We rode Soarin’ Across America early at the Walt Disney World Annual Passholder previews. Here is what to expect from the brand-new Epcot attraction.

There’s something about being a Walt Disney World Annual Passholder that makes you feel like you’re in on a secret the rest of the world hasn’t discovered yet. This week, that feeling hit different, because we were among the first guests to strap in, lift off, and soar across our own beautiful country in Disney’s brand-new Soarin’ Across America.

We were there for the annual passholder previews on May 19 at Epcot, a full week before the attraction officially opens to the general public on May 26, 2026. Here’s everything we experienced: the good, the great, and the things that gave us pause.

The Backstory: Why America, Why Now?

If you’ve been following Disney theme park news for the past year, you already know the context. Soarin’ Across America is Disney’s centerpiece attraction for “Disney Celebrates America,” the company-wide initiative honoring the United States’ 250th anniversary, the Semiquincentennial. This isn’t just a new coat of paint on an existing ride. They created a full film replacement, debuting at Epcot on May 26, 2026, with Disney California Adventure getting its version later this year.

Soarin’ has always had a knack for reinvention. The attraction launched as Soarin’ Over California at Disney California Adventure in February 2001, then moved to Epcot in 2005. In June 2016, the California-focused film was replaced with the globe-trotting Soarin’ Around the World. Now, a decade after that change, it’s time for another new chapter. This one brings the whole adventure home to the United States.

Soarin’ Around the World closed at Epcot on May 13, 2026, ending its run (for now). Just a few days later, we were walking through a queue ready to experience what comes next.

Getting There: The Soarin’ Across America Passholder Preview Process

Walt Disney World kept the preview format refreshingly simple. Unlike the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets previews (which will use a virtual queue), Soarin’ Across America’s passholder preview was standby-only. No registration required. Just show up with your valid annual pass and join the line during normal operating hours, subject to capacity. At least on the day we visited, the queue was never very long. However, the wait between flights felt far longer than normal, but these were previews.

That’s it. No lottery, no waking up at 7 a.m. to score a boarding group. As an annual passholder, it felt like the perk it was meant to be: low-friction access to something special. We queued up, showed our passes at the entrance, and got in line like any other day, except it wasn’t any other day at all.

Patrick Warburton Is Still the Best “Safety Video” in the Business

The moment Patrick Warburton’s deadpan, perfectly timed delivery fills the pre-show screen, you feel it: This is still Soarin’. Warburton, who has played the chief flight guide since the very beginning of the attraction’s history, returns for Soarin’ Across America with a new announcement video perfectly calibrated to set the tone. It is warmly USA, gently funny, and full of genuine excitement for the journey ahead. In fairness, it is not an entirely new video. There will be large portions of the original safety video. Still, they changed it for America250.

There’s something deeply comforting about that continuity. As much as this is a new adventure, Warburton’s presence is a throughline that connects every version of this ride. Buckle your seatbelts. Put your feet up. We’re going home.

Liftoff: The Film Itself

Then the lights dim, the seats rise, and you’re airborne. Soarin’ Across America covers an ambitious sweep of the United States of America. Disney describes it as a “seasons and regions” tapestry. The confirmed locations include New York Harbor, the rugged New England coastline, Grand Canyon West, Mount Rushmore, Portland Head Light in Maine, Honolulu in Hawaii, autumn colors in the heartland, the bayous of the South, the great plains of the West, the northern wilderness, island shores, the prairie, and the classic orange groves of Florida make a return appearance that drew audible sighs of nostalgia from guests around us.

Disney shot the film using custom-built 12K aerial cameras, and the results on that massive 80-foot IMAX projection dome are genuinely breathtaking in the best sequences. The Grand Canyon sunrise serves as a highlight with the scale, and depth of color. New York Harbor shimmered. The New England coastline felt wild and alive. The quality of the filming lives up ot Disney standards.

The film also leans into something that has always been a secret ingredient of Soarin’: Animals. Eagles, moose, horses, and birds populate several of the scenes, lending the journey a sense of life and movement that pure landscape footage alone can’t achieve.

Composer Bruce Broughton

The music, as always, is a huge part of the experience. Composer Bruce Broughton, who also scored Soarin’ Around the World, returns to create a brand-new orchestral arrangement of the Jerry Goldsmith themes originally written for Soarin’ Over California. Goldsmith’s original score has a reputation among Disney fans, and Broughton’s arrangement once again honors and evolves it. The result is sweeping, emotional, and perfectly calibrated to the film’s pace. If you love the music of Soarin’, this version should not disappoint you.

Wind effects and ride motion work in concert with the score to keep you anchored in the experience. You feel the warm air of the southwest, the cool rush of the northern wilderness.

The Scents: Fewer, But Still Lovely

No Soarin’ experience would be complete without the scents, arguably the attraction’s most beloved sensory trick. Previous versions layered in smells generously throughout the ride, and scent is deeply, primal-brain linked to memory. Soarin’ Over California’s orange grove scent has practically become a Disney legend.

Soarin’ Across America features three distinct scents during its runtime: a grass smell during the prairie sequence, a water/swamp scent through the Louisiana bayou section, and a tropical hibiscus floral note during the Hawaii scenes. All three work fairly well. However, our group did not find the scents as impressive as the previous Soarin’ version.

Soarin’ Across America: Beautiful, But Different

Soarin’ Across America is gorgeous. It is moving. It made many people feel better after riding during the previews, in the best possible way. In the way that great travel always does, it shows you the beauty you take for granted. Seeing America from 80 feet up in IMAX, is a genuinely special thing.

Still, it feels different from its predecessors. For example, the transitions between scenes are quieter and less dramatic. Previous versions of Soarin’ used theatrical scene-change moments, such as a wave washing you into the next location, an airplane swooping past, to create momentum and energy between destinations. Some of those happen with Soarin’ Across America. However, they are less obvious.

Also, the use of CGI is still there to complete the story. The strengths and weaknesses of Soarin’ and CGI have been a topic of discussion among fans and in comparison to similar ride systems. For example, a less impressive attraction with a similar ride system, Expedition Odyssey, promotes the lack of CGI used in its film. By the way, the new version of the SeaWorld Orlando ride, Expedition Odyssey: Fire & ice opens May 25.

More Contemplative

Soarin’ Across America is more contemplative by nature, moving between scenes in a way that feels more like a meditation on place than an adventure across it. For some guests, this will feel beautifully peaceful. For others, especially those who love the kinetic excitement of Soarin’ Around the World, it may take some adjustment.

The ride vehicle’s motion is also somewhat gentler, with fewer of the dramatic dips and rises that made previous versions feel thrillingly alive. This is not necessarily a flaw. However, it’s a different choice, and a legitimate one. Still, it’s worth knowing before you board.

These are early-preview observations, and Walt Disney World has been known to refine and adjust experiences between soft openings and public debut. We’ll be curious to see whether anything changes by May 26.

Concerns about Soarin’ Across America

The Transitions Feel Weaker and Less Immersive

A major complaint is that scene-to-scene transitions are more subtle and less dynamic than previous versions of Soarin’. The attraction feels calmer, but also less exciting and less connected.

Examples of complaints:

• The ride vehicle feels like it moves less.
• Transitions don’t “flow” naturally between scenes.
• The film feel more “disjointed.”

Visual Distortion Concerns Still Linger

During our visit, this was a major issue. Although Disney reportedly improved some projection issues, it is still a significant issue if you end up on the left or right side of the theatre.

The long-running issue:

• Tall structures appear curved when seated off-center.
• The Eiffel Tower became infamous for looking bent.
• Many riders still recommend sitting in the center section for the best experience.

Soarin’ Across America: Still Worth Every Minute of the Wait

Despite any comparisons or concerns, Soarin’ Across America is a worthy addition to the legacy of one of Disney’s most impressive attractions. It is sweeping, gorgeous, emotional, and sometimes genuinely transporting. The music will move you. Patrick Warburton will make you laugh and then make you feel something. The Soarin’s ride system is still the gold standard of flying theatres.

Everyone gets their turn on May 26. However, if you’re planning a summer trip for the America 250 celebration, Soarin’ Across America is the can’t-miss centerpiece of it all. We’ll see you in the skies.

For more theme park-related news and information, visit MSM News.

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