Let me first nip the inevitable protest in the bud - I love Soarin' (although Jay has his own things to say about it). I think it's one of the best recent additions to EPCOT. It fits in perfectly with the Land pavilion. It's firmly in the Disney tradition of innovative, immersive cinema technology. And perhaps most importantly, I have ridden it three times and each time applause has broken out in the audience.
What needs fixing is not the ride itself (although I certainly hope that the movie will be updated from time to time, perhaps including locations outside of California). No, the problem is the lengthy wait and all the consequences of that wait. Last Saturday the non-fastpass queue was 75 minutes long. At times it seemed forward progress was only achieved by outlasting those families ahead of us that gave up and walked back through the crowd. All around us guests were venting their frustrations. And worst of all, every sheet metal surface in arm's reach was covered in scratched graffiti!
Continue reading "Soarin' Needs Fixin'"
