Magic Behind the Music: Disney’s California Adventure – Golden State – Soarin’ Over California – Queue Music
Before you take to the friendly skies; even before you’re introduced to your favorite Chief Flight Attendant, Patrick, you’re hearing the music from this track as you wait to ride one of Disney’s most beloved attractions: Soarin’. This track was added to the Jukebox on June 23, 2008. Many D-COT members are familiar with the original rides: Soarin’ Over California from Disney’s California Adventure park and its counterpart Soarin’ at Epcot. The ride is a fan favorite no matter which park you visit, but it debuted in California first in 2001. Noticing the attractions ever… soaring… popularity, Disney opened a copy of it in the Land pavilion in Epcot in 2005. Mirroring that popularity, D-COT members have played this track over 122,000 times, making it number 10 on D-COT’s Top 25 Played Overall list. It also makes number 23 on the Top 25 Rated playlist with a 4.8/5 average rating among 152 voters.
Interestingly, this is one attraction that almost didn’t make it off the ground until Imagineer, Mark Sumner, solved the problem of how to get guests up in the air and experiencing the sights, sounds, and smells of California with a hang-gliding sensation. He built a model using an Erector toy set to demonstrate how to make it work. Guests would stroll into the auditorium and take their seats on the ground. When the ride started, large electric motors lifted the rows of passengers up into the air in front of an immersive version of an IMAX screen. There they would be surrounded by the sights and sounds of many California land marks – ending with Disneyland of course. Further, the scents of the surroundings were also blown in so, while seeing the ocean, guests would smell the salty air and, while flying over an orange grove, they would smell fresh oranges.
Since its debut, both rides were simultaneously altered for Soarin’ Around the World on June 17, 2016. Now guests on both coasts experience flying over various landmarks around the world including Mt. Everest, Monument Valley, and there’s a familiar Disney park thrown in there too for good measure. The interesting part is that while the ride has changed, our feature track from the D-COT Jukebox remains the same at the parks. Guests listen to the same music as they wait to board the ride and it is filled with parts of various film soundtracks that invoke a feeling of flight and adventure. The 1-hour and 9-minute loop includes portions of scores from movies like An American Tail, Apollo 13, Explorers, The Rescuers Down Under, Air Force One, Hook, and The Rocketeer. The D-COT supporters have this queue music on 31 custom playlists and 417 members count it as a favorite. This is a great track for adding adventure to a mundane day or to enjoy while planning your next real adventure. No matter what context you’re listening to this music in, thanks for soarin’ with us!
The picture is courtesy of https://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/soarin.htm
6 Comments
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starbee
This is an absolute favorite of mine and always will be! So perfectly put together and in keeping with the theme of this ride. It definitely brightens my day to hear it on the Jukebox! Great article!
Nascfan
Great article, great track! It’s definitely one of my favorites!
Acamm
Yesssssssssssssss!!!! This track is on replay for me!
PA_Timekeeper
Providing from a forum post, for good measure: https://www.d-cot.com/topic/soarin-over-california-queue/
1 Jerry Goldsmith – Explorers – Have A Nice Trip
2 Bill Conti – The Right Stuff – Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
3 Stu Phillips – Battlestar Galactica
4 Jerry Goldsmith – Air Force One – Welcome Aboard, Sir
5 Cliff Eidelman – Chirstopher Columbus: The Discovery – The Broken Cloud
6 Alan Silvestri – Contact – Awful Waste Of Space
7 Jerry Goldsmith – Medicine Man – The Trees
8 George Delerue – Steel Magnolias – Main Titles
9 Bruce Broughton – The Rescuer’s Down Under – Cody’s Flight
10 Bruce Broughton – The Boy Who Could Fly – The Hospital – Flying – Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
11 Michael Small – Consenting Adults – Good Friends
12 Lee Holdridge – Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Dear Father – Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
13 Alan Silvestri – Father Of The Bride – End Titles
14 John Barry – Indecent Proposal – Suite
15 James Horner – Apollo 13 – “All Systems Go” – The Launch
16 James Horner – An American Tail – Flying Away & End Credits
17 John Williams – Always – Among The Clouds
18 James Horner – Apollo 13 – Re-Entry & Splashdown
19 David Newman – Mr. Destiny
20 James Newton Howard – Dave – Main Titles
21 John Williams – Always – Dorinda Solo Flight
22 David Arnold – The Musketeer – Main Title
23 John Williams – Hook – Prologue
24 James Newton Howard – The Grand Canyon – Main Title – Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
25 Craig Safan – The Last Starfighter – Main Title – Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
26 James Horner – Field Of Dreams – End Credits
27 Alan Silvestri – Contact – End Credits
28 Trevor Jones – Arachnophobia – End Title
29 James Newton Howard – Dave – End Titles
30 John Williams – Far And Away – The Land Race
31 Jerry Goldsmith – Explorers – Have A Nice Trip
32 Rachel Portman – Emma – End Title
33 James Horner – The Rocketeer – Rocketeer To The Rescue – End Title
34 Lee Holdridge – The Great Whales – Sailing – Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops
35 Joel McNeely – Return To Neverland – Flight Through Neverland
36 Jerry Goldsmith – Medicine Man – The Trees
37 James Horner – A Beautiful Mind
38 John Williams – Far And Away – The Land Race
39 Michael Kamen – Band Of Brothers – Suite No. 1
In fact, gonna listen to this loop right now!
jman410_89
I listen to James Horner while waiting in line. You can also hear his track at the Fountain of Nations as well.
PA_Timekeeper
Sounds like a future post for our man @RocketEAR99!
