EPCOT reintroduces original Soarin' Over California film with iconic orange scent

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Soarin' overview

Posted: Friday September 22, 2023 9:40am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Soarin' Over California has returned to EPCOT's The Land pavilion as part of a limited-time offering for Walt Disney World's Disney100 celebration.

Soarin' Over California 2023 reboot

Originally opened in 2005 at EPCOT, Soarin' Over California sends guests on a sweeping flyover above the Golden State for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography. And yes, the orange scent is also back!

The original Soarin' Over California film last played at EPCOT on June 16, 2016.

Soarin' Over California will play for a limited time as part of Walt Disney World's Disney100 celebration. Disney has not yet given any indication of how long it will be available.

Soarin' overview

Soarin' Around the World, opened on June 17 2016 as a reboot of the original Soarin' attraction. It takes guests to six continents, specifically the Great Wall of China, Sydney Harbor in Australia, Monument Valley, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, Switzerland's Matterhorn mountain, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Fans have criticized the newer version of Soarin' for its use of computer-generated imagery and heavily distorted lines of the Eiffel Tower.

Soarin' Around the World

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FigmentFan82Oct 10, 2023

Somehow, bendy Eiffel Tower returned

JohnDOct 10, 2023

That is definitely Phylicia Rashad.

HauntedPirateOct 08, 2023

Minor point - Not Lawrence Dobkin. Vic Perrin was the first SSE narrator. Mr. Sklar was wrong. Back to the Soarin’ discussion.

JoeCamelOct 08, 2023

Yeah, oh wait

TrainsOfDisneyOct 07, 2023

If it was up to me, Soarin over California would stay permanently at DCA and there would a “Soarin Over the Land” filmed for Epcot. Showcase the land and dare I say even show a rainforest being cut down and burned to highlight issues that we have in the world right now. (I mean it worked really well in Kali Rivers…. Oh wait… haha)

V_L_RaptorOct 07, 2023

I thought that was Lynne Thigpen, not Phylicia Rashad.

TwirlnhurlOct 02, 2023

I went on it once last week (concourse B center carriage) and once this week (concourse A left side carriage) and it definitely bumped around a fair bit before settling against whatever pushes it up and down last week. This week it bumped more that normal, but not nearly as much as last week. I am not sure if that is related to the carriage, the simulator, or maybe the programming? Definitely not how it used to be.

DisneyFanatic12Oct 02, 2023

I never remembered the LA traffic scene being so sped up. It obviously always has been, but I don’t remember it being so. Interesting to say the least! I’ll just add this in to this post: Rode it last week and it would’ve made me sick if I went a second time because it shook SO MUCH (and I can ride Simpsons once or twice just fine). Whatever was wrong with it seems to have been fixed, since tonight I rode in Concourse C and it was smooth. I don’t know what was wrong, but I’m happy it was fixed!

Cmdr_CrimsonOct 01, 2023

I Guess for some....

WondersOfLifeOct 01, 2023

I'd say EO's tribute definitely ran it's course. Theres a reason why it was replaced with practically nothing better and still garners the same attendance. Magic Eye theatre needs a despicable me/jimmy neutron style 4d attraction starting figment and Dreamfinder, with a new multiverse invention (since that's all the rave now) going into different Disney's movies and causing chaos. Basically Philharmagic with Figment and Simpsons Ride style vehicles.