Disney News

Mickey Mouse hot air balloon, the Happiest Balloon on Earth, tours to promote Disneyland's 50th birthday

Disneyland is continuing its 50th anniversary celebration with a 100-foot tall hot air balloon in the shape of beloved Disney character Mickey Mouse, the one who started it all, wearing a pair of “golden ears.”

Called “The Happiest Balloon on Earth,” a play on Disneyland’s title as “The Happiest Place on Earth,” the Mickey Mouse hot air balloon will promote Disneyland’s 50th anniversary by going on a tour of the western United States and Canada. The tour will last 11 weeks.

The Happiest Balloon on Earth will also achieve a milestone as the first hot air balloon to rise over the Grand Canyon.

Disneyland Resort President Matt Ouimet said he hoped the Mickey Mouse hot air balloon would inspire excitement for the continuing celebration of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary.

Tour stops for The Happiest Balloon on Earth include the Golden Gate Bridge, the Grand Canyon, San Diego, and New Mexico’s International Balloon Museum.

The Mickey Mouse 50th anniversary hot air balloon spans 53 feet from one ear to the other and 100 feet tall. Just the gold “Mickey Mouse Club” style
Mouse ears required 750 square yards of gold-colored fabric to construct.

Scott Spencer and his wife Laurie are the balloon’s pilots.

For more info about Disneyland and the Happiest Balloon on Earth tour, visit Disneyland.com.

Source: Press Release

Return to Disney News