Up, Up And Away With Orlando Balloon Rides!

“Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there, you have been, and there you will always long to return.” – Leonardo da Vinci

There are just some experiences that I’ll never forget. Floating across the sunshine state as the golden sun inched its way above the horizon is one such experience. Epic is the only word to describe it really. You see, hot air ballooning has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I used to admire the colourful specs as they drifted across the sky and hoped that one day I’d be inside the tiny little baskets. Well, my one day finally came on a recent trip to Kissimmee, Florida. For the first time in my life, I had a chance to experience one of the most primitive forms of flight with Orlando Balloon Rides…

Our journey began at 4 am. Yup, for some reason most epic adventures seem to take place at the crack of dawn. We signed off on our waivers at the Orlando Balloon Rides HQ and were driven to a dark field blanketed with dense fog. The crew then diligently assembled all of the hot air balloons as we watched in awe. I couldn’t believe how large/heavy the baskets and balloons were! These guys have a super difficult and labour-intensive job…

Curious – as always – I volunteered to help inflate the balloon: it was so heavy that a few of us took turns holding it open (the process takes about 20 min)!

Once fully inflated, the crew told us we could briefly step inside the balloon! What?! Yes!! I felt like a character out of a children’s novel. It was so unreal: there I was standing inside what would momentarily lift me way up into the sky…

After they dragged me back out (I was way too captivated), the balloon got a few more blasts of heat to get it ready for our flight…

Then, one by one, we launched ourselves inside the basket (which is surprisingly quite large and can carry 16-20 passengers). Most of us were first-timers so the energy was insane as we slowly ascended (some of you experienced the level of excitement first-hand via Periscope). We all basically transformed into little kids, grinning from ear to ear. It was pure magic…

Then – as if someone suddenly flipped a switch – everything became tranquil. We all gazed off into the horizon and admired the beauty of the landscape: the sunrise, forests and swamps were all spectacular. It was such a serene feeling — so calm and majestic as we floated mid-air in our tiny balloon…

Our flight lasted approximately an hour and fluctuated in altitude (from treetops up to 1900 feet). Our pilot, Pat, even gave our hearts a nice jolt by doing a “splash and dash” — basically coming really really close to the water…

You know that switch I talked about earlier? Well, the crew flipped it to adventure mode again with that move! Our whole group basically thought we were going to be fed to the gators. Thankfully our fate was in the hands of a very skilled pilot who also gave us the smoothest landing one could imagine…

Once we were safely back on solid ground, we worked as a team to deflate and roll up the balloon…

Ok, let’s be honest, Pat and the Orlando Balloon Rides team did most of the work…

We did, however, contribute to the consumption of mimosas at the end of the voyage…

What a fantastic day! Orlando Balloon Rides was one of my favourite experiences EVER. I loved the combo of adventure and tranquility, the staff was incredibly passionate and informative and the sunrise flight was – in my opinion – the perfect way to explore the sunshine state. If you’re planning to book, note that the best months to fly are May-August AND that the flight completely depends on weather: if it’s too foggy/windy they will not go up to ensure your safety. You can find more information and purchase your tickets here. Oh, and for those of you wondering if the balloon ride is worth the cost ($195 on weekdays and $225 on weekends for adults) — the answer is YES. I highly recommend this epic journey to anyone (well, anyone over 4 years old). It’s just one of those bucket-list-worthy adventures that you’ll remember for a lifetime…

Our Orlando Balloon Rides experience was paid for by Experience Kissimmee as part of a press trip to Kissimmee, Florida. As always, all reviews and opinions are entirely my own.