Soarin' Over California

Well, you will believe you are soarin anyways by the time you get halfway through this pretty incredible ride. My wife and I almost didn't try it. I have a heart condition called A-Fib (flutter & racing of the heart) which can act up if I get overly excited or nervous. When I read the warnings about steep drops and high flying, I was a bit nervous. After settling in our seats, we spoke to some people next to us who had been on the ride and they assured us it was nothing to worry about. They were right.

Soarin takes you into the skies across California. Getting to your glider seat is half the battle however. The lines are usually long for this ride as it's one of the favorites at Epcot (The Land). Get your XPress Pass ticket immediately if you can. When we got their all the XPress pass tickets for the day were gone. So we had to wait almost 80mins just to ride a 6-7min ride. Not fun. Is it worth it? Yes, if you've never rode this ride before. If you have, you may want to pass or try to get on it later in the day when the wait time is less then 45mins.

The whole front entrance of the ride is set up like an airport terminal. There are travel agent reps behind the desks and in front of the doors. Once you get to the entrance to the ride, there is a monitor above you. You are greeted by Patrick "Pre-Flight Instructor" played by Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld & Rules of Engagement). He wittily give you instructions on buckling up and storing your loose items. Once the doors open, you are greeted by more Soarin reps who guide you to your seat which are attached to a hanging unit. The units have no floors, allowing passengers' legs to dangle. After riders secure their seat belts, a roof swings down over each unit to both provide the illusion of a hang glider and to focus passengers' field of vision on the huge, domed Omnimax screen ahead. Once everyone is secured, the 9 units (10 seats each) is lifted up to the front of the Omnimax screen. The screen lights up with you flying across the San Francisco bay and over the Golden Gate bridge. The scenes change from Yosemite Falls and Anzo-Borrega Desert to a Sierra' ski resort and California redwoods. The units use large blowing fans to give the effect of wind in your face. It also uses the motion technology effect used in Star Tours and Star Trek Experience to make you feel like the chair is thrusting forward at a large rate of speed. It does this several times when the glider dives down. It's very exhilarating and effective. If you don't look away from the screen, you do really feel like you're soaring across California. It's a breathtaking experience and must be tried at least once (or twice even). Kids who are 10yrs and older will love this ride. It's more relaxing and refreshing, then anything else. We took my sister-in-law and her son on it. They thought it was cool, but not worth the long wait. Meh, they are into crazy roller-coaster rides, so I can understand why they would think that. This is a must ride though, that has to be tried at least once. If you enjoyed other motion-sensored rides like Star Trek Experience or Star Tours, you're going to love "Soarin'"

If you go to Disney's California Adventures or Epcot, you have to check out this wonderful ride. It's fun for the whole family.