As Soarin’ prepares to trade its global itinerary for a cross-country road trip, the attraction’s long concourse hallways and queue area are getting some long-overdue attention. Workers have been laying new carpet inside the Soarin’ queue during overnight hours to avoid disrupting daily operations. In addition, we have a look at some new lighting installed in the concourse hallways. Here’s the latest!
New Lighting & New Carpet in Soarin’ Queue at EPCOT
The fresh carpet design is a tan and gray geometric pattern of curved and straight lines, a considerably busier design than the original beige blocky pattern that has faded noticeably after two decades of heavy foot traffic. The installation is rolling out in stages, meaning guests have been able to see a striking before-and-after contrast right there in the queue, the new section crisp and clean, the older stretch worn and muted alongside it.
We’ll start with a before/after, comparing our photos from our last visit (left) to photos of our visit to EPCOT earlier today (right).
And here are a few more standalone photos from our visit today.
In addition to the new carpet, there appears to be new lighting as well. The installation is underway, starting with the concourse hallways. The new lighting is not only noticeably brighter, but it appears to be a slightly different shade of blue as well, creating a clash. This is far more obvious in person than it is in photos, but here we go.
This first stretch of hallway contains the older lighting package, which should feel familiar to fans of the attraction.
We can sort of make out the new, brighter lights in the concourse hallway (below the Soarin’ sign) in the photos below.
The difference between newer, brighter lighting (left) and older, dimmer lighting (right) is illustrated in the photo below a bit better.
These physical refreshes are part of a broader package of preparation tied to the attraction’s transformation. Walt Disney Imagineering filed a permit for new set elements at the location, suggesting changes inside could go beyond carpet and lighting alone.
All of it is building toward the debut of Soarin’ Across America, which arrives May 26 after a brief closure beginning May 14. The new film swaps the globe-spanning journey of Around the World for a celebration of the United States, taking guests over more than a dozen iconic American landscapes, including the Grand Canyon, with the iconic score and the signature scent experience the ride has always delivered.
The timing is no accident, as Soarin’ Across America is part of Disney’s broader “Disney Celebrates America” initiative marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!