Help: Should I replace Raglan Road with Hoop Dee Doo?

[Shrill]

Hi everyone. Disney newbie here. Travelling with my DD (7) and DH.

I've made my ADR's and I'm torn. I'm considering replacing Raglan Road with Hoop Dee Doo. But that has financial implications: we are on free dining and already have an extra day to cover (we arrive at lunch on our first day, depart close to dinner on our last day), and we also already have a 2 credit meal (CRT). Also, I don't know how logistically possible this would be, so I'd like your opinions.

Here is our current schedule (POR):
Friday: Arrive around noon, Epcot, quick service only (probably x2 although we may eat at the airport)
Saturday: Magic Kingdom, BOG lunch, CRT for dinner
Sunday: Hollywood Studios, Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Monday: Animal Kingdom, Boma
Tuesday: Free day, probably sleep in (which tends to be no later than 8:30), Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney: Raglan Road
Wednesday: Epcot, Coral Reef
Thursday: Magic Kingdom: late Crystal Palace breakfast (so hoping for lunch food too)
Friday: flexible, probably Magic Kingdom: the Wave
Saturday: Quick service only.

How much time and stress would it add to our "off" day to do Hoop Dee Doo? Is it worth it? Is it easy to get there from DD? Or should we be considering another option? Replacing The Wave maybe?

And if we did do it, I guess we would have to pay out of pocket for one of our table service meals? Which one is the least expensive on my list?

Thanks so much!

 

[ktate82]

It depends on what you want. Hoop dee doo is an awesome show, but Reglan Road is also amazing. I think you will be happy with both. If you don't want to pay out of pocket for HDDR, then go to Reglan Road. If you don't mind it, then use dining credits there and pay out of pocket elsewhere (off the top of my mind I would say Crystal Palace breakfast is usually cheaper than others). Also, if you plan your quick service carefully, you can order larger meals and split them, thus saving some QS credits and not having to pay out of pocket. Places like Flame Tree BBQ in AK, Cosmic Ray's in MK, and several other places serve large QS meals that we have split with food to spare.

 

[Distinkt]

I have been to both, and I liked Hoop Dee Doo Review much better. The food is not bad, nothing outstanding, but the atmosphere is fun. Our experience with Raglan Road was not stellar. I had an ADR and was excited to be there. We ended up waiting quite a while for our table, and when we did get it we were situated where I felt like we were about to be stepped on, the food was not that good, and boy was it noisy. I was disappointed because so many people had such good reviews of Raglan Road. I will not return. The entertainment was good, but because I have seen more than my share of dance, etc. it wasn't enough of an enticement to make me want to return. I just felt like I was at a small patio sized table on the edge of a well used walkway and it wasn't relaxing at all. Those kind of dinners make you wonder why you wasted your money. I am usually pretty easy to please, but I can say that I truly wasn't a fan of RR.

 

[bumbershoot]

Well....your last day you are leaving around dinner. And you have no parks planned. I would do QS on the day you currently have RR scheduled, and on the last Saturday I would do weekend BRUNCH at RR. Terrific food there IMO.

Nowhere near as loud as dinner in our experience. Entertainment starts early on that day (google Raglan Road brunch and find their page for it), too.

 

[Mainemama]

If you are already in DD, stick with RR. Your DD will love it. That said, I would do HDDR, too. You could add it to your CP MK day. It is an easy boat ride from MK. Or, I would personally bump a different restaurant to HDDR. It really is wonderful! When we have gone on the DDP, we have added it out of pocket so that we could do an earlier show (young kids) with CAT. 1 seating. If you can't swing that, maybe save it for another trip, but if you are looking for the show experience, I highly recommend it!

 

[Wood Nymph]

I agree that you can do HDDR on one of your MK days. It is a lot of fun and the food is good, too. It is a lot easier to get there from MK than it is from a resort or by driving. So I wouldn't do it on your Blizzard Beach day.

 

[frannn]

I would agree with the above and bump The Wave for HDD. You could pay for the CP breakfast OOP. This would be most convenient as far as location plus it is great fun!

 

[LilyWDW]

No way would I give up Raglan Road. My single favorite restaurant at Disney and it's up there as one of my favorite restaurants ever. Amazing food, amazing service, and just an overall great experience.

 

[JenMac10]

We did HDDR just the other day for the first time (may 20th) and it was our second favorite place so far! Just a FYI, we stayed at POR and took a taxi after freshening up at day at park. Its was $8.50 plus a tip. Honestly between The Wave, Raglan or HDDR I would choose HDDR.

 

[senadler]

We have never been to Raglan Road, but we really enjoy HDDR and have been 4 or 5 times. I think your DD is at a great age for the show, at that age my DS laughed non-stop at all the corny jokes.

I agree with others about going on a MK day, probably replacing the Wave.

 

[Shrill]

Wow: what great ideas. Ok, now you've really all got me thinking of a) maybe dropping the Wave, and b) maybe going on our first day instead of Epcot. Our flight departs at 9:30 pm on the final Saturday, so I'm wondering if we should do a park on our last day and do Hoop dee doo on our first day instead. I have some followup questions (please forgive my newbieness!)

1) How is the tier 2/ 3 seating? At this stage, we are only about 3 months out, so I'm not even sure what I could get. I don't think OOP for HDDR is an option. Is the show as good if you aren't right in the middle of it? Will my short daughter have trouble seeing?

2) If I were to move Epcot from the first day, and add another park day on at the end, how would you personally reorder our days, assuming they work with crowd calendars and I can move dining around? DD is very character focused so meet and greets will be important, but so will rides. I'm thinking 3 days MK, 2 days Epcot, 1 HS, 1 AK. Is that enough or do you think we will need the extra 1/2 day on the first day? We will definitely need that break day but that could possibly be Wednesday if we started parks on Saturday.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Ladcassidy]

Raglan Road is DD7's must-do restaurant at Disney. We've been to every character meal, and HDDR, so she has lots to compare it to!

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

We just did HDD for the first time on May 21 (8:30 show, cat 1) and loved it. DD7 laughed the whole time! (We all thought the show was funny, but I've never seen her laugh so much!) While we sat in cat 1, it didn't look like any of the seats were bad since the room isn't that big (and not all of the upstairs tables were even taken). The performers came out into the audience several times, and did go upstairs.

I generally don't prefer down-home type cooking (I gravitate toward Mexican or Thai cuisines), but the food was good. (Ribs and fried chicken are more my parents' speed.) My fam (parents, brother, DH, DD, and DS) enjoyed the ribs (I didn't eat any), and the fried chicken was good. They also served salad, cornbread, kernel corn, mashed potatoes, baked beans (with shredded pork in them), and brought out macaroni and cheese for the kids (not Kraft). I don't like shortcake, but ate the strawberries and it seemed like standard strawberry shortcake to me. Nothing special.

Our waitress (I forget her name, but she's from Spain) was excellent. Very friendly, and brought out drink refills before our glasses were ever empty. We got refills of beans, ribs, and corn, and she also brought those promptly.

I don't think we'd do HDD every trip since it is expensive and it's not DH's and my favorite type of food, but we enjoyed it and will return. We'd definitely recommend it.

Also, you might be able to split some CS meals and therefore not need to make extra TS ADRs (if you do have a couple 2 credit meals). DH, DD, DD2, and I often split 2 CS meals and had plenty of food (and DH and I aren't light eaters). You can get free cups of water at the CS locations, and they'll let you replace dessert with a second fountain drink instead, so we always had enough drinks for everyone.

 

[Tigger's ally]

for me, HDDR is a once a decade thing.
for me, RR is a once a trip thing.

IF you haven't been to either, I would do HDDR because it is one of a kind, especially with your daughter.
IF you are like me and prefer a big, Ice cold draught and Irish music, then I would pick RR.

Our trips are now kidless and so we will go with RR.

 

[NavyDad]

Hi everyone. Disney newbie here. Travelling with my DD (7) and DH.

I've made my ADR's and I'm torn. I'm considering replacing Raglan Road with Hoop Dee Doo. But that has financial implications: we are on free dining and already have an extra day to cover (we arrive at lunch on our first day, depart close to dinner on our last day), and we also already have a 2 credit meal (CRT). Also, I don't know how logistically possible this would be, so I'd like your opinions.

Here is our current schedule (POR):
Friday: Arrive around noon, Epcot, quick service only (probably x2 although we may eat at the airport)
Saturday: Magic Kingdom, BOG lunch, CRT for dinner
Sunday: Hollywood Studios, Mama Melrose Fantasmic Package
Monday: Animal Kingdom, Boma
Tuesday: Free day, probably sleep in (which tends to be no later than 8:30), Blizzard Beach and Downtown Disney: Raglan Road
Wednesday: Epcot, Coral Reef
Thursday: Magic Kingdom: late Crystal Palace breakfast (so hoping for lunch food too)
Friday: flexible, probably Magic Kingdom: the Wave
Saturday: Quick service only.

How much time and stress would it add to our "off" day to do Hoop Dee Doo? Is it worth it? Is it easy to get there from DD? Or should we be considering another option? Replacing The Wave maybe?

And if we did do it, I guess we would have to pay out of pocket for one of our table service meals? Which one is the least expensive on my list?

Thanks so much!

I would do Hoop Dee Doo on your Free day. If your DD doesn't mind staying up late make a later reservation. We like the last show of the night (8 I think). Our first trip we had kids 3, 7 & 11 and they all loved it! Parents need to go in expecting a lot of silly, folksy humor and they will have fun.

You can use a calculator but most likely you will get more "value" paying OOP at Hoop Dee Doo and using your credits elswhere. If not then just figure out which TS will be cheapest (CP I'm guessing) and pay OOP for that one...

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We did HDDR just the other day for the first time (may 20th) and it was our second favorite place so far! Just a FYI, we stayed at POR and took a taxi after freshening up at day at park. Its was $8.50 plus a tip. Honestly between The Wave, Raglan or HDDR I would choose HDDR.

That's cheap considering what it takes to get there...the bus...the wait for the boat...the boat...FUN!...the wait for the boat (or bus)...the Bus.

We enjoy the adventure of getting there from POR. Most time we boat it to WL and have couple then head over to HDDR.

 

[NuttyDisneyDad]

Raglan Road is my fav restaurant on property and Ive eaten almost everywhere.

 

[tinkerbella16]

I LOVE both HDDR and Raglan Road! I would keep both and replace the Wave with HDDR since you'll be at MK that day, it is only a boat ride away to Fort Wilderness. HDDR is a must do each trip and one of the experiences I look forward to the most. Raglan Road is just awesome.. food and atmosphere. My choice would be easy and just replace the Wave.

 

[mpetti]

My vote is for HDDR!! We do it every trip and love it. Non stop laughing. Love the food and the show. You have to do it at least once. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. We have done Cat 1 & 2 and the view was perfect. Next trip we are booked for cat 3. You will enjoy what ever you decide to pick after all you are at WDW!

 

[Trinity88]

Never done Raglan Road (it is on my list to do though), but we loved HDDR! I agree with the others, drop the Wave and do HDDR on an MK day. It's a quick boat ride from MK to HDDR. Getting there from DD would be a pain I think.

Oh, and I reserved less than a week before so we had cat 3 seating. It was perfectly fine! The cast does come upstairs. We sat in long tables that faced the wall and just swiveled our chairs to watch the show.