Did you know that you can golf, fish, and go horseback riding at Walt Disney World? Have you wondered what exactly the ESPN Wide World of Sports is? I was invited by Disney to experience all the amazing recreation opportunities at Walt Disney World plus get an insider look at the impressive ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Not only did we experience some of the best recreation experiences offered at Walt Disney World, I also went behind the scenes at the impressive ESPN Wide World of Sports to see the highlights of how Disney Sports goes above and beyond for young athletes.
Let’s get into all the highlights of what it’s like to fish, golf, and go horseback riding at Walt Disney World PLUS why I was so impressed by the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
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Guests interested in recreation and sports options at Walt Disney World can do so easily by upgrading their regular park tickets to a Water Park & Sports ticket option. The Water Park & Sports option includes the choice of these extra experiences:
How many of these experiences you select depends on the length of your ticket. So for example, if you have a 6-day Water Park and Sports ticket, then you’d get 6 choices of experiences from this list. And yes, you can repeat experiences!
There are so many recreation options that many guests do not even realize exist! There is so much more to do at Walt Disney World beyond visiting the theme parks. These experiences offer the opportunity to try something new or enjoy a favorite hobby at the Most Magical Place on Earth. One of my favorites of these experiences is the chance to go fishing at iconic locations inside Walt Disney World Resort!
I have experienced fishing at Walt Disney World before at the EPCOT World Showcase Lagoon but never near Magic Kingdom. Fishing is one of my son’s favorite hobbies so this was one of the top experiences of the weekend for us.
Guests can book two or four hour fishing experiences with boats departing at multiple locations. Two of the most popular locations include the ones that offer views of EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. During our experience, we departed from Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground to fish in Seven Seas Lagoon. Seven Seas Lagoon is a wonderful fishing spot as this is where you can get views of Magic Kingdom!
This lake is the same one that guests cross with the ferryboat so you get those same views of Cinderella’s Castle and the Magic Kingdom train station. Even if you don’t have avid fishing hobbyists in your group, they will enjoy this spectacular view.
But what makes the fishing trips at Walt Disney World truly magical are the wonderful fishing guides. These guides are extremely experienced and have a love for fishing. But don’t worry if you’ve never fished before, they love sharing their experience with those new to the sport. They will bait and hook your fishing poles for you and even help you reel in your fish if you need it. Don’t want to touch a fish? No worries there either, they won’t make you! You can get as authentic with the experience as you’re comfortable with.
Since my son and I have a lot of fishing experience, we benefited from more advanced fishing casting tips and knowledge of the Orlando area fish. This is an experience for anyone that loves to fish or has an interest to learn, it does not matter what your skill level is. While we were experienced, our group included those new to fishing or hadn’t fished since childhood and our guide navigated our different experience levels easily.
Fishing at Walt Disney may have become a new family tradition for us especially as a way to get a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks and incorporate new memories into our trip. This is such a great experience, especially if you book a fishing trip with views of Cinderella Castle!
Fishing wasn’t the only experience at Fort Wilderness we took time to explore. We also got the chance to tour the Tri-Circle-D Ranch. Our tour of the ranch included fun historical facts about the history of Walt Disney horses including the chance to view historical props like the Dragon Calliope!
The Dragon Calliope is a horse-drawn musical instrument purchased by Walt Disney himself for the Mickey Mouse Club Circus Parade at Disneyland Park in the 1950s. Anyone can come until the ranch and view this piece of Walt Disney history.
There are many different breeds of horses that live at Tri-Circle-D Ranch, including Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, Percherons and Quarter Horses, plus Shetland Ponies. This ranch is home to more than 90 of the horses at Walt Disney World. Guests can view the stable at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. Guests can view the Dragon Calliope here and visit the horses.
Tri-Circle-D Ranch offers pony rides, trail riding, wagon rides plus idealistic holiday sleigh rides in the month of December. The holiday carriage rides are one of the most popular features at this stable. The stable will be decked out with decorations and guests can experience a seasonal sleigh ride which is still magical even if it lacks the snow!
You can see the Disney touch at this stable from the design details to the dedication to history in the gallery. Booking a sleigh ride on our yearly Walt Disney World Christmas trip is now at the top of my list after hearing all the details of this magical experience.
Next on our itinerary was our chance to explore the golf courses at Walt Disney World which was something I knew very little about prior to this trip. The golf courses have plenty of familiar Disney touches including a photo op of a Mickey golf cart at the entrance.
You can continue to find these Disney touches throughout the golf course including a sand trap shaped like Mickey. The main three golf courses are located in the same area which include Disney's Magnolia, Oak Trail, and Palm Golf courses. There is another golf course located at Saratoga Springs Resort called Disney's Lake Buena Vista Golf Course.
Guests of all ages can enjoy golf lessons- no experience necessary! Just like the fishing and horseback riding, this is another great way to learn something new together as a family. All skill levels are welcome and there's no need to feel intimidated if you want to try something for the first time. And seasoned golf pros will feel right at home on these golf courses which are truly unique because of their location.
Since they are not landlocked by neighborhoods and on Walt Disney World's expansive property, it truly feels like the a day to enjoy nature. We even saw turkeys wandering the golf course on our day!
You can't talk about recreation and sports at Walt Disney World without mentioning the ESPN World Wide of Sports. ESPN Wide World of Sports has been in business over 27 years and in that time has hosted more than 70 different sports from more than 70 countries.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosts Disney Soccer, Disney Spring training, and is the premier location for amateur sports. This includes hundreds of tournaments for youth athletes that get the chance to experience what it is like to play in a professional venue and be treated like professional athletes.
I was so impressed by everything I learned about how this complex goes above and beyond for young athletes. Playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports is the experience of a lifetime for those in youth sports. These athletes are given the full professional experience with full video of all their games and competitions. These game clips are even cut up for each individual athlete and are given to them for free to share with potential college recruiters. What a cool experience for kids! As a mom with a teenager in sports, I can imagine how valuable that experience is for a youth athlete. My teen was blown away by ESPN Wide World of Sports and I imagine youth athletes coming to compete feel the same way!
There are so many wonderful opportunities at Walt Disney World to build different sports and recreation experiences into your trip. While the theme parks are the main draw for many of us, myself included, adding in these moments create even more family memories and provide a bit of a different experience during your vacation.
Plus this is a great way to try something new whether you have kids that want to learn to fish or you want to go horseback riding for the first time! Maybe dad would rather golf for the day while everyone else heads to Disney Springs to shop! There's truly an experience for anyone at Walt Disney World and that's why it's one of my favorite places.
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While I was hosted by Disney to write about this experience, all my opinions are my own.
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