Hot Air Balloon Rides......my trip is getting closer.

[Misty89]

about 3 mths ago, i got a reccomendation from a fellow Dis'er for hot air balloon ride.
it was that persons Opinion, and now i am looking for more opinions.
the budget has fallen into place, and i will be taking my DD9 to experiance our first hot air balloon ride in February.
please tell which company you like /used, and the price.
we will need hotel pick up.
can you tell me a little about your adventure too?


thank you

Tina

 

[jdvm]

Our kids gave my wife and me a trip with Bob's Balloon's and I can strongly recommend them. I think it was about $175 per person. I have no idea whether they will pick you up. With any balloon ride you have to go very early in the morning and your route depends on which way the wind blows. We live in Celebration and see the balloons all the time and they are rarely heading over the parks.

John

 

[tink too]

We went with Orange Blossom Balloons a few years ago and they picked us up and took us back to our hotel for an extra $10 each which was a lot cheaper than we would have been for a taxi.

Our pilot was Jeff Thompson and I know that he now has his own company. However, I don't know if he offers hotel pick-ups or not. He was great and I would not hesitate to fly with him again.

You do have to be up early (before dawn) but it was so worth it. We got to see Florida before it had "woken up". We floated over a lake, citrus groves, residential areas and although we didn't go directly over WDW property, we were able to see it pretty well. My DH helped to pack up the balloon after we landed, too which was neat.

 

[swilshire]

My DS9 is developmentally delayed so he may not give a good comparison, but he is too young for ballooning. I had my first flight when I was 18 (a LONG time ago) and was hooked. I have flown at every opportunity through the years. DH, DD, DS20, and DS14 have all had opportunities to fly and most enjoyed it.

As wonderful as it is, though, it can be a little boring. I love every minute of it because I enjoy the birds eye view of things. I even get a window seat on airplanes so I can look out the window. But for kids, it can get a little old. Also, if the child is short, it's harder for them to see anything. Most balloon baskets are about waist high on my 6' husband if that gives you an idea.

Unless this is something your DD is really excited about, I'd probably wait a few years. JMHO. My son is just getting used to being in the same vicinity of the burners and he has been around a lot of balloons. The noise can be pretty startling if you aren't expecting it. If you have any balloon events in your area, a $10 tether ride (where the balloon just goes to the end of a tether rope, maybe 100' up) would be a good chance to see how your daughter reacts to all the heat and noise.

My favorite pilot (now passed away) would never carry children. He didn't even like to carry his own grandchildren until they reached a certain age.

Sheila

 

[tink too]

I think if you explain to your DD that it isn't a thrill ride - no shooting off at lightning speed, no loop-de-loops, just something different - you should be fine.

 

[ariel2007]

We did a trip this May and went with Bluewater Balloons. We found their service to be great and loved the whole trip, it was amazing.

We started off meeting at a Best Western, signed some forms and then were taken off in a couple of vans, one with the balloon in one with the basket on the back. We then stopped a few times so they could test the wind in a couple of different locations before finally finding the perfect spot. The crew then unloaded the balloon and basket and asked 2 men to help them hold open the balloon whilst they filled it. It was very cool to watch.
Once the balloon was filled we all got in (we had been shown how beforehand). There was 13 of us in total and also 5 or 6 crew coming up with us. The basket had 4 compartments and the middle which is where they go to control the basket, me and DBF were in a compartment with another couple. We rose slowly, and started by being at tree top height, and before we even realised we were really high. The view was amazing and we got to see lots of wildlife below. We were up for a while and then slowly came back down where about 6 more crew members met us.

After the crew put the balloon and basket away we were given champagne and sodas to do a toast and the balloonists prayer. Then back in the van to the Best Western for a buffet breakfast. They had a private room set up for us to eat in and it was all very nice. We were then all given certificates and it was time to say Goodbye.

All in all it was fabulous. The crew were really good, so friendly and really funny. They made us feel really comfortable and it was great to have so many people looking after us. There were 5 kids in our group and they all seemed to really enjoy it and were fascinated. They especially loved the animals we saw.

If you want to see any pictures or for a mre detailed report I have a report of it in my trip report below, page 28.

Hope this helps.

 

[SnowWhite2]

DH and I went on a balloon ride probably 20 years ago in Orlando. I can't remember the name of it but it was mentioned in several WDW travel books. It was the most incredible experience. I do remember that it was $165 pp which was a forture to us at that time. We were very lucky with the winds as we went directly over Epcot, almost down the middle of the park as you would walk in from the gates, over the ball and right through the middle of World Showcase. The only bad part was landing - we landed in a skeet shooting field on the broken disks. The basket tipped over and I cut my had on the disks. Just a small cut but boy did it hurt. We then went for a champagne breakfast back at their restaurant/nightclub downtown. It was great. It is something I've always wanted to go again but never got the time.

 

[cool sam]

hi
Its really a great one to have an opportunity like that . May god fulfill your trip successfully.





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