In Part One, Laura and I checked out the recent updates to Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which were both really well done refurbishments but didn’t have major changes. Just before heading off to Disneyland, we were able to attend Annual Passholder previews for Soarin’ Across America and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets! Which one soared and which one coasted?
First up, we headed to Epcot hoping to Soar! This was one of the easiest preview experiences we’ve had in years. All we had to do was show up, scan in and get in line. And there was almost no wait so it was a quick and effortless trip after work on a Wednesday. Speaking of the line, there were some nice new design features and I liked the travel posters of destinations featured in previous versions of the ride. They didn’t have the trivia screens running for the preview, so I don’t know what they did with that. Also, I loved that they brought Patrick Warburton back for the pre-show!!
Unfortunately, the check in process and short queue were the best parts about it. I was hoping Soarin’ Across America would be a wonderful reminder of this beautiful country we live in despite all the turmoil happening right now. Sadly, it just fell flat. There was something missing.
Yes, there was beautiful scenery but the cinematography and editing were not dynamic at all. It was just nice scenery and nothing else. No excitement, no close calls, destinations I didn’t recognize. Most scenes were just wide angle shots with little movement. The two attempts at unique transitions were incredibly fake in my opinion. And then there was the CG, something Soarin’ Around the World had been highly criticized for. The Statue of Liberty and Helicopter encounters didn’t look real whatsoever. I could be wrong here, but even the New York skyline looked off to me.
What surprised me the most was that some of the big Disney bloggers and podcasters gave it so much praise. I avoided reading reviews until after I rode it myself. I don’t understand how people who are so critical of everything Disney does could think this was such a hit, but to each their own. It looked very temporary to me and I hope it is. We don’t have a leaning Eiffel Tower in this version or a distorted CG Taj Mahal, but this was just boring.🥱 I didn’t hate it, but I’m in a no rush to ride it again. Technically, we did soar, but WDI just coasted through this update.
Soarin’ Across America definitely ranks fourth out of four different versions of Soarin’ I’ve ridden. Yes, I counted correctly! I feel that Soaring Fantastic Flight in Tokyo is different enough to count it separately and rank it above Soarin’ Around the World. I know this is a tangent, but the Tokyo version also has the best queue and pre show of almost any ride! Click the videos below to see my videos of both the queue and pre show on Instagram, complete with the random eagle flying backwards!
You don’t need to know what she’s saying to appreciate this pre show!
Sorry for the diversion! On a more positive note, day two of previews was a thousand times better!! For Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, we had to join a virtual queue and hope that our group was called before the end of the day. I narrowly missed out on a preview for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure a couple years ago when they didn’t get to my group so I’m always a little on edge with these. We headed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios after work and luckily it was cloudy and breezy. Unlike the Epcot sauna from the night before! This was off to a good start. There was a decent length queue, but I didn’t mind it. There were so many gags from the moment you walked through the doors that it was entertaining. Even while waiting outside, there were new things to take in.
The first thing we saw even before entering the building was Weird Al Yankovic!! He was doing some sort of video interview on the screens inside the lobby of G-Force Records. We were still outside while he was on, but as we moved inside it changed to John Stamos!! He was being interviewed by Bobo The Bear! Perfect timing for my Stamos loving wife!! Check out that video below.
As we continued through the queue we were treated to Muppet music memorabilia including little tiny instruments, Grammy Awards and costumes preserved in shadow box frames.
Finally, we entered the recording studio, also known as the pre show. I don’t even remember the gags because there was just so much to look at!! The Electric Mayhem was there as were Miss Piggy, Sam Eagle and others. My favorite were the penguins who went from being the orchestra in Muppet Vision 3D to sound technicians working the sound board here!
I do enjoy the Muppets, but I don’t personally have a deeply rooted love for them or even remember much from their old shows or movies. I don’t even remember the Electric Mayhem. But Laura does and she was loving every second of this which made me really happy!!
The queue then continues out in the alley just as it always did with even more gags and recognizable props. Then our super fast car pulled up and we were off!! Laura shouted out that we got the song she wanted. It was so loud that I couldn’t even hear what it was initially but then I realized it was Song 2 performed by the Electric Mayhem themselves and it was awesome! I had Woohoo in my head for days!!
The ride itself was just as awesome as the queue – as one would hope! The queue just left the ride with so much to live up to! I had not ridden Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in years because I started getting headaches from it, but luckily that did not happen this time around. Even though I’m not a huge Muppet fan, I absolutely loved this ride update!! The Imagineers didn’t miss a thing and they definitely Soared on this one!! We almost instantly looked at our calendars to see when we could come back for more!
So there we have it. Positive scores for three of the four ride updates…so far!! The updated version of Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu opened the very next day, but we were flying off to Disneyland that weekend and decided to check it out there instead with the convenience of Lightning Lane! My thoughts on that ride and more at Disneyland will be coming in a future update!
What were your thoughts on Soarin’ Across America and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets? Leave a message below or on social media and let me know!
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