“Home of the Happiest Horses on Earth”
Bria is over the moon excited about today! We are heading to Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, home of Disney World horses.
We have been to many parades and always admired the horses. Never once did I ever wonder where they live or where Cinderella kept her ponies! I mean, they need a place to live too, right? Bria was telling a Disney friend about her love for horseback riding and the lady told Bria to check it out so we quickly added it to our list for our next trip to Disney World.
We have a little bit of a route to take to get there but that just makes it more fun. We got the bus at Beach Club and headed to The Magic Kingdom.
We arrived at Magic Kingdom park. We weren’t going in the park until tomorrow but this is where we had to catch our boat. So happy I took my sweater, that bus was freezing!!!
Off we go to the boat launch. Fort Wilderness Lodge here we come!
Views along the way. This is nice to do if you want a break from the busy parks.
We arrived
Once you get off the boat, make your way to Pioneer Hall (short walk)
Just behind the Hall you will see the Farm, you can’t miss it!
Tri-Circle-D refers to the 3 circles that make the Mickey Mouse head and, of course, the “D” stands for Disney.
Walt Disney loved horses!
His love of horses began as a child when he lived on a farm in Missouri. Walt Disney made his very first nickel at 7 years old by drawing his neighbor’s horse, Rupert.
He began the sport of Polo and bought a stable of polo ponies. Walt also taught both of his daughters to ride when they were small kids.
I guess that explains why a lot of his animated classics and motion pictures feature horses.
I was expecting a dozen horses or so to live at this farm but I was way off. One of the Ranch hands told us there were approximately 90 there. These horses are featured in parades, Cinderella’s ponies are a big part of weddings, child pony rides, trail rides, wagon rides and carriage rides. You can book reservations online or check for same-day once you arrive as they may have availability.
When we first arrived, we noticed the blacksmith shop. The farrier was working on manicure’s. We went to have a look as its always neat to watch the farrier at work. I’ve seen this at Bria’s farm where she rides and it always fascinates me.
Bria & the Farrier
Across from the Blacksmith shop was the stables. It was the cleanest barn I’ve ever been in. Bria was soooo happy we were here.
As you walk in, there is a little museum about the history and love Walt Disney had for horses. There are a lot of photos of Walt and his horses and also photos of horses at different events at Walt Disney World over the years.
Bria wanted to bring this one home, it’s a 1971 show harness.
Each horse has a name tag by their stall with their breed and their feeding schedule. Meet some of the Horses…
It was lunch time and they were sooooo excited!
If anyone has been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom, they have seen the Headless Horseman. This big guy plays a big part in this scene
All the horses here have to go through a probation period to see if they are comfortable with large crowds and all the activity. They have to be introduced to music, they are taken backstage to get comfortable with characters and then they observe the parade from a stall in the Car Barn. If they pass this process, they are hired! If not, they are returned. We met one horse that was in training and he was a little feisty but doing amazing. Once these horses retire, you can adopt them. Bria lit up like a Christmas tree knowing she could adopt a Disney Horse. I can see us now going through customs with a horse!!
Growing up, I was a huge fan of Cinderella and when I heard her ponies lived here, I was a little excited. I have seen the ponies pull Cinderella’s carriage in the parades at Magic Kingdom and now we were off to meet them. I may never grow up!
Bria takes after her Mother and she was just a little excited as well
They are so cute and I love their braids
If you are ever in Disney World and want something different to do, visit Tri-Circle-D Ranch and learn about Walt’s love for horses. There are no tickets or magic bands required to meet the horses. There are cast members there to answer any questions and they are pros in Equestrian care.
We are headed back, it’s super hot and we need a rest!
Again, amazing views. The Castle never gets old!
Tomorrow we are off to The Magic Kingdom.
The Magic Kingdom (coming soon)
Just thought I would add these 2 pictures as we are on the horse topic. When we arrived at Magic Kingdom this was the first thing we seen. The lady with the horses in the parade is the one we met at the Stables. She was feeding them while we were there 🙂
Adventures With The Roos 