Experience the sights, the feels, and the scent of those famous orange groves once more as the classic “Soarin’ Over California” returns to the Disneyland Resort for a limited engagement. A new marquee also debuted today to mark the arrival of this treasured relic from the past.
Carise and I couldn’t pass up the chance to revisit the original attraction that plays out on an 80-foot projection dome inside Grizzly Peak Airfield inside Disney California Adventure park. The original film visits several iconic locations around the Golden State; San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Redwood Creek in Humboldt County, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, Malibu Beach, Downtown LA (that traffic never lets up) and of course… Disneyland!
When Soarin’ Over California opened in 2001, it became an instant hit. The attraction and its ride system were so popular that it was duplicated in 2005 over in Walt Disney World at The Land Pavilion inside Epcot. That fanbase it accumulated was so large that in 2016 a third theater was added at Epcot to help lessen the huge wait times that were consistently present from park open until close.
Shanghai Disneyland also got in the mix by opening their own version of the attraction which debuted in June 16th, 2016 with a new film titled “Soarin Over The Horizon.” The following day, both California Adventure and Epcot premiered the same film but retitled at “Soarin’ Around The World” and received rave reviews. The new film shows a fantastic flight taking guests past the Matterhorn in Switzerland, Sydney Harbor in Australia, Kilimanjaro National Park, The Great Wall of China, The Great Pyramids in Egypt, Taj Mahal, Fiji, Eiffel Tower in Paris and a few other global location. What set this film apart in each of its geographical locations is the final scene was significant to that designated park. Epcot saw a scene filmed over the iconic Space Ship Earth, Shanghai China for the Shanghai Disneyland version, and Disneyland in Anaheim for the California Adventure version.
It’s not every day that Disney fans get the opportunity to revisit an original version of an attraction, and could very well be the last time it’s shown to the public, so make sure to plan a visit before this chance soars away once more.
This special revival of the original film will run from June 1st until June 30th exclusively at Disney California Adventure.
As always, you can find us on Instagram:@TheDisneyFox covering all the excitement in real time on our story and featured posts.