— You can now go "soarin'" with NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket as part of Disney's celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.

As just opened at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and coming on July 2 to Disneyland Resort in California, "Soarin' Across America" is a special edition of the popular flight-motion simulator. To celebrate the country's semiquincentennial, the attraction sets aside its Golden State-centric and "Around the World" views for many quintessential American settings.

The new experience begins with a front row seat at the liftoff of an SLS rocket on a NASA exploration mission, not unlike the the launch of Artemis II in April, which carried a crew of astronauts (and Mickey Mouse) on the first flyby of the moon in more than 50 years.

"The all-new airborne adventure showcases a tapestry of urban wonders, natural beauty and themes tied to the 250th anniversary of the nation, including American ingenuity. We felt that opening with a rocket launch would be unique to Soarin' Across America and perfectly express that concept," said Kevin Rafferty, communications manager for Walt Disney Imagineering, in reply to collectSPACE.

Soarin' pairs a 180-degree, 80-foot IMAX digital projection dome, aerial footage, piped in scents and multi-passenger hang gliders to recreate and raise the sensation of flight to "incredible new heights." The attraction is located inside The Land pavilion at EPCOT at Disney World and in Grizzly Peak at Disney California Adventure at Disneyland.

"Each scene helps to create a portrait of what we believe makes America so special," said Tom Fitzgerald, creative director and chief storytelling executive for Walt Disney Imagineering, in a statement. "It's a tapestry of urban wonders, natural beauty and iconic locations that celebrate the spirit of the nation and the 250th anniversary of the United States."

The 30-second SLS segment takes off, literally, as guests' seats rise from he floor. The result is an eye-level view of the rocket as it climbs off the launch pad into the dawn sky. The scene ends with the rocket and riders entering the clouds.

Since 2020, National Geographic has been working on a documentary following the progress of the Artemis program in its efforts to return astronauts to the lunar surface. In 2021, NASA chose National Geographic to have special access to the Artemis II mission — in particular to capture unique footage from the 10-day flight.

National Geographic Partners, the commercial arm of the nonprofit scientific and educational society, is a joint venture with the Walt Disney Company. In its announcement of Soarin' Across America, Disney Parks promoted that a pre-show trivia challenge for guests waiting in the queue was created in collaboration with National Geographic.

The SLS scene, however, is not from NatGeo. All of the film sequences in Soarin' Across America were produced by Walt Disney Imagineering, Rafferty confirmed. But the Artemis launch is not film footage either.

Eagle-eyed viewers will spot several indicators that the scene is animation (CGI). To begin, the rocket is depicted lifting off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida into a dawn sky. There have been only two launches of the towering moon-bound vehicle to date: Artemis I in 2022, which took flight into the night sky just before 2 a.m. EST; and Artemis II this year, set against a blue sky before sunset.

Further, in the Soarin' version, the plume generated by the rocket's solid rocket boosters and engines extends to both sides of the pad. During a real launch, the plume is deflected mostly outwards to the north of the pad and continues climbing with the rocket.

In the ride's recreation, the three lightning towers surrounding the pad appear to be the same height as the mobile launcher tower, when in reality they stand about 200 feet taller. And, in a bit of irony, it can be seen that the SLS is not the one that launched Artemis II as the "America 250" logo is absent from each side booster.

Those are nitpicks, though, and do not detract from what makes for a majestic and memorable start to Soarin' Across America.

"Soon, as you sail through out spacious skies ... we're going to be Soarin' Across America. What better way to celebrate the country's semiquincentennial than with a limited time sea-to-shining-sea itinerary?" says returning host, Captain Patrick (Warburton), in a promo for the ride.