Randi's Happy Horses in Mazatlan?

[littleowensmommy]

Has anyone done this tour yet? How was it? Was it very hot? How did you like it? Thanks,

Kathy

 

[3DAN]

I tried to get Randi when we did the repositioning cruise. It was booked for months before. I gave up. HOWEVER,,,, We did the stone island beach tour with Disney and had a great time. Disney does not advertise it, but you can do horseback riding and ATV rental there. Horseback along the beach was 5 dollars,,,,, YES,,,,, 5!!!! It was about twenty to thirty minutes. The ATV rental was 25 for thirty minutes and $35for an hour. Billy and I took an hour and went 15-20 miles down an empty beach. It was GREAT!!! We could see the jellyfish that were in the water washing up on the beach. Some people got stung and it was not good. I will not condemn the stone island people for something out of their control. If the jellyfish had not been there , it would have been perfect. rumors have it that those people stung have tried to get Disney to remove it from the tour. It would be unfair and a shame. Oscar,,, the manager of the area tried everything he could do to give us a great time. They even keep the vendors away from the area you are on in the beach. I highly recommend this.
Billy is dying to go back.
Bill

 

[ssnyder]

Has anyone done this tour yet? How was it? Was it very hot? How did you like it? Thanks,

Kathy

Yes we did it last week. I would highly recommend it. The horses are great, the guides are great. We were treated wonderfully. They took all ages. They even had a pinata at Victor's restaurant for the kids.

Be forewarned though that this is not a Disney excursion. If you have been to Mexico before, you won't see anything unexpected. But if you only have been on Disney excursions, it might seem a little rustic.

We got off the ship and we spotted Tony immediately after getting off the tram. He took us to a table with another sign and where Randi was waiting for us. Randi is a kick. She smokes and talks non stop. Lot's of funny stories. Mazatlan Frank was also there and we chatted with him (and his side kick Tomato) for a short while. By 9:00am, the rest of the riders arrived and we were off.

We first boarded little red truck taxis for a short trip to another point along the harbor. We then transferred to the water taxis to cross over to the island (also a short trip). A tractor pulled trailer was waiting for us there. We were probably on this leg about 15 minutes and we saw a bit of the island homes. They were surprisingly well maintained. We then arrived at the ranch and were introduced to the entire family. We were given the opportunity to use the bathroom facilities before being given our horses.

After we all saddled up we headed out on the short segment to the beach. The littlest members of the group were led by a couple of guides, but convinced them that they wanted their own horses. One of the little girls couldn't have been more than 3 or 4. We rode along the beach first. For those of us that actually wanted to gallop, Tony got our horses out of walk mode for us. After Tony convinced the horses, we were able to convince them ourselves when we wanted to go a little faster later. We rode along the beach for awhile. At the turnaround point, Tony took our pictures in individual groups (be sure to take your camera). We then went back through the coconut groves for awhile and back to the beach later before heading to Victors.

We really enjoyed Victors. We are vegetarians and so Randi had called ahead for us and they had frijoles ready for us (a treat that Randi says they don't normally get). The vegetables were cooked to perfection. The onion rings were superb. I didn't hear any complaints about food. The kitchen at Victors was really rustic, but the bathrooms were clean. The floor is sand (you're on the beach). There were several local vendors trying to sell things, so we frequently had to say "No, Gracias" and they would back away. I bought a pareo and some bracelets and the little girls got their hair braided. They then brought out the pinata for the kids.

We had asked to be returned to the ship a little early which wasn't a problem. The tractor arrived around 12:30pm and we were back on board around 1:15pm.

We had a great time.

 

[CruisingCA2005]

Thank you for the great trip report on Randi's.

 

[rsjj]

thanx for the great info! couple questions...

were you tired/sore afterwards?

as for atv's on the beach...is that dangerous? i mean, maybe they have their own little "section" that they can go on? i'm trying to "envision" this...we have 2 little ones, 3 & 6, and i assume they'd be by the beach, playing in the sand, shallow water, etc. would hate to have them (or us) watch out for the atv's coming & going!

one more thing...what were the vendors selling? do you recall?

thanx for taking the time to answer!

 

[ssnyder]

thanx for the great info! couple questions...

were you tired/sore afterwards?

one more thing...what were the vendors selling? do you recall?

I was sore, but not as sore as I was from the Canopy Adventure the day before. I've done lots of horseback riding, but it has been awhile. I did need a shower afterwards as is always the case after horseback riding. Also, don't plan on wearing the same clothes again during the trip. I had planned for this so it wasn't a problem, but those of you that have never been horseback riding may not realize this. I also had an extra pair of old tennis shoes that I used for the ride and then left at the restaurant for the locals. They also allow you to ride in sandels if they have a heel strap (like tevas). I didn't want to ride in sandels, so I just put them in my day pack for later.

I forgot to mention that you leave the daypacks at the house and they bring them to Victor's for you. I also forgot to mention that one free soft drink or beer is included in the price. Also, at the restaurant, Randi gives you the opportunity to purchase a "Randi's Happy Horses" t-shirt for $5 (her cost). They are nice shirts, so plan on bringing enough cash for these along with food and tips and other purchases. No credit cards! We spent about $160 in cash (including the horseback riding cost) combined for the two of us.

The vendors were mostly selling jewelry. I really didn't look too closely because I didn't want them to attach themselves to me. It was like any of the other stuff you find as you leave the ship. I spent $12 for a pareo and $17 for 3 inlaid bracelets. I don't know if this is a good price or not.

 

[DisneyTart]

Hello Susie, Fellow San Diegian here . Thanks for the info on Randi's and extra tips (shoes). You said you have ridden before, do you think this is an okay excursion for a family that has never ridden. DD13, DD16 & myself (39) have never been on horses? How long is the horseback riding part itself? Thanks so much for being willling to share your experience.

 

[ssnyder]

Do you think this is an okay excursion for a family that has never ridden. DD13, DD16 & myself (39) have never been on horses? How long is the horseback riding part itself? Thanks so much for being willling to share your experience.

It is absolutely alright for first time horseback riders. They have horses for every experience level. We had several young boys on the trip as well as the two very young girls. Everyone seemed to have lots of fun. For the most part, it was a very slow ambling walk. Those of us that wanted to, could ride ahead for a short ways and then the horses would just stop and wait for the rest. I used this waiting time as an opportunity to take pictures. I think we were probably riding for about an hour and a half, but I really didn't time it.

 

[cotomom]

Hi there,

We rode with Randi on the repo cruise. I agree with all that has been written and also recommend her ride.

My input:

I was sore for several days afterwards. No one else in my group complained like me though!

Randi can accomodate riders of all experience. Inexperienced riders are NO problem and can easily enjoy this!

I recommend wearing old tennis shoes like previous poster said. I ruined my pair of sneakers so learned a lesson.

Also, think about bringing shampoo or body wash from the ship. The shower at Victor's isn't strong, but you can get yourself pretty cleaned up. And don't forget sunscreen. It was overcast and cool and we got slightly burned.

Primitive is kind of a key word here. Just remember you are in Mexico and you should be fine.

My husband had some of the salsa at Victors, but no other food and did end up with some stomach problems so beware if you're sensitive.

Don't forget to bring towels from the ship, and get them up at the pool as there are NONE at the gangway.

Have fun and enjoy yourselves!

 

[LiserAnn]

We could see the jellyfish that were in the water washing up on the beach. Some people got stung and it was not good. I will not condemn the stone island people for something out of their control. If the jellyfish had not been there , it would have been perfect. rumors have it that those people stung have tried to get Disney to remove it from the tour. It would be unfair and a shame. Oscar,,, the manager of the area tried everything he could do to give us a great time.

Don't people realize the jellyfish are a function of the tides/full moon as opposed to being a regular thing in the area. That's ridiculous. Disney nor anyone can control the jellies. Shoot, for that matter almost all the excursions that involve the ocean could be banned as the jellies could appear depending on the time of month. That's just crazy and a darn shame. Hopefully Disney will hold their ground and perhaps just warn folks that jellies could be out there. Too bad....

Lisa

 

[ssnyder]

Hi there,
My husband had some of the salsa at Victors, but no other food and did end up with some stomach problems so beware if you're sensitive.

Sorry the salsa did not set well with your husband. I hope that it was just because it was a bit spicy. It was a lot spicier than what you'll find on the ship. (That was a good thing in my mind.) I ate a whole bunch. No problems!

 

[ssnyder]

My husband just came into the room and said he had a web site put together of our trip. Nothing fancy, but a few pictures and a little bit of story. You can follow this link:

http://home.earthlink.net/~cpsnyder/Magic_Cruise.htm

Click on the Mazatlan link for pictures of Randi's Happy Horses.

 

[JayCee32]

hi i am going on the cruise in August and I also reserved Randi. It's good to know you had a great time. I wanted to know about the 3 or 4 year old. My ds who will be 3 1/2 when we cruise and dd (8) is going with my dh and I. How was the 3 or 4 year old ? Did she travel the whole distance without complaining? Was she left behind with the tour guides? Was she on a pony or a horse? Did you feel it was safe for her at all times?
Randi said my son can ride with me or my husband if he was too afraid ...but knowing my 3 year old he may want to ride by himself.

Thanks

 

[ssnyder]

hi i am going on the cruise in August and I also reserved Randi. It's good to know you had a great time. I wanted to know about the 3 or 4 year old. My ds who will be 3 1/2 when we cruise and dd (8) is going with my dh and I. How was the 3 or 4 year old ? Did she travel the whole distance without complaining? Was she left behind with the tour guides? Was she on a pony or a horse? Did you feel it was safe for her at all times?
Randi said my son can ride with me or my husband if he was too afraid ...but knowing my 3 year old he may want to ride by himself.

Thanks

If you look at the link I posted, it shows the little one on the picture with a bunch of kids. She is way off to the right and you can't see the guide that was leading her. She also insisted on her own horse. She was grinning the whole time and yes she did make it the whole time. You can see her also in the pinata picture. Her only problem at all, is that her mother wanted to have her hair braided, and the food came out just before that was finished. She was no longer interested in braiding, just food. Her mother insisted that she wait and that was tough for her. I think the pinata made up for it though.

 

[JayCee32]

Great pictures. I was a little worried about our 3 year old. After seeing your pictures I feel better now.. I love this website (board) you learn so much about what to bring and what to do, etc. Thanks

 

[3DAN]

thanx for the great info! couple questions...

were you tired/sore afterwards?

as for atv's on the beach...is that dangerous? i mean, maybe they have their own little "section" that they can go on? i'm trying to "envision" this...we have 2 little ones, 3 & 6, and i assume they'd be by the beach, playing in the sand, shallow water, etc. would hate to have them (or us) watch out for the atv's coming & going!

one more thing...what were the vendors selling? do you recall?

thanx for taking the time to answer!

The ATV's don't go near the swimming area. You head down the beach in the other direction. It goes on forever. They are for older kids and adults. The vendors had all sorts of thing. Hats, Kites that looked like parasailing, blankets. There were tables in the reserved area that sold jewelry and other souveniers. Essentially no pressure except when you walked back up from the water to the protected area. That is where the restaurant is located. Both our excursion and the non Disney Stone Island excursion had open bar. Harry from Michigan and Beth E did that excursion. We saw them there. They were put on the other side of the seating area for food . Disney had half of the seating area. Additionally, our female tour guide was very well spoken and fun. She made us feel very comfortable and protected. She was approchable.
I suspect the ATV's go about 20-30 miles per hour. Pretty fast but no spedometer. You can get injured if you aren't careful.
Bill

 

[rsjj]

thank you for answering my questions...

good tip about the clothes/old shoes bit! good to know, since we're not horse people! one more thing...do they provide towels for you to sit on the horses? or do you bring them on your own from the ship? i noticed in the pix that some had towels, some didn't.

again, really appreciate the advice/input on all this! am really looking forward to this excursion! thanx!

 

[CSNYDER]

thank you for answering my questions...

good tip about the clothes/old shoes bit! good to know, since we're not horse people! one more thing...do they provide towels for you to sit on the horses? or do you bring them on your own from the ship? i noticed in the pix that some had towels, some didn't.

again, really appreciate the advice/input on all this! am really looking forward to this excursion! thanx!

The wrangler's provide the towels. You can ride in your bathing suit, should you prefer. I think all of the horses had towels, but they may have ridden up under the riders...

 

[CACruisin']

Thanks for the great trip report! Loved the website too. We are riding with Randi in two weeks!

 

[AnnaS]

Susie - we have reservations also for our July 2nd cruise. I was going to ask you about pants/shorts and I see you wrote you can also wear your bathing suit. I thought of wearing pants that day and sneakers - but I am sure it will be very hot - so I guess shorts are okay?

Thanks for the tips - will bring towels, sandals, bodywash and something extra (light) to wear (of course will have hats, sunglasses and lotion) - do we need bug spray? Thank you.