It’s been a while since Disney unveiled a minor new ride at Walt Disney World. The last few that have opened were Toy Story Midway Mania, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Mission: Space, and Expedition Everst, each inside a theme park and all involving lots of unique technology and excitement. So when I finally had a chance to experience Disney’s latest low-tech ride, I found myself involved with a very different kind of experience than I had recently become used to. I now offer you my…

Characters in Flight Balloon Thoughts

First, if you aren’t already familiar with the new Characters in Flight helium balloon attraction/ride at Downtown Disney in Orlando, read more about it in the Characters in Flight guide I created for Orlando Attractions Magazine. There you’ll find a 5-minute video showing what sights you can see from 400 feet above Walt Disney World as well as a few interviews with those that helped make the balloon ride a reality. You’ll also find plenty of great photos like this one (taken by Orlando Attractions Magazine‘s Matt Roseboom):

Now that you’re up to speed – What are my thoughts on Characters in Flight?

It’s fun. Sorta. In a standing-on-the-top-of-a-really-tall-building-and-looking-around kind of way. When it rises up to its maximum height of 400 feet, it is officially the highest point in all of Walt Disney World. The next-highest is Expedition Everest at around 200 feet.

The view from 400 feet in the air is spectacular. It’s great to be able to look down and see tiny people walking around Downtown Disney’s streets below you. It’s also amusing to look across the horizon spotting downtown Orlando, Spaceship Earth, the Tower of Terror, Typhoon Lagoon, and other recognizable Disney sights. I’d imagine this will become a great place for someone with a Disney news/rumors web site and a long zoom lens to get backstage looks at ongoing construction.

In the grand scheme of attractions, this one certainly comes no where near being as interesting or exciting as Expedition Everest, Toy Story Midway Mania, or Mission: Space. But then again, it’s just a giant helium balloon, and there’s something to appreciate about the simplicity of it. There aren’t really any moving parts other than the motors and winches used to bring it up and down and the only unique technology used is the top-secret material from which the balloon itself is made to prevent the helium from leaking out. But I didn’t think about any of that while standing 400 feet above Downtown Disney. All I thought about was, “Wow. I can see everything from here!” Heck, if I had thought about it, I may have actually been able to see my house, or at least my neighborhood, from the balloon.

So yes, I enjoyed going up on Characters in Flight. But, in the interest of full disclosure, I did get to go up for free, as part of covering the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Would I have paid the $16 required for those ages 10-up? Probably. But only once. It’s definitely worth it to try it, but I don’t see many paying $16 repeatedly to experience it over and over. Since they do plan to run it while fireworks are being shot off at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, I’ll probably pay to see that once.

But is it truly worth $16? In my opinion, no. I get just as much enjoyment (if not more) from going up the lift hill at Expedition Everest and looking around me while doing so. From there, I can see nearly all of the same sights that I can at the top of Characters in Flight, albeit from roughly 200 feet closer to the ground.

I was told that Aerophile welcomed over 300 guests in a matter of 3 hours yesterday. That means they brought in over $1,000 an hour. It takes 4-5 employees to run the balloon at any given moment, which likely works out to somewhere around $700-900 a day in employee pay, depending how much they make. I have no idea how much it costs in maintenance, but if they’re bringing in anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000 a day from customers, it seems to me that Characters in Flight is definitely a money-maker, even after paying whatever it costs to maintain it. Hopefully that also means that they can soon afford to give Annual Passholders a discount – maybe something along the lines of the 50% off discount we already get at Disney’s mini-golf courses.

As it stands (or flies) right now, I won’t be making a habit of paying $16 to ride it. But I would still encourage those who haven’t experienced it to try it once. While I don’t necessarily think it’s worth $16 (maybe closer to $10), I do think everyone should have a chance to ride it, as it is fun and different. So if paying $16 is the only way to get on board, then go for it. You don’t have to like paying, but I think you’ll enjoy the trip.

Of course, that’s if it’s actually running. There’s the recurring issue of wind. If there is anything above a gentle breeze, there is a real possibility of Characters in Flight being grounded for safety reasons. While I can understand that, it is often very windy here in Orlando. With hurricane season on the way, I can pretty much guarantee that the balloon will be closed for several hours every around 2 p.m. as the storms roll in. It has become such a problem during its first week of operation that I included a wind watcher in the above-mentioned Characters in Flight guide. The wind speed is read from a meter somewhere on the Swan and Dolphin Hotel, relatively close to Downtown Disney. It’s not an exact science, but at least it gives you a good idea as to what to expect.

All in all, Characters in Flight is eye-catching (though the colors are not the most attractive combination), fun to experience once, but lacks repeatability. Though, after I experience a fireworks show from 400 feet in the air, I may think differently.