Pelican Plunge

[tnmh]

Does anyone have any pictures of the pelican plunge on castaway cay? Is this a swim to place or can you walk to it in the water? I am trying to decide if it will be ok for my 5 and 9 year old. They can swim but I don't really want them treading water for a long time.

 

[design_mom]

Here is a picture I took in June:

Pelican Plunge is a big, floating platform. You swim out to it, climb up onto the platform and wait for your turn on the watersides. Once you come off the slides, you swim back to shore.

There are life jackets available for people who are not strong swimmers (and I think your 5yo might be required to wear one), but there really isn't any treading water involved.

My 8yo wore a life jacket (not required for her age, but I felt more comfortable) and she loved Pelican Plunge. My 11 year old enjoyed it too (no life jacket for him.)

 

[tnmh]

Thanks for the picture!

 

[Disney52303]

My kids are 7 and 4 and enjoyed PP. My 4 year old wore a life jacket; my 7 year old didn't. The water is over their heads at the platform.

 

[luv2sleep]

Are there lifeguards there? Is there a place for parents of younger children to sit there and watch?

 

[design_mom]

Are there lifeguards there? Is there a place for parents of younger children to sit there and watch?

Yes, there are 3-4 lifeguards-- one as you enter the water (to explain the rules), one at the top of the slides, one on a platform with a good view of the exit to the slides (you can see him/her at the lower right side of the photo.) I think there might have been a 4th lifeguard on the deck of the Pelican Plunge platform, too.

The photo above was taken from the viewing platform. (good view, but it's a bit of a walk from the entrance/exit. Our kids made it from slide to shore quicker than we could get to the exit after watching them come off the slide.) Parents can also watch from the beach. Or, I think you could swim out to the platform with your kids, watch them, then swim back to shore through the "in" lane if you didn't want to do the slides yourself. We did that once when DD decided she needed to use the restroom. Nobody told us we were doing anything wrong, so I assume it is allowed.

 

[Zandy595]

Video of Pelican Plunge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsC65o5MCGs

 

[luv2sleep]

Oh that's deep water they come in to! I don't think the slides look great for little kids. We will just hang on the beach. Thank you for posting the video link!

 

[braysmommy]

Oh that's deep water they come in to! I don't think the slides look great for little kids. We will just hang on the beach. Thank you for posting the video link!

My very nervous and non-adventurous 4 year old completely surprised me going down it. I went down first and waited off to the side for him to come down. I talked to the lifeguard at the top and told him to just wave at me if I needed to come back up and retrieve him but down DS came all smiles.

 

[luv2sleep]

My very nervous and non-adventurous 4 year old completely surprised me going down it. I went down first and waited off to the side for him to come down. I talked to the lifeguard at the top and told him to just wave at me if I needed to come back up and retrieve him but down DS came all smiles.

Haha! I can't even go down it to wait for him at the bottom. Oh well. Shows you how brave I am.

 

[BestDadEver]

I am 6'7" and couldn't touch the ground .

Also the slide was a lot faster then I expected . It was very fast (i do a lot of rides) and this one was up there in speed with the best of them .

It was a lot of fun . Your kids should be fine there were lots of little kids on it.

 

[Timster]

 

[Mackie Mouse]

I just love the hidden Mickey lifesavers at the top!

Pelican Plunge might have been mine and DH's favorite part of Castaway Cay last year....after Serenity Bay, of course...

 

[annichan]

I just love the hidden Mickey lifesavers at the top!

Pelican Plunge might have been mine and DH's favorite part of Castaway Cay last year....after Serenity Bay, of course...

I never realized that adults are allowed on (and would also have fun on) the slides too ... Thought it was only for children. Sounds like I definitely have to give it a try next time!

 

[BestDadEver]

I never realized that adults are allowed on (and would also have fun on) the slides too ... Thought it was only for children. Sounds like I definitely have to give it a try next time!

I thought the same and I even asked the lifegaurd before I got on the line . I can go on this right ? After I went down the funny look she gave me was justified lol .

I was thinking of taking my 2 yo son . That was instant forgotten after the first ride .

Another thing that little gap from the water makes a huge diffrence in the experience . But both times I went down I I got a nose fill of salt water .

 

[Melissa S]

BestDadEver the same thing happened to me. My nose got so much salt water I was sick for an hour. And the guy who went down before me got a NOSEBLEED!!! The lifeguard advised that your pinch your nose of the way down but after that experience I didn't want to try again!

 

[Buckeye Princess]

What is the height requirement?

 

[scootch]

I never had any nose issues with it. There are tons of life jackets right there on the beach, you just grab one.

 

[Zandy595]

What is the height requirement?

Looks like 38"

photo by Timon

 

[Mackie Mouse]

I never realized that adults are allowed on (and would also have fun on) the slides too ... Thought it was only for children. Sounds like I definitely have to give it a try next time!

No way is it only for kids! Truth be told, DH liked the Pelican Plunge slides more than the Aquaduck!