Visiting the fort- just checking my info please

[pinkxray]

Hi everyone!
We have never been to the Fort and it is on my list of places to stay soon. We will be staying at Copper Creek next month and visiting the Fort on a resort day.

We have a few places to see and I’m just making sure I have the correct locations and how to get there.

We plan on driving to the Fort and parking in the main lot.
8am horseback riding Tri Circle Ranch- it looks this is now close to where we would arrive? (Hard to tell which map is current when googling)
are pony rides here also? I hope to take the little kids while DH and Dd17 go horseback riding

After this we will head to gem mining. No idea where this is? I think I remember someone one YouTube getting the gems at bike barn?

DS7 will be doing archery around 1130. I’m thinking we will need an internal bus to get to the bike barn(near the main pool?)

Not sure if we will have breakfast or lunch at P + J takeout but will head there at some point. Does that involve another bus?

Thanks for any tips. I am hoping I can convince DH to book a cabin next Oct. but he isn’t in love with the idea. Hopeful we will have a good time and change his mind.

 

[Bishoparc]

We plan on driving to the Fort and parking in the main lot. This likely isn't possible as they aren't letting folks in that don't have dining reservations.
Your easiest bet is to take the bus from Wilderness Lodge. They have a bus that runs between the Settlement station at Fort Wilderness (where HDDR, P&J, Trails End is). (It's the yellow line internal bus) That same bus will run the Yellow line route internally after stopping at the Settlement. It will take you all the way up front. Any of the busses can get you back to the Settlement area.

Just of note, if you search for any of the experiences on the Disney website it will actually link you on the map where it is (as well as the MDE app)

8am horseback riding Tri Circle Ranch- it looks this is now close to where we would arrive? Horseback riding is up front at the Outpost (by the main bus depot) and pony rides are at the new Tri-Circle-D ranch which is at the settlement.


After this we will head to gem mining. No idea where this is? I think I remember someone one YouTube getting the gems at bike barn? Gem mining is at the bike barn (behind the Meadows/by the Meadows pool)


DS7 will be doing archery around 1130. I’m thinking we will need an internal bus to get to the bike barn(near the main pool?) At the Bike barn in the Meadows area


Not sure if we will have breakfast or lunch at P + J takeout but will head there at some point. Does that involve another bus? At the Settlement area next to HDDR

 

[Disneypeach]

I have marled things on the map below.
yellow is where the ponies riding is
red is where gem stone and archery are
blue is where horseback riding and parking lot are
green is the internal bus route you’ll take.

 

[bama_ed]

Hi @pinkxray. Since you asked, here are my thoughts. You are going to see the whole length of the Fort in your day.

1. Since the horse ride IS up at the camping checkin area of the Fort (I think the horse ride checkin is in the old Fort Dog Kennel building to the right of the horse corral), I think you can drive. The guards at the Fort gate discourage people who are just driving in to look around. But you have a couple revenue-producing opportunities (those are probably already paid for) and if you were coming from Port Orleans, for example, you would arrive in your car. So you can do the Yellow bus from WL and ride it to the Fort and then ALL the way through it to the front bus station at the main parking lot and horse corral (called the Outpost Depot). Or drive.

2. The archery occurs behind the Bike Barn and the Gem Mining activity to the front/side of it but both prolly checkin at the Bike Barn. It is in the middle of the Fort behind the Meadow Trading Post and main pool area as DisneyPeach's map indicates. You can walk the sidewalk (half mile) or catch an internal bus).

3. The pony ride is down at the new Tri Circle D horse barn and the hours for rides are like 10a-3p or maybe 4p. But not too early in the day and not too late in the day. It is down across the road from the Settlement Depot (the other end of the internal Fort buses down near the lake). So my guess is that you could do the pony ride around the time you are at P&J's since they are close to each other. A walk from the Meadow TP area to the Settlement is another half mile.

As FYI, if you take the Yellow bus from WL, the first stop will be at the Settlement Bus Depot so you will see the new TCD horse barn as you go by. Then Yellow runs all the way through the Fort to the Outpot Bus Depot.

When you leave you can grab a yellow bus but if you finish down by TCD and P&J's, you gotta bus back to the parking lot to get to your car.

Sounds like you have a great day planned.

Bama Ed

PS - hope DH will be open to a cabin. He can park right at your front door, he can be king of his own grill and the big wooden deck right there, he can get a golf cart and go "looping" (riding through the various loops looking at decorations, campers, trucks, and rv's). Heck, after that he'll be suggesting ya'll go to an rv show to "just look around"...

 

[Stratman50th]

Heck, after that he'll be suggesting ya'll go to an rv show to "just look around"...

This right here. ⬆

 

[loves to dive]

Heck, after that he'll be suggesting ya'll go to an rv show to "just look around"...

This right here. ⬆

And a little after that ya'll will be the proud owners of a new RV. I know this from experience. I took my Hubby to Atlanta to a RV show just to look (he wasn't interested at all), we love our fifth wheel and Ram dually.

 

[Stratman50th]

And a little after that ya'll will be the proud owners of a new RV. I know this from experience. I took my Hubby to Atlanta to a RV show just to look (he wasn't interested at all), we love our fifth wheel and Ram dually.

Funny how that works out!

 

[WeLovePluto]

FYI on the pony rides, they have a max height of 48", so if DS7 is on the tall side that could be problematic.

 

[pinkxray]

Thanks everyone! We are really looking forward to seeing the Fort. I originally had us booked there but when we bought DVC we had some banked points to use or lose so we switched.
We only have enough DVC points every other year so I’m hoping to try the Fort on our off year.
Our DS7 is 48” exactly so no pony rides for him but DD4 is super tiny so looking forward to it. DS7 gets to do archery and DD17 is horseback riding so it seems like everyone has something to do.
I will miss renting the golf cart and seeing all the decorations but that happens next year.