HDDR for restless 2 yr old??

[PrincessTigerLily]

DS will be 24 months, and is all about not being "contained". How long is HDDR, and did anyone else's young one's do well? Will he be entranced by the show? I don't know too much about it.
Thanks!

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

It is about an hour and 45 minutes but in that time they are serving you food, so you are eating while the show is going on. You are able exit and re-enter as well, if you need to step outside for a few minutes. The show is a lot of fun, one of my favorite things to do at WDW, but you know your child best. The first time I saw it was when I was 5 years old. I was the type of child that could not sit still, was always in trouble and very restless and HDDR is the only thing that I remember from that trip to WDW. If you decide to go, I am sure you will have a great time and hopefully it will hold the attention of your child.

 

[Christine]

It will definitely hold your child's attention. I have never taken one that young, but have seen them there and I have NEVER seen a child act up. Both of my children, while younger, were terrible diners, but they did fine there. You probably already know this, but the show is really not geared for small kids--meaning he won't "get" any of the entertainment, but that's okay too.

 

[karliebug]

Does he like music? It should hold his attention. I've taken my girls since they were infants and they would sit in the high chair and clap their hands along with the show. It is such great fun that my girls insist we do it every year. They are now 8, 11, and 16 and they still love it.

 

[latexscooter]

We took our daughter for her 2nd birthday (along with 10 and 12 year olds)and did Hoop - she loved it! To say she was captivated was an understatement. We were also blessed with excellent seats right in front of the stage near the steps where the actors come down into the crowd. So we really had some up close and personal encounters. The show is so over the top kids can't help be captivated. I think you'll be fine.

 

[Hannathy]

You know your child, If you know he won't sit I wouldn't go. He is young and you will have other trips to go. The last time we were there a family had a child about his age and they let him run around their table and be disruptive The people at the next table were quite disturbed but it seemed they only glared. The parents were of course oblivious to the fact that the other table didn't think he was adorable. If it had been my table he was running around I would have said something, to the family and staff. He did start to widen his path once but I glared at him and he backed off. So if you do and he is restless are you ready to take him and go outside from a $50. show. If you are in the middle of the floor this could also be a disruption to the others to work your way out thru the other tables if you have to do it often. There were other kids there including mine who loved it and behaved but I think this family knew their kid wasn't going to because after it was over they packed up and left completely unfazed and without ever disciplining "precious" Go if you want but please be ready to leave if it is too much for him. You said he doesn't want to be contained? He will have to stay in his seat while they are serving because the tables are close and they move quickly, this child was running during the show after dessert had been served.

 

[mom2my3kids]

This is why I decided not to do it. My soon to be 4 year old is usually restless after he eats. I doubt he would sit for almost 2 hours being a angel, so we will go maybe next year or the year after.

 

[PrincessTigerLily]

Thanks everyone.
Truth be told, I know pretty much nothing about HDDR except that everyone on the boards raves about it. I think it would be best for DS (and my nerves) if we wait until he is a little older.
Thank you for your first hand experiences!

 

[auntie]

I think a good alternative for you would be Mickey's Backyard BBQ. It is much better suited to younger children. You sit family style at picnic tables. The food is buffet..so everyone is up and moving around. They feature a country music band(very good)..they teach some line dancing and there is a bit of entertainment by some other performers. The characters including Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, come out for photos and autographs. They do this several times during the dinner. By the end of the meal they are dancing along with the guests to the music. The food is pretty much the same as Hoop Dee Doo Revue...chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers and the like. We went quite a while ago..my son was about 8 or 9 at the time..but there were TONS of little kids. They aren't restricted to their seats and honestly they aren't bothering anyone else by being up and about. I'm not sure when you are going..but the BBQ isn't offered all year long. It's outside in a screen in pavillion in FW. They have over head fans. We went in May and were quite comfortable. Afterwards we caught the Electric Water Pagent at the Beach. If you are looking for something a little special but worried about litttle ones sitting through a dinner show..this is a very good alternative. We enjoyed it.(It doesn't hurt that it's less money than HDDR either!)

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

It is a great show and totally worth the money, but it is not cheap and I would not risk taking a 2 year old and missing out on things if you are going in and out. My son will be 35 months and we are waiting until next trip. Like another poster said he is still young and will be able to see it when he is a little older. I have been to the show about 4 times and love it. I think it is just a little to long for my son. He cant sit through a movie that is that long no way will he sit through dinner that long. Sorry if this isnt what you wanted to hear but I am evaluating it based on my son who is relatively well behaved at dinner when we go out. We did the sunrise safari last year when he was 23 months and at the end of the hour he was getting a bit antsy in the jeep but he did fabuously through the whole tour and people even commented on his good behavior. You know you child go with your gut.

 

[netMick]

I can't imagine any kid wouldn't be enthralled with all the show going on. Including my 2.5 yo 2 years ago.

 

[PrincessTigerLily]

Thanks for all the comments. I think we will probably shelve HDDR for the next trip, but I am really interested in the backyard BBQ. That sounds quite feasible.
As obvious as it is, I never think of doing things on a later trip. I always want to cram it all in, like I will never be going back again. Thanks for the reminder!