The Great Park Balloon

For $ 10 a person, you can ride the big orange balloon. It will take you 400 ft above ground for about 10 – 15 minutes. Its definitely a way cheaper version of a hot air balloon ride but don’t expect much from it. We went in the morning but I think going at night would be a better view with the city lights.
Tips:
*rides depend on weather & wind.
*ample amount of parking
*purchase tickets at the visitor center

Great price for a short ride. The staff from the visitor center to the check-​in area could’nt be anymore dull. They were not inviting at all! No «welcome» or «have fun», not even a crack of smile. If it weren’t for my friends, the whole experience would have been 1 star.

The Great Balloon Park sounds and looks better than it really is. For $ 10 each adult ticket, I don’t think it’s worth it.
My boyfriend and I came on a Friday evening around 7:00pm. We weren’t sure how long the wait would be but took a chance. Walked into the visitor center to find it was surprisingly pretty quiet. Signed a waiver, given a pager (which buzzed in about 15 minutes), walked towards the balloon, were provided brief instructions, and walked onto the balloon.
15 minutes in total on the balloon. Once you reach the top, a staff member will let you know you can walk around. View wasn’t that great since the park was in a secluded area filled with construction all around.
Although our wait was short and there were only 6 other passengers on board (plus two staff members), I don’t feel $ 10 was worth it.

Great place for family and younger kids. The park balloon ride costs $ 10 per adult and kids under 18 are free with adult ticket. The ride itself takes about 15 minutes and goes to over 400 feet with plenty of time to view the surrounding area. The platform is a circular steel walkway with banister and additional netting for safety. I did have to hold my 3 year old up to be able to look over the banister. Keep in mind that weather does play a role in the ride staying open and expect about 30 minutes wait. You do get a pager so you are not limited to waiting in the lobby.
There is a carrousel there with $ 2 rides or you can pay $ 3 for All Day wristband (recommended). Additionally there is a small kids playground for those needed breaks to keep your head from spinning after five consecutive carrousel rides! You do have the ability to just stay on the carrousel as long as you’d like with the all day wristband, not having to get off only to get back on. The carrousel is open all day and late into the night.
Sunday’s there is a small farmers market (closes around 2pm) offering local items, food and various drinks.
Overall it’s a great inexpensive place to spend a couple hours with your family or date.

We come here just about every Sunday for the farmers market.
The problem I see now is that there are a lot less people here now as the vendors keep their prices on the high side… which generally keep people away!
It’s turning into the same old… same old, with the commercialized vendors moving in all the time. I thought it was called a farmers market for a reason. Instead, it seems like it’s the scenario of…“who can out price who!” When really, it’s the same price from stand to stand (no haggling) and who can be the «pushiest vendor» (i.e.: Blue salsa guy) who even made my older boys feel pushed into buying his product… but did’nt!
So, if you’re looking for a farmers market to go through in 10 minutes and drop a ton of money… you’ve come to the right place!
Other than that, The Great Park has a organic farm you can visit beautiful soccer fields and even a beautiful orange balloon for you to take a ride up in to see all of orange county.
Bit by bit… The owners are turning into a beautiful butterfly that will be a representative of the OC.

Thursday-​Friday: 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Saturday-​Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Those are the flight times set for the balloon; however, there is no disclaimer on the websites main page that flights could be cancelled EASILY. My friends and I came at between 10am, and 12pm on two different days only to wait an hour to be told «nope flights are over too windy.» I’m sure there are plenty of other activities worth doing at the Great Balloon Park but arriving with high hopes of getting 360 views of Irvine in the helium ballon TWICE and not getting to go on it really sucked.
When we came the first day and the flights were cancelled, the woman working informed us to call them at 9am when they would open so that they could tell us the flight conditions. We did exactly that but when we called we were told, call at 9:30 when registration for the balloon begins. –_​_​– My biggest pet peeve is being told two different instructions about the same thing.
The flight times should not be advertised in that manner if it is a common occurrence for flights to be cancelled.

I was suprised by how much concrete there is here. CONCRETE MONSTROSITY. Very poorly designed. overall pretty ugly. Nice soccer fields though.

Maybe I’m just not meant to ride in this balloon. Came-​down a couple of years ago (back when it was free) and it was closed on a clear Saturday afternoon. Then I came-​down again last Friday and found that while it was open and was basically empty (maybe 5 – 10 people were going-​up at a time) despite that I was told that it was an hour wait and that they might shut-​down early because of weather conditions.
I’d just spent 45 mins driving down there from North OC and wasn’t interested in wasting more time. From what I recently read in the OC Register this attraction will likely be going away soon since it costs too much to operate. I won’t miss it. They have built some nice grounds though, I still think it would have been better as a regional airport though.

Just went yesterday for Valentines day. I took my girlfriend and she loved it! The scenery from the top of the balloon was great and definitely makes for a good date. The staff was very friendly and parking was easy. We were in and out in about 20 – 30 minutes and that included everything from parking, buying our ticket, and riding the balloon. It was a pleasant experience and I would recommend this place to anyone!

This used to be free :(Now it’s $ 10 per person.
Large parking lot so you’re sure to find a spot! There’s more people here during the daytime than at night.
1) Park
2) Walk to the Visitor Center
3) Tell them you’re there for the balloon ride
4) They’ll have you sign a waiver for each person who will ride the balloon
5) They will give you a pager which pages you approx. 10 minutes before you report to the balloon
6) Pager goes off and you go back to the Visitor Center
7) Pay for your tickets and receive them
8) Take your tickets to the balloon
9) Wait and watch it come down, people unload
10) Your turn! Show your ticket and climb aboard! :)
11) Enjoy the view from up top (you can spot Irvine Spectrum and if you really look — maybe Disneyland). More views to see on the north-​facing side
12) Float around for a little bit and then back down you go!
There’s room to walk around when you’re floating around up top — easier to walk around if there’s fewer people. Gets kinda interesting when more people end up on one side because it’ll tilt. Makes for a more interesting ride?! Feel free to take pictures and everything! The staff who works there are super friendly!
Wait Time: Depends on how many people are there. At least 30 minutes but there’s plenty to walk around and see at the park!

Perfect for dates, 10 $ a person.
View at night was amazing, but I’m sure it’s even better in the morning, I’ll have to go back there some Sunday Morning.

Want something cheap to do that you can show off to your friends on social media? You know, for «likes» and comments? (Hey, I admit it, you should too). I highly suggest to take a 10 – 15 min ride on the hot air balloon here in The Great Park Balloon.
I came here on a Thursday morning. It was not as crowded as I expected. However, we did have to wait about 45 min to ride. I did not understand it at first because I know there’s a maximum of about 20 – 30 people who can ride at the same time, whereas there were roughly 5−7ish people going each time. But I realize now that since there wasn’t much people, they spaced it out so that everyone can have wiggle room to walk around in the balloon.
The balloon ride used to be free back in the day. Now it is $ 10 for adults, $ 5 for children 18 and under w/​o accompanied adult, and free for children under 18 WITH adult. Still a great price!
The balloon is attached to a tether and goes up about 400 ft. Even for those who are not scared of heights, it can be a bit frightening. I would know; I thought I was ready to conquer the balloon with no fear at all, but my shakiness throughout the ride proved otherwise. The view was fantastic though– a complete 360 degree view of Irvine.

If you don’t want to commit to a long hot air balloon ride that’s a far drive away for hundreds of dollars (and then risk them cancelling on you due to the weather-​as most people have told me of their Groupon stories), then come here!
Haha. When we first got there, they were saying to wait some minutes so they could test if it was too windy or not. Luckily, it was fine. For just $ 10, you can go up for about ten minutes. When we went, there were only about 5 other people with us. It’s an ok view and it stays in one spot, but who cares, you’re in a hot air balloon! After a few minutes, I already got bored so I was glad I wasn’t on for much longer: P

Based off the majority of the reviews here, I just seem to have bad luck with this attraction.
I have tried to go three times now, and every single time, the balloon is closed. It has always been due to wind, which I get — they want to be safe. Today, there was no wind on the ground, however I know that doesnt mean once up there isnt. I get it… its just a bit of a bummer when I drive so far to have no luck. Repeatedly. I am wondering if there is something online that you can check to see if the ride is running.
Today, the gentleman working in the Information Center were very rude. We walked in, saw the sign directly in front of the front door, saying the balloon ride was closed. It would have been helpful if this were out by the parking lot. Im sure they want to still bring people in, especially with children as I am sure they would purchase tickets to the carousel, etc… but it would be helpful knowing before you get out and walk all the way in. Just a thought. One also said we really should have come between 9am and 11am for a smaller crowd and a better ride time. If that is the case, and he felt the need to be so rude about it, why is the ride open longer hours than that… It just seemed a bit odd they were so rude to the people there.
Its great that the parking is free, that is helpful. I do not know if the balloon ride is free, as I have never been able to find out, but it seems from other reviews it is.
It seems the entrance has also been relocated, it is no longer off of Marine Way — it is off Trabuco. You dont really know that, either, until you turn onto Marine way and get to the old entrance, where there is a sign, telling you to U-​Turn and new directions. Again, signage earlier on would also be helpful.
I guess in the future if I decide to try this again, I will do some research to see if you can find out online if the ride is operating or not.

Took my class of 17, 5 year old students on a summer field trip to the Great Park of Irvine to ride in the balloon. For a few days before we would watch you tube videos on my tablet so they would know what to expect once we arrived. The only one who was afraid was me. The kids all assured me I’d be okay and I could hold their hand if I needed to. All of us signed waivers, my students parents signed for them in case something bad happens. You know a waiver to sign your life away. Of course nothing will happen, its just a policy.
Once we arrived, the kids thought the balloon looked like a huge pumpkin, like the great pumpkin Charlie Brown. You cant miss it. Its big and Orange. We watched it do a few test runs, up and down. The morning layer of clouds still had not lifted so we had to wait a little longer to take off. I guess it’s safety reasons for all the airplanes in the area to be able to see us.
Once our buzzer alerted us we were good to go, we made our way over to the gates. The balloon could hold 30 plus people, not enough room for both classrooms. My class was the first to go. That way I would not chicken out. Even if I didnt want to ride, I would have to since an adult had to supervise kids under 12. Plus I promised some of the moms I would keep them safe and send them text message pictures of their trip up. The attendant briefed me of the rules, no eating or running and told me to have my students single file board the cage. My entire group of 5 year olds were all brave enough to fly and were on their best behavior to fly. I was the one freaking out. Two of my girls grabbed my hands and led me on. Once I was on and counted my 17 kiddos we were good to go. Up up and away. I told myself to forget about that bouncy house that blew away a few months ago. Forget about the hot air balloon that crashed. One of the kids asked where the fire for the balloon was, this one is manipulated by a cable, not fire.
Once onboard you are pretty much caged in. There is no way to fall out or to climb out. Its 100% safe! The balloon is attached to a very thick and strong cable. You are also able to walk around, if you want. Very slowly the cable raises with the help of the balloon pilot the balloon lifts into the air. Once ascended to 400 feet, your stuck there for 6 minutes, suspended in the air with nowhere to go. One of my girls said to me.“Ms Angie I think I dropped something” I asked her what she dropped and she said she was joking. I hope so or it was bombs away 400 feet below.
I started feeling a little sick especially since all our weight was on one side and it looked like we were lopsided and it was a little bumpy. I took my whole 120 pounds and thought I could balance out the cage and move to the other side. Yay right. I also advoided looking down once we were at 400 feet. Its a long ways down. I kept telling myself we were okay. It makes you realize how precious life is. The views are amazing. Everything looks so miniture and you can see the old runways, hills, houses, freeways, everything. Thats if you look.
After 6 minutes or so, slowly you descend to the ground and I was relieved. It was a fun experience for all of us. Its not as scary as you think. $ 10 for adults and children are cheaper. Just take a few deep breaths and close your eyes.

Not scary at all, unless you’re scared of heights. Once you are up there, it’s smart to bring a jacket because it does get a little chilly. Don’t just stand in one area, have a look around, there’s a reason why it’s a donut shape.
So they started charging people now. Adults are $ 10 each. I find the wait time to be ridiculous since it’s been stated that the balloon can hold up to 30 people but they only fill it up to maybe 10? The wait time is already long enough, shouldn’t they add more people to accommodate others? Not very efficient if you ask me. Plus the beepers they give you do not go that far and you are confined in a small area. I couldn’t even go for a nice walk.
Not bad. They still need to work on a few kinks.

Have you ever been on a hot balloon ride? If not, the Great Park Balloon is a great first experience, especially if you are still scared of heights.
My boy friend took me here for one of our monthly anniversaries! (such a great surprise! he did not tell me anything!). We went on a Saturday night and had to make sure with the workers if it was not too windy for us to fly up. The ride was about 10 minutes long (goes straight up and goes back down) and I really enjoyed the view of the city (SUCH A FUN EXPERIENCE!). The air balloon can hold up to at least 25 to 30 passengers and soars up about 400 feet.
Note: This is an awesome place and experience to take your date to!
Parking:
There are huge lots all around the Great Park. So, there should not be a problem with parking.
Service:
The workers are super friendly when we arrived. They joked with us as we were filling out our forms to ride the air balloon. The pilot was also very informative about what we should do as we flew up and went back down onto the ground.
Hours:
Thursday thru Friday — 10 am to 3 pm, 7 pm to 10 pm
Saturday thru Sunday — 9 am to 3 pm, 7 pm to 10 pm
Monday thru Wednesday is closed
Rates:
10 dollars per person
Children should be half the price if an adult is not accompanying them.
There is a carousel if anyone would like to go for a ride. An all day pass is $ 3 and a single ride is $ 2.
Website link;
I would love to go back during the daytime to take a look at the view (also a different experience from nighttime). Maybe one day I will go on a real hot air balloon ride across the country! :D
Go check this place out!

You should definitely try this at least ONCE. It’s a good experience, going up in this huuuge balloon.
They shut down the balloon sometimes due to high altitude winds so be prepared. they start testing it at 6:45pm before their 7pm night flights so they can only tell you around that time whether or not you can go up or if you waited for nothing.
Sign-​ups start at 6pm and people are so on top of it. Since it started at 7pm i thought i was really early. Nope. I went before 6:30pm and there were already almost 40 ppl on the list… which meant I had to go on the 2^nd flight at 7:30pm. Dayum ppl did you camp out?!
The night view is pretty… especially spectrum since they have the closest lights that you can see. The «pilot» will point out where Long Beach, downtown LA, etc. are for you so that’s really cool. But if you want the best view, go on the side opposite of where the balloon line is. that’s spectrum, with all the lights!
I don’t know if $ 10 is worth it, that’s why it’s docked a star. But you really should try this if you’ve never been. There’s not much you can do while you wait too so that sucks because you HAVE to get there early to sign up for the list. Ohh but what’s nice is that they’ll give you a beeper! like in restaurants so that’s helpful. You don’t have to keep asking them!

First time riding in a balloon? CHECK.
Came here on a Friday night with my boyfriend. They operate a few hours in the morning, and a few hours in the evening (7pm-​10pm). We tried to get there early enough make the first 7o’clock shift, but missed it by 5 minutes. Luckily, there was absolutely no long line and we were on the next ride within 15 minutes.
I’m not from Irvine, so it took my boyfriend and I about 40 minutes to get there. We spent the whole day in Irvine doing other activities, so the drive was completely worth it. I would not recommend this for those who live farther away with only this planned because it’s only a 10 minute activity.
RIDE. Only the take off & landing were a little scary because its shaky — the balloon operator will tell you to hold onto the railing. After you reach the highest point (400 feet), you’re allowed to walk around. It does shift depending on how many people are on either side. It can hold up to 25ish people according to our operator.
PRICE. $ 10/​person.
RECOMMENDATION. For a more romantic & less crowded setting, go at night! Especially at the beginning of the evening shift (7pm). My bf & I only rode with 4 other people, and it felt so exclusive :)

The air balloon ride is really awesome. It looks like an orange from afar. It holds about 25 – 30 people. It also goes up to about 400ft giving you a grand view of Irvine and the surrounding area. Best of all, it’s FREE!
There is also a carousel nearby which is also FREE.
Take notes of the opening hours:
Thursday-​Friday:
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Saturday-​Sunday:
9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Monday-​Wednesday: Closed
I would suggest come here about 15 – 20 minutes before they open because lines do get long quite quickly.
Pictures of the Balloon: