Expert Hoop Dee Doo Revue help needed

[intrep93]

We just made a reservation for the 7:15 show on Sat. Sept 9th. Is there any way we can find out how good our seats are? All the reservationists can tell us (I've spoken to 3 now), is that they still have 23 tables for 4 available and that at 7 months out our seats "should be pretty good". I would like a better idea than that. I have no idea how many tables for 4 are in Pioneer Hall. My Husband and I went 12 years ago and were in the balcony. We were ok with that, but this time we are taking two of our kids and would like great seats for them. Frankly, if we can't get into the 1st couple of rows, I'd rather have the balcony as I think it will be harder for them to see from the back of the hall on the ground floor. Is anyone familiar with the layout/number of tables on the floor and in the balcony? I appreciate any help!

 

[goofy4tink]

Sorry, can't tell you. I have heard that it can make a difference when you check in at HDDR that night though. So, you might want to be among the first to get there.
I had booked it for 8/15/04, but Hurricane Charley shut down FW, and HDDR. I had booked that at about 8 months before. So, we had to reschedule for 4 days later. We ended up on the side balcony. Not bad, but not the greatest either. So, my dd really wanted to go to HDDR for her 13th birthday since we'll be in WDW with another mom and her turning 13 dd. I called and made my ADR's in Oct of 2004!!! I'll be checking in at the podium at about 8:30 for the 9:30 show...hopefully that should be enough to get us in a front table for the poor kids birthday dinner.
I don't think anyone can tell you, with any authority, where you'll be seated. However.... to the DIS boards. Keep up the great planning with the advice you find here.

 

[Ginamarie]

Honestly, I don't think anyone has been able to "crack the code" of the seating at Hoop de Doo. We've seen the show twice now.. once in the early 90s and once in 2004. We were on the floor for both performances and had very good seats (close to the stage). We're going again this December with a party of 13 so I'm afraid we might be stuck in the back of the room.

Some people have suggested that getting to Hoop de Doo early will make it more likely for you to get a good seat, but other people have said that the seats are decided before you ever get there, and that they've been the last people into the hall and gotten great seats. So there's no guarantee either way.

 

[finnie48]

Hi -

In 2003 we picked up our tickets at our resort (had booked well in advance), but I don't think we had our table number until we got to Pioneer Hall. In 2004 we got our tickets and table numbers at the Hall (again booked well in advance). The last time we were a party of 15 and had a table for 11 down the middle of the floor and an adjoining one for 4. The table for 11 got quite a bit of attention from the performers, and we all had a blast from the 3 yr old on up to Grandpa at 75. There are cancellations of course, but from what I could tell, the earlier the better, for the original booking. Don't think it matters what time you get to Pioneer Hall

This is a great show, and the food is very good also. Have a most magical trip!! Bob

 

[dixiedizfan]

We just went to Hoop-Dee-Doo January 6th, a Friday 5:00 p.m. show. We had made our reservation about two months before going for the four of us, so I figured we'd be up in the balcony. We picked up our HDD tickets at the front desk of POFQ a couple days before the show. We had Number 74 on the top of our tickets. When we entered Pioneer Hall the cast member checking tickets told our host, Number 74, which is the table he took us to ... right smack in the center of the downstairs floor. We watched as people arriving after us were seated at all different kinds of places, balconies, closer toward the front, etc. So the tables ARE assigned before you get there.

 

[Vavasmon]

We were the next to last party seated on Dec 28th 7:30 show - we were center stage 1 row back (perfect seats). I made the reservation 18 months in advance. Seats were assigned a booking time not arrival time.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Seating assignment is not done at time of booking, however it is done in advance. There is a team at the Hoop that does all that. Hoop and Luau seating is all they do. They will preassign seats, but the seats can be moved around (as the table sizes can be modified for larger parties, etc.) When you pick up your actual ticket for the show that is when your seats are "offically locked in for you. You can pick up the tickets up to 7 days in advance from any WDW resort front desk Lobby Concierge or from the Hoop pick up window. You will sometimes find that the CM you are with will have to call the Hoop office for seating assignment as the ticket will not print without it. Not having a table assigned when you are getting the ticket is nothing to worry about though, if it does happen, they may be "re-working" that days seating. Not to worry all seats are good, even the floor seats in the back, I really don't think your kids will have a hard time seeing from anywhere.

 

[eeyoregirl]

Not to worry all seats are good, even the floor seats in the back, I really don't think your kids will have a hard time seeing from anywhere.

This is true, because the last time we saw HDDR, we had a table near the door. We were so disappointed at first because we booked 8 months in advance, and we were sure that we would not have a good view or get any cast interaction. Were we WRONG! The table was great, our server was awesome, and the cast members passed by loads of times, because we were near the steps to the balconies, etc. Excellent! Added bonus: leaving after the show was no problem. Yay!

 

[aubeone]

Is it worth booking the 9:30 dinner to take advantage of the 20% discount on the DDE plan. Are all things equal in the shows? How about food quality? I will be traveling with my wife and 10 year old daughter. My daughter can usually handle late dinners as we travel quite a bit.

 

[copper68]

We have always done the 930 show for the 20 % discount. The food has always been delicious - my wife raves about the fried chicken.

We have done the 930 show probably about 10 times, and IMO the only difference between the earlier shows is that the crowds are lighter. On several of our visits the balcony was closed and the main floor was half full. Makes for alot more audience participation if you're into that.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Another great thing about the 9:30 show is a bus will take you back to your resort. No having to go back to MK to get a resort bus. Last Sept I booked the night before for HDDR and got 4 tables back to the left of centerstage. We had great cast interaction (DD12's favorite is Miss Claire) and that was during the free dining promo. I think you will be fine. Plus you don't want to be too close to the stage because sometimes the show moves to the center of the room. We love HDDR.

 

[jbbt]

We went in December 2004 (family of 4). I called that day to get seats at the 9:30 show. We were seated one table to the right of the center where they bring a stool out and do part of the performance. PERFECT seats and we just got tickets that day. The cast mills about the whole audience so anywhere looks like it would be fine.

 

[wendy1974]

We were there in July 2005 and bought our tickets when we checked into the resort. We ended up second table from the stage in the center of the room (party of 4). We went to the 9:30 show and I noticed that they had the balcony closed off and there was no one seated up there but the floor was full. It may have something to do with when you check in because we were there fairly early and were probably within the first 15 people in the door. Food was great and show was excellent. I found that there weren't really any children at this showprobably because of the time.

 

[orljustin]

I've eaten in both the upstairs and downstairs, and I definitely prefer the downstairs. Even towards the back. You feel more a part of it, whereas upstairs you feel like a viewer. As far as assignments, we got an ADR last year three days ahead of time, and got a table in the first row. Who knows?

 

[CareBlair]

We went in Feb 2005 and were assigned a table upstairs on the balcony. We did not enjoy our seating at all and it impacted our enjoyment of the show. We had our backs to the stage and had to eat facing the wall! We weren't even facing each other. We could swivel around to watch the show, but there was no way to continue eating and watch the show at the same time. I would like to do this dinner show again, but without a guarantee that we would be assigned a table on the floor, my husband said no.