ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE
Location : The Bike Barn at Disney ’ s Fort Wilderness Resort
Times : 11:30 AM and 2:45 PM Cost : $ 45 per person + tax Age : 7 years and older Length of class : 75 mins
Advanced reservations are highly recommended since each class is limited to 10 guests . You can make a reservation by calling 407-WDW-PLAY . Walk-ups are welcome if space permits .
Tina channels her inner Merida as she takes on the Fort Wilderness Archery Experience . PHOTO BY JEFF CHIU
Fort Wilderness Archery Experience
BY TINA CHIU
As a Disney fan , I often dream of becoming a fierce and formidable Disney Princess . Maybe I ’ d have hair that heals like Rapunzel , wayfind like Moana , or even shoot bullseyes like Merida .
I recently had the opportunity to make the last dream a reality by taking up a bow and arrow at the Fort Wilderness Archery Experience at Disney ’ s Fort Wilderness Resort . I may not be a Scottish princess , and I ’ ve never had bear cubs for brothers , but after my training with Disney , I can proudly say I can shoot a bullseye just like Merida .
“ MUM , IT ’ S JUST MY BOW !” The best part about the Fort Wilderness Archery Experience is that no prior knowledge is needed . I had zero experience and left shooting some bullseyes of my own . Even Merida had to start somewhere .
I recommend checking into the Bike Barn about 15 minutes before your scheduled session to give you enough time to make it to the experience location ( though you ’ ll want to get to the entrance of Fort Wilderness itself about 45 minutes prior to your session ). At the actual experience location , you will line up with nine other guests while two Cast Members ( CMs ) start the lesson . Ear wear is provided for safety .
The CMs first went over the drum commands , which consist of different numbers of drum beats to inform us of what tasks to do :
2 BEATS : GET YOUR BOW 1 BEAT : SHOOT 3 BEATS : RETRIEVE ARROWS
But before we could actually use our bows , the instructors taught us how to hold the bow and arrow by using a rope . After we understood how to handle the weaponry , we were then each assigned a specific bow . There are a variety of bows in different sizes and colors .
PRO TIP : The instructor can adjust the tension of the string on a bow as needed for younger children .