Credit: Erica Lauren, Inside the MagicEPCOT’s Soarin’ attraction has been one of the most consistently beloved rides at Walt Disney World for more than two decades. The sensation of lifting gently out of your seat and gliding over sweeping aerial footage, surrounded by scents that shift to match the landscapes below, has a way of landing differently than almost anything else Disney offers. Guests who have ridden it dozens of times still find themselves looking forward to the moment the hang gliders rise and the world opens up beneath them. It is a ride that earns its reputation on repeat.
For the summer of 2026, that experience is getting a new destination.
Soarin’ Across America is arriving at EPCOT to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States, and the new version will showcase the natural beauty and iconic cityscapes of America from sea to shining sea with an original score and the signature scents that have always been central to the Soarin’ experience. Disney has already shared a look at filming that took place at the Grand Canyon, which is among the more than a dozen confirmed locations the new film will feature. The visuals, the music, and the scents are all being built fresh for this version of the flight.
Before the public gets to experience it, the cast members who make Walt Disney World run will be the first in the seats.
Starting May 6, eligible cast members and employees can register for previews of Soarin’ Across America that will run throughout the month of May. Each cast member can register for one preview date and bring up to three guests. That window gives the teams who operate and maintain the attraction their first hands-on experience with the new film before it opens to the general public.
The public opening date is May 26. To prepare for the transition, Soarin’ Around the World will close on May 14 for a brief refurbishment period, with the May 26 reopening as Soarin’ Across America. Disney has also confirmed that the new version will open at Disney California Adventure on July 2, giving both coasts a chance to experience the American version of the flight.
What Is Actually Changing at the Attraction
The core Soarin’ experience is not changing. The hang glider seating, the multi-row theater setup, the lift, the wraparound screen, the scents, all of that remains. What is changing is the film.
Soarin’ Around the World, which has been the version playing at EPCOT for several years, takes guests on a global journey across continents and landmarks. Soarin’ Across America replaces that footage with an American focus, covering more than a dozen breathtaking locations across the United States. The Grand Canyon is confirmed. The score is original and composed specifically for this version. The scents are being created to match the American landscapes guests will fly over.
One detail worth noting clearly: Soarin’ Across America is not being presented as a permanent replacement for Soarin’ Around the World. Disney has described it as a “limited-time journey” tied to the United States 250th anniversary celebration. What that means in practical terms is that Soarin’ Around the World will eventually return, though Disney has not disclosed a timeline for when the American version ends or when the global version comes back. That is information the parks have not released.
The queue itself is also getting attention. New carpet installation has been spotted at the Soarin’ attraction at EPCOT, with a fresh design that is noticeably more detailed and plush compared to the existing pattern. The installation appears to be happening in stages during overnight hours while the attraction is still operating, with visible before-and-after contrasts showing at different points in the queue. The carpet update is presumably part of the broader preparation for the Soarin’ Across America transition.
Walt Disney Imagineering also filed a permit for set installation at the attraction last month, suggesting the physical changes inside go beyond the queue carpet.
How This Affects a Disney Vacation at EPCOT
For guests with EPCOT visits planned around this transition, the specific dates matter considerably.
Soarin’ Around the World closes on May 14. Any EPCOT visit between May 14 and May 25 means Soarin’ is unavailable entirely. Guests who built their EPCOT itinerary around that attraction as a priority will need to reschedule or adjust their expectations for visits during that twelve-day closure window.
Starting May 26, the attraction reopens as Soarin’ Across America. Guests visiting from May 26 onward will experience the new American version rather than the global film they may be accustomed to. For first-time Soarin’ riders, the change makes no practical difference. For returning guests who have strong feelings about either version, knowing which film is playing before they arrive is useful context.
Soarin’ consistently draws some of the longer wait times at EPCOT, and the reopening of a refreshed attraction tends to generate elevated demand in the first days and weeks after a new film launches. Guests visiting in the immediate window around the May 26 reopening should anticipate higher-than-average waits and plan their Lightning Lane strategy accordingly.
For guests specifically interested in experiencing Soarin’ Around the World before it goes on hiatus, the window to do that closes on May 14. Any EPCOT visit before that date gets the global film. Any visit after May 26 gets the American film. The twelve-day closure is the transition between them.
Soarin’ Across America at Disney California Adventure opens on July 2, giving West Coast guests and visitors to Disneyland Resort their own version of the American flight on a slightly later timeline.
The 250th anniversary of the United States is the specific context driving this limited-time film, which suggests the transition back to Soarin’ Around the World will happen sometime after the anniversary celebrations wind down. Disney has not given that timeline publicly, which means guests planning trips in 2027 and beyond are working with uncertainty about which version of the attraction will be playing during their visits.
Planning Your EPCOT Visit Around the Change
The straightforward planning advice depends on which version you want to experience.
If Soarin’ Around the World matters to you and your group, your window closes May 14. Get an EPCOT visit in before then.
If Soarin’ Across America is what you want to see, May 26 is your earliest opportunity at EPCOT and July 2 at Disneyland.
If the new carpet and freshened queue are something you want to experience alongside the new film, May 26 onward is when the full updated package is available.
And if you are planning an EPCOT visit between May 14 and May 25, build your day around something other than Soarin’ because it will not be running.
Before you finalize any EPCOT visit between now and the end of May, check the specific dates against the Soarin’ closure and reopening schedule and make sure your priority attractions are available on the days you have chosen. A quick calendar check right now saves a frustrating discovery after you have already committed your travel plans. Our EPCOT guide has current attraction information and will be updated as the Soarin’ Across America transition progresses.
