The concept behind Disney’s Soarin’ ride is simple: A giant mechanical contraption lifts guests into the air, and then gently sways them along with a synchronized travelogue-style video projected onto an enormous periphery-covering screen. Basically: It’s a flying simulator. And it turns out a whole lot of people wish they could fly: Since the ride opened at Epcot in 2005 and Disneyland in 2001, it’s been one of those parks’ most popular. But a lot has changed in the 15 years since Soarin’ first took flight. This year, Disney completely redid the ride, with a custom camera rig that brings Soarin’ into the 4K era, along with a new globe-trotting film that’s designed as much for the audience in Shanghai (where Disney recently opened a new park) as Anaheim and Orlando.

To get a behind-the-scenes look at the new Soarin’ Around the World (as the ride is now called), I spoke to Tom Fitzgerald, creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering. He opened up about the process of filming the new footage, the custom camera rig Disney created specifically for this ride, and the subtle ways each iteration of the ride is actually different.

from Forbes – Tech http://ift.tt/2f0R64Y
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