Changes

The concept of Soarin' began in 1996, when Disney Imagineers began work on an attraction for the unbuilt Disney’s California Adventure park. The attraction was a motion simulator type attraction known as Ultraflight <ref name= "martin"> http://www.martinsvids.net/?s=Soarin <ref/>, which was to hoist vehicles over a large OMNIMAX screen, giving them the sensation that they were hang-gliding over California <ref name= "book"> Epcot Encyclopedia </ref>. Development on the attraction hit a snag however, when Imagineers could not figure out a ride mechanism that would achieve the sensation they were trying to create. Originally, they had wanted to use the "dry cleaning idea", which would have consisted of a series of little hang gliders on a conveyor that moved around <ref name= "press release"> http://www.wdwmagic.com/attractions/soarin/news/03oct2004-disney-soarin-press-release.htm </ref>. This ride mechanism (as well as others) however, proved unsuccessful and the attraction was eventually stalled <ref name= "press release"/>. It was not until Imagineer Mark Sumner came up with a system that would allow guests to board at the same place, and then be raised forward into the screen that the attraction became a reality <ref name= "press release"/>.. The idea for the new ride mechanism came to Sumner when he was working at his home over the weekend, and he built a model in his attic using an erector set <ref name= "press release"/>.