Uh...Soarin'....50 feet in the air??!!

[GADisneyDad14]

I don't know the exact measurement, but you're well higher than 12 feet off the ground if you're on the top row.

 

[Robo]

I'm thinking my feet just aren't that far off the ground. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I truly doubt my feet are dangling much higher off the ground than what I specified. I'm certainly not measuring from the top of any vehicle since I'm not at the top.

You HAVE to include the height of the vehicle rows.
There are three rows of vehicles, "stacked" vertically.

BTW, the floor below the actual screen (and that's where the guests are flown during the ride)
is actually lower than the level of the floor in the boarding area.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

In the post where I pulled this information, was here on the DIS and the person giving the numbers they gave said they had lunch with an Imagineer. That's where those numbers came from. Truth? Don't know, but regardless, it still makes me nervous.

 

[Robo]

In the post where I pulled this information, was here on the DIS and the person giving the numbers they gave said they had lunch with an Imagineer. That's where those numbers came from. Truth? Don't know, but regardless, it still makes me nervous.

The heights you quoted (even if they turn out not to be "exact") are much closer to the real numbers.


(Photo found on web.)

 

[Tiggerlover91]

The heights you quoted (even if they turn out not to be "exact") are much closer to the real numbers.

View attachment 394427
(Photo found on web.)

I figured they were Robo. Which is why my anxiety set in. Again, I don't want my son terrified because I am....so I'll have to make the decision while we are the park that day.

 

[rpb718]

I'll revise my estimate that my toes would be 18, 12 or 6 feet off the ground depending in which row I was in, but you'd never get me to believe that the top row would rise the level or a 4-5 story building (50ft) off the ground.

 

[baler31]

In the post where I pulled this information, was here on the DIS and the person giving the numbers they gave said they had lunch with an Imagineer. That's where those numbers came from. Truth? Don't know, but regardless, it still makes me nervous.

I don’t have a problem with soarin but spaceship earth makes me nervous going backwards down the steep incline. Of course we have been stopped there many times.

 

[eva]

This article says the bottom row is 30 feet off the ground and the top is about 50.

http://blog.silive.com/goofy_about_...ghts-challenged_soarin_rider_is_grounded.html

I guess this would make sense since the screen is over 80 feet tall.

 

[kiramay]

The first time I rode Soarin I had to close my eyes. Very close to a panic attack. We were in the front row and the highest. However, I went back by myself and rode it twice in the back row, and seeing the feet dangling in front of me “tricked” my brain into not seeing the height. Now I can ride it in any row and I’m fine. In fact, the smells make it one of my favorite rides now.

I’d highly recommend asking to be seated in the 2nd or 3rd row.

 

[disneygirlsng]

I'll revise my estimate that my toes would be 18, 12 or 6 feet off the ground depending in which row I was in, but you'd never get me to believe that the top row would rise the level or a 4-5 story building (50ft) off the ground.

Does this help? It also shows how where you actually are on the ride has an extra 5-10 foot or so drop off to the bottom of the screen compared to where you board. Maybe not quite 50ft (though close), but definitely significantly higher than what you listed.

 

[BnLToyBarn]

Oh boy....I think I'm rethinking this one now. My fear of heights is pretty bad. There used to be this bridge I absolutely panicked everytime I drove across it. Over the years it's gotten much easier. On an older post, someone said the different heights for Soarin were something like 50 in the top...I believe 30 in the middle and 15 on the bottom row. Some of the "up close and personal" projections kinda made me dodge and close my eyes from here at my computer desk. Not sure how I'm going to do with that where I don't have the stability that I do now in a none moving chair. It was said to ask for the bottom row and to sit somewhere in the middle. If I'm scared, my son will be too. In times like that, he feeds off my emotions. Our friends won't be with us that day, so he won't have someone else to pull his focus, so I have to be the "adult" one and reign in my emotions. You guys have NO idea how much that amused me to type thinking about me on Soarin'....panicked and nervous and wanting the ride to hurry up and end. He'd be okay if I changed my mind about it. So long as he rides Test Track and Spaceship Earth (one of the dark rides he enjoyed during his nothing dark please years) he's good! Oh and Figment too. He's got this thing about purple dragons. I guess since my husband owns a stuffed one...that might be it!

So let me hear from the amazing DISers. I know in the end, I am the ONLY one who can determine what I can handle. If our friends were meeting us that day, I think it would be easier because I'd have them to "talk me through it". I could ask them to join us, but the husband would have to take an extra day off work and I don't want him to that just because I'm a big ole baby!

I think regardless of where you sit, it's a good possibility you're still going to have the feeling of "soaring" hundreds of feet in the air. What would make you more nervous? Literally being 15-50 feet in the air, or the sense of being hundreds of feet in the air? Maybe see how you feel when the day comes. It's definitely a fun experience, but I don't have a serious fear of heights either

 

[eva]

I think regardless of where you sit, it's a good possibility you're still going to have the feeling of "soaring" hundreds of feet in the air. What would make you more nervous? Literally being 15-50 feet in the air, or the sense of being hundreds of feet in the air? Maybe see how you feel when the day comes. It's definitely a fun experience, but I don't have a serious fear of heights either

I agree. The sense of flying over the world is a bit more scary to me than the actual height. Try watching some videos of the ride online.

 

[Wild4Walt]

I have a fear of heights as well and I've done Soarin' in all 3 rows. For me, the lift off is the hardest - it's the feeling that the floor is dropping out from under me. So I have done as one of the PP mentioned, I sort of lock my ankles together for lift off and then I unlock them as I start to feel more comfortable.

The 1st row almost never bothers me but everyone is different so here's a 'cheat' that worked for me - I didn't want my DH to know the height would bother me because he really wanted to go on the ride - so when I got overwhelmed, I closed my eye and rubbed it a bit ( like the wind dried it out ) and took a deep breath to center myself. It might help if your son is paying attention to your reaction.

 

[bumbershoot]

Nope.

Those measurements are not even close to taking into account the height of each of the seating vehicles when they are on the ground.
(If each vehicle was only 4 feet tall, how could guests walk in front of them and then sit down?)

Exactly what I was thinking. Who knows about the bottom row, but the middle row has to be *at least* the height of the bottom row, which is off the ground and more than 4’ tall.

However, I went back by myself and rode it twice in the back row, and seeing the feet dangling in front of me “tricked” my brain into not seeing the height.

For me the height issues kick in from the movie itself. And being in the middle row so I can see feet is soooo good for me because I can remind myself that I’m on a ride, not actually flying.

I also look around to see the other people. The other people are also not flying. They are sitting. And they all look like they are sitting on something pretty stable, and don’t look like THEY are tilting, so I probably am not tilting either.

Helps at universal with simpsons ride as well. The setup there is very similar to soarin.

And when either of those ride movies get to me, I close my eyes to erase where most of the feeling of motion is coming from.

 

[BnLToyBarn]

I agree. The sense of flying over the world is a bit more scary to me than the actual height. Try watching some videos of the ride online.

Agreed. I'd be more worried of the ride than the actual distance off the floor lol. Disney does a pretty good job with Soarin.

 

[kiramay]

For me the height issues kick in from the movie itself. And being in the middle row so I can see feet is soooo good for me because I can remind myself that I’m on a ride, not actually flying.

I also look around to see the other people. The other people are also not flying. They are sitting. And they all look like they are sitting on something pretty stable, and don’t look like THEY are tilting, so I probably am not tilting either.
And when either of those ride movies get to me, I close my eyes to erase where most of the feeling of motion is coming from.

Yeah, it’s more the movie. The soaring hundreds of feet in the air. Closing my eyes helped a ton. I still remember freaking out as a kid at the IMAX in the museum “flying” over the Grand Canyon. Lol

 

[disneyseniors]

Oh boy....I think I'm rethinking this one now. My fear of heights is pretty bad. There used to be this bridge I absolutely panicked everytime I drove across it. Over the years it's gotten much easier. On an older post, someone said the different heights for Soarin were something like 50 in the top...I believe 30 in the middle and 15 on the bottom row. Some of the "up close and personal" projections kinda made me dodge and close my eyes from here at my computer desk. Not sure how I'm going to do with that where I don't have the stability that I do now in a none moving chair. It was said to ask for the bottom row and to sit somewhere in the middle. If I'm scared, my son will be too. In times like that, he feeds off my emotions. Our friends won't be with us that day, so he won't have someone else to pull his focus, so I have to be the "adult" one and reign in my emotions. You guys have NO idea how much that amused me to type thinking about me on Soarin'....panicked and nervous and wanting the ride to hurry up and end. He'd be okay if I changed my mind about it. So long as he rides Test Track and Spaceship Earth (one of the dark rides he enjoyed during his nothing dark please years) he's good! Oh and Figment too. He's got this thing about purple dragons. I guess since my husband owns a stuffed one...that might be it!

So let me hear from the amazing DISers. I know in the end, I am the ONLY one who can determine what I can handle. If our friends were meeting us that day, I think it would be easier because I'd have them to "talk me through it". I could ask them to join us, but the husband would have to take an extra day off work and I don't want him to that just because I'm a big ole baby!

Hi Tiggerlover91!
I know exactly how you feel. for years, I suffered through Soarin with the family, but finally told them I'd had enough of trying to like it.
I always felt like I was going to fall out of the little seat. The seat has a "bar" at the point where the back meets the seat which makes me feel like I can't sit back enough and that I'm going to fall out.
I finally faced the fact that Soarin was not for me (I'm afraid of heights too but other rides do not bother me, even Everest).
I sit it out while the family rides and I can honestly say I don't miss it at all and am much happier!

 

[Robo]

This article says the bottom row is 30 feet off the ground and the top is about 50.

http://blog.silive.com/goofy_about_...ghts-challenged_soarin_rider_is_grounded.html

I guess this would make sense since the screen is over 80 feet tall.

Yup.

Math. Who knew?

 

[YawningDodo]

Exactly what I was thinking. Who knows about the bottom row, but the middle row has to be *at least* the height of the bottom row, which is off the ground and more than 4’ tall.



For me the height issues kick in from the movie itself. And being in the middle row so I can see feet is soooo good for me because I can remind myself that I’m on a ride, not actually flying.

I also look around to see the other people. The other people are also not flying. They are sitting. And they all look like they are sitting on something pretty stable, and don’t look like THEY are tilting, so I probably am not tilting either.

Helps at universal with simpsons ride as well. The setup there is very similar to soarin.

And when either of those ride movies get to me, I close my eyes to erase where most of the feeling of motion is coming from.

I like this advice--if a motion-simulating ride ever scares you, the quickest way out is to break the illusion. That's the part that makes me think the bottom row might help--not because it's so low as to not be scary to anyone who's uneasy about heights, but because in all but the top row you can see people's feet above you and it's a reminder that the flight isn't real (myself, I always request top row since I want the full illusion and I'm not bothered by the height). I think there's also less feeling of lift at the start and drop at the end when the mechanism moves you up in front of the screen and then back down, since you have less real distance to move (it's not a fast drop at the end, but you do feel it when you're lowered back down). Something to also be aware of is that the seats tilt a small way forward and back, but do not tilt side to side. You will feel like it is tilting side to side, but it's not actually possible for the ride mechanism to do so--it's just your brain filling in the gaps of the illusion.

Hi Tiggerlover91!
I know exactly how you feel. for years, I suffered through Soarin with the family, but finally told them I'd had enough of trying to like it.
I always felt like I was going to fall out of the little seat. The seat has a "bar" at the point where the back meets the seat which makes me feel like I can't sit back enough and that I'm going to fall out.
I finally faced the fact that Soarin was not for me (I'm afraid of heights too but other rides do not bother me, even Everest).
I sit it out while the family rides and I can honestly say I don't miss it at all and am much happier!

I can respect this, and I think it's good to bring up the seats. As a purely practical matter the seats and restraint system are entirely safe, but I agree that the design makes you feel like you're sitting on the edge and can make it feel less secure than it is. If OP decides to ride it, maybe it will help to know that it's normal to feel like you're sitting too far forward; it's not that there's anything wrong with your seat or how you're sitting.

 

[BalooFan]

I also have a fear of heights, but for me being belted in or secured in some way helps a lot. Like a PP, if I take two steps up a ladder I begin trembling and my legs get weak. However, riding up the big incline on a rolller coaster and looking around from a height while buckled in doesn’t bother me. Weird!

The heights on Soarin’ don’t bother me too much. Although I can feel myself ascending and descending, it happens quickly and in the dark so this doesn’t really frighten me. The belts on Soarin’ are like lap belts in a car, so I don’t get the same sense of security I do on a coaster. I sometimes get a little nervous with the idea that I’m hundreds of feet in the air and I always hold on to the handles at the side of the seat. That being said, I really enjoy Soarin’ and have found, for me, that the little bit of fear I experience is worth it.