Soarin’ is one of the best rides at EPCOT. This unique attraction gives you the sensation of flying over some of the most iconic landmarks across the world. With IMAX-sized visuals and delightful scents, it’s one of the best experiences at Disney World.

But will Soarin’ give you motion sickness?

If you’re worried about the intensity of EPCOT’s flight simulator, we are going to break down exactly what you can expect when you ride Soarin’, and how to reduce the sensation of motion sickness.

Will Soarin’ give you motion sickness?

Soarin Around the World Preview Clip
Disney

Possibly. Soarin’ can give you motion sickness if you are sensitive to motion simulator rides, like Star Tours or Avatar: Flight of Passage. While Soarin’ is much less intense than these rides and features milder movement, the screen is massive. Because it fills your entire field of vision, it can make the sensation of movement more convincing.

For the majority of guests, this shouldn’t be a problem. But that isn’t the case for all guests, and I know several people who have issues on this ride. If giant movies or motion simulators give you trouble, proceed with caution.

How high does Soarin’ lift you up?

The ride simulates flight by lifting your seat up into the air at the beginning of the ride. The bottom row is about 30 feet off the ground, and the top row is about 50 feet off the ground. This lifting motion is swift and smooth. At the end of the ride, the rows of seats are placed down in the same swift and smooth motion.

How intense is Soarin’?

If you’re worried about the intensity of Soarin’, I would categorize Soarin’ as approachable or mildly thrilling.

The movement while the movie is playing is fairly gentle. You aren’t being lifted and dropped during the main section of the ride. In fact, the actual motion of Soarin’ during the film is quite limited and mild. The row of seats will gently sway or rock. The sensation of motion is mostly achieved through the giant screen.

There are a few scene transitions where the sense of speed increases. These are the biggest thrills on the ride, but they are much milder than something like a roller coaster drop.

If you have a fear of heights, Soarin’ might feel very intense, especially because you are many feet above the ground while in your seat with your feet dangling.

How to minimize motion sickness on Soarin’

It’s important to realize that Soarin’s screen is actually curved. This helps the feeling of complete immersion, but it does create some screen distortions when viewed from the edges. This is most pronounced when you can see the Eiffel Tower bending like its doing yoga.

Bent Eiffel Tower - Soarin
Soarin’s screen looks very distorted on the ends – via reddit

This screen distortion will increase the feeling of motion sickness. I personally don’t struggle with motion sickness on this ride, except for when I sat on the very end. The screen distortion caused me to feel dizzy and queasy. It wasn’t intense, but I’ve never had that issue on this ride.

So to minimize the feeling of motion sickness, sit in the middle section. In our Best Places to Sit on Disney World Rides article, I explain how you can ask a Cast Member for the top middle section for the best view, because no feet will be in your peripheral vision. But sitting anywhere in the middle section will remove the screen distortion.

A bonus tip from my wife, who has had mixed experiences on this ride in terms of motion sickness. She tries to close her eyes during the quick transition moments, which helps her not feel as sick on this ride. The sense of movement speeds up and you’ll hear a whooshing noise. That’s your cue that a transition will happen. Your mileage may vary, but that trick has worked for her.

Disney World Motion Sickness Guides

If you’re curious how intense other Disney World rides are and if they can cause motion sickness, check out our in-depth guides:

We want to hear from you!

What has your experience been on Soarin’? Do you find it intense? Let me know in the comments below!