Reports have it that the Characters in Flight Balloon at DTD is indeed being installed at the present time and will soon be extensively flight tested before starting to take passengers up to see the sights of DTD and the surrounding area from it's lofty basket.
yay!! I was so disappointed when I found out it wasn't there anymore! Will have to add this to my list! 
"There's a great big beautiful tomorrow just a dream away"
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[url='http://www.mickeypath.com/']
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http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/forum/karli-and-marks-honeymoon-pre-trip-report
http://www.facebook.com/KarliInWonderland - My Disney Facebook page with live updates while i'm in the parks!
YES! I have to do this when I am there next eyar. I've always wanted to do it and this gets to be my trip so I'll get to do it. YAY!
omnia mea mecum porto.
@byhardy on twitter.
Glad to see it coming back! 
It's great Karlipants, you'll love it.
Hoorah! This should be a brand new balloon too. I wonder if it looks the same or will have a different design on it.
Hoorah! This should be a brand new balloon too. I wonder if it looks the same or will have a different design on it.
Reports are that this indeed is a brand new balloon but I have not seen any pictures of it as yet so I can not say wether it is a new design or the same design as the former balloon.
As we will be there next week *ahem - next week!* I can report back if no one reports back sooner 
will try to take a pic if I can xxxx
Our Very Merry 24 nighter Nov/Dec 15
Watson's go West May 15
The one with all the birthdays Oct 14 4 Big Birthdays and a Vow Renewal thrown in
The OMG trip June 14 30th Birthday present from the hubs
Girly trip March 14 A last min cheapy week
September 13 our first all DVC stay
TR May 2013 the last min bargain trip offsite
Oct 2012 TR with a cruise!big family trip featuring the beach club, AKL, the dream and a villa offsite
TR on a budget May - June 2011offsite condo
TR Sept - Oct 2010 big family trip in an offsite villa
EVERY time we have been in DTD the balloon was closed for weather. I have never seen it up in the air.
As we will be there next week *ahem - next week!* I can report back if no one reports back sooner
Thanks Robyn I am curious to see if they have the same graphics on the balloon, and I am sure many others are also.
YESSSS! That is great news! I wanted to do this sooo badly on our trip, but it was never opened due to weather.
** BeLiNdA **
There is a picture in this article which states "it appears to be the same balloon"
http://behindthethrills.com/2012/09/characters-in-flight-at-downtown-disney-readies-for-reopening/
The balloon was scheduled to be replaced in November due to normal operational wear and tear. They just did it earlier because of the accident at the other park with a similar balloon. So there was always going to be a brand new balloon.
The old balloon wasn't striped like his pictures show this new one is. So, it does appear that there is a new design, no matter what the author's text says.
Correct!
I don't know what the old balloon looked like...but this one does have some characters around the bottom of the balloon with a blue background and it does have thick red and yellow stripes coming down the sides. i took pics last night but can't get them on here till I get home...I walked by it..it's still closed and I didn't see anything that indicated ....when it might open....
Found this on WDWMagic.com
Yes that's it! Now....I'm off to Epcot 
Well that is definitely different from the previous one.
Yes, that is a different design. Hrmmm... I'm not sure what I think of it. I wonder if that trail of blue pixie dust around the top leads to Tinkerbell.
I like it. It reminds me of Dumbo. Okay, at closer look maybe it does have Dumbo on it.
I always thought the old was lame looking. I understand how well black contrasts on the yellow, but it wasn't Disney standards to me. I like this one much better.
Oh! Scrappy I think you just nailed what I don't like about it. It looks like it belongs at a circus to me. Not what I generally think of when thinking about Downtown Disney. I found the other one to be more modern.
That's the same as the Paris one 
Our Very Merry 24 nighter Nov/Dec 15
Watson's go West May 15
The one with all the birthdays Oct 14 4 Big Birthdays and a Vow Renewal thrown in
The OMG trip June 14 30th Birthday present from the hubs
Girly trip March 14 A last min cheapy week
September 13 our first all DVC stay
TR May 2013 the last min bargain trip offsite
Oct 2012 TR with a cruise!big family trip featuring the beach club, AKL, the dream and a villa offsite
TR on a budget May - June 2011offsite condo
TR Sept - Oct 2010 big family trip in an offsite villa
That's the same as the Paris one
They probably bought them on sale 2 for 1 
RobynPrincess wrote:That's the same as the Paris oneThey probably bought them on sale 2 for 1
Hey, you never know!
Kristen K...yes you are correct...the pixie dust leads to Tinkerbell on 2 sides...the bottom does have pictures of Peter Pan and Dumbo...
Who's actually been up in it?? I think the hot air balloon qualifies to be on my "too chicken to ride" list.
Not me Nancy, I hate heights!
We have several time, and it is not hot air, it is a helium balloon. It's great.
I'm sooooooo glad to see they're bringing this back. We did it last year at Christmas time and it was so much fun.
Who's actually been up in it?? I think the hot air balloon qualifies to be on my "too chicken to ride" list.
We also have been up several times and in fact one time we went up twice the same day, once in the daylight and once after dark so as to "compare" and they were both great, different but great.
They are having that special 10 dollars before 10 am. I might go on it. Maybe not I don't like heights.
