Soarin' question...

[jokat]

Hi all! I was reading another post about the height restriction on Soarin' and it got me thinking...is this ride for me? The ride is new since our last trip, so I've never even seen it. I believe I understand the premise of the ride, but the other post mentioned that the "front row" of chairs (lifts?) can be up 40 feet or more. ??

I am someone who just loves the roller coasters at WDW, including RRC, SM, BTM, etc. ToT makes me very nervous, but I normally ride it anyway and am glad I did once I'm off the ride. :thumbsup: However, at our state fair we hopped on the skyway thing (like the old Skyways at MK, I believe) and I about freaked out. It was pretty high, we were in a vehicle that moved very slowly along a wire at the top, there was a lap bar and our feet hung. We would also pass other vehicles going the opposite direction. I absolutely hated it and I couldn't wait to get off that wretched thing. :blush: Do you think I would enjoy Soarin'??

[ibrowse17]

You will love it. You never get the feeling of being 40 feet in the air, as the scenes on the screen dominate your senses. Give it a try, but go early and get a FP.

[MinnieMommie]

Sounds as if you were in an open space like a chair lift at a ski resort. Sorin does not have the same feel. You feel enclosed. I never have an open air feeling but feel more part of the experience - sort of like virtual reality. :mickey:

[kadesha]

i started the thread that your speaking of, and I must say,I'm having second thoughts myself. I'm terrified of heights, so I'm not sure this is the ride for me. :(

[Kairi_7378]

I'm not crazy about gondola rides or ski lifts, but I did not have a problem on Soarin'. In fact, I didn't realize that we were 40 feet in the air until I read about it on Intercot a week later. When you are on Soarin' the theater is very dark, and you are close to the IMAX screen so you don't realize how far up you are. You don't swing and bounce around like you do on a gondola ride, and you aren't dangling. The chairs move to create something similar to stadium seating, where you have an unobstructed view of the screen.

[Raye3201]

I had the sensation of being very high up on Soarin' when I rode it. I could see the CM down on the ground to the right, and she was far below us! I am afraid of heights, and I must say I was really frightened the first time I rode it because I was also thinking that the chair was going to tilt forward - it never did.
I rode the ride almost every day during our vacation after the first experience and it is definitely one of my favorites now.:mickey:

[dumbo ears]

i am not a big fan of skyway type things but soarin is so awesome that you don't even look down because you just want to keep your eyes on the screen

[DizneyRox]

While I would normally say that everyone should at least try a ride once, if you didn't like being in a skyway with your feet dangling, I'm thinking you're not going to like Soarin'.

You absolutely are up in the air, and possibly at least 40 feet. I'm not certain, but 40 feet seems a little low, there are three levels of vehicles and even the bottom row is probably about 10-15 feet off the ground.

There are scenes where you are flying over a mountain range, so you're certainly feeling like your way up. With wind blowing and whatnot the sensation is certainly there and it might be hard to remove yourself from the feelings.

I don't think there is an option to stay on the ground and see Soarin'. There are a few movies in circulation on the net of the Soarin' movie. You might want to check those out. Remember that you need to add that you're in a hang glider type contraption while you're watching that.

Good luck in your decision...

[caryrae]

Every where I look it says Soarin's top row is about 40 feet high the height of a 4 story building, middle about 25 feet of ground, and bottom about 10 feet of ground. Just ask to be in the bottom (which is the back row when you first get on the ride) then you won't be that high.

16 April 2005: The making of Soarin' - facts and info

Location: Epcot, The Land presented by Nestlé USA

Area of attraction: 59,895 square feet (includes ticketing area, Great Hall, skyway, Concourses 1 and 2, gate areas and two flight theaters)

Great Hall: Before boarding, guests pass through the Great Hall where five of Earth's biomes are depicted in 20-foot-wide panoramas, along with interesting facts and quizzes displayed on large flat-screen monitors. The featured environments are: polar ecosystem, mountain ecosystem, desert ecosystem, rain forest ecosystem, temperate (deciduous) forest ecosystem.

Flight experience: A breathtaking glide over the majestic and diverse natural wonders of California

Duration of ride: The Soarin' experience, including pre-flight briefing, is ten minutes. The Soarin' flight lasts approximately five minutes.

Locations featured: 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

Scents experienced: Orange blossoms, pine forests and ocean spray

Music: Orchestral musical score created by renowned film and television composer Jerry Goldsmith ("Mulan," "Air Force One," "Star Trek: First Contact")

Projection system: IMAX projection system, with high-speed (48fps) high definition Omni-max film projectors (twice the speed of normal motion picture film)

Size of projection screen dome: 80-foot diameter

Ride system: 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.

Height guests are lifted into screen: 40 feet

Total number of guests per each ride cycle: 87

Queuing options: Standby line, singles line, FASTPASS

Minimum guest height requirement: 40 inches

Accessible: Guests in wheelchairs must transfer from their wheelchairs to experience this attraction.

[Niecyboo]

Everybody is different. My daughter can ride any roller coaster in the park, and she is terrified of Swiss Family Tree House because of heights! She loves Soarin' though, and she was concerned at first as well.

Just to be certain, I would definitely ask to be on the bottom row the first time. You don't feel as high up, and if the movie's heights bother you, you can look away. We haven't even ridden the top row yet, and I think that may be too much for us, but the bottom is great.

[battle beast]

It's not scary. YOu are too wrapped up in the video to notice the height!

[mouseketeer mom]

Its thrilling in a peaceful, beautiful, exhilerating way! Its not scary, or white knuckle thrilling at all! Its a thrill for your soul, just breathtaking, our absolute favorite, hands down. We range in age from 7-47. We all agree that its our favorite.

[jokat]

Hugely helpful...thank you! Especially caryrae, awesome detail! I have plenty of time to agonize over the decision but I think I'll definitely ask for the back row the first time around! :sick: Just to be safe...