On June 17th Epcot welcomed back a park favorite with a new look. Soarin Around the World. Soarin was one of the most popular rides at Disney World as the wait times were always over and hour and a half and the fast passes for the ride were almost always out. Disney Last spring decided to add a third theater to the ride to help cut down on the wait times. When the ride was reopened it was an immediate hit. When I went on the ride it was said to have a 90-minute wait. I waited less than 40 minutes. The standby line had new carpet put in. They also changed the monitors on the way. Before the change they use to pop up with games for the guests in line to play. They would be teamwork games such as collecting coins or racing to the end of a forest. Now the screens just say Soarin. Having 3 theaters really cut down on waiting. The ride system has stayed the same which is good. The ride begins with you taking off and instead of the Golden Gate Bridge as the opening scene instead we see the Matterhorn in Switzerland. We also travel to Sydney, The Great Wall of China, The Taj Mahal, and Paris to name a few of the stops. The ride ends with us Flying over Epcot during the fireworks. Instead of Disneyland we end at the park the Soarin Around the World is housed at. The ride is perfect Disney knocked it out of the park reinventing a classic. Wait times may be a bit high but the ride is worth the wait.
The next newest attraction was the Frozen area to Norway. Anna and Elsa’s summer cottage was built so the Queen and Princess of Arendelle can meet with park guests. The Cottage is beautifully constructed. Inside there is a tribute to the ride Frozen took over Maelstrom with a tapestry showing the three trolls on it. A nice tribute to ride. As for the meet and greets Anna and Elsa are a joy to meet. If you’re a big fan of Frozen this is a place for you to visit.
The last ride added was Frozen Ever After. It was the replacement for Maelstrom a move that is either regarded as controversial or much need depending one which Disney fan you talk to. The ride opened June 21st. Epcot opens at 9 and the World Showcase opens at 11. By 830 there was a line to get into World Showcase. Frozen Ever After had a 300-minute wait. Yes a 5-hour wait. I personally have not had a chance to ride it as when I got in line the ride was down due to technical difficulties. Hopefully, in the upcoming weeks the line will die down a bit and I will be able to review Frozen Ever After.
