Sleigh ride to see holiday lights at Fort Wilderness

[Seaislegirl]

We did the sleigh ride last December. If I remember correctly the reservations did not open up until a few months before. It's $60 and must be paid in advance when you book it. It's one of my favorite things we've ever done at Disney.

Can anyone confirm when the reservations open for the sleigh ride? I called a few weeks ago, a day or two short of my 180 day window. The CM did a search for what I described as the "sleigh ride or carriage ride through Fort Wilderness to see the campgrounds decorated for the holidays" and said she could not find anything allowing her to make those reservations in her system and told me to call back later (I'm pretty sure she didn't search using my exact words . Called back today and the new CM did a search for the sleigh ride and said there was nothing available, but told me "there are other carriage rides through Fort Wilderness to see the lights." I asked her if there was anything available. She was able to search for "Carriage Rides" at different dates and time slots, but she said the only thing showing availability was the Port Orleans carriage ride.

I am hoping I cannot find anything because it is not yet available, and perhaps the CMs (who were both very lovely people and tried very hard to be helpful) were just not familiar with this enough to know it isn't open yet for reservations? The alternative is that it so wildly popular that it is booked immediately upon 180 day windows opening up, for every carriage and every time slot for a period of six days (including the week after Thanksgiving) for every time slot between 5:30 and 10:30. I know it's busy and crowded during this time, but I've been to WDW several times over the holidays and only this year learned about the "horse drawn sleigh"/"carriage ride" through the decorated Fort Wilderness campground through the Disboard this year. However, it would not be the first time I was every so naive...

So, any info you can provide would be most helpful! Thanks!

 

[DVC Jen]

Does the sleigh go through the woods between the WL and FW? Or does it actually go back into the campground area where the lights are?

If I want to see the lights would it be better to book the carriage ride instead of the sleigh ride?

 

[PrincessJackie]

Can anyone confirm when the reservations open for the sleigh ride?...So, any info you can provide would be most helpful! Thanks!

I just booked our reservations this morning for a 2012 Fort Wilderness Holiday Sleigh Ride on December 1. I am pretty sure reservations just opened up a day or two ago for this, so I can't imagine they are completely booked yet. This is the 25-minute "private" horse drawn sleigh ride that takes you through the Fort Wilderness camp sites to see the campers' holiday lights and displays. The sleigh can accomodate 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children. They do not start running until December 1 - no November dates, not even over the Thanksgiving holiday. Rides departs every 30 minutes from 5:30 - 10:30 pm nightly. Cost is $60 per sleigh (regardless of the number of passangers) and payment in full by credit card is required at the time of booking. Cancellations must be made one day prior to receive a refund. I was notified rides will not be cancelled because of light rain or cold tempratures - only due to thunderstorms, and that call is made by the driver only - not the passangers. Make your reservations by calling (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529. I hope this helps!

 

[sharadoc]

For the same price, you could reserve a golf cart and look around at your leisure. The sleigh ride doesn't go through all of the camping loops.

It was really well decorated the first week of December when we went. I have heard that Disney is cracking down on the over -use of electricity at the sites, although I think theylike the fact that the campers create an attraction for guests and Disney doesn't have to do a thing!

 

[Pleglech]

I've been there the week before Thanksgiving twice in the past three years. Plenty of decorations both times. In addition to the sleigh ride, I'd recommend walking around a bit to take in some of the more elaborate displays.

 

[PrincessJackie]

For the same price, you could reserve a golf cart and look around at your leisure. The sleigh ride doesn't go through all of the camping loops.

You are absolutely right. And $60 is definitely not cheap. I guess it's a matter of what you are looking to get out of it. For us, the whole "horse drawn sleigh/bells jingling" thing seemed more festive and fun than driving around in a golf cart. I saw a video from prior years and the roads you travel along seemed kind of busy with other sleighs/carriages, as well as several golf carts and lots of pedestrians also looking at the lights. I would rather leave the driving to someone else who is familiar with the routes so both my husband and I can relax and enjoy the ride and the decorations without a bunch of other distractions.

 

[czmom]

Can anyone familiar with Ft. Wilderness tell me how far the sleigh ride check in would be from Pioneer Hall? We are doing the HDDR at 6:15. Would 8:30 be a safe enough time for our sleigh ride?

Thanks!

 

[reginaastralis]

This is an adorable idea. We usually go for Halloween at the Fort, and my parents did the Sleepy Hollow tour, but it would be very unique for them to see the Christmas lights on a sleigh. Another Christmas tradition.

To the OP, you can't tell who will be there early to decorate, but there are some serious campers. We love to go and visit them year after year.

 

[tiggore91]

If we were to do the Sleigh Ride and were coming from DTD, we would just take the bus over to Fort Wilderness. Where do we go from there? And is there a special spot we need to get off the bus at? Sorry, as previous people have said, I have never been over in this area before!! Thanks!

 

[DsnyMama]

Do the *wagon* rides also take you down the camp loops to see the campsite decorations (campers, not WDW decs)?? Trying to decide between a sleigh ride, a wagon ride, and renting a cart for an hour or so....

 

[Celine]

May I thread bomb and ask a question, too? We have HDDR reservations for 8:30pm and the information for the wagon ride said 7pm - 9pm. How far is where they drop you off from the wagon ride, to where you go for the HDDR place? Is it walkable? I'm so lost to that whole area since I've never been there before!

I guess what I'm getting at is, if we catch the 7pm ride, we'd get back about at 7:45pm, which should be plenty of time to get anywhere.. but if that ride is packed, we'd need to catch the next one at 7:30pm, which would only give us about 15 mins to get to HDDR.

Does HDDR start at 8:30pm sharp and do you need to be there before that?

 

[Robo]

May I thread bomb and ask a question, too? We have HDDR reservations for 8:30pm and the information for the wagon ride said 7pm - 9pm. How far is where they drop you off from the wagon ride, to where you go for the HDDR place? Is it walkable? I'm so lost to that whole area since I've never been there before!

I guess what I'm getting at is, if we catch the 7pm ride, we'd get back about at 7:45pm, which should be plenty of time to get anywhere.. but if that ride is packed, we'd need to catch the next one at 7:30pm, which would only give us about 15 mins to get to HDDR.

Does HDDR start at 8:30pm sharp and do you need to be there before that?

The rides terminate next door to the Hoop theater (Pioneer Hall.)

 

[Celine]

Thank you SO much, Robo!!! May I bother you one more time?? What about HDDR? Does the show start at 8:30pm sharp or is that just a seating time? Do we have to be there much more in advance of 8:30pm?

Sorry for all of the questions! Just trying to make this all work!

Thank you, again!!!

Celine

 

[Celine]

Bumping..... anyone????

 

[Celine]

.

 

[Robo]

What about HDDR? Does the show start at 8:30pm sharp or is that just a seating time? Do we have to be there much more in advance of 8:30pm?

First comes the seating, then the salad course.
Then, the show starts.

They want you to arrive early.
Most guests have no idea just how difficult and time consuming the trek
to Pioneer Hall can be.

 

[Celine]

First comes the seating, then the salad course.
Then, the show starts.

They want you to arrive early.
Most guests have no idea just how difficult and time consuming the trek
to Pioneer Hall can be.

Thank you, again!!!!!

 

[labdogs42]

This sounds so cool! I think I'll try for the cheap wagon ride! Sounds great!

 

[Bus36]

Can anyone confirm when the reservations open for the sleigh ride? I called a few weeks ago, a day or two short of my 180 day window. The CM did a search for what I described as the "sleigh ride or carriage ride through Fort Wilderness to see the campgrounds decorated for the holidays" and said she could not find anything allowing her to make those reservations in her system and told me to call back later (I'm pretty sure she didn't search using my exact words . Called back today and the new CM did a search for the sleigh ride and said there was nothing available, but told me "there are other carriage rides through Fort Wilderness to see the lights." I asked her if there was anything available. She was able to search for "Carriage Rides" at different dates and time slots, but she said the only thing showing availability was the Port Orleans carriage ride.

I am hoping I cannot find anything because it is not yet available, and perhaps the CMs (who were both very lovely people and tried very hard to be helpful) were just not familiar with this enough to know it isn't open yet for reservations? The alternative is that it so wildly popular that it is booked immediately upon 180 day windows opening up, for every carriage and every time slot for a period of six days (including the week after Thanksgiving) for every time slot between 5:30 and 10:30. I know it's busy and crowded during this time, but I've been to WDW several times over the holidays and only this year learned about the "horse drawn sleigh"/"carriage ride" through the decorated Fort Wilderness campground through the Disboard this year. However, it would not be the first time I was every so naive...

So, any info you can provide would be most helpful! Thanks!

I just booked our reservations this morning for a 2012 Fort Wilderness Holiday Sleigh Ride on December 1. I am pretty sure reservations just opened up a day or two ago for this, so I can't imagine they are completely booked yet. This is the 25-minute "private" horse drawn sleigh ride that takes you through the Fort Wilderness camp sites to see the campers' holiday lights and displays. The sleigh can accomodate 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 children. They do not start running until December 1 - no November dates, not even over the Thanksgiving holiday. Rides departs every 30 minutes from 5:30 - 10:30 pm nightly. Cost is $60 per sleigh (regardless of the number of passangers) and payment in full by credit card is required at the time of booking. Cancellations must be made one day prior to receive a refund. I was notified rides will not be cancelled because of light rain or cold tempratures - only due to thunderstorms, and that call is made by the driver only - not the passangers. Make your reservations by calling (407) WDW-PLAY or (407) 939-7529. I hope this helps!

I tried to book a regular carriage ride (non-"sleigh", non-"holiday") at FW for the Tue before Thanksgiving today. CM said nothing could be booked for carriage rides at that time at FW (only at POR). I asked it the carriage rides switched over to 'holiday mode' then, and she said that could be the reason, but they haven't opened the sleigh rides yet. So, I,m not sure what to think or believe. No carriage rides of any kind around TG?

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Kanga1]

Just booked a sleigh ride for Dec. 4th!!