Aerophile at Disney Springs

Disney says the balloon will not fly during a storm or if winds exceed 22 mph. Aerophile's own site gives separate limits for winds aloft and at ground level. Either way, the result for you is the same. On a gusty day or during a summer thunderstorm, it stays on the ground.

Central Florida summer afternoons bring frequent storms, so do not build an evening around it. Walk past, look up, and if the basket is moving, get in line. If it is grounded, try again later that evening. Operating hours run from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., which gives you plenty of chances.

Sunset is the best flight. The light is soft, the heat is lower and you can watch the lights of Disney Springs come on below you. Expect other people to have the same idea.

Mid-morning, soon after the 9:30 a.m. start, fits neatly before a park day. Garages at Disney Springs open at 9 a.m. on regular days, so you can park, fly and be at a park by late morning. A night flight after 9 p.m. shows the resort lit up, though phone photos are harder in the dark.

• No bags, drinks, food, smoking or strollers in the basket. Bring a phone and not much else.
• Children under 12 must fly with an adult aged 18 or older. Guests over 12 may ride alone.
• Disney lists no height requirement.

If heights bother you, the tether keeps the balloon on a fixed line, and there is no drifting. You will still feel 400 feet. Try it with a child who is nervous only if you are happy to ride down with them after 8 minutes either way.

The balloon is an Aero30, custom-built for Disney by the Paris company Aerophile S.A. It holds 210,000 cubic feet of helium, and Disney bills it as the largest hand-painted helium balloon in the world. The basket carries 29 guests plus one certified pilot.

Because it is helium and tethered, it has nothing in common with a hot-air flight except the view. There is no burner, no early start and no landing in a field. That is exactly why it is the easy option for families with small children or anyone short on time.

For most visitors, yes. It is the cheapest way to get off the ground at Disney, and Disney Springs itself is free to enter with free standard parking. A family of four with two children aged 3 to 9 pays about $110 before tax.

Compare that with a sunrise hot-air balloon ride. Those fly for about an hour over the countryside but start around $325 per person and need a pre-dawn start. Aerophile is the 8-minute version at a tenth of the price.

Pair it with dinner, a Drawn to Life show or the Disney Springs evening loop.