I just did my first parasailing tandem with DH at
Castaway Cay. I hate roller coasters because of the "drop" and the feeling in my stomach during that drop. I chose Disney for parasailing because they will do everything to make it as safe as possible. My brother-in-law got his hip banged on the boat parasailing in Aruba, and I think this is far less likely with Disney. Some parasailing boat crews just want to get as many people over and done as soon as possible to make money, but my experience with Disney was that every person was treated respectfully and with safety in mind, no matter how long it took. In fact, our boat was late coming back because the previous group took longer than expected. But it was worth waiting for because it was so professionally and safely done.
I, too, worried about being up high, but over the water is not the same as plummeting from a height on a roller coaster. It was so smooth going up and down that we could hardly tell we were moving. I do think I would have been more anxious had I not been in tandem with my DH, but having done it that way the first time, I am not at all hesitant to do it again solo. It was a wonderful experience, truly one of the highlights of my Disney Land/Sea vacation, and I look forward to doing it again.
Remember, too, that you are over water and you are attached to a parachute. If the absolute worst thing happened, you'd float gently into the water (again, no "drop" feel like a roller coaster) and the boat would come and get you. We all had life vests on, too, and the material used to support us was like "no tear" stuff that was extremely sturdy. I highly recommend parasailing with Disney. They do it right, and you will likely have a marvelous memory to treasure in the end. Go for it!
-Dorothy (LadyZolt)
