new water mouse boats

[CaptainJackSparrow]

Hey,

I've been hearing a lot of rumors about the new Water Mice boats that they have at Disney. Can anyone confirm this or provide any news they have heard? (eg. what the boats look like, are they faster or slower, etc) Any replies would be greatly appreciated as I am the MASTER at Water Mouse usage. Thanks a lot everybody!

-The Captain

 

[catnik]

CaptainJack:

Here's a link with a picture and brief description........

http://www.wdwmagic.com/around.htm

 

["thegirls"]

Hi ~ I just saw them last week at the Poly. They were put into use about 6 weeks ago. The CM said they are a little faster than the origional water mice and a lot easier to handle. We use them all the time so I immediately noticed the difference in color from our Dec 2003 trip. Colors are bright and vibrant...I think to mimick a jet ski look?!?

 

[CTPacky]

They are called SeaRaycers (think Sea Ray). The rating plate says they are built by Boston Whaler. They definitely plane off faster than the old ones. Similar in appearance, a little more colorful. It looks like they put the old Mercury outboards on them. We rented from Wilderness Lodge. There are still some water mice mixed in, as of last week.

 

[Janet2k]

Here's a photo that I noticed on the official WDW website last week: click here for new Sea Raycer by Sea Ray® boat photo.

 

[cruisnfamily]

This is probably a silly question but what exactly are "water mice"? I always pictured some type of boat you pedal whenever this came up but it looks like they are motor boats. Give me the scoop.

 

[helenk]

cruisnfamily

The water mice are speed boats, they are really fun, my son and daughter had a blast renting them a few years ago.
I know they will be anxious to try the new ones when we go this June.

I believe that some of the resorts do have pedal boats as well, I think the Port Orleans Resort does,

 

[dpic]

Watermouse.

Next, my son will be eleven when we go in October. If I am with him, will he be able to drive? The site says anyone under age 12 cannot drive alone.

Thanks.

 

[Dalpal]

Does anyone know if these will be at the POFQ resort too.?

 

[cigar95]

Just an additional bit of info - when they got the new boats, they also got new life vests.

So if you hated those hot, uncomfortable plastic things, the new ones are a lot more comfortable.

At the Contemporary Marina, the CMs first reaction to the new boats was "oh no, the steering wheels are white!" Keeping them clean is going to be a real task for someone.

 

[emilymad]

Does anyone know if you can rent them at the Beach Club? Thanks! They look like a lot of fun.

 

[cigar95]

I believe that Water Mice *are* available at the Crescent Lake Resorts (BC/YC/BCV/BW) . . . . . . . .

. . . . . but I definitely recommend *NOT* renting them there. Crescent Lake is just too small to really have fun with these babies. (Same for Lake Buena Vista.)

The only place I would even think of doing a Water Mouse is at the Magic Kingdom resorts - Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge and Ft. Wilderness all have marinas.

You can explore the whole Seven Seas Lagoon area, and cross over the bridge and really open it up on Bay Lake, which is both bigger and deeper. With all the Disney boats out there, from the huge ferries to the small boats, there are plenty of wakes to jump.

Also, the marinas now have an option for a 45 minute rental, which is just perfect. 30 minutes always seemed too short for me, and 60 minutes too expensive.

Even if you're staying at the Beach Club, it's worth a side trip up to the MK area to make the most of your ride.

 

[ddank]

How much is 45min compared to 60mins? $$ Is there anywhere that you can get a breakdown of the prices?

 

[Rockweed]

Maybe someone has been in this position. In April we are taking my son's best friend along with us to VWL. We were planning on renting water mice for these two 15 year olds, but I see that every operator under the age of 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian! We will have a paper signed by his parents authorizing us to obtain medical care in case of emergency, but I don't know if that would be enough.

 

[cigar95]

I believe it's $23 for 30 minutes, $29 for 45 minutes, and $32 for 60 minutes. (I know the middle one is correct.) With an annual pass (or DVC, I think) there is a 15% discount.

By the time I got to the end of my 45 minutes, I had pretty well covered both the lagoon and the lake, much of it more than once, and jumped all the wakes I wanted to. Also had time to take some photos of resorts from angles that weren't available any other way.