We just returned from Disney today. Soarin was great. Over the course of the week, we road it 3 times. Yes, it feels like you are flying!
My husband tried to dip his feet in the water when we went over the ocean. Because he had flip flops on, he had to remove them for the ride so he was barefooted.
Children, below a certain height, have a strap that goes between their legs to make sure that they are safely kept in the seats.
We saw lots of children -- of all ages -- riding. There were no tears.
We are planning on taking our 5 and 7 year old granddaughters on the ride in November.