Why is Soarin' so popular?

[burnurcomputer]

Because you can feel like Peter Pan sprinkled pixie dust on you and you are flying....over California.

 

[~Brandy~]

I think I could happily spend an entire day on that ride. It feels so peaceful and exciting at the same time. We were actually at WDW the day it opened to the public. It had a really long wait (although not much worse than it would eventually be on big crowd days!) but we decided to wait just to say we rode it the first day. It was worth it

While I do love it, now that I've been on it so many times, there is no way I'll wait in a 2 hour standby line for it anymore.

 

[Punchy]

Soarin' is terrifying! I'd go on Tower of Terror 100 times before I'd go on Soarin' again!

 

[brerdawg]

Ok. So after 3 trips to Disney World, I had never been on Soarin'. So I made it my mission to go on it this trip. And I finally did. And my feelings toward it...

eh.

It was ok. Kinda relaxing. But did not match the hype at all. It was not groundbreaking. Nothing special. And not worth more than a 15 minute wait to me.

So I am wondering to all the Soarin' fans out there, what makes it so wonderful and special? Why is the long so long and fastpasses so sought after?

(sorry to Soarin' lovers, not trying to hate. Just understand.)

I get the real sensation that I'm flying over Cali! Would love them to make one over the Grand Canyon or Alaska.

 

[IZLove13]

It's one of my favorites in the whole park, and I'm kinda upset I've only done it once.

I love it because it's relaxing but also a little thrilling. I really don't like being up high at all so I got a little nervous at the beginning (especially when I noticed how high the seats were going to go. But after a moment, I got used to it. It felt so real, but at the same time I knew it wasn't. I even tried to kick my feet in the water during one scene. I just think it's spectacular and something I want to do again next trip.

 

[soarinup]

Maybe its the epic music, maybe its a flying thing. If you've ever had a flying dream, you'd probably understand. It just brings out emotions in me.

 

[KittyHellstrom]

Ok. So after 3 trips to Disney World, I had never been on Soarin'. So I made it my mission to go on it this trip. And I finally did. And my feelings toward it...

eh.

It was ok. Kinda relaxing. But did not match the hype at all. It was not groundbreaking. Nothing special. And not worth more than a 15 minute wait to me.

So I am wondering to all the Soarin' fans out there, what makes it so wonderful and special? Why is the long so long and fastpasses so sought after?

(sorry to Soarin' lovers, not trying to hate. Just understand.)

I am with you on this, I have done it twice. The first time I was excited cause it was new, but my seat was in the bottom left corner and so the immersion element was a big fail. So, when we went last time our seat was better, but the experience was "eh" for me as well.

my girlfriend really liked it though, so I am sure I will be on it again

-Hellstrom

 

[tiggerunner]

My daughter hated it and I was just underwhelmed-ok, but not worth waiting a long time to ride.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

I really like that ride too. It scared the heck out of me, as I have a fear of heights but my 4 year old (at the time) loved it so I put on my brave face. It was just so realistic and I was fine (i.e. not panicking) as long as I remembered - it's all pretend! Now that's a good ride. I don't like roller coasters generally because the whole point is to be scared. But I can conquer my fear for a ride like soarin because the experience is so amazing. The ride just immerses you and you feel like you're flying.

 

[OhioDisneyDad]

It's just cool. I've lost count on how many times I've rode it. When we were there a few weeks ago our first park was Epcot. As my wife and I are walking in she had to hit the restroom. As I'm standing there waiting the Soarin' music is playing over the speakers and I was getting geeked! It's my family's favorite ride!

My only wish would be that they have different film experiences that they could change every now and then. Like Soarin' over FLA or Soarin' over the Grand Canyon or Soarin' over Hawaii. That would be awesome.

 

[princesspeach]

At california adventure its not. I have never needed a fast pass. Its usually no more than a ten minute wait. I was surprised how long the line was at epcot and we were there at a non busy time.

 

[DawnM]

We LOVE it, but we are from California so it all has meaning for us. We rode it the FIRST day it was open to the public in California at California Adventure.

Dawn

 

[rie'smom]

I like Soarin' for 2 reasons:

1. I'm off my feet for a while.
2. The temperature is nicer than being outdoors.

 

[danceintherain]

Epcot doesn't have a lot of attractions. Mission:Space is too intense for some people (and you're not actually controlling anything). I've had more exciting rides down a highway than I've had on Test Track.

Then you're basically left with Nemo and educational things. If you have a full day on vacation allotted to Epcot, you'll probably end up at Soarin' at least once, because comparatively speaking it's thrilling.
I imagine a lot of the repeat riders are teenagers whose parents won't let them leave the park, but would rather wait in line for over an hour to ride Soarin, than hang out with their parents or learn something.

I really enjoy the attraction, but I probably wouldn't wait more than 20 minutes for it either. I would rather spend the extra time wandering through the World Showcase or hanging out at my resort.

 

[greg42]

Soarin' is borin'

Okay, that's way too harsh, it's really not that, but you can't help the rhyme. I rode it a couple times on a really empty day with some others who were really into it. It did feel overhyped to me.

One thing that gets me is it's not that complicated a simulator, so why not change out the scenery (movie) once in a while? Several years with same scenery is too long. I didn't ride it again when I went back, just wasn't huge on the list of things to hit. I'd ride it with a short wait/FP perhaps.

The reason the lines are long, though, is because there aren't as many rides at Epcot as someone mentioned, and a couple of the others (Test Track, Mission Space) are more intense. This is a moderate ride. Makes sense that it's popular.

The idea that the whole family can go doesn't work though; the Soarin height minimum is 40 inches, which is significantly higher than some. 37" kid with us probably would have loved Soarin, and I can't figure out why the height minimum is that tall. At 40" you can ride Test Track! (And ToT, BTM, Splash Mtn, etc. She would have loved 'em all, LOL. She road the Barnstormer about a dozen times.) Which of course is why the Toy Story Mania line is even longer. That one really takes everyone. For me, the interactive shooting in TSM is more fun than another ride over California on Soarin, but that's me.

 

[POOHsie]

Probably the most relaxing attraction at WDW! It attacks all your senses quietly, and immerses you in the experience. All they have to do now is come up with varied locations, i.e. soarin over America, Soarin over Europe, etc.

My thoughts, exactly. I could give a fiddler's fat foodle about California. It's not particularly the prettiest place I have ever seen, except the coast, which you see again and again in Soarin'. I would love Soarin' Europe, which ends at Disney Paris, Soarin' Japan, etc. etc. I am definitely an East Coast girl. Show us Soarin' East Coast of the US, ending at WDW! How about a new one every quarter?

 

[flicx]

I love the ride,one of the best non thrill/thrill rides in all of disney.I go on it at least once and usually twice on every trip.

 

[Damien2213]

Yeah I didn't get the big deal on Soarin' either. I figure everyone's senses are different though and maybe that is why I get no aviation fell form this ride why another person does. Its not that this ride is terrible in the least its just not much to it in my book. I'd much rather ride most other rides in Epcot versus it but I think it's still a nice experience. I just don't ever plan on spending more than say a 15-20 min wait for it. I could say the exact same thing after riding TSM as well...both seem overrated to me but that's me and maybe that's what makes Disney wonderful...there is so much for everyone to enjoy.

 

[kiowa]

My thoughts, exactly. I could give a fiddler's fat foodle about California. It's not particularly the prettiest place I have ever seen, except the coast, which you see again and again in Soarin'. I would love Soarin' Europe, which ends at Disney Paris, Soarin' Japan, etc. etc. I am definitely an East Coast girl. Show us Soarin' East Coast of the US, ending at WDW! How about a new one every quarter?

California is the best, hard to find many places in the U.S. where you can go skiing in the morning then drive an hour and go surfing in the afternoon.

Soarin is great for me because it honors my state. San Francisco, Half Dome, Yosemite, San Diego, Mojave, Malibu, Los Angeles, Monterey, The Central Valley. I just love it.

You could change the movie to encapsulate all of the U.S but i can't think of one state on the east coast that can show as much as California can. I grew up in New York City, and I'd never want to move back.

Ok, lets hear it......

 

[wcpamotm]

OK, perhaps not groundbreaking, but at least at the time it first opened in California, it did expand the notion of what a simulator ride could be, moving the experience closer to free flight than had been done before (as opposed to the clunkier simulator-boxes that were Star Tours and Body Wars.) Even Back to the Future had you "safely" enclosed in a DeLorean.

It is a long, slow line though, and I'm not sure I'd wait 20 minutes for it. Then again, with judicious timing of trips, days and Fastpasses, I don't often wait 20 minutes for anything.

But if you don't like it, are underwhelmed, etc, it's still all good; no need to apologize. It just makes the wait shorter for me!