Soon you will be airborne

In early July the tethered balloon known as Characters in Flight was grounded amid safety concerns stemming from an incident that occurred with another Aerophile, that company behind Characters in Flight, balloon in Hong Kong. Not only was the character clad balloon grounded, but it was also removed for an inspection. It was then announced that the balloon was due for replacement later this year and, even if the original balloon passed inspection, the Downtown Disney attraction would remain shuttered until the new balloon could be installed. Walt Disney World removed all mentions of the experience on its website immediately, leaving many to wonder if Characters in Flight would return at all.

I am happy to announce that a new balloon has been spotted at the Downtown Disney location this week! While there has been no official word on Characters in Flight, particularly relating to when testing will occur or when guests will once again be able to take to the skies over Walt Disney World, this is indeed wonderful news.

I won’t rehash all of my previous thoughts on the advantages and perceived disadvantages of Characters in Flight. However, if you’d like to read the original story, which includes my thoughts on Characters in flight as a whole, I direct you over to You could fly to a plaza.