Has anyone taken a hot air balloon ride while at WDW?

[raestr]

Just curious about the hot air balloon rides that will take you over WDW and around Central Florida. How long for the entire experience? On the Thomplson Aire website, it says the balloon ride is 1 hour, but to allow 3-4 hours for the entire experience. That's a lot of non-balloon ride experience. I don't think I want to hear about the history of hot air balloons for 2 hours.

So, can anyone tell me about their balloon ride? Was it worth it?

Thank you!

 

[tazdeb]

We went ballooning over Disney about 10 years ago. This is how it went.... You have to get up way early, 5am then if the weather is right, not raining or too windy they tell you if it is a go for that day(we were cancelled 1 day went the next), Then they pick you up in a van and drive 1/2 hour you to the departure point. There you help set up the balloon. This takes about an hour. Then you get in and take off for a 1 hour flight. You go where the wind takes you so we flew over the left/west side of Disney with great views of MGM ,Animal Kingdom, and the Magic Kingdom. Once over Disney the flight continues until they find a suitible place to land. Then you help disasmble the balloon and they take you back to a resturant for breakfast where they present your kids with a certificate of flight souviner. In all it took about 4 houirs of which 1 hour was actual flight time. Back then it cost $400 for our family and was worth every penny. However I heard that since 911 that air space directly over Disney is restricted so call and ask if this is true before you go...TAZ