Hoop-Dee-Dooped

[n2mm]

We too had a terrible transportation problem last September. We were staying at the Contemporary and knew we had to take a bus as we were at the 9:30 show. We all headed to the bus stop after the show was over (and a restroom stop) and waited, and waited, and waited. Buses came and went, but never one for the CR. We asked and the CM said "you missed it." Duh, there was us (group of 11) and 2 other couples. How could ALL of us miss it? The show was only about 1/3 full and we didn't even fill the bottom section of the room. We had a baby with us (6 months) and it was late and we wanted to get back to our resort. The CM could have cared less. She told us we would have to take a bus to the FW main bus stop, then a bus to DTD, then a bus to CR. We all looked at her and said NO!! I told her we would sit there until someone comes and gets us or we will WALK to the CR. We deserved a bus and there was no way all of us missed it. Needless to say, the bus driver from the WL came up to us and told us he would take us all to the CR. He rolled his eyes at the other CM and invited us all on board. We all thanked him and we went to the CR front desk the next day and complained about the bus service, but also pointed out the CM who did help us, along with the nasty CM that could've cared less if we ever got back to our resort. Lucky for me, we got the survey about our resort stay when we returned home and I told all about my experience, but no one ever called or apologized.....BTW, did I mention we were there for my big 50th birthday celebration, with kids, grandkids and friends.....oh well....happy birthday to me, my last trip to HDDR was memorable. BTW: the food was OK. We have done HDDR before, so knew not to expect great food.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Sorry about your bad experience. We did the show in 2003 and we really enjoyed it. We enjoyed the food and show.

 

[maxiesmom]

My experience with Hoop-Dee-Doo was bad also (more for other reasons than the food).

We actually got our ressie like 2 weeks before we went - someone cancelled. We were told to check in like 30 min prior to the show which we did. Had to stand in the cold. We were seated upstairs (I think not facing the stage). Anyways, I loved the salad and the bread (I don't think it was cornbread when we went though, just a white bread). They start their performance (my sister wanted to eat here, not me). Blah Blah Blah. They brought out the ribs, chicken, corn and beans (I think it wasn't corn on the cob). The ribs YUMM. Chicken was good, I don't remember the corn or the beans. I went through the ribs like it was my job. The waitress never came around. So finally she was walking by and we got her attention. Then it took her like 20 min to bring the rib refill out. And lemme tell you they were GROSS. I thought I was gonna reguritate (sp). They were raw. The character that was assigned to our side was a guy. He was a jerk. I wanted to hit him (and you really have to tick me off for me to want to do that). Even if it was his character, he could have gone to any of the other tables and did his act with them. The shortcake was good, I thought. But it didn't seem to be enough time to eat. The show is only like 2 hours. We didn't have enough time for the entrees (trust me I inhaled those first ribs).

My problem arose when the show was over. We asked a CM how to get back to Pop. It was downpouring (and 30 degrees) and we wanted the fastest way back. He said go to the dock and wait for the boat to MK. 20 min later, no boat. Finally some very nice people came over and told us that the boat stopped running like an hour before. I was #$&*ed. So we went back and asked another CM. They said we had to wait at the bus thing take a bus to another bus thing and then get on a bus to DTD. We got on the first bus and got off at the bus stop (there was about 8 of us). We waited about 45 min and the only buses we saw were Epcot. DTD buses kept driving by but never stopped. So finally I took it into my own hands (felling nausiated (sp) and tired and cold and wet) and went up to the bus driver and told him the situation. He called someone on the radio and told us it was ok for us to go back to Epcot to catch the very last buses back to our hotel. (BTW from what I've heard, if you are in a place that you aren't supposed to be, it is very hard to get back to your hotel after the parks close). So we finally got back to our hotels.

I was not a happy camper.

It sounds to me like the HDDR is just not your thing. Not bad, just not your thing.

And maybe I just over-plan everything, but I alway research how to get to and from where I want to be. There are so many ways to get around Disney that every CM might tell you something different.

 

[BeckWhy]

It sounds to me like the HDDR is just not your thing. Not bad, just not your thing.

And maybe I just over-plan everything, but I alway research how to get to and from where I want to be. There are so many ways to get around Disney that every CM might tell you something different.

Yeah it's probably not my thing... That or it was a kinda bad trip. Anyways, we'll see since this year we are doing WCC and it's our anniversary.

I never really thought about transportation. I think (it was a couple years ago) that we could just hop a bus to any of the theme parks or DTD.

 

[Disney owl]

|Oh poor you!

 

[mbroadhead]

I'm not sure if you got sick from the boat ride, food or overall combination, but getting sick is not fun. We have gone six times and enjoyed every one.

It's Disney entertainment, sit back, laugh, enjoy and take the show for what it is, fun! Our friend has been the ballerina, our son the Indian, I was picked out to be the recipient of the on stage banter and our tables have been visited, during the cast talk time, on the floor.

However, everyone planning to do Hoop De Do (or anything really, at Walt Disney World) has to plan ahead.

The ability to make reservations for Hoop De Do have changed from 2 years to 180 days. The earlier you reserve, the better the seats. (usually)

Figure out your travel plans to and from Pioneer Hall, before hand. It's a lot like Maine travel, sometimes you can't get there from here!

The best is drive your car to the Campround main entry parking lot and take the bus to Pioneer Hall (the Pioneer Hall express, if possible, unless you would like to veiw the entire Fort Wilderness facility). After that, is the boat to Magic Kingdom and then a bus to your resort (unless your staying at WL, then you could either walk down the trail, along the lake, or take the boat).
Secondary would be a bus to Downtown Disney and transfer to the Fort Wilderness Bus. Reverse this on the return trip.(the bus to/from DTD is not a recommended way to get there and back, it takes forever!)

Get on some planning web sites, look at some Walt Disney World travel planning books, they all give tips on the best ways to get back and forth to Hoop De Do.

But basiclly, plan ahead, don't put yourself in a position where you have to depend on a CM, who is trying to help, but doesn't understand it's o.k. to say I don't know, or let me find out for you.

If you do go, give yourself a lot of time before the show, walk around and check out the animals at the ranch, visit the trading post, sit on a Pioneer porch rocker, sip a cool drink and relax!

 

[disneymom727]

Thanks for the advice mbroadhead. We are going in Sept. and this info will be helpful for us.

 

[Amyg]

We are scheduled for HDDR on our upcoming first trip to WDW and look forward to it since there are more good reviews than not. We are planning to take a taxi to and from FW and hopefully get to Pioneer Hall easily!

Sorry for your bad experience; hope you made Disney aware of this so that they can monitor things better in the future.

 

[JoiseyMom]

We, (well DH was years ago), have never been to HDDR before, we are going this August! We have been to Trail's End, which is right next door. We drove and parked at the TTC, took the boat to FW, and one time got the boat back to MK. One time we missed the last MK boat, and we took the boat to CR and went to the TTC from there. Maybe this time we will drive to FW and take the bus.

 

[christinou]

JoiseyMom, it would be easier to just drive to FW and take the bus there, it really is not that difficult to get there, you just have to take a bus from the parking lot to the restaurant.

 

[TruBlu]

JoiseyMom, it would be easier to just drive to FW and take the bus there, it really is not that difficult to get there, you just have to take a bus from the parking lot to the restaurant.

We took a cab to the FW internal bus, then a bus to the restaurant. We were in a frenzy because we thought we were going to be late. The bus driver at FW was very nice! He calmed me down, told me he'd get me there on time, and he did! He was very helpful making sure we got off at the right stop. Then after dinner we took the boat to MK.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Too bad you had an experience like that, I've heard from a few people who've had food poisioning at WDW. Luckily, I've been to HDD about 5 times and never had trouble with the food. Did you call the front desk? I'm curious what they did to help you guys out. I'll agree that the transportation can be troublesome in the rain. I hope someone at WDW is reading this stuff and checks into what the HDD dining staff is doing wrong these days.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

Well that totally sucks. I am sorry you had such a bad experience. I too love the title.

On another note we have been there 3 times and had a great time with each trip there. The food is OK not great but the kids always loved the show. DH was the Indian one year and BIL was the angel one year. I wish your visit was better.

 

[lindakmonty]

Sorry your family got sick! DS5 got sick on our trip as well, but I'm not sure if it was from the disney food or what. Glad you're finally feeling better.

 

[NYCMickeyMom]

JoiseyMom, it would be easier to just drive to FW and take the bus there, it really is not that difficult to get there, you just have to take a bus from the parking lot to the restaurant.

is it close enough to walk from the FW parking lot to the restaurant? we're newyorkers so we are used to a lot of walking and it sounds like it might be a nice walk if the weather cooperates

 

[LoveThatDarnMouse]

I have good memories of HDDR and have made ADR's for my upcoming trip but maybe I will rethink the visit this time. I'm so sorry for your experience. Is it possible, though, they you all had a stomach virus? Sounds like that's awful long to be sick from food but what do I know.

 

[LuvOrlando]

The site for the Hoop De Doo is all the way in the back of the Fort Wilderness campgrounds which is a HUGE place. Parks & resorts appear to be close to each other because of the sheer magnitude of the establishments and the efficient transportation system but don't be fooled. The easiest way (time wise) to get there is by boat from MK or one of the lake resorts, including WL.

 

[jennifer293]

While I am NOT glad this happened to you I am glad you gave it a bad review. I have had our ADR's made since day 180 and here we are 10 days before we go and DH asked me to see if we could do the Hoop De Doo Revue, I told him I would check and see, but now I am gonna have to say NO WAY JOSE!!! Not to mention it is probably too late to get it now anyway. We will just keep things the way they are!!

I hope you get to feeling normal again, there is nothing worse than being sick on a vacation!!

 

[Raevyn_Wolfe]

Then, after riding the boat back to the MK... we all started to get sick one by one. Our trip was completely ruined!!! We never made it out of our room again. Three days later we had to fly home very sick. Today (7 full days later) we finally ate a full meal again!!!!!

OK, not trying to belittle your review, in fact I am weird and I LOVE bad reviews, sometimes there are too many good reviews and I like reading bad reviews to even things out so I can make the best educated decision I can.

BUT, having worked in the food industry for quite some time I found your statement about getting sick a bit . . . . puzzling. How long after the show did you get on the boat? I know the boat ride itself is a little lengthy, but not enough time for food poisoning to take affect. MOST food poisoning bacteria has to incubate for at least 4-6 hours before the person starts to exhibit symptoms, there are some that take less, but some that can take days. This gives the food the bacteria (or whatever) is in to be completely digested then move to your intestinal tract where it is absorbed and then it needs to move through your body for it to manifest itself. Ok, I'm no doctor or nurse, it's just what I was taught in Food handlers management class.

After double checking it online, I pretty much found medical articles backing it up though:
here's a good one
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/f/food_poisoning/symptoms.htm

After they are swallowed, there is a delay, called the incubation period, before the symptoms of illness begin. This delay may range from hours to days, depending on the organism, and on how many of them were swallowed. During the incubation period, the microbes pass through the stomach into the intestine, attach to the cells lining the intestinal walls, and begin to multiply there.

Look, not sticking up for Disney, I mean, Disney has it's faults certainly, but could it have been something else you ate at an earlier time or maybe the flu or something?

Getting sick on vacation is HORRIBLE and MISERABLE, and worse if the whole family is put out. So you have my sympathy there totally, I just don't think it was food poisoning from the show.

But the rest of the info was informative.

 

[Paul in TX]

is it close enough to walk from the FW parking lot to the restaurant? we're newyorkers so we are used to a lot of walking and it sounds like it might be a nice walk if the weather cooperates

Yes ---the walk is about 1.25 miles---all paved sidewalk --mostly shaded--but if you get tired or the weather turn bad its a main bus route so you'll be passing bus stops the entire route-----you can watch for the brown rabbits so plentiful in the campground

you'll also pass the meadow trading post which has public restrooms and cold drinks

hope this helps

Paul in Tx