Hoop De Doo??

[provencio]

Wanting to get some advice on this dinner show. It looks GREAT!! All the reviews I have read and the information I received from friends who have gone is wonderful. I have a couple of questions.. 1) if we arrive at MCO at 330 would our first night be a good time to book this? or would a day after AK be better. I have looked these re only days reservations are available. 2) We will be at AoA how do we get there? We will be relying on Disney buses. 3) Any suggestions for best seats or how to get them? Thanks everyone!!

 

[Shanti]

Here are the answers but not in your order:

1. Yes, you'll enjoy the show.

2. You do not get to choose your specific table. You choose a seating category when making the reservation (they're tiered by price, but it isn't much of a price difference, so choose the best available). Generally speaking, the earlier you reserve, the better the table you will get within your category.

3. I would book it for an evening after you spent the day at a park for two reasons: 1.) your flight could be late & other travel snafus could occur on arrival day, making you miss your reservation, and 2.) the easiest way for you to get to Fort Wilderness will be directly from a park (bus from Epcot, Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, or boat from Magic Kingdom). Only do this from a park you that you will visit another night for its evening show/fireworks or whose evening show/fireworks you don't care about. Otherwise, traveling from AoA to Fort Wilderness will require a bus ride from your resort to a park or Disney Springs, then another bus ride from that park or Disney Springs to Fort Wilderness. Two long bus rides, both ways. Yuck.

Keep in mind that any bus to Fort Wilderness will drop you off at the front of that large resort (an area called the Outpost Depot), and require you to catch a bus from there to the back of the resort (an area called the Settlement Depot) where Hoop Dee Doo is located. This makes taking the boat from MK the easiest option, as the boat drops off at the Settlement Depot, near Hoop Dee Doo.

Regardless of your choice, allow plenty of time for travel. If you arrive early you can walk the nearby beach or look at the animals at the nearby paddock.

 

[maryj11]

I just booked this for our first time. I have heard nothing but good things about it. What we are doing is taking the boat over on our Magic Kingdom day and then boat back to MK. We booked the 4:00 show so we would have plenty of evening time at MK.

 

[Shanti]

I just booked this for our first time. I have heard nothing but good things about it. What we are doing is taking the boat over on our Magic Kingdom day and then boat back to MK. We booked the 4:00 show so we would have plenty of evening time at MK.

Yes, this works as well. It will cut into your park touring time, but it is a crowded time of day, so not as bad as missing hours in the morning.

 

[maryj11]

Yes, this works as well. It will cut into your park touring time, but it is a crowded time of day, so not as bad as missing hours in the morning.

We are going to MK for 2 days so it wont hurt to cut in on park time. I do love the evenings at MK and we stay until closing. I figure we will leave MK about 2:30 to get out of the crowds and heat. If we are early we will look around at Fort Wilderness since we have never been there.

 

[Jhaberlein]

If you are going from MK, take the boat. It will dock close to Pioneer Hall versus having to take the internal Ft. Wilderness bus. There's a playground right near the dock if you arrive early. We went to the 4pm show and loved it. Without the 23 person conference group, there would have been a lot of empty tables. No one in the balcony our night. Hubby was chosen to be The Indian Scout and it was the highlight of the trip (in our boys eyes... ).

 

[CinderellaElla]

I looked on the Disney website and it looks like showtimes are at 4, 6:15, and 8:30pm. If you are taking the magical express from mco it can take about 1-2+hrs to get to your hotel, depending on how busy/long the lines are to get on the bus. Then you have to factor in the time it takes to check in, get a bus to a park either near your resort or near Ft Wilderness, then catch a second bus to ft wilderness (or boat from MK). Even if you have an 8:30pm reservation that would make a pretty busy and late first night! Especially if you are getting up early for the parks the next morning! haha!

I would suggest taking it easy the first night you are there. Check in and do a QS dinner either at the hotel or a nearby park. Then do HDR the day after

 

[minnie mum]

1. If your flight arrives at MCO at 3:30, you won't even get to you resort til 5:00. I'd recommend you do this on your AK day.

2. From either AK or your resort, take the bus to MK. Then take the boat to Ft Wilderness. Pioneer Hall is a short walk from the dock.

3. Select the seating category that you want. There are good views of the stage from all 3 categories. Your table is assigned as your reservation is booked. The earlier you book, the better the table you get.

It's a really good show- we've been going to it for almost 40 years and still love it.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Any suggestions for best seats or how to get them?

HOOP-DEE-DO-REVIEW, TICKET AND SEATING "411":
1) HDDR tables are prioritized in category by WHEN the ressie was made
. . . whether via phone or on-line.
. . . example: a Cat-1 ressie made in January gets a better table than ressie made in February
. . . example: a Cat-1 ressie made within 7-days of the show gets Cat-1 leftovers
2) Tables are manually assigned on 8th day before the show date.
3) Last minute ressies are assigned to the next open table in order.
4) There are no requests allowed for tables.
5) The earlier ressies are made, the better table location.
6) Exception: #044 & #045, kept for last minute handicapped guests.
7) Table numbers do have meaning,
. . . EXAMPLE: table #052
. . . 0 = floor-level
. . . 5 = fifth-row-from-front
. . . 2 = second-table-from-left (when facing the stage)
8) Tables may be moved around to accommodate number of guests.
9) Only one family/group is usually seated per table. *
10) Distribution of tables and categories, prior to any combining of tables.
. . . Cat-1 tables are main floor back to row8, they are the best seats
. . . Cat-2 tables are the seven tables in row9 on main floor
. . . Cat-2 tables are the last four on left/right wings
. . . Cat-2 tables are the eight rear balcony tables facing stage
. . . Cat-3 tables are the eight tables on both balcony sides
. . . Cat-2 and Cat-3 tables may have posts in the viewing way **
. . . Cat-3 tables require one-half of the table to turn around to see
11) DDP Credit Use
. . . 4:00pm show = 2TS for Cat-2 and/or Cat-3, no Cat-1 using DDP credits
. . . 6:15pm show = 2TS for Cat-2 and/or Cat-3, no Cat-1 using DDP credits
. . . 8:30pm show = 2TS for Cat-1, Cat-2 and/or Cat-3
12) Ticket Pick-Up:
. . . up to 7-days prior to show date at any Concierge or any Park/DTD Guest Services
. . . within 2-hrs prior to show-time only at HDDR Box Office at Fort Wilderness
. . . box office windows are to the left of Pioneer Hall at FW
.
* There are four large tables for big families. If there are no big families (which seldom happens), they will mix small families of 2-4 to fill the tables. This allows HDDR to maximize the seating, and revenue. If there are more than one group at the table, each group has its own "family style" menu items.
.
** I often assign seats for HDDR, and wince when I put folks behind pillars or have the pillars in their line-of-sight.

 

[provencio]

Thank you all. I am going with the reservation AFTER Animal Kingdom, I will try and get ct1 as there really is not too much difference in the price and take the boat from MK...... check this plan off my list

 

[Babsy]

Hi,

Sorry to hijack your thread, but I have a couple of HDDR questions:

1. Is there a vegan menu available at HDDR or do you just select from the regular offerings?

2. What is the cancellation policy?

3. Does HDDR accept TIW?


Thanks! This looks like a LOT of fun!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1. Is there a vegan menu available at HDDR or do you just select from the regular offerings?
2. What is the cancellation policy?
3. Does HDDR accept TIW?
Thanks! This looks like a LOT of fun!

1) They do serve Vegan. The chef has a limited number of veggie items and pasta to offer.
. . . these are pretty much pre-determined, with little leeway
2) Cancellation is 48-hrs, not midnight the day prior like other dining ADR's
3) They do accept TIW
. . . valid only for the last show
. . . if paid at full price, you get a rebate at the Box Office or your waitress can get you the rebate on your credit card
4) And, yes, it is a lot of fun.
. . . the show only changed when Disney altered songs to get away from paying royalties.
. . . some people go every year to the show.
. . . we attend about every-other-year or every-third-year
.

TIW NOTE, PER DISNEY: "For any Walt Disney World restaurant where reservations are pre-paid, please make sure to request the Tables in Wonderland discount at the time of booking for the discount to be applied. A valid Tables in Wonderland card must then be shown at the time of ticket pick-up to retain the discount. A refund can also be given at ticket pick-up if the Tables in Wonderland discount was not applied at time of booking. Tables in Wonderland discounts for show times are subject to change without notice."

 

[Babsy]

1) They do serve Vegan. The chef has a limited number of veggie items and pasta to offer.
. . . these are pretty much pre-determined, with little leeway
2) Cancellation is 48-hrs, not midnight the day prior like other dining ADR's
3) They do accept TIW
. . . valid only for the last show
. . . if paid at full price, you get a rebate at the Box Office or your waitress can get you the rebate on your credit card
4) And, yes, it is a lot of fun.
. . . the show only changed when Disney altered songs to get away from paying royalties.
. . . some people go every year to the show.
. . . we attend about every-other-year or every-third-year
.

TIW NOTE, PER DISNEY: "For any Walt Disney World restaurant where reservations are pre-paid, please make sure to request the Tables in Wonderland discount at the time of booking for the discount to be applied. A valid Tables in Wonderland card must then be shown at the time of ticket pick-up to retain the discount. A refund can also be given at ticket pick-up if the Tables in Wonderland discount was not applied at time of booking. Tables in Wonderland discounts for show times are subject to change without notice."

Thank you!!

 

[provencio]

Can someone explain to me what Tables in Wonderland is?

 

[Shanti]

It's a meals & drinks discount card that annual passholders can buy. Costs about $150.

 

[provencio]

Thank yoi

 

[TheRustyScupper]

It's a meals & drinks discount card that annual passholders can buy. Costs about $150.

1) Basically, you get a 20% discount, but the AUTOMATICALLY add back an 18% tip.
2) So, in practical terms, you save the tip.
3) However, it does have a benefit, in that booze is included in the discount.

 

[Babsy]

1) Basically, you get a 20% discount, but the AUTOMATICALLY add back an 18% tip.
2) So, in practical terms, you save the tip.
3) However, it does have a benefit, in that booze is included in the discount.

You actually save a bit more - roughly the tip and tax. Taking 20% off the top is more than the 18% added. The price usually works out to about the same as that on the menu. It isn't a huge savings and not really worth buying at $150. It was less than $100 when we last purchased one.
The 10% AP discount works just as well now, I believe, unless you are eating out a lot.

 

[rg35]

It's a meals & drinks discount card that annual passholders can buy. Costs about $150.

It's also available to DVC members.

 

[maryj11]

Is there a discount with the Disney visa from Chase?