Epcot’s recently updated its popular motion simulator attraction Soarin’ Around the World with a new ending, but it may have arrived too late.
The ride’s new finale is already woefully out of date.
Soarin’ ends with a flyover of Epcot, passing over the former Future World and Spaceship Earth before the character Tinker Bell flies in to sprinkle some pixie dust. Since the ending scene debuted with Soarin’ Around the World in 2016, Epcot has completely changed the park’s layout. The Future World that guests flew over no longer exists, so Disney tried to update Soarin’ to more accurately reflect the Epcot that exists today.
The concept Art for World Celebration in Epcot – Disney
In the update, guests fly over the new World Celebration neighborhood that sits in the front of the park before Tinker Bell comes in once more amid the crash of fireworks that form a familiar not-so-hidden Mickey on either side of the park’s signature icon, Spaceship Earth.
The new scene can be found in the video player below.
There’s only one major issue with the new scene.
It doesn’t reflect Epcot as it exists today.
The new ending for Soarin’ shows a series of illuminated lights surrounding the main planter in the center of World Celebration. However, the underground lights Disney installed quickly broke and Disney had no way to repair them without tearing up the pavement. Most of the lights no longer function, and many were cracked and even raised dangerously due to wear and tear from passing guests.
Basically none of the World Celebration Gardens floor lighting works anymore at EPCOT and a number of columns are having issues pic.twitter.com/ADzQDIEeGs
— BlogMickey.com (@Blog_Mickey) July 8, 2024
READ: Walt Disney World’s Lightning Lane Premiere Pass Sold Out for the First Time
Instead, Disney covered the lights with opaque white strips that block any illumination in an apparent display of surrender. The days of World Celebration having glorious ground lighting, as seen in the finale of Soarin’ Around the World, appear to be over.
This is just the latest in a long series of disasters to befall Disney’s massive re-imagining of Epcot. There have been several issues since the house of mouse rolled out the new World Celebration neighborhood. This includes underground leaks from Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana, a lackluster fan reaction to the rollout of Communicore Hall, and Disney seemingly abandoning several elements of the new Epcot initially announced to great fanfare.
Official concept art for the World Celebration Festival Center, eventually changed to Communicore Hall – Disney
These included a Mary Poppins attraction in the UK Pavilion and the Disney PLAY Pavilion in the old Wonders of Life building.
The new ending of Soarin’ in Epcot wasn’t the only change the attraction saw. Imagineers also fixed warping issues with the original video so that buildings like the Eiffel Tower in Paris no longer seem curved.
How do you think Disney handled the re-imagining of Epcot? Which version of Epcot do you prefer?
UP NEXT: Rob Reiner Checks Himself Into a ‘Facility’ Over Trump Election
