When Does Soarin' Around The World Close At EPCOT, And When Does Soarin' Across America Open?

Soarin’ Around the World is closing on 13th May 2026 to be temporarily reimagined into Soarin’ Across America, which will open on 26th May 2026. This kind of ride switch is interesting for UK visitors, because if you happen to be lucky enough to have a 14-Day Magic Ticket for these dates, you can experience both versions, and secondly because the actual mechanisms of the ride won’t be changing, it’s purely the visuals.

Soarin’: Changes In A Minute

• Soarin' Around the World closes on 13th May, 2026.

• Soarin' Across America opens at EPCOT on 26th May, 2026.

• The new version is tied to America's 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026.

• This is not a permanent change.

• The same version is playing at Disneyland California from 2nd July 2026

• It’s the third version of Soarin’ to screen in EPCOT since it’s 2005 opening

• It’s a 12 day closure so most visitors with 14-Day UK Magic Tickets will get to experience one or both versions.

EPCOT in May: Soarin’ Is Changing, Again

UK Disney World trip planners may have been aware that this ride reimaging was coming as part of Disney World’s wider celebration of America’s 250th Birthday. For others, this may be a surprise, that’s tinged with a little disappointment as Soarin’ is one of those rides many millennials heading to the parks as children will have fond memories of.

While the closure is brief, and the change not permanent, this is the third film version to debut. The last major change over was in 2023 when Soarin’ Over California finished a brief run and Soarin’ Around the World returned.

Why is Disney changing Soarin' in May 2026?

Disney is making the switch because 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, and Soarin' Across America is being showcased as part of the Disney Company’s semiquincentennial celebrations across both Disney World, Florida and Disneyland, California.

The changes does have undertones of a ride refresh, which is technically what it is, but Disney want to celebrate what makes America great with the change. For UK visitors it is going to be an experience that you can say you were there for, and there is a celebration and sense of connection with Disneyland too.

The current Soarin' Around the World film is globally themed; the new one is explicitly American. Disney says the new film will take riders across the United States, highlighting natural landmarks and cityscapes, with updated music and effects as part of a wider "Disney Celebrates America" theme this summer.

How Do Openings and Closures Impact UK Visitor Trip Planning?

Openings and closures of rides are not something that many UK guests get to be excited about, as you can’t just pop into the parks to see what is going on. If you happen to be in the parks on the run-up to a ride closure, or opening like this one, you’ll find that queue times are longer in the days before the closure and the days after the opening. From a planning perspective, this is something that you will need to account for, but you should not need to change how you tour EPCOT this May.

For UK families trying to work out which version of EPCOT you’ll get on your trip during school holidays:

• Easter holidays 2026 you’ll see Soarin’ Around the World

• May half term: closed until 26th May, 2026 then Soarin’ Across America

• 6-week summer holidays for England, Wales, and Scotland: Soarin’ Across America

If you are travelling during the Easter holidays or earlier in spring up to and including 13th May 22026 which is the last day, you’ll see Soarin' Around the World. If you are visiting EPCOT from 26th May onwards, the new version will be playing.

The 26th May opening coincides with the start of Disney’s family friendly summer promotion Cool KIDS SUMMER, which you can read about in Disney World’s Cool KIDS SUMMER Events: why UK families with under 10s have the most to gain. It is also a day which will draw crowds across all parks as there are multiple openings happening, including:

• the opening of Bluey’s Wild World in Animal Kingdom

• The Walt Disney Studio Courtyard and Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jr Live! in Hollywood Studios.

This means, expect long queue lines across the parks.

Magic In A Minute

In May Soarin Around the World will undergo a transformation. Wednesday 13th May 2026 is the last day to enjoy this attraction before it closes and transforms into Soarin’ Across America which opens on Tuesday 26th May 2026.