I finally got up the nerve and the wind died down - first flight on Characters in Flight today. It's GREAT! Totally silent and smooth with a fantastic view of everything Disney and more. JF
Test Ride Characters in Flight
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Sun, 05/10/2009 - 19:56
Test Ride Characters in Flight
Sun, 05/10/2009 - 21:27
Very cool!
What do they charge for that?
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Sun, 05/10/2009 - 21:51
MouseTraveler wrote:
Very cool!What do they charge for that?
$16 per adult. I think you're up there for 6 minutes.
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Sun, 05/10/2009 - 21:56
bali wrote:
MouseTraveler wrote:Very cool!What do they charge for that?
$16 per adult. I think you're up there for 6 minutes.
Shoot, thats not bad at all for a great experience! Got any pics?
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Mon, 05/11/2009 - 15:25
FJFuchs sent along some pics for posting:
Saratoga Springs
Contemporary
Mon, 05/11/2009 - 16:14
Great pics! Thanks for sharing.
How busy is this thing so far? Can they move a lot of people through it?
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Mon, 05/11/2009 - 16:24
This was one of those attractions that I wasn't all that interested in.....until I saw your pics.
I've always been interested in birdseye views of the WDW resort and this looks it'll satisfy that craving, at least for the time being.
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Mon, 05/11/2009 - 16:26
Imagineer wrote:
This was one of those attractions that I wasn't all that interested in.....until I saw your pics.I've always been interested in birdseye views of the WDW resort and this looks it'll satisfy that craving, at least for the time being.
My thoughts exactly. I was very down on this thing, but those shots make me want to try it at least once.
Mon, 05/11/2009 - 18:35
dsoup wrote:
Imagineer wrote:This was one of those attractions that I wasn't all that interested in.....until I saw your pics.I've always been interested in birdseye views of the WDW resort and this looks it'll satisfy that craving, at least for the time being.
My thoughts exactly. I was very down on this thing, but those shots make me want to try it at least once.
Yup. It's not that often you get to see the whole resort sprawled out before you, and this makes it possible. Of course you'll pay over $2.50 a minute for the priveledge.
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Mon, 05/11/2009 - 19:32
From the one picture of the Gondola Basket it really does not look crowded. That was my primary concern, that they would load the basket with so many people that you couldn't move around and could only look out in one direction if you know what I mean. We definitely will try it on our next trip. 
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Mon, 05/11/2009 - 20:26
I think that downtown disney is uniformly less crowded during the day when everyone's at the parks, so maybe this attraction will stay un-crowded until evening!
Looks like you could see Saratoga birds-eye, and you might be able to see POR/POFQ and OKW pretty well, too!
Tue, 05/12/2009 - 03:26
Good point that DD isn't usually that crowded during the day.
Pictures are great!
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Tue, 05/12/2009 - 13:48
Fantastic Photos. Are there any other good pics on the web?
Tue, 05/12/2009 - 21:28
We did not find it busy. The balloon ascent is about 10 minutes from start to finish and they can accommodate up to 20 people depending on the wind conditions. The more wind, the fewer people they take up. I'd say it's a heck of a bargain at $16 a head. You SHOULD try it! I was a bit hesitant not being that fond of heights but it was fine! FJFUCHS
Tue, 05/12/2009 - 21:31
The gondola basket is a donut - you can walk all the way around! I was concerned about only seeing in one direction too but that is NOT the case. The pilot encouraged us to walk around but to "keep the balance" which all of us did. Even with 20 people on board, I'm sure you will get a view in all directions. FJFUCHS
Tue, 05/12/2009 - 21:32
Landmarks look different from the balloon perspective. I could see to Orlando skyline clearly if that helps. I will, for sure, try it at night next visit. FJFUCHS
Wed, 05/13/2009 - 03:56
fjfuchs wrote:
Landmarks look different from the balloon perspective. I could see to Orlando skyline clearly if that helps. I will, for sure, try it at night next visit. FJFUCHS
Oh--that's a great idea. I think it was mentioned somewhere around here that it would be great to take the flight during Wishes or Illuminations! (Or even get married up there during one of the fireworks shows.)
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Wed, 05/13/2009 - 14:25
fjfuchs wrote:
We did not find it busy.
That's great. I think people are still hesitant to part with $16 per person for this. I wonder if it'll get busier as word gets around!
Thu, 05/14/2009 - 01:36
Most nights Wishes and Illuminations run at the same time. It would be a good opportunity to see both at once. My personal feeling, however, is that it may be a bit disappointing because you are a substantial distance away. On the other hand, the CIF balloon is clearly visible and quite large-appearing from Epcot. It would sure be worth a try! FJFUCHS
Thu, 05/14/2009 - 02:29
Here is a picture of the CIF balloon from Epcot. This is a 135mm telephoto shot taken from the bridge between France and UK (near the Beach Club entrance to Epcot. The picture may be a bit deceiving because of the telephoto but will give you an idea of the distance anyway. FJFUCHS
Thu, 05/14/2009 - 13:55
Is it very noticeable without a telephoto lens? It looks like it would still be fairly large in the sky.
Fri, 05/15/2009 - 04:30
Looks like that's going to be a rather common backdrop to a lot of Disney pics from now on!
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Fri, 05/15/2009 - 11:25
Annie wrote:
fjfuchs wrote:We did not find it busy.
That's great. I think people are still hesitant to part with $16 per person for this. I wonder if it'll get busier as word gets around!
With the kind of money people drop on Disney stuff you'd think 16 bucks wouldn't phase them.
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Fri, 05/15/2009 - 12:10
MouseTraveler wrote:
Annie wrote:fjfuchs wrote:We did not find it busy.
That's great. I think people are still hesitant to part with $16 per person for this. I wonder if it'll get busier as word gets around!With the kind of money people drop on Disney stuff you'd think 16 bucks wouldn't phase them.
Exactly. I don't know why everyone keeps acting like this is sooo much money. It really isn't. If you were to buy a ride in a hot air balloon, it would be over $100/person. $16 is a DEAL. It's way less than parasailing, and lasts about the same amount of time.
If I had known when I was in DTD that I wasn't going to be able to go parasailing, I'd have done this instead. Unfortunately, I had already been to DTD 3 times by the time my parasailing appointment got cancelled and I just didn't feel like going back there again.
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Fri, 05/15/2009 - 12:31
It's quite visible - you wouldn't miss it! When I get back to home base I'll dig up a picture that isn't telephoto - I know I took one anticipating just this question. Stay tuned. FJFUCHS
Fri, 05/15/2009 - 14:33
That's always the problem that theme parks have when most everything is included in the ticket. People get indignant about the things that cost extra for some reason. For example at Six Flags they usually have those big slingshot things that you can ride for the extra $35. I pretty much walk in there with the expectation that I"m going to spend X, and since that $35 wasn't budgeted I'm not going to pay for it, even if I'd have a bunch of fun.
Fri, 05/15/2009 - 23:37
Here is a shot from basically the same location without the telephoto lens. Look just to the right and below dead center to see the CIF balloon.
Fri, 05/15/2009 - 23:50
Wow! Big difference!
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Mon, 07/20/2009 - 20:33
We are really looking forward to this in September! 