If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort, there are only a few attractions that the two Disney Parks actually have in common that are truly identical, but one of them is a must-ride for anybody who has never done it. Soarin’ Around the World is a fairly simple attraction, all things considered, but it’s a great deal of fun and something that I would have called a uniquely Disney attraction. This is why I found it more than a little surprising when I found Soarin' Around the World, or at least something a lot like it, in… Branson, Missouri.
During my recent trip to visit Silver Dollar City, I got to experience some of the additional entertainment that Branson, Missouri has to offer. That included a standalone attraction attached to the Beyond the Lens "techno-tainment" experience on the “Branson strip” called Flyride. It is, essentially, a version of Soarin’, though with some unique differences that make this one worth checking out if you happen to be in the area.
Flyride Is Basically Soarin, But With Some Key Differences
If you’re familiar with Soarin' Around the World or its Disney California Adventure-inspired predecessor Soarin' Over California, then you know the basic setup. It’s an attraction designed like you’re about to get on an airplane, complete with an inspired safety lecture by the great Patrick Warburton. You sit in a chair that is lifted into the air and “fly” while a massive screen displays various sights from around the world. You get a bit of breeze in your face to simulate flying, and you’ll occasionally also be given the scent of the place you’re traveling through in order to enhance the experience.
I wasn't previously that familiar with Flyride theaters, but there are several installations of the experience around the world, and Flyride has an even more significant Disney connection than the ride design. Flyride was created by SimEx-Iwerks, and the Iwerks in that name is Don Iwerks. Iwerks is a Disney Legend, former Walt Disney Imagineer, and the son of Ub Iwerks, the creator of CircleVision theaters in the Disney Parks, as well as the co-creator of Mickey Mouse.
The basic structure is all there with Branson’s Flyride. You sit in a very similar seating arrangement while watching landscapes go by on a large screen. It even has a very similar “airplane safety lecture” storyline setup. The video focus is specifically on locations within the U.S., splitting the difference between Soarin's two versions.
The major difference is that with Flyride, you’re never quite off the ground. Instead, at the beginning of the ride, your row of seats slides forward on a track until you’re sitting at the edge. This way, you can’t see the ground below you, so you still have the sensation of being in flight.
However, there is an upside to the fact that you’re technically still grounded. Because your seat is still stuck to the platform, it’s full of electronics that Soarin doesn’t have. These cause the seats to shift around, tilting you left, right, forward and backward, making the experience a bit more active. In Soarin', the seats only have some minor vertical movement that does enhance the experience, but largely in a way that is not perceptible to the rider.
Where Flyride Falls Short Of Soarin Around The World
If you’re expecting me to say that Branson, Missouri has a superior version of Soarin’, then I’m sorry to everybody, but I can’t quite say that. There are too many elements that just don't measure up.
The size and quality of the video display is a big one. If the goal is to make you feel like you are truly flying over real places, then the video has to be incredible, like looking out a window. Flyride just doesn't accomplish this. Blown up to the scale that it is, it's obvious here that you're watching video.
There are also some minor issues with the way that the video and motion simulator sync up. The camera moves along with the seating, to help enhance the feeling that you are truly flying, but there were a couple of moments when the sync between the two was off enough that my inner ear was not happy.
There's one other big element where not only Flyride, but a lot of theme park attractions can't compete with Soarin' Around the World: the music. The score for the original Soarin' Over California was written by the great Jerry Goldsmith. While the version used for the current Soarin' is not exactly the same, it's largely unchanged and it is still one of the best pieces of theme park music ever written.
Why Flyride Is Worth Checking Out Anyway
Having said that, Flyride is different enough that any fan of Soarin’ or theme park rides in general should absolutely check it out. The motion simulator elements of Flyride add a fresh dimension to the experience. That makes it clear this is an attempt to do something different, not merely copy something that's already popular.
There is also one minor detail of Flyride that should be given its due, as it is a place where this version of the attraction does win out over its competitor, which has nothing to do with the technology. It does show riders the Eiffel Tower and does so without making it look like the famous landmark is literally bent. Of course, it does this by showing guests a much smaller version, the one at the Paris Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Flyride isn't the only version of this attraction style that you'll find elsewhere. The LEGO Movie Ride is just one of the attractions at Legoland that will be familiar to Disneyland fans. It uses a system that is even closer to what Soarin' is, without the motion simulator elements of Flyride.
There are actually dozens more flying theater-style attractions now, made by nearly as many different designers. Flyride may not be the best of them, but it isn't without its own charms that are worthy of note.
