Children's rides are often variations on the traditional spinning ride, offering mild thrills for young park-goers. The Zamperla company has continued to innovate these rides with heightened thrills and more options for those looking to take their ride experience from mild to wild.
	Always an innovator in exciting family attractions, the ride manufacturer Zamperla first introduced a circular suspended balloon ride with spinning baskets known as the Samba Balloon ride.  In later years they took the concept even further with the Samba Tower, raising the ride vehicles high into the air to kick the thrill level up another notch. The combination of height and the spinning of the cars appealed to a wider range of children who were seeking something more exciting. The ride vehicles also allowed parents or older siblings to enjoy the ride as well, making the attraction a favorite for the whole family.
	For the 2006 season, Six Flags Great Adventure introduced the new Bugs Bunny National Park children's area with an array of new rides alongside a couple of old favorites that had been relocated from Bugs Bunny Land. For the new attractions, Six Flags turned to Zamperla who had provided so many great rides for the Looney Tunes Seaport area as well as several other attractions in the park and in other Six Flags parks throughout the U.S.
	Looney Tunes Seaport featured a Samba Balloon ride (originally the Elmer Fudd Weather Balloons, now known as Sky Zooma) which was very popular, so it was logical to offer the deluxe version of the ride with the introduction of a Samba Tower known as Daffy Duck's Hot Air Balloons. The tower added heights and thrills to the new Bugs Bunny National Park area, and was given rustic colors to match the area's natural theme.  The ride was crowned with a lookout platform at the top where a figure of Daffy Duck was standing guard.
	The Daffy Duck Hot Air Balloons became without a doubt one of the most popular rides of the new children's area and drew long lines of anxious kids and their usually less than ambitious parents. The height of the ride ended to draw teen and adult riders as well. At these heights the ride offered great thrills as guests could spin their balloon basket vehicles as fast or as slow as they pleased making the ride mild or wild depending on the rider's tolerance for thrills (or nausea).
	Technical Specifications Length: 32 feet 4 inch Width: 28 feet 7 inch Height: 43 feet Number of Balloons: 8 Passengers per Balloon: 4 Total Riders per Cycle: 32 Hourly Capacity: 800 Rotation: Clockwise Rotations per Minute: 7 Motor Power: 21 KW
Click the image below to view a video of Daffy Ducks Hot Air Balloons
	The Daffy Duck Hot Air Balloon's  location at the edge of the woods and alongside the lakes offered beautiful views for those looking to ride up into the tree tops. The Balloons ride has continued to be one of the most popular attractions for young guests at Great Adventure, offering the perfect mix of thrills, views and fun.