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| The scene at Ocean Park in Hong Kong after the balloon accident |
The Characters in Flight balloon ride, the world largest tethered gas balloon, at Downtown Disney is now back in business. Actually this is a new balloon with a new design. The attraction was abruptly shut down in July after an incident with a similar balloon in Hong Kong from the same manufacture. The Hong Kong accident, at the Ocean Park amusement park, injured five people after the balloon sprung a leak and plummeted nearly 60 feet to the ground. The manufacture, Aerophile S.A., said in July that it did not plan to reopen the Downtown Disney attraction with the same balloon since it it had a planned decommissioning in November anyhow. The new balloon has a cleaner design and goes to 400ft. Ticket prices for the balloon are $18 for adults (ages 10 and up), $12 for children under 10, and is free for guests 2 and under. The attraction is open, weather permitting, from 8:30A.M. to Midnight every day.
