The ranch is one of the pieces of Walt Disney World that strongly reflects Walt Disney’s love of horses. Over the decades it evolved from a rustic backstage stable into a polished guest experience and working equine facility.
Tri-Circle-D Ranch opened with Walt Disney World in 1971 as part of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The name comes from the Disney family’s ranch brand in California.
A stylized “D” was the cattle brand they used. Walt Disney himself was deeply passionate about horses and he loved Frontier living, so horses became part of the DNA of Walt Disney World from day one.
TRI Circle D Ranch not only serves to entertain guests with horseback riding and pony rides, but it is the main facility where all the Disney horses are kept.
Check out this cute pony with a "Hidden Mickey" shaved into it.
During one of our visits to the ranch, we did some horseback riding. We had a guide that took us on the Disney trails. I never even knew these trails existed.
Lacey's horse was named Rio
My horse was named Sawyer. They were both very gentle and great for less experienced riders.
Tri-Circle D ranch is also where all the "Park and Entertainment" horses are housed. These horses are all the horses that work in the park either in parades, or as part of Main Street transportation (pulling the trolly), and yes, even the horse that is used by the headless horseman in MNSSHP!
Cinderella's white ponies ( the ones that pull the carriage) are also housed here as well as the horses that are used for the horse and carriage rides ( and wagon rides) at various resorts. Some of the white ponies were here this day but I didn't get a picture of them because they were hiding behind the other ponies!
All horses are trained for crowds and fireworks tolerance. Disney often rotates horses and ponies depending on the heat, workload, temperament, and event schedule.
Prior to 2020, the ranch used to feel much more “backstage accidental,” while today it is intentionally designed as a polished public-facing experience. Guest can tour the stables, free of charge, and make it a part of their Fort Wilderness experience.
The stable is part museum and part educational experience.
There are even little activities for young children to do.
Cast members are usually floating around taking caring of the horses. They are happy to answer any questions that you have. ( Do you spy one of the white ponies in the background?)
Next time you are looking for a unique resort day activity, be sure to add Fort Wilderness to your itinerary. It will be a memorable experience that proves there is always more to discover beyond the theme park gates!
Till next time ~ M and L
You may also like these posts:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Fairytales and Fitness is a personal blog authored and edited by us, Meranda and Lacey. The thoughts expressed here represent only our own and are not meant to be taken as professional advice. Please note that our thoughts and opinions change from time to time. We consider this a necessary consequence of having an open mind in an ever changing society. Any thoughts and opinions expressed within our out-of-date posts may not be the same, nor even similar, to those we may express today. Some links may contain affiliate links. Some links are just to pages we'd like to share.