Soarin' Over California - A Review

[skimouse]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

Agree with other posters, the queue is a 6/10 at best.

The ride is a good solid 9/10 - one of the single best rides in the whole DLR, IMO. Original, great for all ages, inspiring.

Sure there are ways it could have been made even better - that's true of every ride in the park. But for me, this is one of the few recently added attractions that stands up against the classics.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

What is the story being told?

[ChessurInWonderland]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

Gotta question a 9 out of 10 for Soarin's sorry queue. If that's a 9, Indy and Roger Rabbit would have to get something like 25 out of 10!

Funny.. I questioned why it wasnt a 10/10, because I think it's themed really well, at least the indoor portion. The cloud video is fun to watch, too, while waiting. And you gotta love Puddy!

[vfire]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

The first hallway of the indoor queue is quite nice with the aviator history. If they had continued that for the hallways after the turn it would have been much nicer as they now are as barren and boring as can be.

[skimouse]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

What is the story being told?

I don't know that every ride has to tell a linear story. (Matterhorn? Jungle Cruise? Space Mountain? Small World? BTMRR?)

I would say that Soarin' does a superb job of depicting the scenic beauty and diversity of California - while giving guests a unique physical experience that is as close to hang-gliding as 99% of them will ever get.

Sure, the ride system COULD be used to deliver a story (for example, it might be a great way to experience Peter Pan or Mary Poppins or UP)...but I don't think it really takes away from the ride that it doesn't happen to. Of course, I'd love to see a E-ticket dark ride that had a version of the ride system that could move from room to room...heck, maybe that could be the first "F-ticket"!

[plagued]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

i don't like how Tink is at the end..

[ChessurInWonderland]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

I don't know that every ride has to tell a linear story. (Matterhorn? Jungle Cruise? Space Mountain? Small World? BTMRR?)

I would say that Soarin' does a superb job of depicting the scenic beauty and diversity of California - while giving guests a unique physical experience that is as close to hang-gliding as 99% of them will ever get.

Sure, the ride system COULD be used to deliver a story (for example, it might be a great way to experience Peter Pan or Mary Poppins or UP)...but I don't think it really takes away from the ride that it doesn't happen to. Of course, I'd love to see a E-ticket dark ride that had a version of the ride system that could move from room to room...heck, maybe that could be the first "F-ticket"!

Big Thunder Mountain is known as having too much of a story and no room for imagination, actually. And Jungle Cruise pretty much has a story, if you pay attention to the queue and what the Skippers say

[startours1]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

It should be a 10/10, it all depends on where your sitting on the attraction. The inside seats are the best, while the outside seats aren't that great. I have to give the attraction a 9 cause of that.

[Datameister]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

I agree with those who would give the queue/preshow/loading experience a significantly lower score than the attraction. It's kept nice and clean, and the aviation photos are rather interesting, and there is something fascinating about staring into a gargantuan, spherical BSOD (I'm serious!), but the queue as a whole fails to immerse me in any sort of coherent narrative, environment, or even mood that's consistent with the attraction. At best, it's a nice photo gallery with pleasant music; at worst, it's a showcase of undisguised ride technology that's not supposed to be visible from the onstage experience.

Yes, I know how to fix it, but I'm holding onto my written ideas, models, and concept art until I'm applying for a job at WDI.

[Coheteboy]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

i don't like how Tink is at the end..

I don't like how it's Christmas at Disneyland no matter what time of year it is. It's as if they gave us the "holiday overlay" to start!

[DCACM]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

There is no real linear storyline to Soarin'. It is, and is supposed to be a simulator.

The back story to Condor Flats is that it was an abandon air field that was taken over, restored and opened as a tourist spot by the "California Aviators Association" (CAA).

Condor Flats was conceived by the CAA as a place to honor the pioneers of aviation and to share their passion for aviation with visitors to the air field.

The various hangars and garages were renovated to include shops, restaurants and various Guest facilities. The largest of the hangars was where the flight simulator was constructed.

The interior of SoC is intentionally simple and understated as it is paying homage to CA's aviation pioneers... there were a few big items that were nixed due to budgetary concerns like a large screen (think Seasons of the Vine) behind the "Merge Point" showing a landing strip with the aircraft depicted in the photos in the hallway taking off and landing... the overhead skylights and cloud window were also supposed to have projected images of aircraft flying overhead. The Concourses were once slated to have more photos on the walls... the track-lighting strip was installed and is still hanging overhead... look up next time.

There is actually a lot of themeing to Condor Flats... ask one of the shop keepers at the Fly'n'Buy about the cars and fuel canisters and why are all the clocks stopped at the same time?... notice the garages and hangars each represent a different era of aviation (arranged in a chronological clockwise order starting with the "Fly 'n' Buy" and ending with "Taste Pilot's Grill")... lots of authentic props as well, from the booster in the Taste Pilot dining area, to the Cessna, to the portable control tower (peek inside the windows), to the Marston mats used as a retaining wall.

Next time you're in Condor Flats, ask one of the Soarin' aviators, we'll share... and if time permits, we can even give you a mini tour of the area.

[SunBurst]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

Be glad we don't have the WDW version's queue, airport terminal theme and all.

If nothing else, the music makes the ride worth it to me.

[Coheteboy]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

There is no real linear storyline to Soarin' it is, and is supposed top be a simulator.

The back story to Condor Flats is that it was an abandon air field that was taken over, restored and opened as a tourist spot by the "California Aviators Association" (CAA).

Condor Flats was conceived by the CAA as a place to honor the pioneers of aviation and to share their passion for aviation with visitors to the air field.

The various hangars and garages were renovated to include shops, restaurants and various Guest facilities. The largest of the hangars was where the flight simulator was constructed.

The interior of SoC is intentionally simple and understated as it is paying homage to CA's aviation pioneers... there were a few big items that were nixed due to budgetary concerns like a large screen (think Seasons of the Vine) behind the "Merge Point" showing a landing strip with the aircraft depicted in the photos in the hallway taking off and landing... the overhead skylights and cloud window were also supposed to have projected images of aircraft flying overhead. The Concourses were once slated to have more photos on the walls... the track-lighting strip was installed and is still hanging overhead... look up next time.

There is actually a lot of themeing to Condor Flats... ask one of the shop keepers at the Fly'n'Buy about the cars and fuel canisters and why are all the clocks stopped at the same time?... notice the garages and hangars each represent a different era of aviation (arranged in a chronological clockwise order starting with the "Fly 'n' Buy" and ending with "Taste Pilot's Grill")... lots of authentic props as well, from the booster in the Taste Pilot dining area, to the Cessna, to the portable control tower (peek inside the windows), to the Marston mats used as a retaining wall.

Next time you're in Condor Flats, ask one of the Soarin' aviators, we'll share... and if time permits, we can even give you a mini tour of the area.

Good post!

I've always appreciated the Condor Flats area since the opening of DCA and felt that there was so much more potential for this land than many of the others.

The stuff you mention that got cut would have helped quite a bit flesh Soarin out a lot more.

[Disneytwins]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

One thing I really don't like about SOC is the deterioration of the film over time. The film looks to grainy and unrealistic now.

[Mac Daddy]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

Nice idea for threads to talk about the older attractions but yah, I gotta agree with Bee. If overall is 10/10, where were you sitting?

This isn't a great experience if you're not on Bravo section Row 1.

Bravo section, row 1 totally rocks. :thumbup: We always wait for it, even if it means an extra 10 minutes or so.

[DCACM]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

One thing I really don't like about SOC is the deterioration of the film over time. The film looks to grainy and unrealistic now.

We go through about 4-6 prints per year... you must always visit around the end of a print's life. Image quality is also affected by dirty screens, which are supposed to be cleaned monthly.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

There is no real linear storyline to Soarin'. It is, and is supposed to be a simulator.

The back story to Condor Flats is that it was an abandon air field that was taken over, restored and opened as a tourist spot by the "California Aviators Association" (CAA).

Condor Flats was conceived by the CAA as a place to honor the pioneers of aviation and to share their passion for aviation with visitors to the air field.

The various hangars and garages were renovated to include shops, restaurants and various Guest facilities. The largest of the hangars was where the flight simulator was constructed.

The interior of SoC is intentionally simple and understated as it is paying homage to CA's aviation pioneers... there were a few big items that were nixed due to budgetary concerns like a large screen (think Seasons of the Vine) behind the "Merge Point" showing a landing strip with the aircraft depicted in the photos in the hallway taking off and landing... the overhead skylights and cloud window were also supposed to have projected images of aircraft flying overhead. The Concourses were once slated to have more photos on the walls... the track-lighting strip was installed and is still hanging overhead... look up next time.

There is actually a lot of themeing to Condor Flats... ask one of the shop keepers at the Fly'n'Buy about the cars and fuel canisters and why are all the clocks stopped at the same time?... notice the garages and hangars each represent a different era of aviation (arranged in a chronological clockwise order starting with the "Fly 'n' Buy" and ending with "Taste Pilot's Grill")... lots of authentic props as well, from the booster in the Taste Pilot dining area, to the Cessna, to the portable control tower (peek inside the windows), to the Marston mats used as a retaining wall.

Next time you're in Condor Flats, ask one of the Soarin' aviators, we'll share... and if time permits, we can even give you a mini tour of the area.

Thanks for that! Although, I don't think it "works" for a couple of reasons.

1) It's too vague, you pointed to some budget cuts. I think it's missed by or lost on a lot of us.

2) I don't like Dinoland USA, Paradise Pier or Condor Flats being a fake "theme park" within a theme park. I really can't get my head around this as a concept. That's the antithesis of what a Disney park is supposed to be, and where it's supposed to take you.

So we're present day tourists in a former aviation complex, with a simulator made for us. That's just not "Disney" to me.

[Datameister]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

There is no real linear storyline to Soarin'. It is, and is supposed to be a simulator.

I do appreciate you taking the time to post the information you have, so thank you for that. However, I really do disagree with the kind of thinking that led Disney to the backstory you're describing. It's really just an offshoot of the kind of thinking that produced Paradise Pier - take a real-world environment and theme it to another quasi-themed environment in the real world. It's too self-referential. I don't want to ride a simulator that represents a simulator. I want to ride a simulator where I forget that I'm riding a simulator, where the simulator is just a medium to take me on an adventure, and I suspect most people are the same way. Luckily, Soarin' does provide that immersive experience once you're actually in the air, but that wouldn't happen if people were just thinking about how, within the theme, they're supposed to be riding a simulator.

[CaliforniaAdventurer]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

There is no real linear storyline to Soarin'. It is, and is supposed to be a simulator.

The back story to Condor Flats is that it was an abandon air field that was taken over, restored and opened as a tourist spot by the "California Aviators Association" (CAA).

Condor Flats was conceived by the CAA as a place to honor the pioneers of aviation and to share their passion for aviation with visitors to the air field.

The various hangars and garages were renovated to include shops, restaurants and various Guest facilities. The largest of the hangars was where the flight simulator was constructed.

The interior of SoC is intentionally simple and understated as it is paying homage to CA's aviation pioneers... there were a few big items that were nixed due to budgetary concerns like a large screen (think Seasons of the Vine) behind the "Merge Point" showing a landing strip with the aircraft depicted in the photos in the hallway taking off and landing... the overhead skylights and cloud window were also supposed to have projected images of aircraft flying overhead. The Concourses were once slated to have more photos on the walls... the track-lighting strip was installed and is still hanging overhead... look up next time.

There is actually a lot of themeing to Condor Flats... ask one of the shop keepers at the Fly'n'Buy about the cars and fuel canisters and why are all the clocks stopped at the same time?... notice the garages and hangars each represent a different era of aviation (arranged in a chronological clockwise order starting with the "Fly 'n' Buy" and ending with "Taste Pilot's Grill")... lots of authentic props as well, from the booster in the Taste Pilot dining area, to the Cessna, to the portable control tower (peek inside the windows), to the Marston mats used as a retaining wall.

Next time you're in Condor Flats, ask one of the Soarin' aviators, we'll share... and if time permits, we can even give you a mini tour of the area.

Thanks for that! Although, I don't think it "works" for a couple of reasons.

1) It's too vague, you pointed to some budget cuts. I think it's missed by or lost on a lot of us.

2) I don't like Dinoland USA, Paradise Pier or Condor Flats being a fake "theme park" within a theme park. I really can't get my head around this as a concept. That's the antithesis of what a Disney park is supposed to be, and where it's supposed to take you.

So we're present day tourists in a former aviation complex, with a simulator made for us. That's just not "Disney" to me.

[Datameister]

Re: Soarin' Over California - A Review

There is no real linear storyline to Soarin'. It is, and is supposed to be a simulator.

I do appreciate you taking the time to post the information you have, so thank you for that. However, I really do disagree with the kind of thinking that led Disney to the backstory you're describing. It's really just an offshoot of the kind of thinking that produced Paradise Pier - take a real-world environment and theme it to another quasi-themed environment in the real world. It's too self-referential. I don't want to ride a simulator that represents a simulator. I want to ride a simulator where I forget that I'm riding a simulator, where the simulator is just a medium to take me on an adventure, and I suspect most people are the same way. Luckily, Soarin' does provide that immersive experience once you're actually in the air, but that wouldn't happen if people were just thinking about how, within the theme, they're supposed to be riding a simulator.