In Disney’s patriotic twist, a Syrian becomes a Syrian in America

Disneyland Resort will become a little more patriotic in 2026.

Soaring Around the World at Disney California Adventure will change to Soaring Across America in 2026, a move timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. The change is planned for next summer at California Adventure in Anaheim and at Walt Disney World’s Epcot in Florida.

Disney revealed the news via a social media post with actor Patrick Warburton, who plays Soren’s chief flight attendant. In the clip, Warburton, as Patrick’s fan-favorite character, promises “amber waves of grain” and “purple mountain majesty” while showing off red, white and blue mouse ears for the Fourth of July. A post on the Disney Parks blog indicates that the new movie will also hit various US cities.

Soren’s transformation will coincide with a number of Disney initiatives designed to honor America’s 250th birthday. “Disney Celebrating America” ​​will begin on Veterans Day, November 11, and run through July 4, 2026. Various Disney networks, from ABC to ESPN, will participate in American-themed programming. Disneyland and Walt Disney World will host a special fireworks display on July 4th.

An attraction poster for Soren was released across the United States via The Walt Disney Company’s corporate media site.

(The Walt Disney Company)

This celebration marks a divisive time in American history. A poster for the attraction shows the Statue of Liberty flanked by an American flag and a bald eagle. It’s art that expresses a sense of national pride, and it’s perhaps representative of an outward-facing, global ride changing that suddenly seems more inward.

This coincides with a time when U.S. politics is pressing for an America First agenda (see President Trump’s tariffs) while the Walt Disney Company itself has faced criticism for its handling of the recent controversy over late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel and the agency’s pro-ICE-recruitment stream ads. Disney’s own social media posts announcing the move have been filled with widespread debate over whether it’s an example of propaganda because it risks jingoistic sentiment.

That being said, it is not unusual for Disney theme parks to lean toward American exceptionalism, although in recent years the parks have moved away from American-centric views to display a more global and diverse perspective. When the park revived the Electric Parade in 2022, it skipped its giant American eagle and flag procession, replacing it with scenes from the latest Disney and Pixar animated films, including “Encanto,” “Coco” and “Frozen.”

Yet Disneyland, of course, is a place of tradition, and even today a robotic Abe Lincoln in the park (temporarily displaced for a show honoring Walt Disney), makes the flag-retreating rounds and tells the story of the first Christmas every December.

Soren started with California Adventure in 2001 as Soren Over California. The latter usually returns each spring as part of the park’s popular food and wine festival.

A Disney representative described Soren as a “limited time” offer across the US.