Disney Wilderness Preserve

Protecting the environment through partnerships...click here to learn more about The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve.

Hikers at the Disney Wilderness Preserve can reach scenic Lake Russell via a self-guided interpretive trail (c) Rich Franco Photography

Fifteen miles south of Walt Disney World, in the heart of Central Florida, lies the Disney Wilderness Preserve. The site, originally the Walker Ranch, is now owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy, a private, non-profit conservation organization that is responsible for the largest network of private conservation lands in the world. The Disney Wilderness Preserve is bounded by Reedy Creek to the east, Lake Hatchineha to the south and the community of Poinciana to the north and west. This large and relatively intact landscape is remarkable for its habitat diversity (including pine flatwoods, oak scrub, and wetlands) and wildlife. The preserve is located within the headwaters of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, which in turn feeds the Kissimmee river, Lake Okeechobee, the Everglades system, and eventually Florida Bay. Restoration of the ecological health of the preserve is an important link in the chain of the restoration of both the Kissimmee River and the Everglades.

The Disney Wilderness Preserve Story
In April 1993, The Walt Disney Company entered into a partnership that was literally and figuratively a watershed event. The Company--together with the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (DER), the Nature Conservancy, and five other agencies--established the Disney Wilderness Preserve on 8,500 acres of newly acquired land south of Walt Disney World. The preserve marked the beginning of an innovative philosophy of land conservation and mitigation that embraces whole ecosystems. Carol Browner, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Florida Governor Lawton Chiles appeared at a ceremony announcing creation of the preserve.

The process began in 1991, when the Disney Development Company (now Walt Disney Imagineering) completed master planning for the Walt Disney World Resort. The Company recognized that wetlands lost to development must be replaced by creating nearby wetlands of at least equal size. But the DER already had concluded that created wetlands rarely survive -- too often they are isolated by the development they were created to mitigate and cannot function as part of the larger ecosystem. It was time for a better solution, and the Company believed it had a better idea.

First, working with state and federal regulators for many months, the Company modified its planned expansion so that only 446 acres of wetlands would be affected. Then, after extensive negotiations, the Company and the DER agreed on a large-scale, off-site wetlands enhancement, restoration, and preservation strategy. Disney then purchased the 8,500-acre Walker Ranch south of Walt Disney World and dedicated it as the Disney Wilderness Preserve. The Company also placed permanent conservation easements on 7,500 acres of Walt Disney World property, guaranteeing that this land will remain in its natural state. In it's final form, the mitigation plan satisfied not only Disney but the DER, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the South Florida Water Management District, the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nature Conservancy, and other concerned organizations. Under terms of the agreement, the Nature Conservancy will own and manage the Disney Wilderness Preserve. Disney will fund education programs, restoration activities, and management of the site. The Company's total financial commitment approaches $40 million.

The preserve is ideal in a number of respects. Wetlands cover some 2,550 acres. Fourteen documented and 12 unconfirmed protected species of birds and other animals are listed as living on the property, including wood storks, Florida scrub jays, gopher tortoises, and one of the largest concentrations of nesting bald eagles in the Southeast. In addition to its size and proximity to Walt Disney World, the Disney Wilderness Preserve provides connected natural areas that can function as a whole, instead of the separated islands of uplands and wetlands that development usually produces. Originally a working ranch, the preserve was logged and grazed in the 1940s. The Nature Conservancy already has begun efforts to identify original characteristics of the property and is using hydrologic techniques to restore the natural water flows disrupted by extensive drainage. Unlike the land set aside in traditional mitigation efforts, the Disney Wilderness Preserve will become a living laboratory, enabling visitors to learn firsthand about the state's critical natural systems.

As a result of its landmark efforts to help create the wilderness preserve, Disney received three major environmental awards in 1993. They are: Special Achievement Award in Conservation from the Nature Conservancy, the first ever given by the national organization; Florida Audubon Society Corporate Award, presented annually to the corporation in Florida that has made the most meaningful contribution to conservation; and 1993 Award for Distinguished Service in Environmental Planning from the Industrial Development Research Council.

DIRECTIONS:
Visiting the Disney Wilderness Preserve
It is recommended that visitors call (407) 935-0002 for current conditions and information prior to driving to the preserve. The Disney Wilderness Preserve is located approximately 15 miles from the Walt Disney World Resort area at the southern end of Pleasant Hill Road (about a mile past the junction with Poinciana Boulevard.) A sign on the left marks the paved road leading to the preserve. From Poinciana Boulevard: Poinciana Boulevard is located off Hwy. 192 east of I-4 and west of SR 535. Go south on Poinciana approximately 14 miles to Pleasant Hill Road, turn right and continue approximately 0.5 mile to Old Pleasant Hill Road. Turn left. Continue another 0.5 mile to the entrance on the left. From Pleasant Hill Road: Pleasant Hill Road is located off Hwy. 19-92 in Kissimmee. Take 17-92 south from Hwy. 192 and turn left on Pleasant Hill Road. Continue approximately 8 miles south to Old Pleasant Hill Road. Turn left. Continue another 0.5 mile to entrance on the left.

For more information on the Disney Wilderness Preserve, click here.

The Conservation Learning Center, built with many environmentally friendly features, provides guests with educational exhibits, a self-guided trail, gift shop, and restroom facilities, and serves as the gateway to the miles of trails available for hiking and exploring. (c) Rich Franco Photography