Defying Gravity: Kissimmee from Above

Take a scenic ride in a hot air balloon or helicopter, or feel your adrenaline take flight while parasailing, hang gliding or ziplining. Each experience will leave you with an entirely new perspective of Central Florida.

Drifting Away

Float through the sky in a hot air balloon for an aerial adventure that features rare views of all that makes Central Florida unique: its nature, wildlife and world-famous attractions.

Spot orange groves and alligators while cruising over wildlife preserves with Central Florida native Bob Wilamoski of Bob’s Balloons. Back on solid ground, sip mimosas and recite “The Balloonist’s Prayer.”

Ride in the nation’s largest hot air balloon with Orlando Balloon Rides. The balloon is more than 11 stories tall and carries up to 24 passengers.

On a Whirl

Take the ride of your life with a spin in a chopper. At Orlando Heli-Tours in Kissimmee, spy every major theme park or check out famous residences in the area. In the summer, the special nighttime tour offers stunning views of Epcot’s fireworks show.

Slide into a Robinson R44 to glimpse local spots like Old Town and Gatorland, and downtown favorites such as Universal Studios with Leading Edge Helicopters Kissimmee.

At MaxFlight Helicopter Services, excursions can be recreational, educational or both. See wildlife and count alligators and bald eagles on “learning tours.” Witness gorgeous fireworks during the night tours.

Airborne Adventures

Experience the freedom of flight with indoor skydiving, parasailing and hang gliding. Feel the rush of a free fall without jumping out of a plane at iFLY Orlando, the area’s only indoor skydiving facility. Just about anyone can float in the 1,000-horsepower vertical wind tunnel.

Waft through the skies above Walt Disney World on a parasail ride with Sammy Duvall’s Watersports Centre. Coast through the air solo or share the sights of Magic Kingdom with a friend on a tandem flight.

Give hang gliding a try at Wallaby Ranch. On the tandem discovery flight, you and an instructor will be towed 2,000 feet into the air before free flying over Florida woodlands.

Zip Along

Feel the heart-pounding thrill of soaring high above the treetops with a ziplining adventure.

The Gator Gauntlet at Gatorland, the world’s only wheelchair accessible zipline, enables those with mobility challenges to strap into a special harness system and safely glide 350 feet over 130 giant alligators. Also experience the park’s Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, which stands over seven stories tall, has multilevel launch pads and provides views of both crocodiles and alligators.

On the two-and-a-half-hour Zipline Adventure at Forever Florida Camping, Zipline and Wildlife Adventures, traverse three sky-bridges, 10 observation platforms and seven “zips,” the longest of which is nearly the length of two football fields! For additional suspense, catch the Starlight and Moonlight Zipline or go for the Zipline Thrill Pack—a half-day adventure with three experiences: a snaking zip on the Rattlesnake Zipline Roller Coaster, the only zipline roller coaster in the U.S.; a plunging drop from a seven-story tower; and a quarter-mile race against another zipper.

Make like Tarzan at the area’s newest park, Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park. Set in a pine forest, the 15-acre park features a pair of 425-foot ziplines and obstacles including swings, ladders and suspended bridges.

Soaring Sensations

Grab the controls of an authentic vintage aircraft and fly like an ace of yesteryear for an unforgettable aerobatic experience.

At Stallion 51, you are in control—literally. The legendary WWII P-51 Mustang and historic T-6 Texan feature dual cockpits and dual controls, allowing you to truly “pilot” the plane (both you and an instructor have a full set of controls). Relive the experience at home with a flight video, complete with multiple camera views, cockpit communication and residual engine sounds.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

You can leave Earth—without ever leaving the ground—at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, located about an hour from Kissimmee.

Stand face-to-face with a real orbiter, train on various high-tech simulators and learn about the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope at Space Shuttle Atlantis.

At Lunch With An Astronaut, sit down to a buffet meal with a NASA astronaut and hear all about what it’s like to be part of a launch and to work in space. Call ahead for reservations.

Book a reservation for the half-day Astronaut Training Experience (ATX)® and get hands-on training and preparation for the demands of space flight using various simulators.