Characters in Flight balloon ride (Merged Threads)

[Missy_Mouses_Dad]

Would it be possible to pm me the site or link also?

We are going in June and are planning on doing the balloon ride. I am sure the dd would love to see pictures prior to the trip (dw and me also..)

thanks,

[doombuggy]

I saw this up on Sunday when I went in to work; I tried twice to paste the photo, but I cannot:

Iconic New Attraction Takes Flight Over Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort

The fun soars to new heights at Downtown Disney West Side at Walt Disney World Resort with an iconic new tethered balloon that takes Guests on ascents of up to 400 feet above the waterfront.

Characters In Flight operated by Aerophile is a 72-foot-diameter balloon with a whimsical design featuring silhouettes of a dozen of Disney's "flying characters" — such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and Dumbo. For each six-minute trip, approximately 30 Guests will enjoy an eagle's-eye view of the expansive Walt Disney World Resort in the vibrantly colored balloon thanks to its enclosed volume of 210,000 cubic feet of lighter-than-air gas. The ascents, by day or night, provide Guests with an unparalleled, 360-degree view of up to 10 miles and the attraction reinforces Walt Disney World's commitment to providing new, one-of-a-kind experiences.

Guests board a gondola beneath the 105-foot-high balloon from a landing platform on Village Lake at the end of the main promenade at Downtown Disney West Side. Riders can catch flights seven days a week. Hours Sunday–Thursday are 10:30 a.m.–11 p.m., while ascents Friday–Saturday are 10:30 a.m.–midnight. Tickets ($16 for ages 10–up and $10 for ages 3–9) can be purchased on site. Availability is on first-come, first-serve basis.

[spoonful of sugar]

i can not wait to do this with dh on our upcoming trip in 10 days, woo hoo.

[Mousemates]

thanks for the post, hadn't heard of it...hope to give it a try.

[Pop Centurion]

Not sure if it's been posted elsewhere but Jeff Lange's site has some nice aerial views from CiF. Some of the pics were taken with a zoom and you can see the Contemporary, ToT, & SSE. The view is amazing!!!!
Can't wait til Aug/Sept to do this.

[EPCOT84]

Press Releases and Pictures have been posted in the News forum here:

Characters in Flight Press Release & Pictures

I'm bumping up FIgment (Jason's) article link with the specs and a picture of it.

[cheshirecollector]

I'd like to do both day and night flights if I have time (and I'm brave enough) during my next trip.

[WDWDale]

That actually sounds like its pretty neat, and the price isn't too "sky high".

[TheVBs]

I'm definitely going to try this. Would like to do both day and night flights, but I'll take what I can get. I've decided I'm actually going to bring our bulkier camera with the higher zoom for this.

[RBrooksC]

http://www.redorbit.com/news/general...ore/index.html

Just to show what can happen with these balloons. A balloon like this was in Baltimore and due to this accident, the balloon is no longer in Baltimore.

[Pop Centurion]

http://www.redorbit.com/news/general...ore/index.html

Just to show what can happen with these balloons. A balloon like this was in Baltimore and due to this accident, the balloon is no longer in Baltimore.

I refuse to look. I'm already afraid of heights and also have slight anxiety when getting on certain rides/attractions but I'm looking forward to this and don't want to get any crazy ideas running through my head that will make me nervous

[beksy]

I don't know if I want to look at the article or not...I'm looking forward to this and know my mom and sister will be too for our trip in December. But I'm sure I won't be able to help myself and will end up looking anyway so thanks in advance for the info! Does anybody know what you ride in (is it like a traditional basket (and if it is please tell me there's a door so I don't have to hop over the top!))

[disneyfan328]

I really want to do this balloon ride when we go on vacation next week - but I went ahead and read the article posted. It really wasn't that bad of an issue. the balloon didn't crash and there were only minor injuries. Disney seems to already have some contingency plans for when there are winds - either it goes up with less people or it doesn't go up at all. The wind gusts just caught the balloon in the above article off guard. It had been operating since 2001 with no other incidents.

I don't believe Disney of all companies would put this out there if they didn't feel they could operate it safely

also it is NOT a traditional basket that you go up in. It is a large circle that is like a walkway a few feet wide. there is a wall part way up and then netting so you are not looking out or able to lean over or anything. you have to look out between the holes in the netting.

For anyone that wants to check out what the whole ride is like from start to finish check out the Jeff Lange web page - he has videos up of the take off, while it is up in the air, and the landing. It is a pretty awesome view up there.

If I end up doing it next week I will post when we get back!!!

[mouseketeer mom]

disneyfan328, I can't wait to hear of your experience!!

[dream6]

This seems like a lot of fun!! It would be really neat to see fireworks going off while you are up there!

[SBETigg]

Just back. Saw the balloon, didn't get a chance to do it due to wind conditions. It goes up very high. The view must be incredible. Our first night, we had a room overlooking Downtown Disney at the Hilton. We couldn't believe that we could see Epcot, the Contemporary, Tower of Terror all around us, too. We watched the balloon going up and down (and fireworks all around the world, IllumiNations and Wishes), and that balloon went up higher than our top floor balcony. It stopped at night before fireworks, but again, I think it was a wind thing.

I'm contemplating Lisa's earlier question about going up day or night. After seeing the potential views at both times of day, I think you can't go wrong either way. It would be pretty awesome in light or dark, so it really just depends on when you plan to hit Downtown Disney and if the conditions are agreeable. It's incredibly large and they seem to be very cautious about potential wind.

[merlinmagic4]

I saw this from our resort last Tuesday. I had no idea what it was! Now I know..........

[snerd475]

We were there last weekend and saw the balloon from the boat from OKW. It was not operating due to wind conditions. My 10 yr old dd was very disappointed. She said "it's not even windy!", so they are definitely erring on the side of caution, unlike the Baltimore one. I had not yet heard anything about it, so I did some research, on here, as well as other sites. Can't wait to try it in August! I do believe it will be closed frequently, however, due to conditions in these parts.