Unicorn Balloon

Captain John was very informative and entertaining. This was an awesome experience.
The desert was beautiful, the landing was smooth and the champagne toast was the culmination of a great morning flight.
I highly recommend this activity if you are in the area.
That’s one more thing to check off my list !

Unicorn Balloon Company took me on my very first hot air balloon ride, and I had an absolute blast! I opted for the sunrise ride, and despite the very early meeting time (7am in Cave Creek, which is about 45 minutes away from Phoenix), it was completely worth it to see the first glimmers of dawn spread over the desert, splashing pink hues over every surface.
We wound up taking off near about 15 other balloons (although this is not always the case) and it was sensational to see all the other balloons speckled brightly against the sky.
The basket fits up to 12 people, and though it is a tight fit, it’s not uncomfortable and everyone gets a great view.
After the ~1 hour flight, the pilot, John, offered up a champagne toast (or OJ for non-​drinkers).
I felt completely safe from start to finish and simply fascinated by the balloons!
PARTING THOUGHT: Must be pretty cool to live in the surrounding area and see the balloons go up every day!

Hot air ballooning is such a wonderful experience! My boyfriend & I went on the sunrise ride, and it was so lovely. I have a terrible fear of heights (I can’t stand next to the railing on a high building) but for some reason being in a hot air balloon high above the ground feels more like floating on a cloud then the dizzying effect I feel normally. Our captain was knowledgeable & excited. It’s hard to knock an experience like hot air ballooning. My only two complaints about an otherwise insanely awesome time is that they make you meet them and then drive around to find the right launch site, instead of them doing that beforehand and saving their paying customers some sleep time (4:30 am is early!). I noticed that the other companies that launched from the same site as us had a truck go ahead with all the stuff and then the people were brought later. Also I wish that we had gone higher in the sky instead of staying close to the ground since we were flying over a lot of suburbs (I don’t particularly care to see people in their backyards). After we touched down we had a very nice champagne toast (mimosas at 7 am are particularly refreshing in the desert).
A lovely time, I highly recommend it to everyone!

I bought Groupons for Unicorn Balloon Company to help my mother fulfill one of the items on her «bucket list». I was a bit worried, as I had read a less-​than-​stellar review, but ultimately, I was impressed by the professionalism of this company. We had no problems using the Groupons and making the reservations a few months in advance. We met the van at the designated time, and they took us to the launch site, checking the air currents for the best launch site. They allowed non-​riders to follow to the site, as well.
Our pilot, Capt. John Bagwell, was very knowledgeable and personable, telling humorous stories interspersed with ballooning facts. He also took video of the flight, which will be available via e-​mail at no extra cost — something most ballooning companies do not do. Our flight lasted about 1 ½ hrs., and apparently our chase truck had a flat tire, so was a bit late getting to the landing site (though others in view did not). We did tip on landing, but at the current windspeed, that was to be expected, and the pilot warned us that it would happen. (Note re: previous reviewer: the chase crew does not «help you land».) We had a champagne toast and continental breakfast as they presented certificates. A very nice morning, indeed!

I took a hot air balloon ride with Unicorn Balloon at sunrise on a Saturday morning. The experience was really cool and I especially enjoyed it since it was my first ballooning experience. My group had purchased Groupons for this trip and we had no trouble redeeming them. The process is pretty easy– you meet them and they drive you in a van to the launch location, and you’re dropped off in the same place they picked you up. The entire trip lasts about 4 hours, with one hour of flight time. I thought this was the perfect amount of time as I was ready to come down by the end.
The desert scenery was beautiful and our pilot, Captain Bubba, seemed very experienced and was entertaining. Although the basket seemed small to fit 12 people, this ended up not being an issue and the ride was comfortable.
My only concern was our landing– apparently the people who were supposed to follow us and help us land were filling out our ballooning certificates so they were late. We pretty much crashed into the ground, bounced up and crashed back down a few times. Luckily everyone was okay but this should not have happened.
You are also provided with a champagne breakfast after landing.