Soarin' Is Getting a Brand New Film This Summer — Here's Everything You Need to Know

If Soarin’ is on your must-do list every time you visit a Disney park, you are going to want to pay close attention to what is changing this summer — and when.

Disney has officially announced a third version of the iconic hang glider simulator ride, called Soarin’ Across America, coming to both EPCOT at Walt Disney World and Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort in 2026. As reported by MickeyVisit, the new film is part of Disney’s broader “Disney Celebrates America” campaign marking the country’s 250th anniversary.

The two parks will each receive the update on different timelines, and if you have a trip planned this summer, those dates matter.

What Is Changing

Soarin’ Across America replaces the current film at each location — “Soarin’ Around the World” at EPCOT, and “Soarin’ Over California” at Disney California Adventure — with a new aerial tour of American landmarks. Based on what Disney has revealed, guests can expect sweeping views of the Statue of Liberty, the Grand Canyon, and other iconic destinations across the country.

The most notable creative shift is the move away from computer-generated imagery. The production team, led by Executive Creative Media Producer Bernice Howes of Walt Disney Imagineering, shot the film using helicopters and drones to capture real locations from the air. Howes described the process: the team “sought out satellite maps to display a realistic visual of the locations, and set up aerial paths in order to understand our filming location needs.”

This is a direct response to a long-standing criticism of the “Around the World” film, which leaned heavily on CGI and drew complaints that some scenes looked artificial compared to the original “Soarin’ Over California” from 2001. If the new footage holds up to the production description, it should feel more like the immersive, grounded experience that made the original version so beloved.

When Each Park Gets the Update

The rollout is staggered, and both parks have brief closure windows tied to the transition.

EPCOT (Walt Disney World): Soarin’ Around the World closes on May 13, 2026 for a 12-day refurbishment. Soarin’ Across America opens at EPCOT on May 26, 2026.

Disney California Adventure (Disneyland Resort): The changeover happens without a gap in operations. Soarin’ Over California runs through July 1, 2026, and Soarin’ Across America opens on July 2, 2026 — the day after.

If you are heading to Walt Disney World in mid-May, the roughly two-week closure at EPCOT is worth factoring into your plans. The ride is consistently one of the most popular attractions in the park, and its absence during that window will likely shift wait time patterns elsewhere.

How Long Will It Stay?

Disney has positioned Soarin’ Across America as a temporary overlay tied to the Disney Celebrates America celebration, which runs through July 4, 2026. However, the company has notably declined to give a hard end date for the film overlay itself. That suggests it will operate at least through the Fourth of July and possibly well beyond — but guests should not count on it being permanent until Disney says otherwise.

This ambiguity is worth knowing. If you have been hoping to catch one last ride on Soarin’ Over California at Disneyland, July 1, 2026 is your final opportunity. The original film has been running there in some form since the attraction debuted in 2001, and it is being retired.

What It Means for Trip Planning

For most guests, this is a straightforward upgrade with a short-term inconvenience attached. The move toward real aerial cinematography should make the experience feel more authentic, and an all-American itinerary aligns well with what EPCOT and its Future World ethos have always tried to celebrate.

For anyone planning a Walt Disney World visit in mid-May specifically, the May 13-25 closure at EPCOT is worth noting. If Soarin’ is a priority for your family, either time your arrival for May 26 or later, or build flexibility into your park days so you are not locked into EPCOT during the closure window.

The Disneyland transition is cleaner — if you want to ride the classic California version one more time, you have until July 1, and the new film opens the very next morning with no downtime at all.

Either way, Soarin’ is about to look different — and if the production team delivered on the real-footage promise, that is probably a good thing.