Soarin' Across America: First Look at the New Bi-Coastal Flight Coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Disney has revealed the first locales featured in Soarin' Across America, the all-new flight overlay debuting May 26, 2026, at EPCOT and July 2, 2026, at Disney California Adventure. The reimagined attraction will glide above iconic American landscapes with a new musical arrangement and a National Geographic-powered queue trivia experience.

Soarin' Across America: First Look at the New Bi-Coastal Flight Coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Disney has pulled back the curtain on the first locations featured in Soarin' Across America, the patriotic new overlay launching at EPCOT on May 26, 2026, and at Disney California Adventure on July 2, 2026, in honor of America's 250th anniversary. From the rugged New England coast to Grand Canyon West, this is shaping up to be the most ambitious Soarin' rework since the attraction first lifted off in 2001.

Key Details

The First Locales: Sea to Shining Sea

Walt Disney Imagineering has revealed a first look at some of the destinations guests will glide above when the attraction opens. The flight covers what creative director and chief storytelling executive Tom Fitzgerald calls a "tapestry of urban wonders, natural beauty, and iconic locations" — a deliberate mix that's meant to feel less like a postcard reel and more like a portrait of the country.

Concept art of Mount Rushmore as it will appear in the Soarin' Across America attraction at EPCOT and Disney California Adventure
Mount Rushmore is among the iconic American monuments featured in the new flight.

Along the journey, riders will glide above iconic urban and natural wonders, from the rugged New England coastline and the radiant welcome of New York Harbor to the vast expanse of Grand Canyon West.

Concept art of the New England coastline scene in Soarin' Across America with autumn foliage and a coastal lighthouse
The New England coastline is one of several quintessentially American settings in the flight.

The lineup also features the autumn colors of the heartland; the beauty of America's bayous; the great plains of the west; the northern wilderness; and sunlit island shores — a wider geographic spread than any previous Soarin' film.

Concept art of a Hawaii scene in Soarin' Across America showing palm trees and a sunlit Pacific shoreline
Sunlit island shores represent some of the country's most far-flung scenery in the new film.
"Each scene helps to create a portrait of what we believe makes America so special. It's a tapestry of urban wonders, natural beauty, and iconic locations that celebrate the spirit of the nation and the 250th anniversary of the United States." — Tom Fitzgerald, creative director and chief storytelling executive, Walt Disney Imagineering

A New Score and a National Geographic Queue

The flight will be backed by a brand-new musical arrangement of Jerry Goldsmith's beloved Soarin' themes by composer Bruce Broughton. Combine that with the attraction's signature ride programming, wind effects, and scents, and Imagineering is positioning this as a fully immersive sensory rework — not just a new film stitched into the existing rig.

At Walt Disney World, the queue itself is getting a new pre-show. The Soarin' Challenge Across America — created in collaboration with National Geographic — invites guests to discover which state is "Most Likely to Reach for the Stars," "Most Likely to Lend an Ear," and "Most Likely to Strike Gold." The trivia challenge pulls fun facts from National Geographic's 50 States, 5,000 Ideas and stunning photography from the National Geographic archives, transforming the EPCOT queue into a celebration of American wonder.

Part of a Bigger Disney Celebrates America Push

Soarin' Across America is one of the marquee experiential pieces of Disney Celebrates America, the company-wide initiative tied to the United States' 250th anniversary. The program spans programming, storytelling, and experiences across Disney's iconic brands and businesses, with the Soarin' overlay sitting alongside other tie-ins still to be announced.

How We Got Here: Original Reveal from October 2025

When Disney first revealed the project, the headline was simple: the fan-favorite Soarin' attraction would be reimagined into a flight across the U.S., debuting July 2, 2026, at Disneyland Resort and May 26, 2026, at Walt Disney World Resort.

Soarin' Across America attraction poster artwork showing a hang-glider silhouette over an American landscape
The attraction poster for Soarin' Across America was unveiled when the project was first announced in October 2025.

The bi-coastal offering was pitched to showcase the United States — from sea to shining sea — highlighting some of the country's natural beauty and iconic cityscapes.

Aerial view of the Grand Canyon being captured for filming Soarin' Across America
The Grand Canyon is one of more than a dozen locations Walt Disney Imagineering is capturing for the new flight.

This will be brought to life with the iconic elements that make Soarin' unforgettable — the flight, the sights and score, even the scents. Walt Disney Imagineering has been hard at work capturing more than a dozen breathtaking locations for the new flight, with crews mobilized by both boat and helicopter to capture the original imagery.

Camera boat used by Walt Disney Imagineering to film coastal sequences for Soarin' Across America Camera helicopter used by Walt Disney Imagineering to capture aerial footage for Soarin' Across America

Whether riders take off from Disney California Adventure park in California or EPCOT in Florida, they'll be part of a journey honoring the heart and spirit of the nation as it soars into its 250th-birthday celebration.

What This Means for Disney Parks Fans

The original Soarin' Over California opened with Disney California Adventure in 2001 and was reworked into Soarin' Around the World in 2016 — both still iconic, both showing their age. A full new flight, a new score from Bruce Broughton, and a National Geographic-powered queue add up to the most substantial refresh the attraction has ever received. With the WDW debut landing just before Memorial Day weekend, expect EPCOT crowds to swell quickly. If you're planning a Disneyland Resort trip, the July 2 debut at Disney California Adventure lines up neatly with the long Independence Day weekend — exactly the timing you'd expect for an attraction tied to America's 250th.