Hi everyone!
Denise from partner site MouseSteps was at Downtown Disney early this morning (7:30!) to see if Characters in Flight was testing. It was, and following are photos and videos from the hour and a half she spent there.
The balloon reaches a height of about 400 feet (below left) and below is a close-up view of it’s basket (below right), which can hold up to 20 riders. When speaking to one of the Pilots about what would happen if the tether broke or came undone, he said they had a contingency for free standing flight and could land no problem.