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A new version of Soarin' called Soarin' Across America is expected to open by July 2, 2026.
Disney has occasionally reverted the attraction back to its original Soarin' Over California version (from when the park opened in 2001!) as a limited-time engagement.
Once you enter the main theater, you're secured in a seat not unlike those on inverted roller coasters. When everyone is in place, the rows of seats swing into position, making you feel as if the floor has dropped away, and you are suspended with your legs dangling. Thus hung out to dry, you embark on a hang-glider tour with IMAX-quality images projected all around you, and with the flight simulator moving in sync with the movie. The immersive images are well chosen and drop-dead beautiful thanks to cutting-edge 4K digital projectors. Special effects include wind, sound, and even smell. The ride itself is thrilling but perfectly smooth. We think Soarin' is a must-experience for guests of any age who meet the height requirement. And yes, we interviewed senior citizens who tried it and were crazy about it.
But a North Carolina mom says, "Wait a minute!"
Soarin' was VERY cool but definitely on the scary side for people afraid of heights or who don't like that "unsteady" feeling. While we were "soaring" up I was fine, but when we were going down I had to continually say to myself, "This is only an illusion, I cannot fall out, this is only an illusion . . ."
Touring Tips
Users who like Soarin' Around the World, generally also like:
Here's roughly how many minutes you'll wait for Soarin' Around the World at each California Adventure Crowd Level.
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The chart below shows typical Lightning Lane return times while you're in the park on the day of your visit. You'd use this chart to determine two things:
The chart's data markers change from circles to X's when the odds of Lightning Lanes being gone exceed the percentage you select in the dropdown above the chart.
Return times jump around a lot once the initial supply of Lightning Lane slots runs out. You'll see this in the chart as jagged lines with 'X' markers on them. Those return times are based on people cancelling Lightning Lane selections, which causes sudden, unpredictable return times to show up.
X markers mean Lightning Lane was gone more than 50% of the time for that selection time and crowd level.
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