Soarin' Over California

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Soarin' Over California
Locations, openings and status
Disney's California Adventure February 8, 2001
Open
Epcot May 5, 2005
Nestlé Open

Soarin' Over California is a simulator attraction at Disney's California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The same attraction appears at Epcot park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, as Soarin'.

Contents

[edit] The ride

Disney's California Adventure park
Disneyland's 50th Anniversary

Year of a Million Dreams
Hollywood Pictures Backlot
"a bug's land"
Bountiful Valley Farm
Flik's Fun Fair
Golden State
Condor Flats
  • Soarin' Over California
The Bay Area
Golden Vine Winery
  • Seasons of the Vine
Grizzly Peak Recreation Area

featuring the Magic of Brother Bear
Pacific Wharf
Paradise Pier
Entertainment

The attraction takes 87 guests at a time on a simulated hang glider tour of the Golden State. Guests "fly" over such California landmarks as San Francisco, Redwood Creek, Napa Valley, Monterey, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Palm Springs (actually shot in nearby La Quinta), Camarillo, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego, Malibu, Los Angeles and finally Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure's neighboring theme park.

The vehicle consists of three rows of seats under a wing-like canopy. After guests have been safely restrained in the vehicle, the canopy comes down and a cantilever system lifts the chairs forward and into the air with the guests' feet dangling free. The vehicle is lifted into a huge OMNIMAX Dome movie screen onto which scenes of California are projected. Since the vehicle is moved forward into the dome, the effect is such that guests can only see the images projected on the screen and are given the sensation of flying.

Soarin' over California at Disney's California Adventure
Enlarge
Soarin' over California at Disney's California Adventure

To enhance the illusion of flight, small motions of the seats such as tipping on turns and slight up-and-down movements are synchronized to the film. Fans also blow breezes across the faces of riders to increase the sensation of flight. In addition, scents complementing the various scenes are injected into the air streams blowing on riders. In the Ventura orange field scene, for example, guests are treated to the scent of orange blossoms. The Monterey and Malibu scenes have the scent of a sea breeze while the Palm Springs and Anza-Borrego scenes feature the scent of sagebrush.

Soarin' Over California is one of the most visited attractions at the entire Disneyland Resort (facing tough competition from fan favorites over at Disneyland) and usually has wait times from 30-150 minutes. However, the attraction is tied into the park's FASTPASS system, thus preventing the long wait. Also, the ride was originally going to have an all-Single Riders line, but the separate line has never been built, although a discreet sign near the FASTPASS return advertises a "Single Flyer" pass. The actual show is approximately five minutes long.

While waiting in line, guests can view portraits and biographical descriptions of people influential in aviation such as Amelia Earhart, Jack Northrop, and Chuck Yeager. The ride features an instructional "preboarding" video prior to guest entry into the theater. This video is hosted by Patrick Warburton.

[edit] Attraction facts

[edit] California Adventure

  • Grand opening: February 8, 2001 (Opened with Disney's California Adventure)
  • Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
  • Vehicle theme: Hang-glider
  • Height: 40 feet
  • Show length: 4:41
  • Height requirement: 40" (102 cm)
  • Number of riders per cycle: 87
  • Extra options:

[edit] Epcot

  • Grand opening: May 5, 2005
  • Designer: Walt Disney Imagineering
  • Height: 40 feet
  • Vehicle theme: Hang glider
  • Number of Riders: 87
  • Show length: 4:51
  • Height requirement: 40" (102 cm)
  • Sponsor: Nestlé
  • Previous Attractions: Kitchen Kabaret (1982- Jan. 3, 1994), Food Rocks (1994- Jan. 3, 2004), Green Thumb Emporium (Jan 3, 2004)

Currently, Soarin' shows the same footage flying over the state of California from Soarin' Over California, yet speculation persists that Walt Disney Imagineering will replace the current film in time for Epcot's twenty fifth anniversary. The only definite information about a new film is that it will certainly not feature Florida, though a Soarin' Over the World, which would tie in to World Showcase has not yet been discredited. The attraction uses the same instructional preboarding video prior to guest entry into the ride, modified to be Soarin' instead of Soarin' Over California.[citation needed]

[edit] Trivia

  • The score for Soarin' Over California and Soarin' was composed by Jerry Goldsmith, who is said to have come down from his first ride in tears. He thought the ride was visually beautiful and magical. "I'd do anything to be part of this project," he said, "I'd even score the film for free." The ride's score can be found on Music From Disney's California Adventure (2001 CD)
  • At the end of the ride, guests fly over Disneyland park at Christmas time, complete with a Christmas parade traveling down Main Street, U.S.A., decorations on Sleeping Beauty Castle, and special Christmas fireworks.
  • There is a Hidden Mickey on the golf ball, which is coincidentally launched by former Disney CEO Michael Eisner, reportedly a big fan of golf.[citation needed]
  • Another suppesed Hidden Mickey can be seen in three simultaneously fired fireworks as guests fly over Sleeping Beauty Castle.
  • Outside the ride building and in the hallways where guests are waiting to enter the main theater, march music from a variety of Hollywood action and war films is played, including the themes from Patton (also by Jerry Goldsmith),The Last Starfighter,Air Force One and Apollo 13.
  • The queue's music listing can be found here: Disney Music Loops: Soarin' Over California Queue Music
  • The aircraft carrier seen near San Diego, California, is USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74).
  • As the hang gliders descend back to the loading/unloading area, many people are so impressed with the attraction that they applaud at the end.
  • The area of the attraction is 59,895 square feet (includes ticketing area, Great Hall, skyway, Concourses 1 and 2, gate areas and two flight theaters)
  • The ride system is a Walt Disney Imagineering-developed motion-based technology, the original ride inception was based on an erector set model created by Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle.
  • Locations featured in the attraction include: San Francisco, Monterey Coast, Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs, San Diego, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Los Angeles, Malibu and Disneyland in Anaheim
  • The Soarin' film uses IMAX projection systems, with high-speed (48 fps) high definition Omni-max film projectors. That's twice the speed of normal motion picture film.
  • 87 Guests can ride per each ride cycle
  • The musical score for Soarin' Over California and Soarin' was composed by Jerry Goldsmith ("The Twilight Zone," "Mulan," "Air Force One," "Star Trek: First Contact"). He is said to have come down from his first ride in tears. He thought the ride was visually beautiful and magical. "I'd do anything to be part of this project," he said, "I'd even score the film for free."
  • At the end of the ride, guests fly over Disneyland park at Christmas time, complete with a Christmas parade traveling down Main Street, U.S.A., decorations on Sleeping Beauty Castle, and special Christmas fireworks.
  • Many guests mistakenly believe the ride depicts various scenes of Florida rather than the Californian landscape; in fact, a popular inquiry at Epcot's Guest Relations is from guests wondering why Cinderella Castle has been replaced with a smaller counterpart, as many guests think Disneyland is the nearby Magic Kingdom park.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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