Soarin Strategies-any Tips?

[nezy]

I love Soarin' and the past 2 or 3x at EPCOT there have been no FP's and a 90 min. wait, so we do not go on. Now I have a mission-not mission space-but MISSION SOARIN"!!
Question: If I get to EPCOT early, which would be a better way to enter-front gates or gate through Beach Club area.

I think the walk through WS may be a bit longer, but there will be less people from that direction and i wonder if they let you go to Soarin' unescorted. I have been hearing that the CM"s do some crowd control at rope drop.

I am usually a take it as it comes kind of person-but I truly am on a mission to go on this ride! Help!

 

[ILuvDVC2]

We went through the main entrance right at opening and had a 15 minute wait for Soarin'. This was in mid-June, so the crowds were medium-high levels.

 

[disneynutz]

I love Soarin' and the past 2 or 3x at EPCOT there have been no FP's and a 90 min. wait, so we do not go on. Now I have a mission-not mission space-but MISSION SOARIN"!!
Question: If I get to EPCOT early, which would be a better way to enter-front gates or gate through Beach Club area.

I think the walk through WS may be a bit longer, but there will be less people from that direction and i wonder if they let you go to Soarin' unescorted. I have been hearing that the CM"s do some crowd control at rope drop.

I am usually a take it as it comes kind of person-but I truly am on a mission to go on this ride! Help!

Get there early and don't pay attention to the time to wait sign. Our last trip the sign read 40 minutes and we walked on 3 times in a row. I asked a CM why the sign was wrong and she told me that they never change it to below 40 minutes.

 

[salmoneous]

Question: If I get to EPCOT early, which would be a better way to enter-front gates or gate through Beach Club area.

I've read at least a dozen reports. It seems going through the back gate gets you to Soarin either a couple minutes before, or a couple minutes after folks coming from the main gate. It all depends on the CM's and how fast or slow they make people walk. But in either case, getting to the ride that early will allow two pretty quick trips. Get a fastpass, then ride, then use the fastpass.

Although the time isn't that different for folks at the front vs folks at the international gate, note that it's easier to be at the front of the line at the international gate. Many fewer people back there.

 

[kend58]

I've read at least a dozen reports. It seems going through the back gate gets you to Soarin either a couple minutes before, or a couple minutes after folks coming from the main gate. It all depends on the CM's and how fast or slow they make people walk. But in either case, getting to the ride that early will allow two pretty quick trips. Get a fastpass, then ride, then use the fastpass.

Although the time isn't that different for folks at the front vs folks at the international gate, note that it's easier to be at the front of the line at the international gate. Many fewer people back there.

I agree with the above I wouldn't go out of my way to be at either gate.
If you are at an EPCOT area resort use IG otehrwise the front is your natural access.

The trick is to be there before rope drop so you are upfront in the line up and get a FP and then walk in for your 1st ride (15 min or less wait) then use that FP this will get you two early rides. Then later in the day (mid morning to around lunch) get a second FP for later for a 3rd ride if desired ... we did this in March 07 with SB crowds and it worked out every time

 

[Inkmahm]

I've read at least a dozen reports. It seems going through the back gate gets you to Soarin either a couple minutes before, or a couple minutes after folks coming from the main gate. It all depends on the CM's and how fast or slow they make people walk. But in either case, getting to the ride that early will allow two pretty quick trips. Get a fastpass, then ride, then use the fastpass.

Although the time isn't that different for folks at the front vs folks at the international gate, note that it's easier to be at the front of the line at the international gate. Many fewer people back there.

Exactly. This works even better on a day when it is early admission to Epcot for magic hours.

 

[Resqlt]

The trick is to be there before rope drop so you are upfront in the line up and get a FP and then walk in for your 1st ride (15 min or less wait) then use that FP this will get you two early rides. Then later in the day (mid morning to around lunch) get a second FP for later for a 3rd ride if desired ... we did this in March 07 with SB crowds and it worked out every time

We did exactly as the above poster said and were able to get on Test Track and a FP for Soarin. This would have been absolutely perfect except that Soarin broke while we were on it and they gave us more FP so that we could come back later in our stay. It's a little freaky when you are soaring through the air one second and staring at a blank wall the next.

 

[javamom]

I agree, get there early and grab that fastpass then get in the stand-by line. After your ride, grab a snack at Sunshine Seasons or something and then ride again!! We have done this several times and it worked out well.

 

[DebbieB]

Get there early and don't pay attention to the time to wait sign. Our last trip the sign read 40 minutes and we walked on 3 times in a row. I asked a CM why the sign was wrong and she told me that they never change it to below 40 minutes.

I had the same thing happen in late April. It said 60 min but it was only about 10 or 15. This was in the late afternoon.

 

[nezy]

So if the stand by line says 90 min. wait, it may only be 30?

I know-everything doesn't alwasy work that way.
I will definately get there early.
Thanks

 

[disneynutz]

So if the stand by line says 90 min. wait, it may only be 30?

I know-everything doesn't alwasy work that way.
I will definately get there early.
Thanks

No, if it says 40 it may be less. Disney uses a red plastic card that they give to Guests entering a ride. They read the card at the beginning of the line and read it again at the end of the line. The elapsed time from the card sets the wait sign time. If they haven't used the red card on this ride the sign will read 40 minutes even though it is really a 5 minute wait. This would only happen first thing in the morning.

 

[starbox]

FRONT GATES!!! We went in through WS in June (we were there at rope drope and speed-walked to Soarin) and there was a "40 minute" wait and Fast Passes were for almost three hours later by the time we got there!!

In July (on a much more crowded day) we entered through the front - 20 minute wait and FP for one hour later.

 

[Elitravelor]

This has been a big discussion at our house. We are staying at the BWI--in one week!--and we want to ride Soarin and Test Track. We have not been in 4 years so Soarin is new for us and Test Track is new to me and DD age 11.
We have been told to take a cab to the front entrance and NOT walk through the resort gateway entrance. Really?? We plan to be there at rope drop.

We have been thinking about having DH get fastpasses for Soarin, everyone else go to Test Track &wait for DH,ride Test Track first, then go to Soarin??

What do you think? We would greatly appreciate any advice. This is really bugging us!!

 

[dqpowell]

We have been thinking about having DH get fastpasses for Soarin, everyone else go to Test Track &wait for DH,ride Test Track first, then go to Soarin??

That's a good strategy. After your Soarin' return window begins you can get another fastpass for later (assuming you want to ride it more than once, and that you'll be in the park later).

David

 

[Rocktire]

Haven't been there since Soarin' opened...What is it?...Is it like Star Tours simulated motion thing?

 

[Elitravelor]

What about the entrance strategy? Is it really necessary to start at the front entrance or can we do just the resort one? We would love to hear what other people have experienced.

 

[snels]

We have had bad luck getting on Soarin using the International Gateway entrance. We are always there at the rope drop, and we are pretty fast walkers, but the people that approach from the main entrance always get there before our side. I think that the Epcot resort crowd should be given a few minutes head start!

Our new strategy is to skip Soarin at opening and go to Mission Space and Test Track first. Then we will head to Soarin and get a fast pass, or at least attempt it!

The last time we tried to get fast passes at opening, the line for getting a fast pass was about 1/2 hr. long...crazy

 

[Cool-Beans]

Haven't been there since Soarin' opened...What is it?...Is it like Star Tours simulated motion thing?

No. You can read about it here: http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/epfw-soarin.htm


I walked in from the Beach Club once and we were far behind the other crowd. I can't know what it is usually like, because I'm not taking the chance to find out. If I'm at the BC, I now drive over and go in the front entrance if I want to ride something early.

 

[Elitravelor]

Wow that is so crazy! DH says even if we do Test Track first, we should take a cab to the front entrance ( at least for our first day at Epcot) and avoid the International Gateway. I just can't believe we will do all that! Four years ago when we stayed at the BC, we did great with EM at that gateway. Of course, there was no Soarin. I love walking into Epcot that way!!

Well, thanks for your advice. DS and DD are so excited to do both Test Track and Soarin--so I guess it will be the front entrance for our first day. I won't even mention how I want to do Nemo and Talking to Crush!!

 

[Sabres2008]

If a queue doesn't look like it "matches" the posted wait time, I always ask the CM at the entrance to verify if it truly seems to be that long. CMs are trained to gauge how long a queue is by looking at it (not as easy, I presume, for Soarin, as say, for a Fantasyland attraction, but still). Last week the Single Rider queue for Test Track said 130 minutes, yet standby said 60. I went to the CM and said, "Um, are you telling me the single rider queue is more than twice the length of the standby?" He laughed and told me there was a glitch and there was no line. Thing is, I'm sure there would have been a short queue, except most people don't bother to ask. The fact that the sign was "stuck" on 130 minutes helped keep the thing so short!

Anyway, you can't guarantee that a 60 minute posted wait is really going to be 10 to 15 minutes, so definitely take a second and ask the CM to confirm.

Good luck on your MISSION