** PONY RIDES AT FORT WILDERNESS ARE CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE AS THE FARM & RANCH ARE BEING RENOVATED**
There is so much to do on a vacation to Walt Disney World, but I find that most people just visit the parks and don’t take advantage of the abundant fun activities that are offered at the resorts!
If you have little ones in your family and you’re looking for something fun to do on a rest day (I HIGHLY recommend planning rest days into your vacation if you can), check out the pony rides at Fort Wilderness Campgrounds and Cabins!
Where to Find the Pony Rides at Fort Wilderness
Pony rides are located at the Tri-Circle-D Farm within the Settlement area of Fort Wilderness.
How to Get to Fort Wilderness
You have a few transportation options that will get you to where you need to be in Fort Wilderness for the pony rides. Let’s look at each of them!
Taking a Boat:
You can get to the Tri-Circle-D Farm via boat from the Magic Kingdom, Wilderness Lodge, or the Contemporary.
Boats will take you directly to the Settlement area of Fort Wilderness and then its just a short, few minute walk to the pony rides.
Taking a Bus/Driving your Car:
Buses from all of the parks and Disney Springs will take you to the Outpost area of Fort Wilderness. If you choose to drive your own car to Fort Wilderness, you’ll also be able to park at the Outpost area.
The pony rides are in the Settlement area of Fort Wilderness. So if you drive or take a bus, you’ll have to then take an internal Fort Wilderness bus to get to Tri-Circle-D Farm (this is about a 10 minute ride plus however long you wait for the bus to arrive).
Taking a Minnie Van:
The perk of taking a Minnie Van vs driving yourself or taking the bus is the Minnie Van will drop you off right outside of the Tri-Circle-D Farm! Which means no internal bus at Fort Wilderness. This is a fantastic option if you’re looking for convenience or running behind schedule.
Read all about Minnie Vans here! — And follow along on our Disney adventures, too!
Taking a Golf Cart:
Of course if you’re staying at Fort Wilderness and have access to a golf cart (you can rent them or bring your own!), you could drive the golf cart and park that at the Settlement area as well!
Fort Wilderness Pony Ride Reservation
One of my favorite things about the pony rides at Fort Wilderness is that you DON’T need a reservation!! Sometimes running from reservation to reservation can be exhausting. So instead of stressing about making it to Fort Wilderness at a specific time, just pop over to Tri-Circle-D Farm during their open hours (typically 10am – 5pm).
Fort Wilderness Pony Ride Cost
Pony Rides are $8 for one lap, or $12 for two. You of course could do more than two laps if you wanted, you’d just have to pay for additional.
The only accepted payment methods for pony rides are CASH or MAGIC BAND. They cannot take credit cards so please make sure you have either cash or a magic band that is connected to your resort room. I’d hate for you to make it all the way to the stables and your little one not be able to ride!
Fort Wilderness Pony Ride Age, Height, and Weight Requirements
All pony riders must be at least 2 years of age, weigh under 80 pounds, and be under 48″ tall.
What to Expect on the Pony Ride
When you arrive at the Farm, head to the main stable. You’ll see a cast member working there. They’ll make sure your child fits the age, height, and weight requirement.
After you pay via cash or magic band, you’ll put your child’s helmet on. The cast member will then help them get onto the horse via steps.
It is then your (or another adult in your party’s) responsibility to lead the horse around the path, following the yellow arrows. This was fun! I was nervous at first because I didn’t really know what to expect but the horse does a great job following you as you lead with the harness.
The laps take a few minutes each. Our Daughter (3.5 at time of the pony ride) absolutely LOVED this! Her pony’s name was Hershey and she was petting him and thanking him for the ride the entire time. She had no problem holding onto the saddle and enjoyed every minute of her two laps — she actually wanted to go again! Haha!
My Tips for You
Don’t wear sandals. My feet got super dirty and I was paranoid that the horse was going to step on me!
Bring a camera/phone for photos as you’re walking but also have someone on the sidelines take photos/videos for you as well.
If your little one is sad when the ride is over, head to the large stables at Tri-Circle-D Ranch right next door to visit the big horses!
Walk over to the large playground near the water and play before or after your ride!
Make a reservation for either dinner or breakfast at Trail’s End (click here to read about the super affordable breakfast buffet) and plan your pony ride for before or after your meal!
