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Soarin' Over California
Category: Active Life Amusement Parks Amusement Parks [Edit]
1313 S Harbor BlvdAnaheim, CA 92802
(714) 781-4565
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
169 reviews for Soarin' Over California
Review Highlights
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"I highly recommend a fast pass for this attraction." In 29 reviews -
"you can smell the orange groves and the pine trees." In 16 reviews -
"if there's ever a long line, I always go on single rider." In 8 reviews
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169 reviews in English
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Review from Chad A.
Sort of E side of California Adventure in The Golden State District
I simply cannot hate on this Hang Gliding Simulator at all!
This attraction holds up to 87 people in 3 rows and the line is still always long! For good reason of course.
There is Fast Pass available.
You sit in your seat and are lifted about 30 feet in the air (warning to those with a fear of heights!
Ride lasts almost 5 minutes... no special glasses needed.
You "fly" over r the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Redwood Creek in Humboldt County, Napa Valley, Monterey, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, the PGA West golf course in La Quinta, Camarillo, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego, Malibu, Los Angeles, and Disneyland during Christmas time!
While you are "flying" over everything Disney pumps in smells to add to the experience which helps make this ride so fun!
Soundtrack Score by Jerry Goldsmith.
One must be at least 40" to ride!
For those in a wheel chair you must be able to transfer in order to enjoy this attraction.Listed in: DCA...
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Review from Jennifer O.
Alhambra, CA
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
this is my mom's favorite ride ever.
there's not bad seat. everybody gets a great view and the smells are awesome. while you're flying over California like a hang-glider, you get to see and smell salty air over the surf and oranges over the orchards. the ride takes you from Tahoe's snow to San Diego's naval station with aircraft carries, and back to Los Angeles which is completely nuts and makes me dizzy... and to Disneyland for some fireworks. if you don't get a fast pass, it still worth the wait in line.
plus, if you come on a hot day, it's nice and air-conditioned inside.
i'll be back again soon! -
Review from Jamie C.
3/22/2012
This was one of the first rides based on real life and not a cartoon. It's really a really amazing experience and makes me so proud to be Californian.
You buckle down into these lifts and lift you up into a giant curved monitor, and you feel like you're flying through all the different scenes. It's not 3-D, but it sure feels like it! They also spray scents at you, so you also get to smell California. there isn't a flow to the ride - it cuts from scene to scene - but that's the only minor thing that I don't like.
Remember to take off your flip flops at the bottom so your shoes don't fall off! -
Review from Tom S.
Hillsboro, OR
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really like this ride. It's like you are hang gliding over various vistas of California. It's very similar in nature to an Imax film, except here the seats move you like you are actually flying. Don't miss it. Either be first in line or fast pass this one.
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Review from Jamie W.
Lake Forest, CA
4/12/2012
Soarin over California is just that! Soarin over different parts of the great state of California! I was a little hesitant the 1st time I went on this ride. It is actually very cool. Sure after time the screen should be redone, but still a nice ride. It really makes you feel like you are hand gliding over California even smelling the scents of Oranges and the ocean!
I would def. recommend a fast pass, as the line gets rather long. I also would recommend riding in the 1st row, as you can see the bottoms of peoples feet in the 2nd and 3rd row. -
Review from Anthony N.
Playa del Rey, CA
3/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
***Soarin' Over California provides great aerial views of many iconic California vistas; the ride is a good experience even if the picture quality is not as sharp as it should be***
Though I've been to Disney California Adventure a few times, this was my first time riding Soarin' Over California. The ride puts you in a hanging car that sits several feet above the ground and simulates flying across many California vistas via a very large screen and hydraulics (turns and increasing speed to feel like wind).
The ride is a simple ride, but it is enjoyable. The hydraulics are nothing special, but they do a decent job of simulating the experience. The views are good. Many key California sites are shown like the Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, San Diego, and Malibu. I was surprised they used Downtown LA at night for Los Angeles. I would think the Hollywood sign during the day would be more iconic.
The picture quality is not as sharp as I would like. Given the size of the screen (very huge and very impressive), the picture quality can only be so good, but I think a sharper and clearer picture would have made the experience so much more immersive and realistic.
Overall, Soarin' Over California is a ride you should try if you visit Disney California Adventure. It lacks the sheer fun and inventiveness of Toy Story Midway Mania! or the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but it is still an enjoyable ride.
Parking at Disneyland/Disney California Adventure is expensive ($15 per day). The parking structures though are easy to get in and out of. -
Review from Mark R.
Huntington Beach, CA
5/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
sit up front ... great ride seeing what Cali is all about... all I have to say Smell the oranges... hehehehehe
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Review from Eric N.
Of course the one thing you want to do in California is fly over Camarillo. Didn't you realize that as soon as you got to California Adventure?
Jokes aside, this is one of my favorite attractions in the whole Disneyland Resort. It's suitable for the entire family.
Do you know that the concept for the ride came from a Disney Imagineer that saw a child playing with an erector set? That's why when you sit down in one of the rear rows it may seem like you are going to be sitting behind someone but all of a sudden when you are "flying" you are right in front of the screen.
Soarin' is amazing for a few reasons...first off you have to remember that Disney is all about the experience. That's why when you do fly over the orange groves of Camarillo you actually smell oranges in the air. When you fly through the redwoods of Northern California you actually smell the trees. Good thing that when you fly over Los Angeles that you don't smell smog. Second they do a really amazing job of capturing California...starting in Northern California and ending in Southern California.
Two tips...if you want the best experience just like many other rides ask for row number one...there are three sections and any of the row one seats are good but the middle section is the best. The other rows are just fine but you will always have a bunch of feet hanging over you...it kind of ruins the experience to a degree. You will be "Soarin' Over California" with a bunch of shoes.
Tip two, and many of you may know this but there are two hidden Mickeys on this attraction...one is in the golf ball that flies by you over Palm Springs and the other is in the fireworks over Disneyland.
See? That gives you a reason to go ride again.
:0)Listed in: DCA...The Other Disneyland.
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Review from Mellissa G.
Camarillo, CA
5/4/2012
This is a tame ride, although expect a bit of disorientation when you first take off. I notice that native californians seem to love this ride the most, and I am among them. Fun things to look for: the snowboarder faceplanting (cracks me up), the hidden Mickey (in Palm Springs), and the year round Christmas decorations at Disneyland. My favorite scene is my hometown of course, Monterey. If you visit, hike Allan grove memorial at point lobos--now you've soared over and walked through it. Love the ocean, orange, and pine scents. I always try and "kick" the kayakers. I know it's childish but I can't help it. No matter how tired, wound up or how much my head hurts, this ride always relaxes me and reminds me how lucky I am to live in California.
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Review from Phoebe C.
Anaheim, CA
4/27/2012
This is my fave ride in CA Adventures. It's a simulated paragliding tour throughout California, with a humongous panorama projector. You glide through the redwood forests, Napa Valley, Pebble Beach, the coast of Cali, the Golden Gate bride, the desert, the orange fields, LA, and of course Anaheim! I love gliding through the orange fields and the redwood forest, smelling the sweet aroma of fresh oranges and the deep smell of forest and water! That's def the best part.
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Review from Kaileen Y.
Honolulu, HI
3/11/2012
Being deathly afraid of heights, I must say that initially this ride was not the first ride at California Adventure that I looked forward to the first time my grandparents brought us here. However, this ride has grown on me since the first time I've been on it. Now every time my family visits California & comes here, this IS the one ride I look forward to (besides the Grizzly River Run). My nerves still get the best of me sometimes. But, I guess that's the best part about going on roller coasters. Without that excitement, there's really nothing to look forward to..is there?
As the name of the ride suggests, this ride gives you the feeling like you're soaring over California. I actually like this ride because it allows you to experience "flying" over all these different places in California, without actually having to do it. As you "fly" over every scene, you can actually smell the aromas associated with that particular place.
The ride is powered by a simple hydraulics system that rotates the seating so that everyone gets a clear view of the screen, and it slowly increases in speed...making for a great simulation that you're actually "flying" through the air. Sometimes, you may even forget that you're really at the California Adventure park. -
Review from Emily R.
2/5/2012
Good little sampler platter of California. I never really understood the concept of California Adventure or Soarin' Over California, especially since it's IN California. Just didn't seem to make much sense, but this ride definitely won me over more than I thought it would.
The smell enhancements for the pine trees and orange groves are really nice touches. You're really feel like you're flying over all these locales and the scenery is definitely beautiful, reminding me of all the things I love about my home state.Listed in: Happiest Place on Earth!
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Review from Vb L.
1/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
This ride is a MUST when you go to California Adventure! It's tame compared to all the other rides, but that's what makes it so special. The lines are long because it's really popular.
They strap you into a seat and then hoist you into the air and you're flying, just like on a hang glider. They blend sights and sounds to make the experience complete.
My daughter could ride Soarin' almost as many times as Pirates. Ah, but that's a another review...
TIP: Get a FastPass cuz otherwise you will wait in a VERY long line. -
Review from Shannon K.
Livermore, CA
4/10/2012
This was my first time riding the ride and I was impressed, and really enjoyed it. However I did have a slight panic attack on which I assume was from motion sickness. I know you're not really moving but it really feels like it. Overall it was a fun ride and I would probably ride again when I go back. But if I didn't ride it again, it really wouldn't bother me.
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Review from Jennifer M.
Antioch, CA
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This ride use to be one of my favorites but after my last visit, I feel it's outdated! Maybe they should change the locations or alternate them. Add more? Something?
I recommend getting a Fast Pass for this ride because it takes FOREVER to get onto the ride.
The video before you go inside the ride always makes me laugh because the guy speaking is Joe from Family Guy. It always cracks a smile on my boyfriend and my face.
I love the fact that they shove scents into your nosies because it makes it feel like you really are there. I also think it's cute how the ride ends with Disneyland Fireworks. Always the best!
The best seat in the house is being all the way in the front seats because when you get lifted up, you won't see dangling feet in front of you. -
Review from Lisa P.
Puyallup, WA
4/13/2012
This has to be one of the best rides I have been on in a long long time. I could have gone on it over and over. This is a must ride ride.. I won't give up any surprises. Just make sure you ride it.
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Review from Archie A.
Coronado, CA
2/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
After riding this ride I am proud of being born and living in California.
Worth the wait! -
Review from Albert K.
Los Angeles, CA
3/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
The ride is ok.
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Review from L A H.
Pacifica, CA
11/30/2011
Two words:
Fast and Pass.
This ride is great when it's a scorching hot summer day. It's super cool in this building so it brings relief.
The video in the beginning is terribly corney....
Basically what you'll "learn" from the video is to buckle up and store all things in the bottom compartment of your seats; yes, this includes Mickey ears.
They'll throw different scents your way as you are "soarin' over California" so don't forget to breathe.
And watch out for the golf ball.
It's a great ride.Listed in: The Happiest Place On Earth
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Review from Ian W.
1/2/2012
This ride is simply beautiful. So well executed and completely breathtaking. You really feel like you're soarin' over different parts of California with the eind in your hair.
It's basically a huge room with an enormous screen and you're lifted up into the air, just a few feet of the ground, feet dangling, and you're made to feel like you're flying high, looking down at all the wonderful sights that this great state has to offer.
Definitely one of the best rides at California Adventure right now.
I only wish the projections were a little better quality. They could benefit from some HD video - it seemed a little grainy to me.
The only other drawback is the long line/wait time. I highly recommend utilizing FAST PASS for this. -
Review from Steve N.
11/1/2011
A very cool attraction that could use an update. It's identical to "Soarin" at Epcot Disney World. The effect is cool and was exciting the first time. The smells they add are cool too. I even like the photos on the walls while waiting in line.
Now that Star Tours has been updated, I'd love to see something new happen with SOC.Listed in: Disney
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Review from Sean M.
San Jose, CA
11/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
This ride reminds me of why I live in the best state in the country. You'll get a good feel for the diverse terrain of our amazing state.
Having seen many of the places and coasts in person, it's still a great perspective and you'll really get the vibe that you are in fact soaring. I'd love to see it alternate with some different images so if I came back in a year or two I'd be excited to see some new stuff.
The scents are kind of a quirky addition to the ride and make it even more of an "experience".Listed in: Disneyland Trip
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Review from Jimmy N.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hang-gliding fun! A little bit of history of the airplane as you wait through the halls of the "hangar". Very interesting if you're into planes or aeronautics, or even if you're not, it's nice to know how far we've come in the short amount of time that people have been flying!
The ride is awesome! they have vents/fans that fan you which makes you feel like you're flying, which makes it AWESOME if it's a hot day, cuz you're automatically cooled down! Then when you go through certain scenes, they pump a light scent of the scenery for you too.. from Oceans to Pines to Oranges! Omg the oranges are the best, I always get so hungry when the oranges come on.
Front row is the best, so see if you can get that.. cuz you're up the highest when it goes, and you get the full effect. 3rd row kinda sucks cuz everything is slightly distorted, and you get people's feet in your view. :P
Beware though, if you're prone to motion sickness, this ride may do you over. So if Star Tours gives you a headache, this one might too.. I had to get used to Soarin' cuz the first time around I was kinda nauseous. -___-. 2nd time around I was much better, and now I love it! :)Listed in: Disneyland/DCA Rides!
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Review from q m.
Walnut, CA
10/15/2011
I think some people are missing part of the ride... if you combine the scenes AND the music together, it truly is a masterpiece.
I've lived in California my whole life and I still like this ride. And I definitely don't see hot air balloons and orange groves everyday.
California is vast and Soarin' is able to compact it into a very nice summary. -
Review from Jack M.
Lake Oswego, OR
12/23/2011
Great ride! Definitely worth the ride! But let's change the locations. I'm done seeing the golf ball nearly kill me and having my feet dangle of the Redwood forest. Let's add some new additions!!
For the summer, this is the ride to go. For the winter, it's kinda boring. Next time I come, I hope they change it up. -
Review from Nancy G.
Irvine, CA
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is one of my favorite rides at CA adventure. It's also a great option when it's super hot out and you need a break from the insanity of Disneyland.
My favorite part is the orange groves and the beach scene because they have the best scents. -
Review from Lisa H.
San Diego, CA
8/25/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Such a "smooth" ride. It brings every person a high sense of nostalgia. You feel like a kid having that dream of "flying". Your feet dangle and swish back and forth (you can't help it) If you have sandles, you may want to store them in the undercarriage of your seat or just leave them on the ground.
As you explore through places like San Francisco, Palm Springs, Malibu, San Diego, Los Angeles, Napa Valley you smell things like oranges, pine tree scent. It reminds me of being a kid and smelling the "scratch and sniff" folders that I used to bring to grade school. The sounds and feelings that you experience make you feel proud to live in California or be a visitor to California. My boyfriend and I joke about Disney making an alternate ego ride where you dodge bullets in the inner cities, see and smell the air pollution in Los Angeles and go up to Sacramento and see where they are disagreeing on a budget. Just a joke!
This ride is great for all ages. I can see how it might be a little scary for someone who fears heights, but in all honesty it is a beautiful ride. Give it a try! If you remember the old viewing room in Tomorrow land back in the 80's, there was a movie room where you stood and watched a huge Imax style video similar to California Adventures.
Tip: If you are not concerned about riding with your friends/family, then go single rider. You approach the person at the fast pass line and ask for a single rider ticket. They direct you and you can get onto a ride anywhere from 2 minutes to 20 minutes. Saves you a LOT OF TIME! Love that they have this. -
Review from Krissy M.
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
I used to work at Soarin' (Epcot) so this review is a little biased ;)
I enjoyed (and always enjoy) this attraction, whether East or West coast. However, there were a few things that notched down the rating for me this time:
1. CMs were very unattentive - loaded us into gates and then had no interaction with us whatsoever.
2. Once CM did arrive, the way we loaded into the theater seemed inefficient.
3. The film quality - DIRTY! you could see specks of dirt not being washed away on the projection.
Other than that, really, it is a solidly good attraction! -
Review from Amy P.
Santa Barbara, CA
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
I use to love this ride when it first came out a few years back. But now I am starting to think, "Damn, they need to reshoot the film in Hi-Def, because the pictures on the screen are a bit fuzzy." The haziness of the the screen gave both my husband and I a bit of a headache. We ended up taking tylenol at the end of the ride. No joke. LOL!
This ride can definitely use some updating (i.e. hi-def picture and new scenery). However, if you have never been on this ride, I think you may enjoy it. -
Review from Jessica G.
Garden Grove, CA
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
My (tied for first) FAVORITE ride at CA Adventure! Oh my dear!
Basically, you are elevated with a big screen in front of you, and feel as if you are (*ahem*) SOARIN over California. :) You get to see/smell/feel some of the most beautiful places in this lovely state.
Seriously, do NOT miss this ride. It's a great for EVERYBODY.( it's even my grams' favorite. ) -
Review from Alicia D.
Boston, MA
2/18/2012
I didn't think this ride was as awesome as everyone else did maybe because i'm more of a outdoor thrill seeker. However, it lets you see parts of California and would be great for someone who is afraid of roller coasters.
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Review from Michael L.
San Mateo, CA
2/9/2012
God, I love this ride. It's soooo soothing from the music, to scents they spray (especially the woodsy scent when you're in the lake/forest), to just being out of the sun for while and in a cool air conditioned building, to just being in comfortable seats with your legs dangling. You're just completely relaxed. Completely awesome ride. I feel like a kid again everytime I'm on it. I actually have Soarin' Over California's theme as my alarm ringtone on my 4S.
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Review from Belinda S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very mellow ride, it does feel like you are soaring over California. I like the lemon smell that they use too.
Line wait seems long since they process people in batches. -
Review from David H.
Anaheim, CA
The main gate opens up at 9:30am (with a 10am park operation) and Soarin' Over California opens up as well. One can either queue up then for the attraction or get a Fast Pass.
I hardly go on this attraction for one reason... it is a slow loading attraction. Also, if you get the middle or bottom rows, you see those above you and their dangling feet.
The attraction itself is great. It almost makes it feel like you are flying. Plus the score to the attraction is amazing! -
Review from Michael K.
Rosemead, CA
10/9/2011
FAST PASS (not worth a wait of more than 15 minutes)
It's a nice calm/mellow "ride," I would call it more of a show. Basically a huge IMAX screen where you are put very close up in a "flight" contraption that moves slightly to make you feel as if you are hang gliding across California.
I like how they do have smellovision on this ride. And there are some beautiful scenery. But that's about it for me on this mellow ride.
The cast members in this ride seem like they are out of it or something, they weren't friendly or helpful (i.e. ignored us when we asked a question).
One thing I don't like is the flies and dirt on the camera or something that makes it like dirty and has holes in the screen. -
Review from Brian A.
Honolulu, HI
7/9/2011
A fantastic experience that engulfs the senses. It's a giant concave IMAX screen that shows you flying over certain points of California. Add to this the fact that you are strapped in and the seats elevate up several stories so if you have an imagination, it feels like you are flying over everything. To cap this off, they add mist and smells to the journey so you feel like you are really there.
One of the better rides at California Adventure that stays pretty much along the theme of showing off California.Listed in: A Man Named Walt & A Mouse…
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Review from Jefferson C.
Torrance, CA
12/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love this ride .. It's always the first ride we go on.. Then its off to Tiki Tiki for some Dole whip lol
Listed in: awesome fun stuff
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Review from Michael W.
La Verne, CA
5/5/2011
My first time at California adventure.
I was surprised to see that dude from Rules of engagement doing the pre ride video .....until I remembered he has done a lot of voice work for Disney.
I can see how this ride would be great on a hot day when you just want to rest your feet for a little bit.
Its a nice experience but Im not sure how much of return factor there is.Listed in: Getting Lost in the OC
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Review from Jeremy G.
Humble, TX
7/18/2011
It seems like sacrilege to say this, but Soarin' might be the best ride Disney has ever produced. (Sorry Haunted and Pirates...) It doesn't jump out at you as being that good; but that impression grows on you over time. The movie is exhilarating, the music is wonderful, and the scents they mist with each scene are a brilliant touch.
And I never get tired of Patrick Warburton's intro spiel...
***Note that the Single Rider option is available for this attraction*** -
Review from Rachel S.
6/25/2011
I'm a little confused as to why this has its own listing but whatevs. It happens to be one of the few, and I do mean FEW good rides at California Adventure.
Soarin' is great - if you don't live in California, simply because, if you live there (which I did) you see it all on a daily basis. You get jaded to how beautiful California is.
The ride is fun - the orange oil they spray is a cool touch. (It sprays when you "fly" over the orange groves.) They picked the best of the best to showcase representatives of California. If you're a tourist who hasn't seen most of California, I'd suggest going on this ride. If you live here, and there's a long line, skip it - because you get to live what they show, daily.
