Parasailing? Is it worth the $

[Twinprincesses]

Tell me about Parasailing did you love it? It says the total air time is 5-7 minutes which does not seem long but I bet when you are up there it is probably a lifetime. I have never done it but it looks fun. We are thinking about surprising our 10 year old twins with it. Thoughts?

 

[CM Dad]

Tell me about Parasailing did you love it? It says the total air time is 5-7 minutes which does not seem long but I bet when you are up there it is probably a lifetime. I have never done it but it looks fun. We are thinking about surprising our 10 year old twins with it. Thoughts?

I've never gone parasailing while on a cruise, but I did do it at the Contemporary at WDW one time when my family gave it to me as a birthday present. The only scary part was when I looked down at the boat and say that the were letting my daughter drive . Other than that I had a great time.

I think this was one of the trips we went on while she was working in the college program on Main St.

 

[DeniseMarie526]

Good question. I'd like for my Daughter to do this. But is it 5-7 minutes total or from the time you are extended all the way up?

 

[eblong]

Let me start by saying that while I fly in airplanes a lot, I am petrified of heights.

That said, I have para sailed TWICE at Castaway Cay, and enjoyed it both times. It was a real hoot, and I would do it again.

Of course, my mantra while I was airborne was "Mickey would never hurt me....".

 

[PoohJen]

Yes, 5 to 7 minutes is short for such a pricey activity, but that is pretty standard for parasailing. On the other hand, while I could stay up there forever, you really are just floating along, so nothing new after that 7 minute mark, if you know what I mean.

Having said that....

I have not parasailed at CC because I had previously parasailed in the Bahamas and as wonderful as it was, I don't need to spend the $$ (or my precious CC time) to do it again. But I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't tried it!

My sons and husband and 70 year old mom have all parasailed on CC and loved it! I'm so glad they got to have that experience.

Note that there are certain age/weight limits. Your girls are old enough to parasail at CC, but may have to go "tandem" - it may be possible for them to ride together, check the rules on that.

Go for it, love it, and have a great time!

 

[DizCruiser]

We have parasailed at castaway 3 times now and my son loves it. Here is a link to a video from our last trip in July.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KU8v0_IbrU

 

[Steve Dexter]

I have done it twice on CC and loved it. It was so worth it. I've had reservations to do it a few other times and it got cancelled each of those times. It seems that it doesn't take much, weather wise, for them to pull the plug on it. It's something good to know if you are really looking forward to it.

 

[ibcrazie4dizney]

dd and dgd8 just did it last weekend. they loved it. dgd8 just keeps saying she was flying way high, higher then the ship. so glad she did it. it was probably one of her best memories, this was our first cruise. dd was surprised how far up and away from boat you go. one thing I did was had dgd watch you tube videos of it to make sure she understood what she would have to do.

 

[Zeppelin]

Let me start by saying that while I fly in airplanes a lot, I am petrified of heights.

That said, I have para sailed TWICE at Castaway Cay, and enjoyed it both times. It was a real hoot, and I would do it again.

Of course, my mantra while I was airborne was "Mickey would never hurt me....".

ditto....we (me/10YO daughter) have parasailed the past two cruises and it was great....i too am petrified of heights...

my mantra was "Disney would not hire an outside vendor for parasailing that would hurt me unless they wanted a huge lawsuit against them"...

 

[wiigirl]

We have parasailed at castaway 3 times now and my son loves it. Here is a link to a video from our last trip in July.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KU8v0_IbrU

Awesome video!

 

[Pegasus928]

Great video. Are the harnesses big enough to take two adults in tandem? Me and my wife would love to do this

 

[dizney-cruiser]

You will be out on the boat for about an hour. The 5-7 minutes is for each person. And you need to add in the extra time for each person getting the harness on and off.

 

[ultimate_ed]

Definitely worth it. We did it on our first cruise this summer when we went to CC. I felt more confident about doing it being within the Disney sphere as opposed to a random vendor.

I went up with my 8 year old son and my wife went up with our 12 year old daughter.

The harness is more of a sitting position and was really quite comfortable.

I do think the amount of time in the air is about right.

 

[Tngrl78]

I did it last May with our 8 year old son. First time for both of us. My wife was more comfortable letting us do it with Disney organized people than with just anyone in the Bahamas. We loved it.

My son and I are doing it again... it exactly 5 weeks from today!

Scott

 

[tracyz]

DD11 and DH did it a couple of weeks ago together. She LOVED it! They even saw a giant sea turtle swimming in the ocean while they were in the air, and she keeps talking about it. Definitely a life experience so worth the money, imho.

P.S. You'll have to go tandem, as I think they have to be over 13 to go solo.

 

[Bookwood]

I have a height thing so have no desire to parasail, but just want to make sure you check the weather before doing it. 2 girls from our HS were sailed into a hotel and parking lot while on vacation on the Florida Panhandle this summer. Just check the weather.

 

[Twinprincesses]

I have a height thing so have no desire to parasail, but just want to make sure you check the weather before doing it. 2 girls from our HS were sailed into a hotel and parking lot while on vacation on the Florida Panhandle this summer. Just check the weather.

I am from Indiana too so I remember that story well. They say one gust of wind can cause a freak accident but I really do think the odds are slim.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

I'm just curious, for those that have done this, how is the landing? Me and DH have this scheduled, but I'm a little nervous because I've had both my knees replaced this last year. Is it a hard landing on your feet?

 

[Tikihula]

I'm just curious, for those that have done this, how is the landing? Me and DH have this scheduled, but I'm a little nervous because I've had both my knees replaced this last year. Is it a hard landing on your feet?

Not at all. You land standing up on the back of the boat. You are smoothly pulled in and gently land on your feet. I'm in my 60s and have had one hip replaced and weak knees and I've had no problem with parasailing. I do make sure the harness is even on both sides of my hips before I launch. The take-off is also very smooth. You sit in the harness on the back of the boat with one of the crew holding everything steady while the other drives the boat. As the speed increases the chute opens and gently pulls you up as they play out the line. The view is gorgeous, it's quiet and so peaceful up that high, and you can see forever. Parasailing has become one of my favorite cruise activities.
By the way, that parasailing accident with the high school girls was due to a line that snapped and the chute got away from the boat. Disney is extremely safety conscious and thoroughly inspects their equipment for wear and tear.
Go, relax, have fun. Once you've done it, you'll want to do it again.

 

[KyCruisinSusan]

Worth every penny. I've done it twice at CC and it was amazing. The quiet up there and the view is FABULOUS. They dipped me on the way back down the last time I went per my families request. I loved it .