Soarin' Over California will end its limited-time run at Walt Disney World's EPCOT next week.
The original version of Disney's flying theater ride will close February 27, with its replacement, Soarin' Around the World, returning the next day inside EPCOT's The Land pavilion.
The California version of the show won't be in the vault for long though. It's packing up and heading back home. Soarin' Over California returns to the Disneyland Resort on March 1 for the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, which runs starts that date and continues through April 22.
Of course, both versions of the show are always available for you to sample via our YouTube channel:
With both shows having played to millions of Disney visitors by this point, many fans have a clear favorite between the two - and stand ready to defend their choice. So to provide another forum for that debate, let's vote on which version of this show Theme Park Insider readers prefer. Debate the choice in the comments.
* * *
To keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
And to help support Theme Park Insider while saving money on discounted theme park tickets, please follow the ticket icon links our Theme Park visitors guides.
They're both fantastic but I'll give the slight edge to the OG. Maybe because of nostalgia but everything just flows so smoothly. But they're really close in quality.
My preference would be each Soarin' ride have its own unique film based on the park it's in.
- DCA: Soarin' Over California
- Epcot: Soarin' Around the World [perhaps update the footage]
- DisneySea: Soarin' Over Japan [or to fit the theme: Soarin' Over the Ocean]
- Shanghai: Soarin' Over China
Soarin' Around the World fits Epcot's World Fair theme quite well, but many fans take issue with the footage used [an Eiffel Tower that's desperately in need of Xiaflex when viewed from some angles]. Disney could even rotate some of these international films domestically during special festivals or events similar to what they do with the California version.
I think I enjoy the World version as a whole a little more. But the orange fragrance on the California OG version satisfies my Horizons nostalgia.
I didn't like World when it first came out, but over time I've come to enjoy it more and more. I do think California makes a little more sense at DCA, but World is the better film to play at other parks and has more variety in locales (plus more recognizable locations to those who aren't familiar with the west coast).
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
I would prefer Soarin' Around the World if they didn't have all the extra digital effects. The sights and sounds (and smells) are amazing on their own without all the extra fake-looking jump they've thrown into the film. They added some stuff to the California film, but it's not as fake looking (golf ball, fireworks, and other hidden Mickey's).