HOT AIR BALLOON PLT LANDED IN THEME PARK PARKING LOT.

Narrative

WX BRIEFING XA30 BOTH LCL ARPTS CALM. PREDAWN TEST BALLOON; SURFACE TO +/-500 FT SHOWED SURFACE WIND FROM NW; IMMEDIATELY SHIFTING TO NE. A FLT WAS PLANNED FROM A COMMON LAUNCH FIELD ON HWY 535 ABOUT 5 MI N OF THE N BORDER OF THEME PARK. PRIOR TO LAUNCH; A SECOND TEST BALLOON WAS RELEASED CONFIRMING THE FIRST ONE. WX WAS CLR; VISIBILITY 10+ MI; ALT UNLIMITED. LIFTOFF APPROX XD15 LCL. WINDS TO SW HAD GONE AWAY. SURFACE WIND TO SE CONTINUED. WINDS ABOVE BLEW STRAIGHT S. AFTER LEAVING THE LAUNCH AREA; NO SUITABLE LNDG SPOTS WERE AVAILABLE FOR SEVERAL MI. USING THE LOWER WINDS OVER OPEN COUNTRY (MOSTLY SWAMP AND ORANGE GROVES) AN ALTERNATE LNDG AREA E OF THEME PARK WAS TARGETED. AFTER ABOUT 40 MINS AND 5 MI; FOG FORMED ABOVE AND AROUND THE BALLOON AND NW WINDS SHIFTED TO N BLOWING TOWARD THEME PARK. I CLBED ABOVE THE FOG TO AVOID PWR LINES AND LOOKING DOWN NOTED THAT I WAS FOLLOWING HWY 535 TOWARD THEME PARK. THE ROAD TURNED E AND THE BALLOON CONTINUED S; OVER THE SUPPORT FACILITY AREA FOR THEME PARK. AFTER PASSING A COMS TWR; I DSNDED TO ABOUT 100 FT OVER BUILDING; PARKING LOTS; AND A STAND OF TREES. VISIBILITY WAS CLR ENOUGH TO APCH A PARKING LOT WITH A LARGE VACANT AREA. THE APCH WAS OVER TREES AND A ROAD THEN STORAGE TRAILERS. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO DAMAGE TO ANYONE OR ANYTHING ON THE GND AND THE PAX WERE FINE (UNHURT AND HAPPY). SECURITY AND ORANGE COUNTY TOOK INFO; MEDICS CHKED PAX; ALL WERE FINE.