Soarin'

Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Yellow. Enjoy the first Yellow Line ride of 2012 as we share with you our favorite Furture World Attractions.

To me, beginning a new year feels like stepping into the future, so I thought it appropriate to select Epcot’s Future World as the focus of this month’s Magical Blogorail Yellow loop.

The Land Pavilion in Future World West houses one of my very favorite attractions at Walt Disney World Resort: Soarin’. Soarin’, an exact replica of Disney California Adventure’s Soarin’ over California, opened at Epcot in 2005 in celebration of Disneyland’s 55th Anniversary. This unique ride gives passengers a birds’-eye view of the beauty and geographical diversity of the Golden State.

In two identical theaters, flight attendants direct Guests onto rows of ski lift-type benches, stowing all belongings (including flip-flops and ears hats) in the underseat compartments and fastening their seatbelts securely. Upon takeoff, the rows are lifted in Ferris wheel fashion nearly 45 feet in the air and surrounded by an 80-foot domed screen to “fly” on a simulated hang glider through fast motion Omnimax clips.

As the journey begins, fog lifts to reveal the Golden Gate Bridge. A faint, “Ah!” may escape your lips as you soar from there to Yosemite National Park, Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe, Palm Springs, San Diego harbor, Malibu and downtown Los Angeles. Your feet dangle freely as your lift gently rocks, tilts and sways with orange and pine scented breezes. You’re almost certain to dip your toes in the river, then quickly catch your breath at the mountains’ majesty. You can almost feel the ocean spray, and hey, watch out for that golf ball!

Before approaching the decent, the flight returns to Disneyland Resort celebratory fireworks. Did you see the hidden Mickey?

Today’s Takeaway:
Use some of your leftover Christmas wrapping paper to make an origami hang glider.

Follow these directions from Origami-Instructions.com (step-by-step photos also found here):
1) Begin with an 8-inch square piece of paper.
2) Crease it in half along the North-South line and along the East-West line.
3) Fold the left edge in to the exact center.
4) Then, fold the upper and lower left corners in to the center line.
5) Unfold the previous folds to create creases as seen in this photo.

6) Fold line A-B to the center line and line C-D away from the center line as shown.
7) Repeat Step 6 on the lower left corner.
8) Fold the newly formed point in to the center line, and fold the two loose flaps up.
9) Fold glider in half and then unfold to create a dihedral angle.
10) You may secure flaps with tape to make your craft more aerodynamic or attach a paper clip to the nose to make it fly faster.
11) For best flight technique, Origami-Instructions advises you hold the glider above your head at a 30 to 45 degree downward angle and simply let it slip from your fingers. It should swoop down gently and level off.

Origami-Instructions invites your photos and so do we! Contact them here or email us your pictures at jodi(at)magicalmouseschoolhouse(dot)com.

SCHOOL SUBJECT: Aerodynamics, Art
SKILL LEVEL: Elementary

TRIVIAL TIDBITS:

Michael Eisner, former Walt Disney Company CEO, is the golfer whose ball (with a hidden Mickey on it) seemingly comes flying right out of the screen at passengers.

Walt Disney Imagineers like to learn while they play too! Imagineer Mark Sumner developed the Soarin’ over California design with an old toy Erector Set.

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is RETURN TO DISNEY.

Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Magical Mouse Schoolhouse (You are here!)
2nd Stop ~ Return to Disney
3rd Stop ~ Magik Mouse
4th Stop ~ DISTherapy
Final Stop ~ Delightfully Disney

*This post is also included in the 38th Dismarks Disney blog carnival. Check it out for even more great Disney information!


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