- Parks
- Epcot - Walt Disney World Florida
- Soarin'
Soarin'
Soarin', also known as Soarin' Around the World, Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight, is a flight motion simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea. The ride employs a mechanical lift system, a
projected presentation on an 80 ft (24 m) concave 180-degree dome screen, artificial scents and wind to simulate a hang gliding flight over several locations across six continents around the world. Many consider it to have been the first flying theater.
The original iteration of the attraction, known as Soarin' Over California, was an opening day attraction at Disney California Adventure on February 8, 2001. The initial version took guests over several locations in California, and included a pre-show tribute to the history of California's aviation industry. Due to its consistent popularity, Soarin' Over California was duplicated at Epcot in Walt Disney World as Soarin' in 2005. The original Soarin' Over California returned to Disney California Adventure for a limited engagement for June 2019. Its popularity led Disney to extend the run through the end of August of that year, with another limited run scheduled from February 28 to April 21, 2020 as part of that park's Food & Wine Festival.
The current global version of the ride debuted at Shanghai Disneyland Park as Soaring Over the Horizon on June 16, 2016. Concurrently, the American versions were also replaced with the new film as Soarin' Around the World on the next day, June 17. A fourth attraction under the name Soaring: Fantastic Flight opened at Tokyo DisneySea on July 23, 2019.