Soarin’ Across America is the third iteration of the popular Soarin’ attraction, featured at both Epcot and California Adventure in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The new ride debuts to the public on May 26th at Epcot and July 2nd at Disney California Adventure. In this post, we review Soarin’ Across America including our thoughts on how it compares to the previous 2 Soarin’ attractions.

The first part of this post will stay largely spoiler free. I know many readers and guests would like to be surprised by the locations in the new film when they get to see it. With that in mind, I saved that section of the review for the bottom of the post under ‘Locations & Further Commentary’. Everything up to that point will review the new Soarin’ iteration in general terms, not getting into specific spots and not sharing any on-ride photos that Disney hasn’t already shared themselves.

My sentiments about the Soarin’ Cinematic Universe (SCU) echo most people that I’ve talked to. I adore the original version, Soarin’ Over California, and don’t love Soarin’ Around the World. The beauty and filming of the first iconic film is stripped away in favor of more CGI and abrupt, sometimes gimmicky, transitions in the second. There are times when Soarin’ Around the World just looks fake and that makes sense, doing a helicopter shot of the Taj Mahal and Great Wall of China isn’t easy!

Going into Soarin’ Across America, my hope was that the new iteration of the ride would get back to basics. More helicopter shots and fewer crooked towers that would become a punchline. Thankfully, that wish has come true. Soarin’ Across America is beautiful! There is still a slight level of artificialness to the first few scenes, at least to my eyes, but as the film moves along and focuses in on natural wonders it starts to, pardon the pun, soar.

Before we get into the nitty gritty of critiquing the new ride, let’s just get out of the way that this is very much still Soarin’. The ride vehicles are all the same, minimal adjustments have been made to the queue. There’s some new signage and a few prop birds hanging around. Heck, even the preshow is an update from our favorite senior flight attendant now promoted to captain, Patrick Warburton, before throwing it to his younger self. The ride pays nearly as much homage to the original version as it does to America.

That extends to the on-ride experience where several scene transitions feel as if they’re pulling straight from the Soarin’ Over California playbook. It works well. Speaking of transitions, there’s fewer things flying towards guests to get from one scene to the next. That’s an excellent change.

While there are still some CGI animals and other effects, that has been dramatically toned down from Soarin’ Around the World. The film really lets the locations speak for themselves, with minimal fluff thrown in. Some of the places the ride flies around do look a little wonky but that’s inevitable with a domed, massive screen. This isn’t an Eiffel Tower situation.

Another highlight, just like in Over California and Around the World, is the attraction’s score. Jerry Goldsmith’s original theme is beloved by all. Bruce Broughton played off of that theme and made it fit the different locations guests fly across. The music is triumphant while adding a little bit of regionality to the attraction.

I love the natural filming and beauty that Soarin’ Across America has but it’s not without some fault. Going back to Soarin’ Over California comparisons, this iteration is missing some of the wonder that the original has. A scene or two could use something like the fighter jets flying by or the scent of oranges. There’s less of a transportive feel and more of a “oh, that place is pretty” vibe. Most of the scents are retreads and none of them are as iconic as the orange grove. Again, letting these places speak for themselves isn’t a bad thing and there’s a really thin line between adding some excitement and getting too gimmicky. I’d rather this attraction play it safe in that regard, Soarin’ Across America certainly does that, just maybe to a fault.

My other nit to pick before getting to the locations is that there seems to be less movement in the actual ride. This could just be me, I have no science or facts to back this up. But in the three times I’ve rode Soarin’ Across America, I don’t get the hang gliding sensation nearly as much as the previous two iterations. That all ties into the ride feeling less transportive and more cinematic.

All of that makes our view of Soarin’ Across America mostly positive. I think this iteration is a return to form and a course correction from Soarin’ Around the World, a ride that is still liked but has obvious issues. If anything, the ride may have course corrected a little too much.

That puts Soarin’ Across America firmly as the second best Soarin’ film for me. I’ll happily ride it and there aren’t many faults when just watching the movie. It showcases so many locations and does a nice job of going from sea to sea, showing off the many different landscapes of America. That makes this new version a fitting tribute to the country’s 250th anniversary, even if the ride doesn’t reach the heights of Soarin’ Over California.

Locations & Further Commentary

Soarin’ Across America takes riders all over the country, dropping in on 13 different locations. That’s consistent with the previous 2 iterations of the ride.

The locations featured in Soarin’ Across America are:

• Kennedy Space Center in Florida
• New York Harbor
• Portland Head Light in Maine
• The National Mall and Washington Monument in Washington D.C.
• Louisiana Bayou
• Appalachian Railroad
• Mount Rushmore
• Grand Canyon
• The Great Plains
• Alaska (Denali)
• Waikiki, Hawaii
• Griffith Observatory and Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles
• Epcot (this will presumably be Disneyland in the California edition)

I don’t envy the Imagineers and creators that had to pick the 13 spots and I think nitpicking what should or shouldn’t have been included is silly. That doesn’t mean I won’t do a little bit of it, since I am silly, but, with so many options, there aren’t many right or wrong choices.

Generally speaking, Soarin’ Across America leans on more natural wonders than it does on cityscapes. That’s a good move as it just plays better to this style of movie and attraction. The middle section is pitch perfect, especially going from the Grand Canyon to the Great Plains to Denali. There’s a nice contrast in all 3 but a throughline of beautiful landscapes to explore. The Grand Canyon section of the ride might be the best scene, where the gliders rise and dip above the cliffs and down to the river.

Starting in New York and ending in LA makes a lot of sense. I, personally, would have loved to see one more city thrown in whether it be Chicago, New Orleans or a number of other choices. That’s more personal taste though.

Los Angeles confusingly gets two shots, one looking above the Griffith Observatory before a helicopter goes overhead and then takes you over the Hollywood sign with a view into Burbank. I thought for a second that the ride would end at the Walt Disney Studios since you can faintly make it out after going over the Hollywood sign but we’re whisked away to Epcot right after. Both LA shots look incredible so getting two isn’t a negative, it was just a surprise.

The attraction begins with a rocket ship taking off from Kennedy Space Center. I found the pacing there to be strange, as we’re mainly sitting stagnant watching the rocket takeoff before ascending to the clouds. Even if the pacing is a little off, it’s forgiven because watching rockets blastoff is very cool!

A few of the early scenes in the attraction do look like they’ve gotten a heavy CGI glow-up. Zooming past the Statue of Liberty and looking down on a red, white and blue fountain in New York Harbor is the fakest looking part of the ride. Even that looks much better than the worst parts of Soarin’ Around the World but it is a downgrade from the scenes that follow it.

The locations chosen give a sweeping look at the United States, showcasing different colors, mountains, water and more. For only having about 5 minutes, the ride shows the diverse landscapes and the vastness of America well. Soarin’ Across America is beautiful and a strong addition to both Epcot and California Adventure.

Are you excited to ride Soarin’ Across America? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! Planning a Disney trip? Check out our Travel Guides to help get you there! Here’s a link to discount tickets at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog via email or WordPress and like our social media pages. You can find all of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you very much for reading, we appreciate it!