Sea Raycers

[nezy]

We are thinking of trying the Sea raycers at a MK resort (Bay Lake area)but I have a couple of questions:
1. Do we need more than a half hour?
2. Where are you allowed to go and not allowed to go?
3. Is there a water patrol making sure everyone is safe and following rules etc?

My children are 17, 19 and 20. I will be with them (not giving my age!!)

Thanks.

 

[John93]

Very interested in this as well. Wondering if its a better idea to rent the Boston Whaler instead.

 

[colagirl]

We rented the Sea Raycers last week from Wilderness Lodge. They charge you when you return from the trip -so you can stay out 10 minutes or 10 hours. You pretty much are "allowed" to go anywhere (although there are a couple of restricted areas), but in the safety briefing, they caution you about the areas where water skiers are and also the larger "ferry boats." My DH and DS and my sister and nephew both stayed out on the lake about 45 minutes. There are tons of safety boats out - my sister did wander into a restricted area briefly, and a boat came over to her immediately.

 

[John93]

How fast do they go?

 

[colagirl]

How fast do they go?

I don't know how fast they actually can go, but they certainly aren't like jet skis. My DH is a fairly experienced boater, but my sister is not, and she was comfortable driving it. They just sort of tooled around the lake and had a good time.

 

[cigar95]

They feel fast, even though you're really going relatively slow.

While you're required to stay clear of the larger craft, you can use their wakes to get little jumps. The key is to go right at them at a right angle, and it's like skipping stones. I think my record is jumping 18 ripples in a row. (If you come at them at an angle, that's one of the few things that can tip the craft over.)

When you go out, if you're in the boat at (for example) 2:13, they'll probably write down 2:17 or so, and if you come back at 2:52, they'll typically write down 2:49 or so, and then because 217 to 249 is just 32 minutes, charge you for only 30. So the system tends to work in your favor. I once got charged for just 15 minutes (which they don't even advertise) because I had to sit for 3-4 minutes on return, so the guy marked 10 minutes off my time. Add up a couple minutes here and a couple there, all in my favor, and I was in the boat for 35 minutes. (To be fair, the couple minutes at the beginning angd the end don't really count because you're just idling in and out of the marina, but they give you "credit" for more time than that actually takes.)

Always check for discounts - AP, DVC, even AAA, maybe Florida resident.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

The boats are great fun. Like others have said, the Sea Raycers aren't fast, but allow drivers a very individual boating experience. We have also rented a pontoon boat from WL multiple times, and enjoyed that for a relaxing change of pace where we could have the whole family on one boat. It is really neat to be able to cross the water bridge to check out the Seven Seas Lagoon and go right in front of MK. For this reason we love renting from MK area resorts, since you have a lot of lake area you can explore. Even with the pontoon we usually can do everything we want in an hour, but it is a highlight of the trip when we do it.

 

[yooperfan]

How much do they cost?

 

[GrandCalifornian]

How much do they cost?

As of January 2015, the costs are:
Sea Raycer by Sea Ray –$32 per 1/2 hour; $45 per hour
21′ SunTracker Pontoon — $45 per 1/2 hour (up to 8 people)
Boston Whaler — $45 per 1/2 hour (6 guests)

For the same price we chose the more spacious pontoon over the Boston Whaler, since you won't be going fast anyway. The Sea Raycers only seat two people, so you may want to plan on renting a few of them and going out together.

 

[lborne]

Bring a camera because you get some great views from vantage points you normally can't get.

 

[Minnie-Mickey]

We rent each trip. You are allowed to go almost everywhere. You cannot go near other boats and everyone else has the right of way. You maybe restricted in where you are allowed to go. A few times storms were predicted and you had to stay on the WL side and not allowed to MK side of lake. Some boats are faster than others even with almost equal weight. Only once did one stall on my nephew. They were right there to help and it restarted without difficulty. I really enjoy this activity well worth it. 30min only gets you to MK and back. Much rather do an hour

 

[nezy]

can you dock and

 

[nezy]

Weird how I started to post that previous post hours ago and then didn't yet there it is!

Great info here about the Sea Raycers.
With the pontoons, do you get a guide or are you or should I say am I the driver?Can these all be rented at the poly and or gf or contemporary or just wilderness?
Can you bring drinks--non alcoholic I mean, like waters and snacks? Probably not.

 

[dansdad]

With the pontoons, do you get a guide or are you or should I say am I the driver?

You are the driver.

Can these all be rented at the poly and or gf or contemporary or just wilderness?

They can be rented at all 4 that you mentioned

Can you bring drinks--non alcoholic I mean, like waters and snacks? Probably not.

You sure can!

 

[kungaloosh22]

...Some boats are faster than others even with almost equal weight....

Very true. Last year my boat could not keep up with my husband's boat. I returned it to the marina and they put me in another boat, after which my husband could not keep up with me. Last December my boat was extremely sluggish, and I just gave up after 10-15 minutes. The marina said it was probably because of recent storms (flooded engines?), and they agreed to not charge me. Then in April I had a great little boat with decent speed.

 

[Michael Forbes]

The key is to go right at them at a right angle, and it's like skipping stones.

 

[jon18uk]

Do you need any real skill to hire/drive the Sea Raycers?

Also if I set off from Wilderness Lodge can I go all the way to Polynesian and back or are you not allowed to cross the aquaduct near the contempory.

 

[RustManFan]

We loved the Sea Raycers when we rented them from FW. They were easy to learn how to operate! Wish I had thought of bringing my camera though....

 

[WEDWDW]

can you dock and

You can only dock at the Resort you rent from.

 

[WEDWDW]

Also if I set off from Wilderness Lodge can I go all the way to Polynesian and back or are you not allowed to cross the aquaduct near the contempory.

Yes,usually you can cross the water bridge and explore Seven Seas Lagon in addition to Bay Lake.