Balloon Race (ride)

This article is about the amusement ride. For the balloon competition, see Balloon flight contest.

The Zamperla Balloon Race is a tilting, circular motion amusement park ride manufactured by Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. The ride makes its way up a structure, and at a certain height, it starts tilting.^[1]

Globos Amigos at Parque Espana-Shima Spain Village (Japan), model Balloon Race

Model Samba balloon, a children's Samba Balloon ride.

Designs

Gondola designs

Twelve balloons with gondolas hold up to 4 passengers each. This ride also comes in 8 balloon and 12 balloon versions. There is also an essentially identical ride with pirate ships instead of balloons. Seat belts and locking doors provide safety. At some installations, a rider may exit themselves, while in other ones, an operator must let them out.

Similar designs

The Chance Morgan company manufacture a version of the Balloon Race, which is similar except the balloons are much bigger.

Samba Balloons

A smaller version of this ride called Samba Balloons is also in existence. The ride does a similar motion, but the 'balloons' can be spun by riders. This version of the ride is often found in areas of amusement parks, and at traveling carnivals.

Some locations

Number of balloons or pirate ships is in parentheses.

• Big Easy Balloons (12) - Six Flags Great America.
• Ballons (8 Samba) - Storybook Land in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.
• Balloon Race (8) - Idlewild and Soak Zone moved in 1995 from Kennywood where it lasted for four years.
• Balloon Race (8) - Knott's Berry Farm's Camp Snoopy in Buena Park, CA.
• Balloon Race (8) - Six Flags New England Agawam, MA.
• Balloon Race - Waldameer & Water World, Erie, PA
• Flying Ace Balloon Race (was Boo Boo's Balloon Race) (8) - Carowinds^[2]
• The Pirate's Flight (12) - Geauga Lake in Ohio (themed to pirate ships instead of balloons.)
• Samba Balloons (8) - Victorian Gardens at Wollman Rink in Central Park, NYC.
• Up, Up, and Away (8) - Six Flags Over Georgia. (2004–Present)
• Weather Balloons (8 Samba) - Darien Lake Darien Center, NY. (1996–Present)
• Balloon Race (8) - Santa's Village AZoosment Park East Dundee, IL (1992–Present)
• Up, Up, and Away (10) - Enchanted Kingdom Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines (1995–Present)
• Balloon Race (12) - Mega Parc Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (1988–2017)
• Balloon Race (8) - The Flambards Experience Helston, Cornwall, UK (1991-2023)
• Balloon Race (12) - Flamingo Land Resort Malton, Yorkshire, UK.
• Samba Balloons (8) - The Flambards Experience Helston, Cornwall, UK. (2023-2024)