Balloon Statistics

• Height: 98 feet from ground to top of ears
• Weight:  Estimate 410 lbs.
• Circumference: 168 feet
• Diameter: 53 feet
• Volume: 90,000 cubic feet (body) – 113,000 total
• Lift capacity: 1800 lb. max gross lift
• Thread Used: Approximately 9 miles of thread!
• Fabric for Mouse Ears:  Approximately 750 sq. yards       
• Total fabric: Approximately 4,744 sq. yards

Fun Facts

• Mickey’s nose is 5.5 feet in diameter….. a child could easily stand up inside it.
• If Mickey’s body were added to the balloon he would stand over 200 feet tall!
• The pupils of Mickey’s eyes are over 6 feet in diameter.
• The Happiest Balloon on Earth can fit into a bag which is 1,400 times smaller than the fully inflated balloon.
• On a good weather day, The Happiest Balloon on Earth can fly two miles high!
• Laurie Spencer is the first female pilot of a Disney hot air balloon (her husband Scott is co-pilot).

General Hot Air Balloon Info

• Launch locations are variable and dependant on weather, balloon safety and FAA restrictions
• Weather permitting, the balloon can potentially be utilized for thirty minutes to an hour maximum in the early morning (Sunrise to 10am on a perfect day) or prior to sunset in the summer and potentially mid-day in the fall.  In most cases, mid day weather is completely unpredictable due to the heat of the atmosphere.
• Once the balloon is inflated, there are three ways to operate it:
  • Static inflation (ground)
  • Tethered (Just off the ground)
  • Free flight
• Inflation and tethering of The Happiest Balloon on Earth balloon requires a 150′ x 150′ unobstructed footprint, preferably grass.
• Two vehicles and a trailer are required to the support tour:
  • Chase vehicle and balloon trailer
  • Motor home to use for all ground support, radio and TV remote backdrop etc.
• Manufacturer: Cameron Balloons US (Ann Arbor Michigan)
• Balloon Pilots:  Scott and Laurie Spencer,   Lighter Than Air America, Inc.

“The Happiest Balloon on Earth” (a twist on Disneyland’s famous designation as “The Happiest Place on Earth”) is coming to Leon, Guanajuato, to participate in the 11^th annual International Balloon Festival, Nov. 16-19 in Metropolitan Ecological Park.

Mickey Mouse will appear in person during the festival’s Opening Ceremony on Friday, Nov. 16, and “The Happiest Balloon on Earth” will fly daily, throughout the festival.

Mickey and the Disneyland team are looking forward to 2013, when visitors to Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, will discover ‘Limited Time Magic:” a different event, special show or other surprise each week throughout the year. “Limited Time Magic” in 2013 will be a fun reminder that there’s no time like the present to make lasting memories with family and friends at a Disney park.

“The Happiest Balloon on Earth” is designed as a giant representation of Mickey Mouse’s familiar smiling face. The balloon stands 98-feet tall and spans 53 feet from ear-to-ear. Mickey’s pupils are 6 feet across, his nose is 5.5 feet wide, and it took over nine miles of thread to sew together this special shape.

“It is indeed one of the most unique and specialized hot air balloons we have ever piloted,” says Scott Spencer, who along with his wife Laurie, serve as the balloon’s pilots. “When the balloon comes in for a landing it gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘ears to the ground!’”

The appearance of “The Happiest Balloon on Earth” at the 11^th Annual International Balloon Festival in Leon is an invitation to everyone to visit Disneyland Resort and experience all the amazing entertainment, events and other surprises that will make “Limited Time Magic” in 2013. “The Happiest Balloon on Earth” last visited the festival in 2006 during the 18-month celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the opening of Disneyland.

For more information about Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com   For ticket and hotel offers, visit www.disneyland.com/offers.

About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and the recently expanded Disney California Adventure Park – plus three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical, newly renovated, 969-room Disneyland Hotel – both AAA Four Diamond properties -  and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 43-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Media Contacts: 
Disneyland Resort Public Relations
714) 781-4500
www.disneylandnews.com
www.disneyparksblog.com
www.twitter.com/disneyland

The patriotic tribute celebrated two Anaheim-based teams and recognized the dreams of all U.S. athletes on their way to the Olympic Games. Mickey Mouse and his pals joined in a rousing send-off for the volleyball athletes who will represent the United States in London beginning July 27.

The place “where dreams come true” proved to be the perfect backdrop as athletes and coaches from USA Volleyball were showered in red, white and blue confetti and The Disneyland Resort All-American College Band added to the memory-making with a special song, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.”

The U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team begins play in London as the No. 1-ranked team in the world, seeking gold after winning the 2008 Olympic Games silver medal. The U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team is the defending Olympic Games champion and is ranked No. 5 in the world.

Anaheim is the official host city for the men’s and women’s U.S. National Volleyball teams. The men’s team moved its training headquarters to Anaheim in 2006, followed by the women’s team in 2009. For more information about the USA Volleyball teams, visit www.usavolleyball.org.

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About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical, newly renovated, 969-room Disneyland Hotel – both AAA Four Diamond properties -  and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 43-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Media Contact:
Disneyland Resort Public Relations
714/781-4500
www.disneylandnews.com
www.disneyparksblog.com
www.twitter.com/disneyland

  The after-hours Mickey’s Halloween Party, a separate-ticket event which has become an annual highlight of Halloween Time for trick-or-treating families, will take place in Disneyland park on 10 special Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights: Sept. 30 and Oct. 3,7,11,14,18,21, 25, 28 and 31. Tickets are available at Disneyland.com/halloween.

Mickey’s Halloween Party invites adults and children to dress up in costume and trick-or-treat at the resort. These party participants can also “mix in” with regular Disneyland guests for three hours prior to the start of Mickey’s private bash. Highlights of Mickey’s Halloween Party include:

• Newly themed dance party: Guests can mix, mingle and dance with some of their favorite Disney characters at the new “Piratepalooza” at Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante. The popular “Buzz Lightyear’s Intergalactic Space Jam” returns to the Tomorrowland Terrace for more dancing fun.
• New character photo locations: Guests will meet Stormtroopers at Tomorrowland, Phineas & Ferb at Plaza Gardens Stage, and Duffy the Bear in his pumpkin attire at Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A.  Eight additional photo locations feature princesses, Disney villains and more Disney and Pixar pals.
• The special opportunity to play in Disneyland for three hours before the party starts
• Trick or Treating – candy and healthy treats ­- in the ultimate Disney neighborhood
• The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of  Mickey’s Halloween Party)
• “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade, performed twice nightly
• An opportunity for everyone in the family to attend the park in costumes
• Nearly all the favorite Disneyland rides and attractions

Tickets purchased in advance for Mickey’s Halloween Party are $49 most days, while tickets purchased on the event days are $59.  All tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party on Friday, Oct. 28, and Halloween Night, Monday, Oct. 31, are $64.

Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will dress up in fun, fall costumes.  It’s the ideal environment to eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season. David Caranci, manager of Resort Enhancement at the Disneyland Resort shows some simple Halloween decorating tips you can use in your home. Take peek at the work that goes into creating the larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures that appear at the Disneyland Resort during the Halloween season.