It may still be on the warm side here in Central Florida, but it’s never too early to be thinking about the holidays! So when you make your seasonal to-do list, check it twice. And make sure a horse-drawn holiday sleigh ride at Disney’s Fort Wilderness & Campground is on it.

The sleighs—festively festooned with lights, garland and bows, and brimming with cheerful holiday music—take you on a 25-minute trek that glides you through the woodsy landscape and past the campsites of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground all decked out in their holiday finery. Well, you don’t exactly “glide,” as Jay Sanderson, Assistant Animal Operations Manager, Tri-Circle-D Ranch, explains. But that doesn’t make it any less magical.

“Our sleighs are different from our horse-drawn carriages. They are specifically designed to cut through the thick layers of ice and snow that hit Central Florida in December. Okay, scratch the ice and snow part. But they are indeed sleighs that are retrofitted with wheels for our guests’ and horses’ comfort and convenience.”

Brought to you by the same folks who provide the horse-drawn carriage rides the rest of the year, these memorable outings are perfect for a snuggle-up-close romantic rendezvous or an adventure for the whole family. Each sleigh fits four adults or two adults and three children. Larger parties can book more than one sleigh. This fun, distinctive experience replaces carriage rides at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground for the month of December.

According to Jay, it’s not at all unusual to hear, “Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh … Hey! Jingle bells! Jingle bells!” coming from the sleighs as they wind their way through Mother Nature’s own holiday green. These rides have become a popular annual tradition for couples and families alike.

And you’ll be presented with a special limited-edition pin created specifically for this event at the conclusion of your ride. Then you can stroll through the barn to check out where the horses live and get up close and personal with these gentle giants that can weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Discover what they eat, how they travel from place to place throughout Walt Disney World Resort and other fun facts. Just keep in mind that the sleighs do go out in a light rain, but your ride may be canceled during inclement weather.

So why not make it a season of joy and memories with a horse-drawn holiday sleigh ride? These magical encounters tend to sell out quickly, so an early reservation is highly recommended.
Holiday sleigh rides run from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and are open to all (in other words, you don’t have to be a registered guest of a Disney Resort hotel), with no minimum age requirement. Call 407-WDW-PLAY (939-7529) to book today.