Hot-air balloon rides

You meet the crew before dawn and watch the balloon being laid out and inflated. The flight itself lasts about an hour. Bob's Balloons says pilots sometimes fly a little longer or shorter for safety. After landing, there is a traditional toast of champagne and orange juice while the crew packs the balloon into the chase vehicle. Then everyone rides back to the starting point.

Bob's says it has hundreds of launch and landing sites across Central Florida and flies over Orange, Osceola, Lake and Polk counties. Flights can be steered toward the Kissimmee, Disney or Davenport areas, wind permitting. From about 1,000 feet, the operator says, you can see Disney, EPCOT, Kissimmee, the Orlando skyline and the many lakes. Low passes over the treetops often turn up deer and other wildlife.

No reputable pilot launches in strong wind or unstable weather. Central Florida summers bring frequent storms, which is one reason flights go at sunrise. Bob's Balloons says it will reschedule at your convenience, subject to space, if the weather does not cooperate.

That makes timing matter more than price. Book for your first or second morning. If it is scrubbed, you still have days to try again. Book it for your last morning and a cancellation means no flight at all.

The cancellation rules run the other way too. Bob's requires a card guarantee and 48 hours' notice if you cancel, so the crew can resell your seats. Read the policy before you pay.

Bob's Balloons is run by owner-pilot Bob Wilamoski, who says he has flown for more than 20 years without incident. The company states that all its pilots are FAA certified with a commercial lighter-than-air rating, that its equipment is inspected annually by FAA-certified repair stations and that it carries the insurance required for public flights. Ask any operator for the same three things.

Other names still appear in older guides. When we checked on September 22, 2026, the orlandoballoonrides.com domain showed an unrelated balloon travel blog, and bluewaterballoons.com redirected to a parked page. We could not confirm whether those companies still fly or at what price. If a reseller offers a balloon flight from Orlando, find out which operator actually flies it and check that company's own site.

• Clothes: dress for the day's weather. Bob's says the temperature at altitude is close to the ground. Wear closed, flat shoes; landing fields can be rough, and skirts are a poor idea.
• Motion: there is no rocking, so seasickness is rarely an issue.
• Ages: Bob's recommends ages 5 and up.
• Bring: a camera, sunglasses and a hat.

It suits couples, anniversaries and adults who have done the parks. It suits young children less, because of the pre-dawn start and the price per seat. For them, the Aerophile tethered balloon at Disney Springs costs $29.99 for adults and $24.99 for ages 3 to 9, flies for 8 minutes and needs no alarm clock.

A balloon morning ends in time for a relaxed day. Pair it with lunch in Winter Park or an afternoon at Disney Springs, and see Orlando without theme parks for more.