Water Mouse Question

[kytiam]

We did the water mice the week before Christmas. We got much wetter than we thought we would (it was fairly windy out on the water). That water was COLD! We had initially rented the boat for an hour but we were ready to quit after 45 minutes. FYI -- "We" = 2 teenage boys, 1 tween girl, and 1 forty-something mom.

 

[njzieglers]

As of last week at the WL marina it was called the family plan. We did this several times while staying there with teenage boys. You just go to the marina and sign up, give them your room card and they keep it on file. It allowed you unlimited rentals of boats and bikes, actually everything except the surrey bikes. I believe it is $250, my DW has the latest price sheet if you need to know more, but it is a good bargain and a lot of fun.

 

[Liz]

njzieglers, do you know if you have to be staying at the WL to do the family plan? And also how many people will it cover? Thanks!

 

[Teris]

I have a question,, the last time we were there, was August 2003, and both my girls were able to drive one of the little watermice by herself,, altho my younger preferred to ride with her older sis, who was 16 at the time. I read somewhere about their requiring driver licences now for drivers of the little boats? I cant' find anything official about that anywhere,, but has anyone gone recently and been told that they changed the age rule to require drivers to be in possession of a drivers licence?

The family plan covers all the guests who are booked in your room I don't know if you can do it, if you are staying off the resort tho.

 

[njzieglers]

I'm reading right off the price list from Teton Boat and Bike Rentals at WL; Unlimited recreation at Wilderness Lodge for length of stay (*up to 10
days) with boat and bike rentals excluding surrey bikes.
The price is $254.54. I would think any Disney resort with a marina would have a similar offering. There is also a Captain's Plan for $133.13 for 4 hours of boat/bike rentals excluding surrey bikes. So, for us on a stay of 5+ days DW, myself and teens, it is quite a bargain. We usually go out at least once a day, either together or separately, for as long as you care to be out. It is a big enough body of water to be interesting and you can go at a pretty decent clip.

 

[Sammie]

I have a question,, the last time we were there, was August 2003, and both my girls were able to drive one of the little watermice by herself,, altho my younger preferred to ride with her older sis, who was 16 at the time. I read somewhere about their requiring driver licences now for drivers of the little boats? I cant' find anything official about that anywhere,, but has anyone gone recently and been told that they changed the age rule to require drivers to be in possession of a drivers licence?

The family plan covers all the guests who are booked in your room I don't know if you can do it, if you are staying off the resort tho.

If you rent a boat that goes out on Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake, one person in the boat has to have a valid driver's license. You can not take a boat out without one. You can let your 14 and over drive, but someone with a license has to ride with them.

The change is due to a very serious accident on Bay Lake involving young drivers.

You have to be a Disney world resort guest to use the family plan.

 

[benedicttw]

This is one of our must do each time we go. Several trip we rented boats each afternoon of the trip. We must have over 50+ hours and have never come close to overturning one. Renting at a MK resort is best due to the size of the lakes and the boats are faster. I is a bummer for the teens that they cannot go by themselves until they have a licence but we have notced that is feels much safer and the drivers are not as creckless as when the younger kids could drive. There are also much fewer boats on the lake, it is much more enjoyable with less boats.

 

[Pig Pen]

I am the biggest chicken ever and I did this last trip. There were 8 of us in a 2 bedroom villa at VWL so it was a real money saver. In fact, this was probably the favorite activity for me!

It is great fun and really gave me that magical feeling.

 

[Leota]

So, for the Family Plan - I could be a guest at ANY WDW Resort & get the Family Plan at WL? Or do I need to be a guest at WL?

We do alot of water mouse regattas on our stays & would do alot more if we had the family plan.

 

[Teris]

Ahh,, the change to having the driver be a driver licence holder makes sense now,, but for myself, I don't have a valid US driver license anymore, am 44, drove in the US since I was 16 (with a valid driver licence,,lol) but since moving to the UK, have not taken the UK test yet. Am currently taking lessons to pass the driving test here. Many adults here dont' drive, so it's a shame that I will have to probably pass on doing the watermice this time.

 

[ctrezek]

I know my son would love the watermice, but I worry to about the safety.
Do they need experience or a boat license of some sort? He does have a drivers license.

Also, can you fish from any of these watercrafts other than the Expensive excursions?

 

[Liz]

Cath, they don't need experience or a boat license to drive the small water mice. If he is a safe driver in a car then he most likely has enough maturity to drive the water mice safely. There's just one lever that you push forward or back to go faster or slow and other than that you just steer. There's also a thing attached to your life jacket that would cut the motor on the boat if you fell in the water (but that's so not likely to happen). Are you renting a boat also? If so you stick together to keep an eye on him.

And no, you can't fish from the water mice. Hope this helps! Have fun!

 

[ctrezek]

Liz
thank you, that was very helpful. I feel alot less aprehensive about my kids taking them out....as a matter of fact...I think I'll try it too!

 

[Sammie]

I know my son would love the watermice, but I worry to about the safety.
Do they need experience or a boat license of some sort? He does have a drivers license.

Also, can you fish from any of these watercrafts other than the Expensive excursions?

No fishing from the boats other than the Fishing Excursions, you can fish from the banks.

Just remind your son, there are no brakes on a boat. Stopping is not instant, so plan accordingly and stay out of the way of other boats, especially the large ferries. He will need his license with him to rent one on Bay Lake or Seven Seas lagoon.

 

[ctrezek]

Sammie
Thats very interesting about fishing from the banks.
Can you tell me more about the fishing options, other than the expensive excursions?