Disney Files a New Patent to Change Soarin'
Disney recently filed a patent that may improve the beloved Soarin' attraction. However, guests may have mixed reactions about changing this classic ride. See the details and let us know what you think.
Soarin' Attraction
You can experience the thrill of hang gliding over beautiful world wonders at Disney World, Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland. This classic ride opened as Soarin' over California', but is now Soarin' Around the World with an updated film.
As you soar through the air, you'll be transported from one stunning scene to the next. Soarin' also uses pleasant scents and graceful motion to create a unique experience.
Disney kept the fan-favorite pre-show narrator, Patrick, to the delight of guests. Then, throughout the ride, you'll see spectacular aerial footage on an 80-foot IMAX digital projection dome.
Patent Details
Soarin' is such a classic ride. Should it be changed? Disney thinks so. In a recently filed patent, Disney shares plans for a Soarin' 2.0 flying vehicle.
With this patent, Disney will give guests a ride with more lightweight material and a greater range of motion.
According to the patent, improvements to Soarin' include more aggressive sensations, including turbulence, moving forward and backward, pitch and roll. Disney Imagineer Mark Sumner designed the current Soarin' mechanism. The new mechanism references his original patent, wanting to improve the design.
Figure 2 shows that guests board the attraction in the same with 3 rows. However, during the ride, guests will move in the path of the lines shown above.
What Does This Mean to You?
With these changes, the Soarin' 2 ride will also move seats up and down and roll the vehicle.
Disney states that this new vehicle will make the movement less like gliding and have more agressive moves.
I (Susan) feel sad because I love the gentle feeling of flying through each location while enjoying Soarin'. It seems it will include more intense movements that could make people who get motion sickness feel worse.
Are you looking forward to these changes in the Soarin' patent? Or would you prefer it to stay the same? Let us know in the comments and share this post with a Soarin-loving friend.
Source: https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20240082744
We go twice a week to Epcot and Soaring is our rope drop first ride. It is fabulous and always busy. Don't change it! If IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!
No ,I wouldn't like it to change,it's a great ride just as it is
This is not a Disney patent. The patent was made by Medici XD LLC and references Disney in explaining how it is different.
If you look at the original patent here: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6354954B1/en, you can see that it was filed by Disney. This patent is a continuation of that one.
@Susan Phillips, It references that patent, and two other flying theater patents that are not Disney, then improves upon the designs. This new patent was not filed by Disney, or it would say Disney, and not Medici XD LLC, a ride manufacturer.
And this patent is 20 years old.
Corrected the link. A patent continuation was published in March 2024.
Nothing says they'll use this in Soarin'. Could be an entirely new ride.
Was I nearly taken in as an April Fool? Hope it's a joke!
Unfortunately not
There are different sections/levels to this ride. I am all for a more intense experience, but maybe they can leave a section where you can ride it the original way for those who may not like the change. In other words, give you a choice between intense and less intense versions like Mission Space.
@Russell,
Totally agree! I love Soarin the way it is!! I don’t want to go and be jostled around by fly and enjoy.
Soarin' is one of the truly great Disney rides. Relaxing and peaceful it feels as though you are gliding peacefully through the air.
These new changes will completely spoil that effect and make it impossible for many to continue to enjoy it.
It seems like the Ivory Tower pinheads at Disney are committed to making bad decisions by destroying classic rides in the name of what...progress?
If I wanted to be bumped and jostled in a terrifying flight through the air I'd book a flight on one of the major airlines.
Next, they'll announce they're enhancing the ride by changing the queue to the TSA Experience.
I love the gentle feeling of gliding.
I am not a fan of this change. Soarin' is one of the rides my family can all ride because we have people who cannot tolerate rougher rides like other attractions have. I do not think it is necessary to make the seats move to make the ride more "thrilling".