Disney has just revealed the first look at the locations featured in Soarin’ Across America, and the all-new film arriving at EPCOT on May 26 looks like an absolute love letter to the United States.
Today’s update from the Disney Parks Blog gives fans the first real sense of what the new Soarin’ experience will feel like from beginning to end. The film takes guests from the rugged New England coastline and the welcome of New York Harbor all the way to the vast expanse of Grand Canyon West, with stops that include the autumn colors of the heartland, the beauty of the bayous, the great plains of the west, the northern wilderness, sunlit island shores, Mount Rushmore, and Hawaii. Soarin’ Across America is one of the centerpiece attractions of Cool Kids’ Summer 2026, Disney’s massive summer celebration kicking off May 26 at Walt Disney World.
Disney released several first-look images from the film today, including a stunning shot of a New England lighthouse perched on rocky shores at golden hour, an aerial view of Mount Rushmore bathed in morning light, and sailboats drifting past Diamond Head in Hawaii under a pink-purple sky. There is also a gorgeous illustrated attraction poster that pulls all the locations together into one sweeping image.
We will just say this about that New England lighthouse shot: there is a seagull visible in the frame, and if you know anything about how Soarin’ works, that bird is about to become the most terrifying jump scare in EPCOT history. Godspeed to everyone in the front row.
Tom Fitzgerald, creative director and chief storytelling executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, described the film as a portrait of what makes America special, calling it “a tapestry of urban wonders, natural beauty, and iconic locations that celebrate the spirit of the nation and the 250th anniversary of the United States.”
The classic sensory elements Soarin’ fans love are all intact. A new musical arrangement by composer Bruce Broughton builds on the beloved original Jerry Goldsmith themes, and the ride’s signature wind effects, scents, and flight programming all return to bring each location to life.
There is also something new waiting in the EPCOT queue. The Soarin’ Challenge Across America, developed in partnership with National Geographic, invites guests to match states to fun superlatives using facts pulled from the National Geographic archives and titles including 50 States, 5,000 Ideas. It turns what has always been a passive wait into something worth arriving early for.
The new film is part of Disney’s company-wide America 250th anniversary initiative, which is also bringing the Sam Eagle Popcorn Bucket to Disneyland Resort starting May 21 and a full slate of patriotic programming across the parks.
Soarin’ Across America opens May 26 at EPCOT and July 2 at Disneyland Resort.
Our Take: The location list is doing a lot of work here. This is not a generic greatest hits reel — bayous, the northern wilderness, and the heartland in autumn suggest Disney actually wanted to show the America most people live in, not just the postcard version. Pair that with a new Broughton score built on the Goldsmith foundation and the National Geographic queue activity, and this feels like a genuine upgrade worth planning around. Also, that lighthouse seagull has main character energy and we are rooting for it.
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Disney Reveals Soarin’ Across America Locations Ahead of May 26 EPCOT Opening
