Characters in Flight

[WDWNY]

Has anyone done characters in flight?
How was it?
Can you reserve tickets or do you have to buy them the day of? Is it usually crowded? I believe its like 30 people per flight so I'm wondering how much time it will take to do.

 

[TexasKiwiPrincess]

You can use the search feature in the upper right corner of the page and find several threads on this same topic.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/characters-in-flight-reviews-and-thoughts-please.3495018/

 

[Sweet Pea Reed]

DH and I did it during our trip in February 2013. It was in the evening. First time with such an experience.

Wind will factor into how high the balloon will go. It was a bit breezy when we went, and so we did not go up to the ultimate height. And there were about 12 of us in that flight. We bought the tickets right there, and had about a half hour wait, because they were taking smaller groups at a time. I didn't think I would be nervous on it, but I was. I was white-knuckled. But then I relaxed once we were at the top and I could fireworks from one of the parks. For us, the balloon swayed. It didn't turn or spin in our experience. And it was really freaky to look down the large hole in the middle to the water below!

 

[jaysmom4285]

I've done it several times. I don't think they would take as many as 30 people - the groups are smaller. It doesn't take much of a breeze to ground the balloon until it's calmer, so be aware of that. It goes up and down very smoothly, with only a small bump when the balloon touches down, which they will warn you about. It doesn't move much while up in the air, although it will sway a bit and may tilt just a small amount when people walk around and the weight is shifted. It isn't a sudden or extreme movement at all, but it is there and does unsettle some people.

 

[WDWNY]

I've done it several times. I don't think they would take as many as 30 people - the groups are smaller. It doesn't take much of a breeze to ground the balloon until it's calmer, so be aware of that. It goes up and down very smoothly, with only a small bump when the balloon touches down, which they will warn you about. It doesn't move much while up in the air, although it will sway a bit and may tilt just a small amount when people walk around and the weight is shifted. It isn't a sudden or extreme movement at all, but it is there and does unsettle some people.

Thanks! On Disney's website it says : The balloon’s 19-foot-diameter basket holds up to 29 people plus one Aérophile-certified pilot per “flight.” I wonder if that just means what their capacity is, not what they actually take. I want to do it, but I'm a little nervous to do it as well. Mainly the going down part (I hate drops) so the smoothly comment makes me feel better.

 

[monorailrabbit]

We do it every trip. DH is usually afraid of heights, but still finds this enjoyable. We buy day of, and usually our wait is about 30-45 mins. We usually try to time it so we can catch Epcot or MK fireworks - so cool!

 

[jaysmom4285]

Maybe I've just done it at less crowded times, but I've never seen that many people. I suppose it could hold that many, but no one would be able to move around much. With just a handful of people, you can move to the other side to get a different perspective. I recall that the "pilots" are very good about telling passengers about anything that might be bumpy or make an odd noise, so that no one gets concerned. Again, I recall the ascent and descent being quite smooth, with a little bump as it touches down.

 

[aprilnmay]

The website says that bags are not permitted. I always carry a backpack with me. Do y'all know if they supply a place to store it?

 

[jaysmom4285]

They let you leave your bags or backpacks on the platform, at the balloon end of the entrance ramp. Access down that ramp is controlled at the gate at the top, so I never had any qualms about leaving my backpack there. But it isn't covered or secured storage or anything like that. The balloon flight is fairly brief, so you aren't out of reach of your things for long.

 

[Accident]

 

[jaysmom4285]

The guy who was in that video was obviously very scared of heights, so he wasn't the best spokesman. The balloon operators have very strict rules about wind speeds, and it always seemed to me that the balloon was grounded for little more then a gentle breeze. It does sway a bit when it's up, even in the calmest conditions, and you can feel some very slight tilting as people move around the observation platform to get a different view and the weight distribution shifts. But it isn't dramatic or pronounced and would probably only be noticed by people who are already very insecure about being up there in the first place. If you're as sensitive to heights or slight shifts in movement as this guy was, then I'd stay on the ground. After all, it is a balloon ride, not an elevator ride, and you have to expect that it will move around a bit.

 

[DLBDS]

Which is better day or night?

 

[WDWNY]

We tried to do it in January- first thing in the morning. We got there and turns out it was way too windy for it. We were surprised because we didn't think it was windy at all!

 

[goopysolelady]

As you can tell...DGD LOVED IT!

I rode it one year on a dare and try to do it every trip now. I'm not a huge fan of heights either but you're totally enclosed and the pilots tell you everything that's about to happen so no surprises. Your wait can be anywhere from 10-15 minutes to 45-60...just depends on the crowds. The view is SO worth the wait though...

 

[kimmyg26]

We rode it last year with my 73 year old mom because she always wanted to ride in a hot air balloon. We went on a weekday afternoon and had a small wait.

My mom is very scared of heights but enjoyed it. There was a little sway to the balloon but overall it was a lovely experience.

 

[DisneyDetective]

We rode it a few years ago and I absolutely loved the experience. It's amazing to see the whole Disney property and getting the opportunity to take fantastic photos. The only downside is that it doesn't take much for it to get called off due to bad weather being miles away so you could turn up fully anticipating to go on to find it's off.

 

[bweagle]

There is regularly a decent deal on Groupon that helps keep the costs down for us. The only thing is you have to use the Groupon within 90 days of purchasing it, so make sure you are within that 90 day window before making the purchase. I wouldn't pay full price for the experience again, but with the discount it's a neat experience.

 

[MrPTato]

Thanks! On Disney's website it says : The balloon’s 19-foot-diameter basket holds up to 29 people plus one Aérophile-certified pilot per “flight.” I wonder if that just means what their capacity is, not what they actually take. I want to do it, but I'm a little nervous to do it as well. Mainly the going down part (I hate drops) so the smoothly comment makes me feel better.

I have been in it before. I have been in elevators that move down faster than this, and I am not talking a sky scraper (or the Tower of Terror). You won't feel a thing coming down, maybe just a little relief that you are getting closer to the ground. It is a nice experience and you can see quite a bit.

 

[kitkat4622]

There is regularly a decent deal on Groupon that helps keep the costs down for us.

just bought a ticket for 2 of us $23 dollars, great deal and within our trip time frame. this will be our first time doing this.....the views look amazing