Soarin’ Over California opened in 2001, along with the rest of the park, and it’s already a Disney classic. It’s essentially just an IMAX movie that flies you over notable parts of California, except you’re sitting, with legs dangling, in seats that lift you up towards the screen and move slightly along with the images. You can’t see anything except the screen, and the entire experience is a surprisingly powerful simulation of flying over California. They even pipe in appropriate smells, like oranges when you fly over groves and salty ocean scents over the Pacific. It’s not a conventional thrill ride because your actual movements are minimal, but it’s as thrilling as almost anything else found in a Disney park. And the long lines aren’t even a drag because the hangar set features a lot of fascinating information about California’s aviation history.
Soarin’ Over California