You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!... 600 feet above Walt Disney World! The tallest thrill rides at Walt Disney World top out under 200 feet tall because FAA regulations require a fixed red light beacon on buildings 200 feet or higher. For thrill seekers looking to fly higher, parasailing over Bay Lake at Walt Disney World Resort offers air, a rush, and incredible views of Bay Lake, the Contemporary, other Bay Lake resorts, and the Magic Kingdom as few can ever imagine.

Sammy Duvall’s Watersports Centre, located at the Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World offers water sports for all ages. Specifically, parasailing excursions average 8-12 minute flights of heights around 450 feet high. Under certain conditions, flights may reach 600 feet!

There are no age restrictions for parasailing, but there are weight restrictions. Single riders should weigh 115 pounds, and weight for single or tandem riders should not exceed 320-350 pounds.

Riders take off and land from the platform on the back of the boat. You should not get wet. Boat spray might be a bit damp, but the staff members of Sammy Duvall’s are very careful NOT to dunk you. They might joke about it or mention the unlikely possibility, but the whole purpose of the boat’s platform is to fly without effort, or soaking.

Once the staff takes you out in the boat, they’ll inflate the parachute and call you up. You’re hooked up, strapped, and vested. From there, you literally sit back and enjoy the ride. The harness forms a seat around the rider, so you can sit and enjoy the flight…and the view.

The flight itself is thrilling. Wind, turns, speed…it feels like riding through the air in a convertible…like the whole vehicle is convertible because you can feel the air all around you.

Once the ride registers, and you get used to it, the view is striking. The Contemporary Resort is 15 stories high…and you are WAY above it. …the boats, the trees, the resorts….and oh my…the Magic Kingdom. So THIS is how Tinker Bell sees it! All the big buildings concealed at eye level are wide open for the parasailor to see. Main Street, Cinderella’s Castle, all the lands and areas extending from the center of the Magic Kingdom are beautiful…truly Walt’s dream realized.

Sammy Duvall's Watersports Centre is open 7 days a week, weather permitting. Make special note of the weather. If weather and wind conditions aren’t favorable, parasailing flights will not go up. I recommend making reservations for early during your trip. If weather cancels your flight, the staff will contact you by phone either in your room or by your cell phone. You can reschedule at that time.

For daredevils and thrill seekers, I highly recommend the parasailing experience. You cannot beat the experience, safety, or location. For anyone hesitant about heights or the experience, err on the side of caution. Our teenage son and I loved parasailing at Walt Disney World and can’t wait to go again. My husband, who does not like heights, did enjoy riding along, filming, taking pictures and laughing with us, but from experience, I knew he’d made the right decision by not going up. He would not have enjoyed it. For the cautious, beware. For the risk takers, this one is well worth experiencing.