The Disneyland Resort will in 2026 be getting a little more patriotic.
Soarinā Around the World at Disney California Adventure will in 2026 be converted to Soarinā Across America, a move timed to the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. The makeover is planned for next summer at both California Adventure in Anaheim and in Florida at Walt Disney Worldās Epcot.
Disney unveiled the news via a social media post with actor Patrick Warburton, who plays the chief flight attendant of Soarinā. In the clip, Warburton, as the fan favorite character of Patrick, promises āamber waves of grainā and āpurple mountain majestiesā while showcasing red, white and blue mouse ears fit for the Fourth of July. A post on the Disney Parks Blog hints that the new film will also capture various American cityscapes.
The Soarinā makeover will coincide with a number of Disney initiatives designed to honor Americaās 250th birthday. āDisney Celebrating Americaā will launch on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and continue through July 4, 2026. Various Disney networks, from ABC to ESPN, will engage in America-themed programming. Disneyland and Walt Disney World will host a special, one-off fireworks show on the Fourth of July.
An attraction poster for Soarinā Across America released via the Walt Disney Co.ās corporate media site.
(The Walt Disney Co.)
The celebration arrives at a divisive time in American history. A poster for the attraction showcases the Statue of Liberty juxtaposed with the American flag and bald eagle. Itās art that conveys a sense of nationalistic pride, and itās perhaps representative of shifting an outward-facing, global ride with one that may suddenly be more inward-looking.
It coincides with a time when U.S. politics are pushing a so-called America First agenda (see President Trumpās tariffs) while the Walt Disney Co. itself has faced criticism for its handling of recent controversy surrounding late night comedian Jimmy Kimmel and pro-administration ICE-recruitment ads running on its various streaming services. Disneyās own social media posts announcing the move are filled with rampant debate as to whether this is an instance of propaganda as it runs the risk of feeling jingoistic.
That being said, it is not unprecedented for the Disney theme parks to lean into American exceptionalism, although in recent years the parks have been shifting away from some of its America-centric viewpoints to showcase a more global and diverse vision. In 2022 when the park resurrected the Electrical Parade it struck its giant American eagle and flag float from the procession, replacing it instead with a showcase of scenes from more recent Disney and Pixar animated films, including āEncanto,ā āCocoā and āFrozen.ā
Yet Disneyland, of course, is a place of tradition, and even today the park houses a robotic Abe Lincoln (temporarily displaced for a show honoring Walt Disney), stages flag retreats and tells the story of the first Christmas each December.
Soarinā debuted with California Adventure in 2001 as Soarinā Over California. The latter typically returns each spring as part of the parkās popular Food & Wine Festival.
A Disney representative described Soarinā Across America as a ālimited timeā offering.

