Soarin' Around the World by Reece Smith

Soarin’ Around the World

By Reece Smith

Soarin’ Around the World is an amazing attraction located in EPCOT that got its own patent for the design of the actual ride where you sit down in a row of three rows in your column which is one of three. It will lift you up into the air in front of 180 degree 80 foot IMAX digital projection dome that will show you beautiful places from around the world, give you pleasant scents to smell, and listen to music based on the Academy Award-winner Jerry Goldsmith’s work. 

Some of those sites around the world that you’ll see are Matterhorn, The Great Wall of China, The Great Pyramids of Giza, Paris at the Eiffel Tower in the night, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Swiss Alps and Taj Mahal where you get to see part of the mountains from above the clouds, Sydney Australia and more. This amazing attraction makes you feel like you’re really there everytime that Matterhorn has come up for me on the ride I feel like I’m going to be able to kick snow off the top. Each and every location is unique and has its own extra thing going on in the background that makes the experience even more amazing. 

The attraction is located within the Land and while you go through the queue you can test your geography knowledge by playing The Soarin’ Challenge with those around you in the queue. The geography challenges though may be tough as they also include questions to do with culture and the people in certain areas. All of the places you see on the ride were recorded from people who travelled the world so it’s not fake or generated. With all of the background action you see instead people spent lots of time getting footage and then using what was best. 

This ride has been amazing every time I’ve gone on it and if you get the chance you should go and enjoy it as well you won’t be disappointed.  It’ll feel like you really went to those locations by teleporting almost. 

Also Soarin’ Around the World has Fastpass+ which is a queue that you have to get a fastpass for where it sets a time where you’re in line and you can get in line and usually the line is shorter unless the wait for that ride is like under 10 minutes. The rider has to be 40” in order to ride, so it’s good for older children and adults.  It is one of the most popular rides in EPCOT, but definitely worth the time in line.

Before it was changed to Soarin’ Around the World the first film was based on several locations in California and nearby because Soarin’ first debuted in California Adventure. Those locations consisted of Napa Valley, the Redwoods, the Golden Gate Bridge, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and more. While that may have been a great viewing to watch I like how they now have the film of places around the world.