Flying theater

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A flying theater is a themed entertainment technology and adjacent show style. It is a type of simulator ride which consists of one or several motion systems and a large screen. This type of attraction is also known as a panoramic flying theater. The illusion of flight is created through motion that is synchronized with a film. Sound and special effects are combined with the film to create realistic flying experiences.

Contents

There are two different forms: the suspended flying theater, in which rigging similar to a fly system lifts seats into the projection of a film to create the illusion of flight. The other version uses a motion system-based platform with a dome-projection or a large curved screen. [1] [2] [3]

Platform-based flying theaters allow 2 different forms of experience: either a traditional seated version and a version where guests are standing on the platform, leaning forward into body supports to create a feeling of flying.

History

The concept of panoramic flying theaters as it is understood today was introduced by The Walt Disney Company in 2001 in their Disney's California Adventure theme park as Soarin' Over California. The success of Soarin' Over California initiated a worldwide trend which led to more than 50 panoramic flying theaters built since 2013.

While the steel construction of suspended flying theaters, which is necessary to lift the seats with guests into the projection has to be quite large and massive, platform-based flying theaters can be operated in a more compact space, thus making both the seated as well as the standing version suitable not only for large installations like "Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon" (Universal Studios Florida) but also for smaller venues like museums (e.g.: Washington Revelations (Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C., shopping malls and family entertainment centers.

List of flying theater attractions

NameParkLocationManufacturerOpenedStatusRef
Soarin' Over California Disney California Adventure United States Dynamic Structures February 8, 2001Closed
Soarin' Epcot United States Dynamic Structures May 5, 2005Operating
Taiwan Formosa E-DA Theme Park Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2010Operating
Viaggio in Italia Ferrari World UAE HUSS Park Attractions 2011Operating
FlyOver Canada Canada Place Canada Brogent Technologies June 29, 2013Operating
Fuji Airlines Fuji-Q Highland Japan Brogent Technologies July 2014Operating
Batman Dark Flight Studio City Macau MacauKraftwerk Living Technologies GmbH2015Closed
FlyOver America Mall of America United States Brogent Technologies April 19, 2016Operating
Soaring Over The Horizon Shanghai Disneyland Park China Dynamic Structures June 16, 2016Operating
Soarin' Around the World Disney California Adventure United States Dynamic Structures June 17, 2016Operating
Wings Over Washington Pier 57 Seattle United States Dynamic Structures December 11, 2016Operating [4]
Agila: The EKsperience Enchanted Kingdom Philippines SimEx-Iwerks December 11, 2016Operating [5]
L'Extraordinaire Voyage Futuroscope France Dynamic Structures December 2016Operating
Fly Over China Shang Shun theme park Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2016Operating
Krrish: Hero's Flight Bollywood Park Dubai UAEUnknown2016Closed
Voletarium Europa-Park Germany Brogent Technologies June 3, 2017Operating
Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon Universal Studios FloridaUnited StatesDynamic Motion RidesApr 6, 2017Operating
Flying DreamsFerrari LandSpain Brogent Technologies April 2017Operating [6]
This is HollandThis is HollandNetherlandsVekoma & Brogent Technologies October 2017Operating
Washington Revelations Museum of The Bible, Washington D.C.United StatesDynamic Motion RidesNov 17, 2017Operating
i-Ride Kaohsiung Kaohsiung Software Technology Park  [ zh ]Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2017Operating
Fly Over China Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park China Brogent Technologies Sep 2018Operating
Beautiful HunanTongguan Kiln International Cultural & Tourism CenterChinaCavu DesignworksOct 2018Operating
i-Ride Taipei Breeze Nanshan Shopping Center Taiwan Brogent Technologies 2018Operating
The Flyer - San Francisco Pier 39 United StatesTriotechJan 2019Operating
Godzilla the Ride: Giant Monsters Ultimate Battle Seibu-en Japan Brogent Technologies May 19, 2021Operating
SkyFly: Soar AmericaThe Island in Pigeon Forge United StatesDynamic AttractionsJuly 8, 2021Operating [7]
Soaring: Fantastic Flight Tokyo DisneySea Japan Dynamic Structures July 23, 2019Operating
Sky Voyager Dreamworld Australia Brogent Technologies August 23, 2019Operating [8]
FlyOver Iceland Reykjavík Iceland Brogent Technologies September 2019Operating
Flying Over IndonesiaTrans Studio Bali, DenpasarIndonesiaDynamic AttractionsDec 12, 2019Operating
Jiangsu in the AirWuxi Sunac LandChinaSimtec Systems2019Operating [9]
Masters of Flight Legoland Florida United States Brogent Technologies 2019Operating
VolariumCinecittà, RomeItalySimtec Systems2019Operating [10]
Flying By Changbai MountainChangbaishan, JilinChinaBrogent Technologies2019Operating
Chongqing in the AirChongqing Sunac LandChinaSimtec Systems2020Operating [11]
Flight of the Sky Lion Legoland Windsor Resort England Brogent Technologies May 2021Operating
FlyOver Las Vegas Las Vegas United States Brogent Technologies September 2021Operating
RiseNY Times Square United States Brogent Technologies December 2021Operating
Flyover Chicago Chicago United States Brogent Technologies 2024Operating
Global Journey Quancheng Euro Park ChinaYuanwangUnknownOperating [12]
Timeless Flight Hong Kong 11 Skies Hong Kong Brogent Technologies 2024Under Construction
Odyssey Malta Mercury Tower MaltaSimtec Systems2024Operating [13]
Werika JAPI Jalisco Paseo Interactivo MexicoUnknown2024Operating [14]
Vuela México por el Mundo Aztlán Parque Urbano Mexico Brogent Technologies May 2025Operating
Flying Over Uzbekistan Tashkent City Park UzbekistanDOF Robotic2019Operating

References

  1. ↑ InPark Magazine - "Ride Systems of Flying Theaters"
  2. ↑ blooloop - "Flying theaters: a soaring demand (and it's not just theme parks)"
  3. ↑ Kraftwerk Living Technologies: Flying Theater
  4. ↑ Wings Over Washington official website
  5. ↑ Enchanted Kingdom official website - Agila the EKsperience
  6. ↑ "Flying Dreams- Atracciones Ferrari Land" (in Spanish). PortAventura. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "SkyFly opens as main attraction at The Island in Pigeon Forge" . Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  8. ↑ "Sky Voyager". Dreamworld. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "China: Asia Attractions Golden Crown Awards for outstanding projects and services". EAP Magazin (in German). December 17, 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  10. ↑ "Volarium – The Flying Theatre". Cinecittà World. Cinecittà World. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  11. ↑ "Flying over Chongqing". Dark Ride Database. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  12. ↑ "天空之城" (in Chinese). Quancheng Euro Park. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  13. ↑ Coates, Charlotte (2025-01-08). "Odyssey Malta at Mercury Towers: teamwork delivers immersive ride". Blooloop. Retrieved 2025-04-23.
  14. ↑ "New Children's Museum delights early visitors". theguadalajarareporter. 2024-07-04. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
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