Mickey's Backyard BBQ......tell me about it

[mickeymyfavorite]

Mickey's Backyard BBQ......tell me about it. Will it be good for a toddler?

Trying to decide. It would be something fun to do while in WDW on Halloween night?

 

[Funfire240]

I think it is a lot of fun. We haven't done it on Halloween but my brother and his family did. They had extra characters to meet and the ones they met were in Halloween costumes as well. He said it was a lot of fun.
We also enjoy the BBQ when we go. It's typical BBQ food buffet but I always liked it. DH likes the endless beer lol. The band is fun. The kids love to dance and we just enjoy sitting around and listening to the music even. It lasts about 2 hours

 

[TinkerLori]

I think it is a lot of fun. We haven't done it on Halloween but my brother and his family did. They had extra characters to meet and the ones they met were in Halloween costumes as well. He said it was a lot of fun.
We also enjoy the BBQ when we go. It's typical BBQ food buffet but I always liked it. DH likes the endless beer lol. The band is fun. The kids love to dance and we just enjoy sitting around and listening to the music even. It lasts about 2 hours

dh just asked if you know what kind of beer it is (not like it really matters lol)

 

[FarmBoy78]

So for those that have done it, tell me about Category 1 vs. 2 just from a seating standpoint. We're just two adults, so we're not concerned about having kids being close, etc...but is the view worth it to upgrade, or is category 2 view solid? (Not considering the extra perks with this question).

 

[FarmBoy78]

And one follow-up. Do they assign your seats, or do you pick/get there early?

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Mickey's BBQ: (*rev 08/01/17*)
. . . food price value: D
. . . food quality: C
. . . food quantity per serving: A
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: C
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: D
. . . eatery atmosphere: C
. . . eatery convenience: D
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff attentiveness: B
. . . character interaction: B
.
NOTE1: Tables are long picnic tables of about 40 people per table, so you sit with
others. No reserved seating, so the "mad dash" for seats can be interesting. There is
no "front row", just the end of the picnic tables. Folks start lining up about 1-hr prior
to the 5:30pm seating. Also, the characters are there for dancing and front interaction,
and usually do not go thru tables, so sometimes there is a long line trying to get to the
characters. Also noted the sides are open to the weather. They put up plastic diverters
for winter and simple fans for summer, but it does get VERY hot/humid or cold. This is
not a well heated or air conditioned pavilion. "Dancing" characters interact well with
kids in front of the stage, and younger kids love it.
.
NOTE2: Mickey BBQ was always about one-half the price of the Hoop Dee Do Review. With
the popularity of DDP, they jumped the price double, including 2-TS coupons. WITH NO
CHANGE IN MENUS; NO CHANGE IN CHARACTERS; NO CHANGES AT ALL. Cost was barely
justified at lower prices, and not worth the current price for ribs-chicken-burgers.
.
NOTE3: The characters "dance" in front of the stage, and children come up to dance with
them. This creates a lot of pushing by the kids as they try to get next to their favorite
character. There are no lines like in the park for Meet & Greet, and no handlers to keep
the kids in a line or heaving.
.
NOTE4: New in 2016 is a plan to have Cast-1 and Cat-2 seating areas. In order to get more of your money. This makes the place an even worse bargain.

 

[lizzysam]

And one follow-up. Do they assign your seats, or do you pick/get there early?

We attended the BBQ last week. We had Tier 1 seating and it was assigned. They had a sign with our name on the table and took us directly to our seats. I did not see any other seating assigned once the pavilion was open to all Tier levels.

With the Tier 1 seating, they let us in the pavilion at 4:30, and I believe that all other Tier levels were allowed in around 5:30.

Our 3.5 year old absolutely loved the BBQ. It was a highlight of the trip for us.

 

[GillianP1301]

I personally did not love it. We went went my DS was 4. The entertainment and food was fine. Not great, just okay, but what stressed me out completely was trying to keep track of my 4 yo while he was dancing with characters because it was crowded and a lot of rude parents pushing other parents out of the way to get the best photo of their child. I constantly felt like I was bobbing and weaving just to be able to keep an eye on him. He loved it and had a great time, me not so much. For what it's worth, we did HDDR The next year and he loved that even more and repeated it again this past year and he laughed so hard, I don't think I'll ever forget it, so that's where our dining show money will be going from now on.

 

[asuburbanman]

We have reservations for this Saturday night. The high for Saturday is 58. Anyone that has gone to this, do you think it will still be warm enough to enjoy it. Figuring low 50s by the time it starts. Thanks

 

[jimandami]

We went on Halloween a few years ago and loved it! The characters were in costume, and there were extra characters as well (Phineas and Ferb, but again,a few years ago). Minnie and Mickey met outside and signed autographs/took pics, and the rest came to our table. Kids loved dancing with the characters. Food was just ok, but the unlimited ice cream bars, beer, wine, and sangria made up for it! I know they had Yeungling but not sure what else. After the BBQ, we stayed and went trick or treating around the RV loops, which was great!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

This is an great event if you are bringing kids. We had cat 1 and got in early which was a plus. We will book again for next summer when the window opens. Google a review. Lots out there.

 

[MRACorrea]

LOVED it! The food is nothing special, but the entertainment is fun. My girls (2 & 5 LOVED it!) I'd totally go again

 

[elaine amj]

My 3 year old niece loved it. My brother and I were completely exhausted afterwards but it was soooo worth it. Like a PP said, if u have a little one, expect to move a lot following him / her around.

Food was good - we LOVED the ribs and ate and ate and ate. Entertainment was neverending and they work hard to put on a good show. Pricey though but considering the price at Chef Mickey...the interactions here far surpass normal character meals.

For all u can eat ribs, I'd expect to pay $30ish pp. (WCC skillet is $32). Throw in beer / wine and ice cream and that would be about $40ish. It's $62pp for the BBQ so would I pay $20 pp for the dancing and the other entertainment? For my Mickey crazed niece it was well worth it. Huge huge trip highlight for her.

I don't know if we would return as things have to be right for it to be worth it to me. My kids are teens now so hard to justify something like this. Comparatively, we have done HDDR twice and can see ourselves returning. Food options there are similar in quality.

 

[Vala]

We were an all adult group, so I may not be able to help much.

We had Tier 1 seating as well. Yes, during the dancing it did get a bit mental and I had several parents bump into me. But I expect that at a good Barbecue, no big deal. If you are the parent chasing the kid you probably feel different.

If you expect California Grill food level or Steakhouse 55 or something like that: you are in the wrong place. Good barbecue food: welcome home.

I haven't done HDDR yet (it was a coin toss between HDDR and BBQ, and character crazed me wasn't going to miss the characters), but I thought the show was really great.

Character interaction was top notch. I thought the premium for tier 1 was well worth it. When the first rush of famiies was through I had the chipmunks and Goofy for myself for almost 10 minutes.

 

[elaine amj]

We were an all adult group, so I may not be able to help much.

We had Tier 1 seating as well. Yes, during the dancing it did get a bit mental and I had several parents bump into me. But I expect that at a good Barbecue, no big deal. If you are the parent chasing the kid you probably feel different.

If you expect California Grill food level or Steakhouse 55 or something like that: you are in the wrong place. Good barbecue food: welcome home.

I haven't done HDDR yet (it was a coin toss between HDDR and BBQ, and character crazed me wasn't going to miss the characters), but I thought the show was really great.

Character interaction was top notch. I thought the premium for tier 1 was well worth it. When the first rush of famiies was through I had the chipmunks and Goofy for myself for almost 10 minutes.

So awesome that you guys had such a great time! I completely agree that the character interaction was incredible. And Tier 1 is perfect particularly for an adult group or a group who wants some one-on-one character interaction.

My own family is not so character crazy so this colors my valuation of the BBQ. Worth every penny for my 3 yr old niece who is obsessed with Mickey though. We did Tier 2 was still very good, but obviously not such concentrated one-on-one. Still she had so much Mickey time she was thrilled throughout the entire event!

 

[Vala]

Yeah, I honestly wouldn't recommend Tier 1 unless you are really after the characters. Or maybe really desperate to get to the food first. There weren't many people in Tier 1 to begin with, and a number of parents did have the "why did I book this?" look on their faces.

 

[elaine amj]

Yeah, I honestly wouldn't recommend Tier 1 unless you are really after the characters. Or maybe really desperate to get to the food first. There weren't many people in Tier 1 to begin with, and a number of parents did have the "why did I book this?" look on their faces.

From what I gather, Tier 1 is good if you really want extended one on one interaction with the characters. Otherwise, u are right - u get plenty of interaction along with meet n greets opportunities in Tier 2 as well. We were not rushed through our character meet n greets and spent plenty of time with them. That said, I am not the type of person who would know what to do with 10 mins with a character lol. A regular relaxed meet n greet with a short chat is plenty of time for me.

At the end, the characters hang around until everyone who wants to has had a chance to meet n greet. We went for a second round with Mickey and got a cool pic with both Mickey and Minnie

After the dissing it gets here on the Dis boards (pun intended haha), I was surprised just how much great the event was. I wish we had chosen to come here instead of HDDR when my kids were younger. I was debating between the two but chose HDDR and Chef Mickey because of the bad reviews of the BBQ I read on here. As long as you are aware of the caveats brought up in here and your kids are not the type to freak out on a busy dance floor without controlled structure and they like the characters, then this is a very cool choice.