Review of Soarin' at WDW

[Cheshire Figment]

I went to the AP Preview of Soarin' today and enjoyed it. I spoke with a manager about some concerns. My opinion is some people will have problems.

First is anyone with a manual wheelchair. The ramps going between the main entrance to Soarin' (where the small shop was) and the actual entrance/exit at the attraction are (1) VERY LONG easily 500 feet, and (2) almost as steep as some of the monorail station ramps. My ECV discharge meter was not very happy with the ramps. Instead of having just flat surfaces, they are definitely hilly.

The good news is the queue and theater themselves are ECV accessible. The theater has four sections of three rows each. The space between the sections is easily large enough to park several ECVs with no problem, so you can drive right in and only have a short distance to walk to the seat.

The real bad news is there is no way to slide from a wheelchair (regular or power) into a seat. Between each seat, and at the ends of the row, are bars high enough to keep a person from slipping out the side. I asked the manager about wheelchair access. He said that the bars at the ends of the rows were fixed for safety reasons.

I discussed people who were more confined to wheelchairs and who would require assistance. Basically there is a lot of room between each row, so a wheelchair could come right up to a seat. The person would then have to, either on their own or with assistance, stand up and turn either 90 or 180 degrees and then sit down in the seat. Likewise they would again have to stand to get back into their wheelchair. When the ride is not in motion the seats are firmly on the floor and do not sway.

I did not ask if a person could just stay seated in their own chair and not have the mtion, but I think that based on the motion of the seats this would probably not be allowed.

There will probably be some people who will not be able, if travelling alone, to ride this attraction. However, if a person can transfer with assistance they should be able to ride it.

 

[LisaBi]

What's your opinion of the effort required to push a manual wheelchair on Soarin', as compared to SM? My son uses a wheelchair at WDW, and SM is his favorite ride. And the two of us visit alone. And I have shoulder issues. So you know how much I love pushing him up the SM queue over and over again!

I just dread the thought of another ride that he loves that I have to push up that kind of hill! (He's seen the pictures and declared it "cool.")

Thanks,
LisaB

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I think they are steeper and definitely longer than the ramps at SM. I met a couple I know from Connecticut (both in ECVs) and they also commented about the steepness and length of the ramps.

 

[Andrew Bichard]

How high are the Soarin' seats from the floor? I can stand (with something to hold onto) but I have difficulty standing up when sitting down, because I have to throw myself foreward and let momentum carry me foreward 'till my weight is over my feet, then grab something to stop myself falling flat on my face. This is much easier if the seat I am standing up from is higher than average.

From photos, I can see there is plenty of space in front of the front row. As my wheelchair has a power seat, I can raise it up, making the transfer wheelchair to soarin' seat easy. I am not so certain about getting back into my wheelchair after the ride.

Andrew

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would figure that the seats are "normal" chair height. The bars on the side (or chair arms) are about a foot above the seat. I realize that the CMs are not allowed to directly assist a person. However, you would have to instruct them on how to put your chair into freewheel after you get out of it so it can be moved to a safe area and then how to lock it when they bring it back to you. If you have acceptable upper body strength and can push up are the (very solid) chair arms that might work.

Mike

 

[SueM in MN]

Thanks for the report Cheshire Figment.
We were hoping to get a chance to see it when we were at WDW, but weren't lucky.
Deb Will's site has some pictures of Soaring posted that show the queue and people seated just before "take-off". The picture of the darker queue area just before the loading area shows how steep it is in that area.

 

[SueOKW]

We were there yesterday and I noticed that everyone was going in the same entrance- yet there was one on the left (not open) that had the WC logo on it... is it possible that there will be a different entrance? I hope to go there again today and will ask - unless Cheshire - you've already done that.

My husband transferred my son (we can still pick him up) and held him in the seat next to him and they did great.

 

[SueM in MN]

How did your son like it, Sue?

PS: I forgot to bring your contact info along when we were at OKW. We had my DD's computer, but I forgot it had only been on the internet thru our broadband connection. It didn't have any of the passwords to do dial up (and I was not about to spend $9.95 a day to get Disney's broadband access).
hope you are having a good time.

 

[Nanajo1]

Thanks for the info. I hope to ride it this Nov.

 

[Talking Hands]

How high a chair is the seat height? A normal dining chair or higher. If I can sit down like a dining chair I can do it but if it is higher like a bar stool height forget it. I can't pull myself up to sit in the chair.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I went again today (with some out of town friends). The seats are about that of a dining room chair. I, and others smaller than me, were able to have our feet on the floor while waiting for the ride to start.

I did notice an accessibility sign, but that was near the entrance to the pavilion. Both me and one of the people with me were in ECVs. I also saw at least one person in a manual chair. None of us were directed in any special way. The person with the manual chair was not happy with the distance and slopes.

Our flight was delayed due to some problems with the door sensors. It took about five or six tries until it would start. After we got out and back to the main part of the pavilion we found that they had just closed the attraction and were turning people away.

 

[Cellthing]

I have a different sort of DisABILTY, I have what is called Akylosing Spondylitis. It basically without going into a long winded message, "fuses" the spine together. I am able to ride most rides, except the really bumpy ones. Is Soarin' fairly smooth, without a lot of bumps that put quite a bit of pressure on the spine?

Thanks,

Craig

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm sure you will get some first hand accounts to help you decide.
I checked the website for the official WDW Guidebook for Guests with Disabilities and here's what it has to say:

Soarin'™
Fly as you never dreamed possible, soaring over awe-inspiring scenic panoramas of California where this exhilarating, one-of-a-kind attraction debuted.
Location: Inside the Land

But, that is not complete info, since we already know from what Cheshire Figment posted on this thread that a transfer is needed.
Here's what it says for the ride at the DisneyLand site:

Hold your breath as you experience the ultimate sensation of free flight. Your soarin' journey takes you from one end of the Golden State to the other in this awe-inspiring scenic tour.
Take in immersive breath-taking aerial vistas while flying in this simulated hang glider
Your toes dangle just above the awe-inspiring landscapes such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Yosemite
Feel the wind in your hair as you see California as you've never seen it before!

Category:**Big Thrills

Location:**Golden State

Height Requirement:**40" (102 cm) or taller

This attraction has Disney's FASTPASS® service*

Additional Information

Guests should be in good health, and free from heart, back or neck problems, motion sickness or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure. Expectant mothers should not ride.

Young children should be accompanied by an adult.

Guests in wheelchairs must transfer from their wheelchairs to experience this attraction.

I'm not sure what would cause the caution, since everything I have read indicates it's a pretty smooth, gentle ride.

 

[njdisneygirl]

i have a sort of diffrent concern my mom is a fairly large lady how would you rate the seats and are there seat belts because some time disney seems to for get some people carry a few extra pound and some belt do not fit a large person if any one has any info on this it would be great thanks

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The ride is smooth; there are a few bumps but they are not really jerky.

Some people would consider me Pooh Size but the seat belts had lots of room. I saw some friends who are at least 100 pounds heavier than me (and shorter too) and they had not had any problems.

When the ride is in operation, Row 1 is highest, Row 2 is in the middle, and Row 3 is lowest. Row 3 is probably four feet from the floor. However if a person has Arophobia they may not be able to tolerate it.

On an aside, I saw the seating chart and the theater capacity is 87 people.

 

[njdisneygirl]

thank you for the reply and i will try and remember that seats that are the lowest are in the back cause she is not real tall and be large and short some seat can be hard to manage i also had a problem the last time we went with her and the turnstiles at certain rides only the hancapp entrance is for the handicap so we asked could the cm open the gate fro her i dont uner stand when you are in a park that checks ticket at the front gate why it they need turnstiles yes they like to count to she how many go one the ride but why not use hand held counters to make it easier on people of large stature .

 

[eternaldisneyfan]

First here is a great thread on soarin'.http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=731495&page=1&pp=15&highlight=soarin'

Here are my comments on my experience at DL.

I am severely limited physically. I cannot sit up without being held up out of my wheelchair. I have severe contractures and balance issues. I use an electric wheelchair full-time as well as 24 hour GJ tube feeds and a trach. My mom will not allow me to ride rough thrill rides. She has a milder form of Muscular Dystrophy and can walk short distances and has much better trunk control. My mom will not allow me to transfer to hardly any rides and she has to preview them first and approve rides. I was thrilled when she said I could ride this one! In fact, I found Haunted Mansion more difficult to ride!

I transfered to 3 rides on our trip to Disneyland. In fact, on our trip to Disneyland Soarin' was the only transfer I didn't get hurt. There is a lot of room so Dad could stand directly in front of the seat and bend down. The seat was a little higher then a chair so a good height. The individual seats meant that I wasn't getting squished. The smooth movements didn't hurt my back. It was my first thrill ride in a while!

I pulled my wheelchair right up to the aisle. My Dad carried me to the second seat. He sat on my left and my Grandma sat on my right. The seat belt has a strap that goes between your legs (meant for smaller children) to keep you from sliding out. During the ride, my Dad had his arm behind my back and a hold of my left arm while my Grandma held my right arm. On the swoops and turns these stabilized me. The most difficult part was the steep incline (Dad's arm held me up) and downward angles (seatbelt and arm holds). If you are as limited as me, I would not go without assistance. But with proper support you can enjoy the ride. The seat has a fairly high back so if you are thrown backwardrs you won't fall out. The seatbelt is snug and the strap between the legs will help secure you on the downward angles. Even though my feet were hanging, the seat didn't dig into the back of my legs. There are arm rests. All the movements are smooth. My only difficulty was that the snugness of the seatbelt left me out of breath. This ride made my whole vacation!

Cellthing: I had a spinal fusion for scoliosis which fused my back from the base of my neck to my tailbone with screws in the pelvis for support. I have chronic pain and nerve damage (controlled with narcotics). Soarin' did NOT bother my back at all! The movements are smooth and the seats are comfy.

"Thrill ride" status: The ride does swoop and incline forward while accelerating with the ground getting closer until you gently pull up. It also inclines and swoops upwards and at sideways angles. The surroundings are very realistic. You can feel the wind and as you accelerate so does the wind. My sister started to apologize for kicking a golfer in the head! It truly feels like you are hanggliding!

I loved it! Give it a try!

Christamae