Howdy, Austin!
Welcome to planDisney. I'm so glad you've galloped over with a great
Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning question! As someone who loves both horses
and Disney, I'm so excited to hear you'll be visiting The Most Magical Place on Earth with a couple of little buckaroos next month. While I've always been a Disney Parks enthusiast, I can assure you there's nothing better than experiencing Disney magic with your
little ones. I'd be more than happy to help your family prepare for a rootin' tootin' good time together!
Austin, soon, your family will be trotting over to
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Your whole clan of cowpokes will be hootin' and hollerin' at the
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue in no time! (I'm thrilled to have secured reservations for my own family in just a couple of weeks!) The doors to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue open promptly at the time slot you reserved (either 4:00 p.m., 6:15 p.m., or 8:30 p.m.), so you'll want to arrive at Pioneer Hall no later than 30 minutes before your reserved time. However, you most certainly have some time to lope on over to Tri-Circle-D Ranch before your delightful dinner show!
Tri-Circle-D Ranch - home of the Happiest Horses on Earth - is located just footsteps (or hoofprints) away from Pioneer Hall, making it the perfect pit stop for folks planning on bellying up to dinner at Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. This working barn is open to public visitors between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. Pony rides are offered for a small fee to cowpokes ages 3 and up who weigh under 80 pounds and are no taller than 48 inches. Austin, the final pony ride of the day takes place at 4:30 p.m. (30 minutes before the barn closes for the evening), so be sure to allow ample time for this experience. The ride itself should last no more than 10 minutes per participant, so allowing yourself around 45 minutes to one hour to explore the stables and complete pony rides should be sufficient.
While there's no set dress code for little cowboys and cowgirls partaking in pony rides at Tri-Circle-D Ranch, as an experienced equestrian, I'm happy to provide some personalized recommendations! For your child's safety and comfort, consider dressing them in long pants and closed-toe shoes. A helmet will be provided and appropriately fitted at the time of the experience, so be sure your children's hair is worn in a style that won't interfere with helmet fit. For reference, when my son last saddled up at Tri-Circle-D Ranch, he wore full-length jeans and tennis shoes. Finally, be sure to snap lots of photos - they'll only be pint-sized pony riders for so long!
Austin, I hope these recommendations help your family prepare for a galloping good time at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. I wish you and your little buddies an exciting and enchanting vacation to The Most Magical Place on Earth! If you have any final planning questions ahead of your visit, you're always welcome to trot on back to
planDisney for assistance. We're here to help you enjoy the ride!
Happy trails to you,
Lauren