The Great Park Balloon Ride is the first major attraction of the Orange County Great Park, a 1,347 acre public space on the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Orange County, California. What makes this attraction more interesting and popular is the fact that for right now it is FREE!Balloon Riders climb aboard the 30 passenger tethered helium observation balloon that takes them floating up to 500 feet above the surrounding landscape to enjoy a bird’s eye view of the retired air station’s transformation into the first great metropolitan park of the 21st Century. The Orange County Great Park Plan provides a wide array of active and passive uses, including a 2.5 mile canyon and lake, miles of walking and biking trails, a cultural terrace, Orange County's largest sports park, a botanical garden, and a tethered helium observation balloon which is the icon for the Great Park. The park is expected to be finished by 2015 and the balloon ride, the first attraction to open at the park is indeed a great way to watch the new park being constructed from the old El Toro base.
We were excited to visit this place from the time a friend mentioned about it and we planned a weekend trip to the park with some of our friends. Did some research online and came to know this is quite a popular attraction and the Balloon Ride can be sold out or fully booked for the whole day if we do not go there early. Also the balloon ride depends greatly on the winds and weather conditions. If the wind kicks in, the balloon will fly lower or will be grounded until conditions are favorable. Before you leave, be sure to call the Visitor’s Center at (866) 829-3829 for up to date ride info. This can save you the disappointment of an unnecessary long drive since this is the only attraction at Great Park for the time being.
We picked a Saturday for our Balloon adventure and reached the place with our friends by 11am. Parking and admission are free but every passenger must sign a liability waiver to receive the boarding pass from the visitor center. One thing you will notice is the fact that all the staff are incredibly enthusiastic to happily share their knowledge about Great Park and the Balloon ride. We got our boarding pass and left for the balloon ride area and thankfully the waiting lines were shorter and we could take the ride without waiting for a long time.
Lets get real, In case you were hoping to fly away and disappear far into the horizon, you chose the wrong balloon ride because this one goes only up and down. The five story-tall, 10,560-pound orange balloon is very securely tethered to the ground by a steel cable which is used to raise and lower the balloon. The tour guide briefed us on what to expect from the balloon ride, safety instructions etc and we climbed onto the gondola connected to this enormous 210,000 cubic foot orange balloon. Once inside we were asked not to gather in one area in order to keep the balance since the balloon could shift if everyone stands on one side. Once it stops in mid-air we can walk around the gondola but in an orderly fashion, no jumping around here :)The ride is approximately 10-15 minutes depending on winds and weather conditions and on a clear day the visibility is upto 12 miles in any direction. We weren't so lucky on that part as the visibility was low the day we went but it wasn't too bad as we could see the mountains and distant parts of Orange County. The ride was very smooth and overall a pleasant experience. For a free attraction, it was pretty cool. I enjoyed it and plan to go back there to check out the balloon ride around sunset and in the night next time. Also they have the coolest summer night concerts so that's something to look forward to.
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Driving Directions and Park/Balloon Ride Hours
(Information source on Great Park and the Balloon Ride : Internet)
