When a theme park attraction at a place like Disney World closes to be replaced by something else, fans of the original are often frustrated. In most cases, it’s all but impossible for the old ride or show to return, but sometimes, it can happen. Soarin’. the popular attraction found both at Epcot and Disney California Adventure, changed its theme from one focused on California to a more global experience back in 2016. The original version returned to Walt Disney World for a limited engagement last year. We now know that limited engagement is coming to an end, just days before the original version returns to the Disneyland Resort.
Four years after Soarin' Over California opened at Disney California Adventure Park, the attraction opened in The Land pavilion at Epcot. It was a popular experience, that saw guests take “flight” in chairs that raised off the ground in front of a massive screen showing off different areas in the Golden State. It was popular, but a California-themed ride at the global-themed Epcot always seemed a bit out of place.
Why, And When, Soarin’ Over California Is Leaving Epcot
In 2016 Soarin’ Over California became Soarin’ Around the World at both U.S. Disney Parks. The core attraction was unchanged, but the video portion replaced California landmarks with new ones all over the world. The attraction had been unchanged in Florida since then. But last fall, as part of the Disney100 celebration, the original attraction was brought back, a bit of nostalgia for the larger nostalgia-filled celebration.
This week Disney World announced that February 27 will be the last day that Soarin’ Over California will be available at Epcot. Starting February 28, Soarin' Around the World will be back. We are now in 2024, and 2023 was the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company, so it makes sense to end the special presentation. The timing is a bit interesting, however, because Soarin' Over California will return to Disneyland Resort only a couple of days after it leaves Epcot.
Why Soarin’ Over California Is Returning To Disney California Adventure
We already knew that beginning March 1, Soarin’ Over California would make its return to Disney California Adventure, one of the new additions to Disneyland Resort this year. The first of March is the first day of the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, and for the last couple of years, Soarin’ has made the switch for the duration of the festival.
Since The DCA Food & Wine Festival largely celebrates the food and wine of California, it makes sense for the rest of the park to do the same. The Food and Wine Festival only runs through April 22, and Soarin’ is expected to revert once it ends, so this will be a very limited-time experience, but a fun one to be sure.
The close timing of the double switch may be a coincidence, but perhaps not. One assumes there isn’t a reason Disney Parks can’t run Soarin’ Over California at both parks if it wanted to. The two resorts run the parks so differently that it seems unlikely this was coordinated, but perhaps it was felt that since Soarin’ Around the World was the current version, it should be running in at least one resort at any given moment.
I’m certainly not the first person to argue that Soarin’ Over California should be one of the permanent attractions at Disney California Adventure while Soarin' Around the World should be an Epcot exclusive. They make the most sense in their respective parks, not to mention it would give people a reason to ride both attractions when they visit each park for the first time. At this point, however, that seems unlikely. Hopefully, we will continue to see the original Soarin’ return now and then at both parks so fans can continue to enjoy both.
