Chef Mickey or Hoop de do review?

[ChrisinNJ]

Let me preface by saying we are staying off site, and we usually do 1-2 table service meals per trip. 180 in advance I made some reservations, and now I am sorry I didn't book differently.

Here is what I have so far,

The day after we arrive (we are driving) is a no park day. We are going on a fishing excursion in the morning, and I have a dinner reservation at Chef Mickey. The next day we are going to EPCOT and having dinner at Le Cellier.

Now I am kind of sorry I didn't do a chef Mickey breakfast and a hoop de doo dinner instead. I have heard so many good things about the hoop de doo dinner.

So, I can get the hoop de doo dinner, reservations are available, but I can't get the Chef Mickey breakfast now .

We did chef mickey dinner once before, but my kids were only 5 & 2 and barely remember it. My hubby says just keep what we have and save hoop de doo for the next trip, but I am bummed because now I want to do both.

If I keep checking, what are the chances of a breakfast opening up? If you had to pick between chef mickey and hoop, which would you do????

I have one other option, which is to book the hoop de doo dinner later in the week (reservations are available) but we have family coming to stay with us for the second half of the trip and I am not sure they will want to join us.

 

[dzneelvr]

I agree with DH...why stress out about such a minor detailthere are many more photo opps with characters now in the parks (some even have FPs attached to them) so if that is bothering you, it shouldn't. I never second-guess my ADRs once made because what's the point

 

[cnjmom]

You don't say if you are going during free dining. I will mention that three years ago we went in June (so no free dining) and I got a CM breakfast about a week before we arrived at WDW. Granted, it was at 7:10 AM, but we managed. It can't hurt to keep looking.

With that said, we also did HDDR that same trip and it was a blast. If I had to pick, I would choose HDDR in a heartbeat, especially now that all my kids are probably all old enough to enjoy much of the humor (at the time, my kids were 5.5, just 3, and 13 months and only the 5.5 year old got any of it). I know the opinions on CM vary widely, but I felt like it was very chaotic and the character interaction was minimal. During that same trip we had also done Akershus princess dinner and CP lunch and the character interaction at those two meals was so much better.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We love both, but if we had to choose, it would be HDDR all the way! CM is so much fun, especially early in the trip, though. We love going there our first night, it really sets the tone of the trip for us.

It would be fabulous if you could convince your relatives to join you at HDDR later in the trip. It is even more fabulous with a big group! Then you could have your strawberry short cake and eat it, too!

 

[ChrisinNJ]

You don't say if you are going during free dining. I will mention that three years ago we went in June (so no free dining) and I got a CM breakfast about a week before we arrived at WDW. Granted, it was at 7:10 AM, but we managed. It can't hurt to keep looking.

With that said, we also did HDDR that same trip and it was a blast. If I had to pick, I would choose HDDR in a heartbeat, especially now that all my kids are probably all old enough to enjoy much of the humor (at the time, my kids were 5.5, just 3, and 13 months and only the 5.5 year old got any of it). I know the opinions on CM vary widely, but I felt like it was very chaotic and the character interaction was minimal. During that same trip we had also done Akershus princess dinner and CP lunch and the character interaction at those two meals was so much better.

There is no free dining whil we are there. It is Jersey Week. I think I may keep the ADRs I have, and add the HDDR. I emailed my cousins who are meeting up with us later in the week to see if they are interested in going or not.

Like I said, we have done CM 1 time, but my kids don't remember it because they were young. We also did Askerhus princess lunch twice. Those are the only 2 character meals we have ever done.

 

[CrabbyPatty]

We LOVE Hoop-de-Doo and are doing it again this August. DD (she's now 11) really enjoyed it, and we did also.

Chef Mickeys? Well, put it this way, I once ate dinner in a train station in Berlin ....... and I think I enjoyed that more than Chef Mickeys. The food was better, and I think the train station was a bit more quiet.

 

[minnie mum]

Have to agree with the PPs who voted for HDDR!! As for Chef Mickey's- meh. I think there are better character meals to be found.

 

[Scott MC]

I believe that The Hoop is not to be missed.

Two years ago, we were able to walk in and be seated pretty quickly at Chef Mickey's. We got there later in the morning...10:30ish.

 

[meggiebeth]

HDDR is such great fun. Definately in our top 5 restaurants at Disney list. My six year old brother fell asleep at every other evening meal but at the HDDR he stayed awake all thru! It's such a blast, he, myself and my parents could not stop laughing. Just wonderful.

Chef Mickeys is great. I'm sure you'll have a fabulous time for dinner anyway. Keep looking for a breakfast ADR. When we were looking for an ohana ADR I had to check the website twice a day for two weeks before something miraculously came up. We love CM for breakfast! If you can get the ADR then that's great but if not dinner will be great fun too