Does Soarin' feel real?

[ttintagel]

It depends on how strong your willing suspension of disbelief is.

If you're the kind of person who can get sucked into a good movie, book, or play, then it absolutely feels real.

If you're the kind of person who hates musicals because people don't randomly burst into song and dance in real life, then it probably won't.

 

[Finally08]

It is better if you lean forward though. Slightly more realistic.

Yes, this is how I ride too...I never ever sit back.
The first time we did this I was totally in shock. I thought it would be like the promo photos. I expected to be on my tummy, and I thought it moved around. I was so disappointed to see all you do is sit there, upright, then get elevated a bit to watch a movie screen. It was especially shocking since I had a child crying because she couldn't ride at 39.5" tall, because there would be no issue lowering the height limit...it doesn't DO anything.

 

[skullsplitter]

I'll take the black specks over the Soarin knockoff at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. That thing was like Soarin with worse effects combined with the back jarring Dinosaur! ride

 

[Robo]

It's old and needs to be updated with HD.

It is desperately in need of a refurbishment (go digital) of the film portion.

It is state-of-the-art OMNIMAX (and is actually already a form of OMNIMAX "HD")
Real-world electronic "HD" and "Digital" would be much, much lower-quality (resolution)
projected in that manner.

its not film (per-say)

it is film. Its regular Imax 70mm film that gets projected onto a very large screen.

And, at Soarin', the film is projected at 48 frames per second (twice the speed of regular film.)
All of which offers much greater resolution and sharper images than current "HD" and "Digital" projection at that size.

 

[mapleleafmom]

i'm such a loser...the whole thing had me squeezing dd's hand (shes 11) saying OMG OMG OMG..i felt like i was gonna fall...i KNEW in my head i wouldnt..just couldnt seem to convince my body..the guy next to us could NOT stop laughing....she kept saying..mom its sooo relaxing..and i kept OMG OMG OMG-ing

 

[bytheblood]

It used to, but the screen is so dirty that it takes away from the "realism" of the attraction. I still love it though.

 

[TeresaNJ]

I think it is a fun, super relaxing way to spend a few minutes at WDW! Just get a FP for it, so you're not waiting too long. My rule is I won't wait in line more than 20 minutes for an attraction, unless it is brand new, or I really, really desperately want to see it, which is rare. I have waited an hour for Soarin, to be truthful, but only because I was with a group who really wanted to go on, and it was close to park closing time.

 

[TenKeyThunder]

Bring a golf ball with you in your pocket and when they hit the golf ball at the camera, reach out in front of your kid like you just caught it and show them the ball in your hand (but don't drop it)

 

[Vemnox]

The film itself is air-cleaned several times daily, as is the equipment. The ride actually goes unnoticably down for 5 minutes or so when this happens. Maintenance comes at regular intrevals. They use the same aerosol-type cans you use on your keyboard. While dust and dirt is certain a [relatively unavoidable] problem, the real problem is the age and wear-and-tear of the film. Think about it. This show is over 7 years old now and has run every 4 minutes EVERY day since then. Even assuming the ride runs, say, 12 hours a day on average (9am-9pm) that's nearly 460,000 times the film has played.

All-in-all, it's age, not dirt that has made it appear worse-and-worse over the years.

Edit: Thanks to Vicki_C below for correcting my number.

 

[vicki_c]

Vemnox- I agree with your theory of age, but your math is way off for your estimates.

Every 4 minutes, so 15 times per hour. 15 x 12 hrs/day = 180 times per day.

7 years x 365 days = 2,555 days

180 x 2,555 = 459,900 playings

 

[huskies90]

Nobody mentioned my favorite part of the attraction...the muscial score. I love the way it flows through the scenes.

There is a reason it is probably the most popular attraction - it is just thrilling enough to give you the whoa feeling a pp mentioned but also, calm and relaxing enough that kids and grandparents can ride. It is probably my most ridden attraction of any I have been on and I am a guy who loves huge six flags coasters as much as your basic dark ride.

As for the film...c'mon. Really??

 

[Vemnox]

I knew my number was low. Thanks for correcting it - it was in my head calculations.

 

[JimmyV]

I knew my number was low. Thanks for correcting it - it was in my head calculations.

Does it really show 15 minutes per hour? That does not take into account any time for loading or unloading. I'd be surpirsed if the number was half that many times per hour. (Not that any of this matters.)

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

Nobody mentioned my favorite part of the attraction...the muscial score. I love the way it flows through the scenes.

Yep, the music is great, thats why I made it my ringtone.

 

[maxiesmom]

I think it feels too real. The seat tips and sways a bit with the movie, and all you have holding you in your seat is a seat belt. I feel as if I am going to fall down to the concrete below! I've been on it a few times, but I won't ride it again.

 

[mjallemand]

It is state-of-the-art OMNIMAX (and is actually already a form of OMNIMAX "HD")
Real-world electronic "HD" and "Digital" would be much, much lower-quality (resolution)
projected in that manner.

And, at Soarin', the film is projected at 48 frames per second (twice the speed of regular film.)
All of which offers much greater resolution and sharper images than current "HD" and "Digital" projection at that size.

Don't waste your breath. It's near-impossible to try to explain to people why film is already better than "HD".

 

[osugal]

It feels real and very exciting to me. I love the smells, pictures, etc. We love it. Don't listen to the cynics.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Don't waste your breath. It's near-impossible to try to explain to people why film is already better than "HD".

And it's equally hard for people to understand that digital doesn't even start speeding up until it surpasses the 1080p that most people believe is the end of the road (apparently Robo included). I'm not going to get into an argument with either of you, but if you'll got to the AVSForum.com (THE authority on everything HD+ video) and take a search back, you'll see that I was LITERALLY one of the first, if not THE first, person in the nation to have HDTV in my home in 1999. I am an expert in HDTV and digital video.

Nothing beats GOOD film. That much is true. But the fact is that digital can be just about as good (Hint: They are not limited to one projector for Soarin'. You guys are limiting your thinking to the IMAX model. ;-) ) and arguably better in certain circumstances. Film wears out (witness Soarin'). Digital doesn't. Good digital content trumps bad analog content any day of the week and twice on Sunday. If you don't believe that, there's no point in having the discussion.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

~I love Soarin'! It needs an update, but it's still a great ride. Unfortunately, my DS wasn't buying it the first time he rode, he kept trying to lean over and look down instead of at the screen. If you watch it this way, it won't feel "real" or "magical" at all, lol. The second time we rode Soarin', DS finally "got it", he sat back and just enjoyed the ride. Have fun!

 

[Dizzytime]

Just wondering if it really does feel and look real?
Even if not it must still be amazing to see!

It is a must see, mikneyspackson!, I know you'll enjoy it. I think it is fantastic, but than that more than that it's just plain fun.

Have a great time!