During the most recent trip to Disney World I rode the Aerophile Balloon for the first time. I’ve thought about doing this for a while, but I’m not the biggest fan of heights, so I always ended up changing my mind. I’m glad I didn’t change my mind this time!
During our no park day, we decided to go to Disney Springs that morning. It was clear skies and not really windy, so it was a good day to go up in the balloon. This time one of my kids wanted to go, so I decided to go too. My kid was really excited to try this, so it made it easier not to back out this time. We headed to the booth to buy the tickets: children 3-9 are $20 each and adults 10+ are $25 each.
We went not long after Disney Springs opened on a Wednesday, so there were only 6 of us and the pilot. The lower crowd level on the balloon definitely made it easier to move around and get pictures from all angles. The views really are very cool, you can see far and you’ll be able to see different Disney icons, like Spaceship Earth. Looking directly down at Disney Springs was a little dizzying, but the water features looked pretty from 400ft up in the air.
I’m going to be honest, being up 400ft made me nervous, but I just held on to the handrail that circles around the whole gondola. There’s netting as well, to make sure everyone who went up in the gondola also goes down in the gondola. If you have a major fear of heights, this definitely is not for you. However, if you’re someone like me who likes thrill rides, but still closes her eyes on the big drop for Splash Mountain or when the ride vehicle for Expedition Everest is climbing up that first hill, you’ll probably be able to do this, just hold on to the railing and don’t look directly down.
According to the Aerophile at Disney Springs website, the balloon is filled with 210,000 cubic feet of helium and the basket is 19 feet in diameter. When at capacity, the gondola can hold up to 29 people, plus the Aerophile-certified pilot. The ride lasts 8 – 10 minutes and the views are pretty cool, especially if you catch it on a day when winds are low, because then you’ll go up the full 400ft. The pilots are certified and very informative, so feel free to ask them any questions you may have about the area or the balloon. Our pilot was more than happy to chat and answer questions from our group. Keep in mind that this experience is weather dependent. So even if it’s not very windy on the ground, if it’s too windy higher up the balloon cannot go up.
Having done this once, I can say I would definitely do it again. The height is still a little nerve wracking for me, but the views are definitely worth it and I felt the price to be worth it. It’s one of the cheaper things to do in Disney, which is an added bonus. If you decide to try this experience then make sure to go to their website for some discounts. If you can make it to the balloon before 10am, everyone rides for $15. For those that can’t make it before 10am, there’s also a $2 discount to use.
Have you ever been on the Aerophile Balloon at Disney Springs?
Thanks for reading!
Liz
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Liz
I love all things Disney, but my main love is for Disney World and I'm always planning for the next trip. Before becoming a Disney blogger, I was a radio DJ, so I guess I'm just continuing in the communication industry, just in a different form. I love talking Disney and I could talk about Disney all day. That's why I started blogging and created the Facebook group. The Disney community is full of friendly, helpful, and happy people...and I love being a part of it! If there is any Disney subject you would like to see covered just let me know! Need help planning your Disney vacation. Feel free to contact myself or Melissa at Never Stop Dreaming Travel Co. We love helping people plan their trips! Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Don't forget to check out our Countdown to Disney app! Feel free to email me with suggestions of things you would like to see in the app :-)