I believe it opens at 8:30 and operates til midnight or so. As Robo noted, it takes very little wind to ground it. There has usually been an early bird special - before 10 A.M., rides are $10 for adults, instead of the usual $18. Mornings are very quite at Disney Springs, so it's a good opportunity to ride in the balloon at a discounted rate and enjoy the shops as they open up around 10.