Soarin'®

Those of you who attend Connie's Slow Speed Scrap have probably heard us talking about our fears on occasions.  My worst fear is that of heights.  I am petrified of heights.  I was very curious to see what the attraction, Soarin'®, was all about. Joe and Chrissy weren't terribly sure I should try it given my innate fear.

I loved it! I did not scream once.  Laughed a lot and even waved my legs around.  And wanted more!!    Soarin'® is one of the 4D attractions I mentioned a couple weeks ago. The ride basically simulates hang-gliding over California. Guests must be 40 inches or taller to ride.  Due to the nature of this ride, service animals are not permitted.  Guests in wheelchairs or ECV's must transfer. Children under 7 must be accompanied by another rider 14 years or older.

Imagineers created a 180 degree IMAX projection dome with aerially captured footage that reproduces the flight path of a hang-glider.  You will experience the sensation of flying, with wind blowing your hair.  You will smell the fragrant orange groves and redwood forests as you soar over the beautiful landscape of California.

Your car will be lifted 40 feet, which is something I never realized.  That would be the equivalent of about 4 to 5 stories depending on ceiling height.  Which is really getting a bit out of my comfort zone!  I hope I forget that statistic before I get back to Disney!!  Joe thinks I loved Soarin'® so much because I felt "safe".  I think he's right ...  Disney, to me, is one of the safest places I can be.  Doesn't mean I will ride the coasters or Tower of Terror.. but I will brave Soarin'®.

Soarin'® is located in Future World at Epcot.  It is a very popular attraction and does use the Fastpass service.  Don't make the mistake that many people make by waiting to go to Epcot when the World Showcase opens.  Your best option is to arrive at Epcot 15 - 20 minutes before rope drop (when the park opens). Work your way to the right side of the crowd by Innoventions West and go directly to The Land and Soarin'®.

Another good time to explore Future World is dinner time, when the majority of people are eating in the World Showcase. Personally, I love the Garden Grille which is located in The Land at Future World and easily accessible to Soarin'®.  There is a Chip n' Dale Harvest Feast that is absolutely marvelous!  The restaurant rotates slowly with various scenes of  Living With The Land. Of course, Chip n' Dale are wandering.

This movie actually depicts the entire Soarin'® experience.

This video is limited to flat screen viewing and doesn't have the impact of the 180 degree IMAX experience, complete with smells and wind.  And it certainly pales with the first hand experience of Soarin'® over Cinderella's Castle during the evening fireworks.  Very exhilarating.

I made a little freebie for those Soarin' fans.. or whoever else would like it. :)  Click on the image or the text below to download.

Download here

Did you ever want to design your own roller coaster?

Disney World just isn't about Princes and Princesses and happily ever afters.  Your visit can be downright educational and even a bit "geeky".

We've spent some time in Magic Kingdom, and played some games along the way.  Let's spend some time in Epcot now, starting with Future World.

Those Disney Imagineers are really masters at turning the simple things into truly amazing "attractions".  The Innoventions Fountain which is located in Innoventions Plaza in Epcot's Future World is certainly no exception.  The Imagineers have taken water, light and sound to create one of the most beautiful "attractions".

Think water has to flow down? You're wrong!  I've watched the fountain waters flowing upwards myself. Even have a little video for a reminder.  Did you know water can dance?  Watch the water ballet at the fountains.  Every 15 minutes, a new ballet begins to one of 7 different musical selections (randomly rotating). Over 200 shooters propel water up to 150 feet in the air.  This all took three months of computer programming to design the seven different ballets and coordinate with lights in the evening. Truly a beautiful sight. Guests are often mesmerized by the beauty and will watch for some time.

This is the largest fountain on Disney property. The fountain holds approx. 150,000 gallons of water with computer controlled pumps. The fountain uses thirty five (yes 35) miles of electrical wire. Chloride is far too corrosive for this fountain. Bromine is used to keep the fountain clean and algae free.  Disney does collect all of the coins tossed into the fountain, which is donated to local charities.

The fountain has been part of Epcot since opening day. As a symbolic gesture of international cooperation and understanding, representatives from 22 countries each poured one gallon of water into the fountain.

Not surprisingly, there is an underground work area beneath this fountain that houses the pumps and computer systems. The elaborate display is based on an oval that is 180 x 120 feet.  (I am not aware of any behind the scenes tour that will take you beneath the fountain. Which is sad because I would love to see that work area!)

During the month of December, when all the "World"is transformed by holiday lights and decorations, the fountain also takes on a new dimension. The music is changed to holiday music and the fountain is now in harmony with the Lights of the Winter Archway. Nobody does it quite like Disney.

Disney has partnered with a variety of vendors to present the latest in cutting edge technology at Innoventions. The exhibits are changed regularly and most of them are designed to appeal to a wide range of ages.

I would like to tell you about some of those attractions over the next couple of weeks.  Innoventions East (which is on the Mission Space side) is the home of The Sum of All Thrills presented by Raytheon.

It is here that you use your math, science and engineering skills to design your very own thrill ride - as mild or wild as you would like. You get to determine the height and velocity using interactive touch screens while adding hill climbs, dives and corkscrews.  Once you are done designing your thrill ride, you hop into 4D robotic simulator and get to experience the ride you just created, accompanied by high definition video, audio and motion. How cool is that?  Learn more about 4D here! Other examples of 4D attractions at Disney include Soarin' and Mickey's PhilharMagic. The Wiki list does not appear to be all inclusive, but the definition and samples are good ones.

It is highly recommended that you read the warning sign at this attraction and even test the chairs to make sure that you will fit before proceeding with your design process.  There is a great write up and links to video here at Allears.net. 

I did make a layout for you this week. It's called innoventions fountain.  There's a little contest as well. This one is NOT going to be easy.  The kit I used is no longer in any of Connie's stores, so it will take a long time fan to come up with the correct answer.  I also believe that this was an exclusive for Gotta Pixel Club Members, no longer available, therefore pre-2011. So if you think you know the kit, go ahead and send me an email at coyotelady(at)gmail.com.  I'll do a random draw on any correct answers for a $10 coupon to Connie's store.  (Does the fact I have this kit make me a hoarder?)

Hope you enjoyed todays visit to Epcot's Future World. More next week!!