We rode Soarin' the first day the preview was held for
DVC members. Let me say, it was a lot of fun, and you really got the feeling you were flying - even lifted your feet at times, cause you thought they were gona touch the water or hit the trees!
The entire cue line is inside - was told this is the only attraction with that benefit. Nothing much to see in there though. Not sure if they are gona add anything or not. Once you got to the loading area, you saw a video with "Putty" from Sienfield. They pretend your getting on a flight. Not sure how that fits, cause it's not an airline. And it's not a hanglider either - it's a ski lift chair that is really wide (seats like 10 or so in each).
You buckle yourself in (you hear it lock just before you are lifted up), and then they hoist you all up and out over a huge concave screen. The "ski lifts" are stacked three high, if memory serves. So you may be on the top lift, the middle, or bottom one above the screen. I think someone said the flight is more real if you are on top, cause you won't be able to see the feet dangling above you. Anyway...
The scenes were great, but very short. They flipped from one to another fairly rapidly - ocean, canyons, orange fields, snowy mountains, street scenes,
Disneyland, etc. The special effects weren't as great as I thought they'd be. You did smell oranges and pine over the orange groves and forest scenes, but I didn't notice any ocean smell, and I figured they'd spray you with water when you were really close to the waves, but no. Movement of the ski lift wasn't too dramatic, only slight to make you feel like you were really flying. Could have done a drop of two to add to excitement, but only a tiny one I hardly noticed.
We really did enjoy the ride though, and it was so peaceful and relaxing. I pretended I was flying, like in my dreams sometimes. But I think it could be a little better, and I wish you were laying down, but I know logistically, that just wasn't very possible. All in all, great ride. Would do it again, but not if the cue line was outrageous, and not right after I got off. Though some folks in line told us there were riding it again.
