Is Soarin' still Borin'?

[DisneyFr33k]

Ok, so we went on this ride the year it opened (several years ago) and weren't too impressed. This past trip, we tried it again, as we thought our initial impressions could be wrong.

Sorry, we still thought soarin' was still boring.

Anyone agree?

[PinKy]

I'm not sure that Soarin' is meant to be exciting... even fairly young children can ride with the child seats they have there. I think its beautiful - but maybe its just not your "cup of tea"? At Epcot, Mission Space is generally my DH's favorite ride - you might give that a whirl if you haven't already. Test Track is also a fun (but quick) ride and a unique view of the area - before you speed up anyway. LOL. Epcot is generally more show/atmosphere-oriented so there's not going to be lots of "excitement" all around but still, I'm sure you'll find something to keep you entertained.

[DizneyRox]

Soarin hasn't changed since it opened. It seems to be hit or miss with the smellerators however, but that's probably due to the maintenance budgets more than anything else.

It's one of my favorite rides at Epcot.

[Scar]

Went on it 4 times last week. As great as it's always been. :thumbsup:

[vicster]

We love Soarin!!!

[MNNHFLTX]

Well, it's not a thrill ride, but has it's own special kind of magic. One of my favorites also. :thumbsup:

[Madame Leona]

I'm not sure I would call it boring but I don't understand the hype. I usually ride it once a trip for my older son but stay with my younger son while the rest of the group takes repeat rides. If my son didn't love it so much, I would not miss if I didn't ride it.

[MOJoe]

Ok, so we went on this ride the year it opened (several years ago) and weren't too impressed. This past trip, we tried it again, as we thought our initial impressions could be wrong.

Sorry, we still thought soarin' was still boring.

Anyone agree?

I have a hard time understanding why you would call Soarin boring. It is such a unique ride. It's not a roller coaster. It's not a dark ride in a moving vehicle. It's not a 3-D movie. It's altogether different from the many homogenized WDW attractions. That uniqueness alone makes Soarin interesting.

I can see why some people would not like Soarin. Height issues, vertigo and such. Or if you have a poor view of the screen, off to the far right or left, i can see why you would not get the full effect. And having feet dangle in front of you can be a distraction. But boring? Really?

[Ian]

Can't say I agree ... it's one of my favorites! :mickey:

[badkitty]

Definitely not boring to me! Totally one of my favorites! :thumbsup: I fell in love with Soarin' Over California in DLR and still love the ride at EPCOT. It is mesmerizing!

[caryrae]

I'm not sure I would call it boring but I don't understand the hype.

:ditto:

To me it's not much different then other movies other places where the seats move except you are up in the air. We have been on it only 2 times, IMHO not worth the time that can be spent doing other things. Can't believe I have seen the wait time 2+ hours and people were waiting in line.

[BugeyedMuggy]

I wouldn't wait for 2 hours for any ride. We get a fast pass and wait about 10 mins. I really like the ride. With Disney it's not about the one moment of thrill. If that is what is needed I believe Universal is there for that (tho we have never been there)

[cather74]

Love it!!!:cloud9:

[Brian]

I don't find it boring at all. It's one of my favorite "new" rides in Disney World. We were just there this past week and, when we rode it, it even got applause at the end. I would describe it as "relaxing". :mickey:

[JPL]

I wouldn't call it boring but I understand where you are coming from. I rode it first in DCA back in 2003 and went on it multiple times with no wait at all. When it came to WDW I went on it a few times and still enjoy it but it's definitely not a must do for me. If I can get a Fastpass I will ride it if not no big deal. Now if they changed up the film I might be more interested in it.

[A Big Kid]

This is my wife's only "must ride." She gigles the whole time. Therefore, as long as she is riding it, its a "must ride" for me.

[DisneyFr33k]

I have a hard time understanding why you would call Soarin boring. It is such a unique ride. It's not a roller coaster. It's not a dark ride in a moving vehicle. It's not a 3-D movie. It's altogether different from the many homogenized WDW attractions. That uniqueness alone makes Soarin interesting.

I can see why some people would not like Soarin. Height issues, vertigo and such. Or if you have a poor view of the screen, off to the far right or left, i can see why you would not get the full effect. And having feet dangle in front of you can be a distraction. But boring? Really?

Yes, really. The feet hanging in front of us really does detract from the experience. And, even though it is relaxing, doesn't do more than that. I am just expressing our reaction to the hype we've read about how wonderful it is.... we were really let down.


:ditto:

To me it's not much different then other movies other places where the seats move except you are up in the air. We have been on it only 2 times, IMHO not worth the time that can be spent doing other things. Can't believe I have seen the wait time 2+ hours and people were waiting in line.

Thank you! Now I don't feel like I've been abducted by aliens to formulate my opinion!


I wouldn't wait for 2 hours for any ride. We get a fast pass and wait about 10 mins. I really like the ride. With Disney it's not about the one moment of thrill. If that is what is needed I believe Universal is there for that (tho we have never been there)

We just got back from there (US). Yes, thrill rides, but not the Disney feel. Disney has the market for that magical feeling. I hope Disney can add more of those thrill rides to make the total package!

[Gator]

Boring? Is this any realtion to the MK being boring? Let's hope this doesn't get drawn out like that one. Anyway, I guess it can be a little dull to someone looking for drops and turns and twists. But I think you miss the point of the ride. It's like actually hangliding over California. You can feel the wind, smell the oranges, and hear and see fireworks in the sky in front of you. It's a great "experience", and that's what Disney's all about.

[Briansmom]

We Love, Love, Love Soarin'! Our special DS calls it 'Flying" and giggles the whole time we are on it!
Sorry you don't get the same awesome experience with it...

[JerseyDad]

.....I still smile like a 5 yr old after I ride Soarin!! Although it's not a "thrill-ride" (because it doesn't rattle your innards from one side of your bod to the other)....I'm still thrilled at how you feel "like you're there"...when all the sensory features that Disney designed into this attraction....really grab hold of me. Luv It!!! :thumbsup:

[linedropper]

Soarin is my favorite ride in DW, The music is great and I love the feel! Wish you felt it to, but it is DW to me!

[frozman]

Wouldn't call it boring, but I wish they'd change the ride film to something either Florida, USA, or World (earth) related. I love the ride, it's perfect for California Adventure, but not Epcot (in florida).
Just seems kinda cheap to me.

[btharvey]

We have to ride at least once ... yes, it's California-oriented, but who cares?

The thrill isn't the excitement, it's the lift-off, the tilting, the breeze, and (when working) the smells.

Just a nifty experience!

[DisneyFr33k]

Wouldn't call it boring, but I wish they'd change the ride film to something either Florida, USA, or World (earth) related. I love the ride, it's perfect for California Adventure, but not Epcot (in florida).
Just seems kinda cheap to me.

Maybe that is what we are feeling... it needs an upgrade to include sites around the US or other regions of the world. I'd ride it again if I could not see feet in front of me (like I truly was hang gliding) and maybe soar over the great pyramids of Egypt or the Great Wall of China!

[Mogie]

I think Soarin' would be much better if they made more than one version of the video. Maybe it can change at random, or change seasonally. It seems like its just an IMAX video that isn't terribly expensive to make, and only needs a little CGI here and there. The ride itself is great I think not a thrill ride, but definitely something different. I guess the Harry Potter Ride took the Soarin technology to another level...I'm sure we'll be seeing something similar in Disney someday soon.

[darthmacho]

Tried it for the first time this summer, and I feared it might be overrated, but to be honest, I believe it lived up to the hype. I generally don't care for simulators, but this was completely different than any other ride I've been on.
I definately did not find it boring. :mickey:

[elmjimmlm]

It is a thrilling ride for me but the again I don't ride EE or Tot or any of the other thrill rides so this as exciting as I get...I LOVE Soarin and I would ride it over and over if they would let me...

[SelfmadeWade]

This ride is always a must-do for us as well. I think its extreme popularity can be attributed to the fact that it's something at Epcot that the ENTIRE family (all members from 8-80) can do together and actually enjoy.

[MNNHFLTX]

Wouldn't call it boring, but I wish they'd change the ride film to something either Florida, USA, or World (earth) related. I love the ride, it's perfect for California Adventure, but not Epcot (in florida).
Just seems kinda cheap to me.You know, I've thought about them updating the film to make the focus Florida too, but after living there for a number of years, I just don't think it has enough diverse features to make such a film interesting. Yes, I could see them showing footage of the Everglades or Keys, the beaches, Space Shuttle launch pads (although I guess that will be a moot point soon) and maybe Miami and WDW (of course). But there are no mountains, waterfalls, deserts and very few (if any) rivers that look like anything more than a glorified swamp And, incidentally, no cliffs that would make the idea of actually hang-gliding in Florida even feasible.

I do like the idea of updating it to include various sites around the U.S. or the world. Now that would make it even more interesting!

[Ian]

Yeah, since it's in Epcot which is a theme park with an international flair, I think a Soarin' Over the World theme would make more sense.

Personally, I think doing a segment for each country that's part of World Showcase would be kind of cool.

And yes I know it's not actually located in World Showcase, but let's face it ... it's located in The Land Pavilion in Future World where it really doesn't fit very well either since it has absolutely nothing to do with "The Land" or "The Future."

[MCeee]

Not borin... relaxin...
Its extremely popular because there are still a good number of people who simply don't like and/or can't handle thrill rides (some of whom are my very close friends). Although EE and ToT are my personal favorites, I still love Soarin... cuz my scaredy cat friends and I can ride it together.;)

[WDWPrincess]

Soarin is wonderful. I can think of many othe attractions that I would consider Boring.

[bdm@pga]

I love Soarin...its my daughters favorite ride....however, I think it would be so much better if they changed it in WDW to Soarin over Florida..they could use a lot of the same smells..but how cool would it be to have the soarin footage of flying over the other parks!

[phlo8810]

We love soarin! A must do. Plus putty's in it so it can't be that bad. If only everyone would feel it's boring then the line wouldn't be as bad.

[BrerGnat]

... it has absolutely nothing to do with "The Land"

Care to elaborate Ian? How, exactly, does it NOT have to do with "The Land"?

The ENTIRE ride has to do with "The Land"...

Except, it's just a small piece of the land available on the planet. :)

I agree that they should change the movie for the Epcot version. I think it's cheap how they just dropped the "Over California" from the name of the ride. It's STILL Soarin over California...

[MarkC]

I agree that its totally boring. In fact, all of WDW is boring. Please start passing the word around that the place is not worth visiting. Then by the time we go again (probably next fall) word will have spread all over and we will have the parks almost to ourselves to be bored for hours on end. :mickey:

[Buttercup]

I agree that its totally boring. In fact, all of WDW is boring. Please start passing the word around that the place is not worth visiting. Then by the time we go again (probably next fall) word will have spread all over and we will have the parks almost to ourselves to be bored for hours on end. :mickey:
ha ha ha ha :thumbsup: Good plan!

It's not boring. It's RELAXING. ;) That's why I love it.

[Pagan]

Ok, so we went on this ride the year it opened (several years ago) and weren't too impressed. This past trip, we tried it again, as we thought our initial impressions could be wrong.

Sorry, we still thought soarin' was still boring.

Anyone agree?
Nope.

[DisneyFr33k]

Personally, I think doing a segment for each country that's part of World Showcase would be kind of cool.


I love this idea!!!

[DisneyFr33k]

It's not boring. It's RELAXING. ;) That's why I love it.

I agree, it is relaxing, but not worth the long waits that have been posted for the trips we've been there. We used Fast Pass for our last try and were glad. It just wasn't our "cup of tea". If they shook it up a bit and offered looks of different parts of the world, we'd definitely try it again!

[DisneyFr33k]

I agree that its totally boring. In fact, all of WDW is boring. Please start passing the word around that the place is not worth visiting. Then by the time we go again (probably next fall) word will have spread all over and we will have the parks almost to ourselves to be bored for hours on end. :mickey:

Funny! But, sorry, we LOVE Disney and will return again and again! We just want Disney to keep up with the technology changes other near by parks are already using in their rides. Keep it fresh and new, for those of us that are repeat visitors. I know we are in the minority (per the Imagineer we dined with last week saying... most visitors are first timers), but it would keep us wanting more and more if they did.

[LauraF]

I wouldn't call it BORING as much as 'not worth the wait'. I like the ride well enough, but I don't get the hype over it. If I don't ride it on a trip, I don't miss it.

No matter - let folks stay in line there so I can go on what I want! :mickey:

[JerseyDad]

This is JerseyDad's wife, I'm on his computer. Let me put in a word for liking the California theme of Soarin'. I am already in Florida at WDW; I have never been to California. I love that it shows me that side of the country. This is definitely one of my favorite parts of WDW.

[MickyLuver]

I really like Soarin, but I have to ride in row 1 to get the total experience. I let my imagination go and I don't take my focus off the screen (although, they do need to get the static threads, and other distractions off the film). The feet are too much of a distraction if I am in the other rows, but I do enjoy the ride, just more in row 1. :thumbsup:

I took my sister on Soarin for her first ride in August. I made sure we were in row 1 and she had a delightful experience and wanted to ride a second time. I don't believe she would have 'bought' into the experience if she were not in row 1 during her first ride.
It is a must do on my sister's list and mine.

[eeyorepoohfan]

My husband and I first rode this at DCA shortly after it opened. My sister and her family had raved about it and said we must ride it, it's their favorite! My DH and I rode it and weren't as impressed as I thought we would be. Maybe we were thinking there would be a lot more to it. Who knows? But my DH and I got the opportunity to ride again at DCA within the next year. For some reason, we both really loved it! Whenever we go to DCA or EPCOT, it is on our must do at least once. I won't wait hours for it, so we usually grab a fast pass for it first thing in the morning and then hop in the stand by line. We really enjoy noticing things we've missed in the film (and finding the hidden Mickey's). We do love front row and center for the best viewing. I'm thinking that the first time we rode it we must have been lower and off to a side. So for my DH and I, it's a must do. For my sisters, their DHs, and their kids, it's a must do! The only person who didn't like it was my mom and that's because she gets motion sick! She tried once, and I made sure they put her in the bottom corner so she could easily look at something stationary if needed, but still felt a little icky after. Needless to say, she doesn't ride much at Disney, but really enjoys the shows, parades, and fireworks!

[Joannelet]

I love this ride. I do not think it is boring at all. I have never been hang gliding but this seems pretty close as to what it would feel like :)
And I have to say that I love seeing people's feet hanging! I suffer from vertigo at times and this is the only thing that helps with that. I focus on feet while enjoying the scenes :)
I agree that they should do scenes around the U.S. and or the world....but it is expensive to make. I remember somewhere it was listed how much it cost to do that and it was crazy expensive to film. That is why they just left both with California scenes.

[DisneyFr33k]

No matter - let folks stay in line there so I can go on what I want! :mickey:

I like the way you are thinking!! :)

[Goes4FastPass]

Is "Boring" the new catch-word to put in a topic title?

This just in: Ketchup is boring.

Does anyone else think sunshine is boring?

Is it me or is Donald Duck boring?

Is it any wonder that after months of anticipation we travel to Orlando, get all the way to the entrance of Finding Nemo the Musical only to have a child fold her arms, frown and inform us "Fish are boring."?

But since you asked, we love Soarin' but I'd like to see the movie periodically change.

[2Epcot]

I had friend from out of town here last week and we rode it at DCA. Their kids loved it, and wanted to do it again. Luckily the lines were almost non-existent, so were able to get right back on again within minutes. I rode it when DCA opened, and can still enjoy back-to-back rides on it today. I don't find it boring at all.

[PopPhan]

Sorry to hear all this 'boring' stuff -- We now live in a world of adrenaline junkies that, if not constantly bombarded with high impact sensory input, think things are boring.

People need to slow down, take a breath, and enjoy things for what they are.

JMTCW

[Victor Kelly]

For my wife and I, the reason for the hype was questionable. That being said, we thought the experience was very positive, entertaining, and impressive especially on scale and with the effects of wind and smell.

WE do a fair amount of theme and amusement sparks. So we rate rides by wait times. Is a ride worth X amount of minutes wait. And the system is unique to us based upon our likes and dislikes.

Soarin is worth tops a 30 miute wait time. If fastpass is available then of course we would do standby then return with fastpass. More than a 30 minute wait, not for us sorry.

It is a must see for us. In fact first on the list of things to do. But if the wait is too long later in the day, cuz we been there done that.

Other than crazy wait times, we have nothing bad to say about Soarin.

[ltjrrich]

Yes, really. The feet hanging in front of us really does detract from the experience. And, even though it is relaxing, doesn't do more than that. I am just expressing our reaction to the hype we've read about how wonderful it is.... we were really let down.

I agree completely. I went to WDW this past January for the first time in 7 years with my girlfriend who had never been, and we were both looking forward to Soarin' based on how great we heard it was. We were both incredibly disappointed in the ride, because it seemed so poorly executed. I didn't feel like I was hangliding at all. What it felt like was sitting on a bench in a warehouse suspended from the ceiling while watching the feet of the people in front of me. That was such a letdown. Disney typically does so well with the theming of rides and making sure that the riders feel totally immersed in the experience. Seeing the feet of the other riders really ruined it for me.

It was like at US back when they had the BTTF ride, and you could look out the sides of your DeLorean and see all the other DeLoreans in the theater. It ruined the experience. I just don't understand the appeal of Soarin', and by no means am I a fan of thrill rides. Soarin' shoud be exactly the kind of ride I like. It's just poorly themed and poorly executed.

[JerseyDad]

Yes, really. The feet hanging in front of us really does detract from the experience. And, even though it is relaxing, doesn't do more than that. I am just expressing our reaction to the hype we've read about how wonderful it is.... we were really let down.


I agree completely. I went to WDW this past January for the first time in 7 years with my girlfriend who had never been, and we were both looking forward to Soarin' based on how great we heard it was. We were both incredibly disappointed in the ride, because it seemed so poorly executed. I didn't feel like I was hangliding at all. What it felt like was sitting on a bench in a warehouse suspended from the ceiling while watching the feet of the people in front of me. That was such a letdown. Disney typically does so well with the theming of rides and making sure that the riders feel totally immersed in the experience. Seeing the feet of the other riders really ruined it for me.

It was like at US back when they had the BTTF ride, and you could look out the sides of your DeLorean and see all the other DeLoreans in the theater. It ruined the experience. I just don't understand the appeal of Soarin', and by no means am I a fan of thrill rides. Soarin' shoud be exactly the kind of ride I like. It's just poorly themed and poorly executed.


....note to Disney Imagineers: You needed to add 6"-8" of spacing between the rows of seats...so that when they "go vertical"...some long legged person's tootsies don't partly hang in front of someone's eyes...and thus stop them from being able to suspend disbelief for 5 minutes

....note to genetic engineers: Start working on a way to shorten the next generation's legs.;)

[PopPhan]

....note to Disney Imagineers: You needed to add 6"-8" of spacing between the rows of seats...so that when they "go vertical"...some long legged person's tootsies don't partly hang in front of someone's eyes...and thus stop them from being able to suspend disbelief for 5 minutes

....note to genetic engineers: Start working on a way to shorten the next generation's legs.;)

How about just reversing the "car" stagger? Top level should be either even with, or slightly further back, than the second level, and the second level should be even with, or slightly further back than the lower level. It would only need to be a few inches, but would eliminate looking at feet or parts of another "car".....

[wxsmwhrms]

My favorite ride at WDW, hands down.

[elephant rider]

Is "Boring" the new catch-word to put in a topic title?



I think people may be using the term boring when they enjoy something, but just don't feel that it has lived up to the massive hype associated with it.
So you go in thinking - if people are waiting 2 hours, it must be the greatest attraction ever. When you aren't blown away it becomes "boring".

[DisneyFr33k]

I think people may be using the term boring when they enjoy something, but just don't feel that it has lived up to the massive hype associated with it.
So you go in thinking - if people are waiting 2 hours, it must be the greatest attraction ever. When you aren't blown away it becomes "boring".

Excatly - plus it ryhmed with Soarin'! ;)

Not to divert away from Soarin', but the same thing happened after reading how wonderful dole whips are here in Intercot. We were so excited to try them. And when we did, they were just alright.

Sometimes when things don't meet an expectation, we're left feeling disappointed.

[2Epcot]

My first time riding Soarin' I was luckily enough to be on the first row center, so I never saw any feet in front of me. I used to ask to be in that position quite a bit after that, but now usually if I'm alone or with frequent visitors I just take whatever I get.

Anytime I'm taking someone on Soarin' for the first time, which I do quite a bit, I make sure we end up in the front of the center section. I always like people's first impression of Soarin' to be the same one that I had.

[Imagineer1981]

My problem was that it was SOOOO hyped that by the time I rode it, I thought it was Borin' and was let down. I think its a great ride, but nothing worth the hype.

Then again, I had the same problem with Avatar. I didn't see it until 2 months after it came out, and I thought it was an ok film with a predictable plot and amazing graphics. Not the best i've ever seen, but not the worst.

[boobalk]

As much as we like Soarin, not everyone who goes to WDW lives in California. So, I say let's "plus it" a bit, and refurb it to be "Soarin over America". From coast to coast, w/all the major landmarks and vistas, and end up w/Wishes @ WDW! :thumbsup:

[Bellerella]

Ok, so we went on this ride the year it opened (several years ago) and weren't too impressed. This past trip, we tried it again, as we thought our initial impressions could be wrong.

Sorry, we still thought soarin' was still boring.

Anyone agree?

I'm sorry everyone, but I completely agree! To me it just felt like sitting really close to a TV screen in the air. I think it jumped around too quickly, maybe if they made it more realistic? I enjoyed the smell of the orange groves but that is about it. :shrug: