A Visit to Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness

You probably don’t often associate a trip to Walt Disney World with visiting a horse stable or taking a pony ride. Nevertheless, at Disney’s Tri-Circle-D Ranch, you can do both. Tri-Circle-D Ranch comprises two stables at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. One stable near the resort’s front entrance, the Trail Blaze Corral, offers trail rides. However, the primary stable that guests can tour is located near the Settlement.

Below, we’ll walk through the Settlement stable and discuss a few reasons to visit the ranch during your vacation. As someone who visits Fort Wilderness regularly, I always enjoy stopping in to say hi to the horses and often wonder how many people are unaware that this place even exists.

A new barn was constructed for the Tri-Circle-D Ranch between 2019 and 2020. It was a much-needed improvement to the property. The barn is open to the public daily between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Tri-Circle D Ranch houses over 90 horses. Some of these horses make appearances at Magic Kingdom on Main Street, U.S.A., participating in parades or pulling the horse-drawn trolley. Others are used at various places throughout the resorts for carriage rides and weddings. You might see any of the following breeds during your visit: Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons, Quarter Horses, and Shetland Ponies.

The Shetland ponies are used to pull Cinderella’s coach for weddings or during the Christmas parade. They are also used for pony rides at the Settlement stable.

Anyone can visit the stables during operating hours.

Here is a look at the entrance to the barn. Note the Mickey at the top.

You can walk up to the rope in front of the stalls to see the horses.

This next horse’s name is Red. The photo below shows the ropes, which keep guests from getting too close. You cannot walk up and pet the horses.

Each stall lists the horse’s name and breed. Here we have Porter, a Percheron.

Grady, here, is a fine horse indeed.

Below, we have a Shetland pony named Moose. Shetlands are the kind of ponies that pull Cinderella’s carriage.

Inside the barn, you’ll also find a tribute to Walt Disney and his love for horses. The pictures detail how horses are used in the Disney Parks.

Some of the photos include Walt Disney with a few horses.

It’s always nice to see photos of Walt Disney. He was a pretty cool guy.

Speaking of Walt Disney, his Dragon Calliope is on display at the main stable. He purchased this piece in the 1950s to use in the Mickey Mouse Club Circus Parade at Disneyland Park.

It’s a neat piece. However, I can’t recall a time I’ve ever seen it used in the parks. That would surely be something to see.

Next door to the Calliope, you can see inside the Harness Room. Here’s where all the different horse harnesses are stored.

I should have asked what they do with the large green box in the middle.

Overall, a trip to Tri-Circle-D Ranch is fun and different. It’s also perfect for anyone interested in horses or who would enjoy participating in the horse-riding activities available to guests. That said, there are many things to do during a week’s vacation at Walt Disney World.

For some, it might not be worth the effort if you’re visiting for the first time or have a hectic vacation schedule. We didn’t start visiting Fort Wilderness until we had been to the parks many times. So, take those kinds of things into consideration when planning a visit to the resort or ranch. For more details about the resort, our related articles are listed in our guide:

• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground

Or you might enjoy these individual articles:

• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Review
• Chip ‘n’ Dales Campfire Sing-A-Long
• Carriage Rides at Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts
• Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Dining Guide

In the Comments

What are your thoughts about Tri-Circle-D Ranch? Have you visited before? Is this something that might interest anyone in your family? Leave your thoughts and questions below in the comments.