During my last Florida holiday vacation, the group decided to be a bit adventurous and try something different. We have agreed that it was the perfect time for us to try riding on a hot air balloon. There are quite a number of companies that offer hot air balloon rides in the Orlando but we have decided on Thompson Air primarily because the company’s long experience and familiarity of the Florida landscape.
The rate was $185 + tax per head during the time that we had our first flight on a hot air balloon. The package already included a hearty breakfast after our flight. They have several balloon flights daily and action starts at about 6 AM each morning. However, if you want to get a good slot during your visit to Orlando, make sure that you make the arrangement early.
We agreed to meet the following day along HWY 192 at 6 AM. The first thing that the crew did was to check the wind direction and plan our flight route. Our take-off point was by the Old Town and the route shall take us to HWY 192, over at Celebration and Reunion and then finally land at Champions Gate.
We even participated in the unpacking and inflating of our balloon and that was really a great experience for me. It is was fun and exciting, and surprisingly not that difficult. A balloon can accommodate a maximum of 4 passengers, thus we split our group into two. The lift-off was amazingly smooth and quiet, and we reached 1,000 feet after a short while into the flight, which I learned from our captain, is the maximum flying height in the area.
It took us about an hour 15 minutes to cover the entire distance. I thought that was quite fast and it seems that I will have to repeat this experience on my next Florida holiday.
Tags: Florida Holiday Vacation, Orlando holiday, Visit Orlando
