving natural or man-made landmarks would be very welcome. However, I disagree with any Floridian version to match what they did in California. CA has arguably one of the most diverse terrains in the USA, with snow-capped mountains, deserts, beaches, forests, etc. Florida, God love ya, does not embody the same natural splendor or spectacle.

Soarin': Over Earth... November, 2009.

Fingers crossed.

[zulemara]

Not sure what Spielberg would have to do with it. Now, if Lucas came out and said the ILM is working with Disney to revamp the ride, that would be taken seriously.

In all honesty, I don't think that it would take much to revamp it. But, it probably depends on the age of the computers controlling the ride. The hydrolics are obviously still working.

And since the new movies are all cgi anyways, it is not like they have to reshoot everything. Heck, my video card in my computer could render something on the fly that would give the current show a run for its money.

the quote came from an article on a news site featuring the 3D artist that worked on the new Indiana Jones movie. The article said something like "the next project <name> is working on has even bigger nostalgia. The star tours ride at DL is up next."

[mitros]

It is nearly impossible for us to believe that numbers at WDW are "down", much less the numbers at Soarin'. It's impossible to get on that ride without a fastpass, and if you do not get it first thing in the morning, forget it, your not ridin' Soarin'. We have cut our trips in half because of the overflow crowds on property. I'd be thrilled to see less "bodies" at the resorts, restaurants, and especially at the parks........

[jfinke]

the quote came from an article on a news site featuring the 3D artist that worked on the new Indiana Jones movie. The article said something like "the next project <name> is working on has even bigger nostalgia. The star tours ride at DL is up next."

Do you have a link? I would be very interested in reading it. This has always seemed to me to be a no brainer. This would have been especially true 7 years ago in the middle the release of the (albeit disappointing) new movies.

[wannabef]

It could be done in that amount of time, but it could take every second of it. I'm currently wrapping up a commercial that was originally scripted in April; pre-production began in May; it was shot in June with only one principal location and 2nd unit work in another state; and post has dragged on for nearly two months.

Given the (deceptive) complexity of the original film, the use of helicopters, Wescams, IMAX, etc. and the possibility of scheduling shots for certain seasons, this will not be a run-and-gun production.

I hope this is either:

a. a seasonal tour of the East Coast -- Maine in the fall, NYC in Winter, DC with apple blossoms a-bloomin', Savannah in spring, summer on the beaches of Miami, etc.

b. a Powwaqaatsi-esque study of world cultures, both ancient and modern

[Condorman]

Not sure if we're still talking about Soarin' here, because the interview referred to the previous post is an actual one - I remember reading it myself but I don't have a link. However, that one was about Star Tours. It implied that someone at ILM, or some FX house who had done some work on IJ, was testing a new movie for Star Tours. The latest rumor is that they are using the Wonders of Life Body Wars attraction (now defunct) to reprogram the hydraulics and see how the new movie will interact with the actual mechanism.

Either way, it's pretty lame. I rode ST in DL back in 1987 and even then it was "meh." What's the new movie going to have? Coruscant, Hoth, Endor; big deal. They should re-theme ST and even the IJSS into an ILM realm with a TS restaurant of the Cantina from Star Wars and some other e-ticket, like a pod racer (i.e. Test Track - although that probably won't work since they're waiting for Cars Land in DL to open; if it's popular, they'll add it to the Backlot of DHS). I'll go on Star Tours 2.0 if and when it opens, but I won't be high-tailing it towards that end of the park when the rope drops.

[wannabef]

Do you have a link? I would be very interested in reading it. This has always seemed to me to be a no brainer. This would have been especially true 7 years ago in the middle the release of the (albeit disappointing) new movies.

Here's one link:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9951772-7.html


Given the new animated feature and series "Clone Wars," the planned live-action TV series and Lucas' desire to re-release all 6 films in 3D, I don't think there will be any shortage of reasons to update the ride. Plus, Star Wars is timeless.

[jfinke]

Interesting. Thanks!

[CanadianGuy]

It is nearly impossible for us to believe that numbers at WDW are "down", much less the numbers at Soarin'. It's impossible to get on that ride without a fastpass, and if you do not get it first thing in the morning, forget it, your not ridin' Soarin'. We have cut our trips in half because of the overflow crowds on property. I'd be thrilled to see less "bodies" at the resorts, restaurants, and especially at the parks........

Ironically, as any reasonably educated business person will tell you, the number one way to reduce demand.. is to ...

drumroll please...

Raise prices..

And everyone here just LOVED that on August 3rd. :)

Insert comment here about cake and eating it too..

Knox

[Padrepride]

I agree that the change makes more sense for Epcot than DCA. This is still a rumor and is very similar to the Star Tours rumors. I won't believe it until Disney tells us.

[Metro West]

I agree that the change makes more sense for Epcot than DCA. This is still a rumor and is very similar to the Star Tours rumors. I won't believe it until Disney tells us. ::yes::

[proteus]

I don't understand why the concept of multiple rides within one isn't exploited more. That way your experience isn't always exactly the same. They did it with TOT.

When they developed Soarin' couldn't they have done several films at once?
You could alternate showing them and make some "rarer" than others. People would ride more on the off chance they would get to see one they hadn't before.

[tfc3rid]

I don't think attendance is down yet... People who are vacationing now likely booked their trip in 2007 or early in 2008... The economy started really showing poor signs in the late Winter/early Spring... I think attendance may start to show signs of the economic impact in the coming months... Perhaps 2nd Quarter of FY 2009...

That said, I think soarin' won't see a new film for a few more years...

[Condorman]

I don't understand why the concept of multiple rides within one isn't exploited more. That way your experience isn't always exactly the same. They did it with TOT.

When they developed Soarin' couldn't they have done several films at once?
You could alternate showing them and make some "rarer" than others. People would ride more on the off chance they would get to see one they hadn't before.

While this makes sense to me, the problem would arise with guests wanting to do one particular ride/movie but being unable to because the other version was running/showing. ToT is always the same ride but with a different order of things thanks to the computer rearranging the course/track/# of drops.

Putting a Global Soarin' movie in one theater and the CA version in the other, at least in Epcot, would probably have everyone booking for the Global version because most everyone has seen the CA version. Newbies may try the CA, but there would inevitably be a bottleneck.

As for the "rarer" movie idea, I like it. However, imagine waiting on a Space version of Soarin', standing in line for 90 minutes, then you get inside only to learn it's the CA version? Someone would be leaving via Orange County Police.

[TK Brown]

Just my 2 cents....as much as I love the current Soarin'....a new movie of the whole world would fit in perfect at EPCOT. But as I have told many people time and time again...if it aint broke, dont fix it!!!

[proteus]

While this makes sense to me, the problem would arise with guests wanting to do one particular ride/movie but being unable to because the other version was running/showing. ToT is always the same ride but with a different order of things thanks to the computer rearranging the course/track/# of drops.

Putting a Global Soarin' movie in one theater and the CA version in the other, at least in Epcot, would probably have everyone booking for the Global version because most everyone has seen the CA version. Newbies may try the CA, but there would inevitably be a bottleneck.

As for the "rarer" movie idea, I like it. However, imagine waiting on a Space version of Soarin', standing in line for 90 minutes, then you get inside only to learn it's the CA version? Someone would be leaving via Orange County Police.

Lol. To clarify what I was saying, my take on it was that you would not know which version of soarin' that you would see, it would be luck of the draw.

[disneyin2008]

I don't know, when some of us said they should have done a new film or at least updated it for Epcot we were told by many that it would be expensive and a waste.

Not by you necessarily, but it's just interesting how the winds of opinion can change depending on what Disney actually does or is rumored to do.

I would think that the filiming itself would be rather expensive.....and time consuming (ever watched the Christmas parade being filmed....takes 3 days of constant retakes for a 3 hour show!). But...of course that filming would take place around the country, not at the park, so the ride wouldn't be affected.....I would imagine once the filming and editing was done it might take them a day or two to get the sights and smells properly coordinated. If it were ME doing that transition, I'd close one of the sides, get it up and running and then close the other side, reopen the new one and work on the old one. No matter when you do it, it's going to be a long long longer wait, but doing it in off season would mean that at least you'd not shut the whole ride down for a week or two, just double the lines for a while. Of course, Disney has not yet hired me to advise them on this.

[disneyin2008]

I hope it's better than this one, because I would be very disappointed if they changed it and it was bad, because this one is great! They may have the line split for the new or old one too, instead of telling you which way to go

Well, of course you know that if they do change it, there will be a very long thread on DIS after it opens with people saying the new one is horrible, they ruined the whole ride....and others saying it's the best thing since Mickey Bars and Dole Whip (and then you'll get the side debate about MB and DW).

Personally, I don't like the new Tiki Room, Zazu is annoying and Iago was my least liked character in the movie, so forget in this show! But others love it. And every other ride/show that is changed has it's loyal or non-loyal following. I seriously doubt that Disney will choose not to change something because they're worried some, even half, their guests will be upset.

I love the one in California, having grown up there, I recognized a lot more than I thought I would......it seems odd to have a California based film showing in Florida. Is there a Soarin' in Paris or Tokoyo or Hong Kong? It would seem even more odd there!

[disneyin2008]

I can't imagine the numbers are down, and even if they are it would be an insignificant amount. Every morning when the rope drops, 80% of everyone who showed up early to Epcot pulls a Carl Lewis right for Soarin' -- not Universe of Energy and not Mission:Space. Soarin' is easily the most popular attraction in Epcot, and for them to make any changes, while I want them, are unnecessary with regards to boosting attendance.

A global theme involving natural or man-made landmarks would be very welcome. However, I disagree with any Floridian version to match what they did in California. CA has arguably one of the most diverse terrains in the USA, with snow-capped mountains, deserts, beaches, forests, etc. Florida, God love ya, does not embody the same natural splendor or spectacle.

Soarin': Over Earth... November, 2009.

Fingers crossed.

Ooooo now THIS I really like...forget about focusing it on the local landscape, be that California or Florida.....and a global theme would certainly tie Soarin' in Epcot's Future World right into Epcot's World Showcase. Of course, the production costs will go way up if you start travelling the world to film! But, how cool would that be, to have sections for every country in WS, and then end it over Epcot instead of MK, to tie Disneyworld into the theme as well. Much as I love the final segment showing MK, and understand it's purpose for being there.....the fact is that it seems juxtaposed to the rest of the film

[doubletrouble_vb]

Wouldn't it be neat...

To have a Soarin for each country in the world showcase. Then as mentioned before schedule two per day, one in each theatre.

I'm not so sure I like the idea of Soarin over the World. So much would be left out. Of course logically Soarin' should be agriculturally based given its location in EPCOT.

[Swkyle]

I think redoing a movie for Epcot would be nice, since the theme is California. Redoing it would make it pretty accurate, maybe flying over Cinderella Castle, then over Epcot at the very end. This would make the ride seem more like you've just "landed" at Epcot. DCA really shouldn't need a new movie, the ride is great as it is! :)

[MJMcBride]

I like the idea of Soarin' Over America starting at Disneyland going across the country to Epcot

[Twilightlover]

I think the addition of smell and maybe a bit of mist or splash would be a good addition to Soarin' which for me is the most boring ride.

[keegro94]

i heard that it is supposed to be about the whole USA and not just california

[jeanylaser]

Thanks for the info! It is true that Soarin film will change and what is the title of the attraction will be Soarin around the world!

[MJMcBride]

Thanks for the info! It is true that Soarin film will change and what is the title of the attraction will be Soarin around the world!

perhaps the title would be Soarin' Across the Land

[sachs1999]

I hope they do not change it as I just bought a vacation home in the desert and you can see it when you fly over the course! I am going to disney world in January and I hope it is not the last time I get to see it, it is pretty cool telling friends that when they go on it they can see my house, lol

[MJMcBride]

I hope they do not change it as I just bought a vacation home in the desert and you can see it when you fly over the course! I am going to disney world in January and I hope it is not the last time I get to see it, it is pretty cool telling friends that when they go on it they can see my house, lol

while I agree that that is quite cool, I still hope they change it

[jenny105]

Are they going to get rid of the pre-ride video with Puddy? I love that guy

[zulemara]

I just went on Soarin on Saturday during my visit and I really enjoyed it again, but boy do they need to CLEAN the screen!! You can see mounds of dust in the left 1/3rd of the screen during some of the scenes

[MJMcBride]

Are they going to get rid of the pre-ride video with Puddy? I love that guy

I don't see why

[Padrepride]

I love this ride and Disney made a great move in bringing this over from DLR. I really like the idea of them making a new movie based on around the world or u.s.a. But I don't think Disney should get rid of the old movie altogether. Maybe offer two different experiences like in Mission Space?

This is like the Star Tours predicament, in which many visitors want a new ride but some like the movie that way it is. I hope Disney will offer two experiences for both rides should they update either attraction.

[MJMcBride]

This is like the Star Tours predicament, in which many visitors want a new ride but some like the movie that way it is. I hope Disney will offer two experiences for both rides should they update either attraction.


That would be fun, although perhaps the better solution is to offer a second and maybe third Star Wars ride for a whole LucasLand

[mousemommamegan]

I agree with poster a ways back that it would ROCK to soar around the world - but it would make for a really LONG ride to show everything that should be seen . . .

I would love to see it take us from Disneyland TO disneyworld, or more specifically EPCOT as opposed to just cruising through California up to Disney land . . .

It amazes me how they coordinate the smells - that pine smell going through the forests, and the sea air in the ocean scenes, that was amazing! It would be cool to add some splashes in there, and they do it in so many other rides, I can't imagine it would be too difficult. I also think some "cold blasts" of air could have been added to the mountain capped scenes . . .

Anway - back to the from California to Florida idea - there are so many things that would be really neat to see - grand canyon, Mt. Rushmore, the badlands, hoover dam, . . . that most of us probably will not see in our lifetimes, that would be cool. . . .

whatever it ends up doing, I am sure it will be cool, it was a fun ride, not necessarily a "thrill a minute" - but certianly one of those rides that leaves you amazed at their attention to detail. If only they could somehow eliminate the "hanging" feet you see when you happen to be in the 2nd or 3rd row....you almost believe you are really hanggliding, until you see the piggies curling up in the top of the screen! :rotfl:

Oh - and yes....I LOVED seeing Puddy! I don't think I've seen him since Seinfeld went off the air! Hilarious!

[Uncleromulus]

mousemammamegan has a good point. If they DO change Soarin to a Soarin over the whole US (or the whole world) it will need to be a longer ride than those very (very ,VERY) few minutes it is now. So unless they build a second theatre, would that not make the wait lines even longer, since the ride would not empty and fill as often??l