Hot Air Balloon

[Im_with_Dopey]

Is the balloon still at Downtown Disney? I was looking for price info and could'nt find any info at all.

 

[mom2rtk]

Last I heard they temporarily closed after an incident with a similar balloon overseas. I haven't heard if they're going to reopen any time soon.

 

[T1gger]

I had recommended it to someone and another poster mentioned it was no longer there - shame as my kids really enjoyed it

 

[Im_with_Dopey]

Bummer, ok thank you, we went up in 09 and are going in 12 days and some of our party wanted to to it again.

 

[andyman8]

It indefinitely closed in July. More info can be found here.

 

[Robo]

Just to be clear, it is not a "hot air" balloon.
(That's an important distinction.)
It is lifted by a "lighter-than-air" gas inside the bag.

An independent (not Disney) company operates these balloons.

Some of the gas accidentally escaped from the bag one of an excursion balloon in another part of the world a few of months ago causing the guests in the basket/cage to drop too fast (some were injured,) and the company has closed all of their ballon operations (for safety reliability checks) until further notice.

 

[Polydweller]

Just to be clear, it is not a "hot air" balloon.
(That's an important distinction.)
It is lifted by a "lighter-than-air" gas inside the bag.

An independent (not Disney) company operates these balloons.

Some of the gas accidentally escaped from the bag one of an excursion balloon in another part of the world a few of months ago causing the guests in the basket/cage to drop too fast (some were injured,) and the company has closed all of their ballon operations (for safety reliability checks) until further notice.

Yep, and just two things to add. There is an investigation still ongoing into the Ocean Park accident and they will probably await this. The French equivalent of the NTSB already has issued an airworthiness directive requiring biweekly inspection and tests of the balloon's seams. Aerophile being a French company will comply with this if they plan to use this balloon model in the future.

Aerophile has said that they will replace the DTD balloon with a newer one and had decided to do this before the accident. It is unclear when it will fly again but they are still planning to do so.