Want to know the new scenes in Soarin Across America in Disney's EPCOT?

One of my favorite rides in all of Walt Disney World is Soarin.  No let me rephrase that to it IS my favorite ride. I rode it originally in 2005 when it opened as Soarin Over California. I remember How I loved the smell of the orange groves, the ocean breeze, and even the pine scent in the forest. 

In 2016 Soarin Over California was re-imagined into Soarin Around the World.  I loved it, but I missed some of those previous scents!

Just for reference, here are the 13 scenes/landmarks that are shown in Soarin Around the World..

1. Swiss Alps / Matterhorn – Fly up and over snowy peaks in Switzerland.

2. Greenland Ice Fjords – Glide past polar ice and wildlife in the Arctic.

3. Sydney Harbour, Australia – Soar over sailboats and the Opera House.

4. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany – A picturesque European castle from above.

5. Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania – See wildlife and sweeping African vistas.

6. Great Wall of China – Follow the ancient fortification through rugged terrain.

7. Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt – Fly over these iconic monuments.

8. Taj Mahal, India – A serene approach to the white marble wonder.

9. Monument Valley, USA – Red rock spires and desert buttes.

10. Fiji Islands (Lau Islands) – Tropical turquoise waters and island beauty.

11. Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina – Thundering waterfalls from above.

12. Eiffel Tower, Paris – Nighttime overhead views of the tower and city lights. 

13. EPCOT World Celebration Finale – Aerial glide over the park’s World Celebration gardens and Spaceship Earth.

Apparently there are several hidden Mickey's in these scenes, although the only one I've ever been quick enough to notice is the one in the Epcot scene when the fireworks are going off behind Spaceship Earth. Click HERE if you are interested in learning where all the other hidden Mickey's are throughout this ride. Some of them will definitely surprise you.

This Spring, Soarin Around the World will be transformed into Soarin Across America with brand new scenes, to celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States. It is said to be "an ariel journey across the United States" highlighting natural beauty and iconic cityscapes from coast to coast.

As of now, Disney has not released what scenes will be put into Soarin Across America, but I thought it would be fun to guess what they might be. 

Here are my suggestions to where the Soarin Across America might take us. When I was making my list, I was thinking from East Coast to West Coast.

Since Soarin Around the World has 13 scenes, I picked 13 suggestions for Soarin Across America.

1. NYC skyline and Statue of Liberty

2. Niagara Falls

3. Gettysburg Battle field

4. The Great Lakes  

5. Mississippi River

6. St. Louis Arch 

7. Smokie Mountains  

8. Red Rock in Utah

9. Mount Rushmore

10. Grand Canyon

11.Golden Gate Bridge

12.Yellowstone or other National Parks

13. Ending at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. 

Now I thought it would be fun to ask Chat GPT what it thought the new scenes would be in the upcoming Soarin Across America and here are those suggestions:

Because Disney has said the ride will include “iconic cityscapes and natural beauty,” here are landmarks and landscapes that make sense for Soarin’ Across America — places that would work well visually from the air and celebrate U.S. heritage and geography:

🇺🇸 Monumental & Urban Icons

1. Statue of Liberty & Manhattan Skyline (NY) — ultra-recognizable view of NYC harbor at sunrise or sunset.

2. Washington, D.C. National Mall — iconic aerial look at the Capitol, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, etc.

3. Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, CA) — stunning visual spanning the bay.

4. Space Needle (Seattle, WA) — Pacific Northwest urban landmark.

5. Chicago Skyline & Lakefront (IL) — great for aerial framing with water.

These kinds of cityscapes are exactly what Disney hinted at when talking about “iconic cityscapes” in the new film.

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🏞️ Natural Landscapes & Geographic Wonders

6. Grand Canyon (AZ) — dramatic aerial canyon vistas are visually stunning.

7. Yosemite National Park (CA) — waterfalls, cliffs, and forests seen from above.

8. Great Smoky Mountains / Appalachian Peaks (TN/NC) — iconic eastern mountain terrain.

9. Everglades / Florida Wetlands — drone-style footage over mangroves, sawgrass, and water.

10. Yellowstone National Park (WY/MT/ID) — geysers and landscapes that photograph beautifully from above.

11. Niagara Falls (NY) — powerful waterfall views, especially from air.

Scenes like these match Disney’s “natural beauty” theme and would pair well with scenic music and flight movement.

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🪶 Cultural + Scenic Extras

12. Route 66 / Mid-America aerial stretch — a symbolic coast-to-coast road.

13. Alaskan Wilderness — mountains, glaciers, and wildlife (if the film extends beyond the continental U.S.).

14. Pacific Coast Highway Cliffs — cinematic ocean cliffs and surf.

Fans are even talking about places like Mount Rushmore, Arches National Park, and Hawaii’s volcanoes as strong candidates for scenic diversity — though none of these are officially confirmed yet.

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🎥 How Disney Might Structure It

A likely Soarin’ Across America flight path could look like:

• Start on the East Coast (e.g., Statue of Liberty)

• Flow through Midwest urban and natural scenes (Chicago, Great Lakes)

• Cross dramatic mountains and parks (Smokies, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite)

• Travel to West Coast cities and coastal views

• End with a celebratory scene of fireworks or patriotic imagery

This mirrors how previous Soarin’ films weave together geographic variety with storytelling.

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🗓️ Final Notes

Disney will officially release the full scene list closer to the ride’s debut — likely in Spring 2026 ahead of the Memorial Day / Summer launch.
Right now, all we have are hints and reasonable expectations based on the concept.

There are a lot of good suggestions here, some that I didn't even think of. I am excited to see what Disney imagines for this version of Soarin Across America!

Till next time~ M and L