Hoop Dee Doo Review- help me convince my husband

[Hessie628]

Hi! We're heading to WDW in 2 weeks with my mother in law and DD 3. I was thinking of going to HDDR one evening with just my hubby since DD probably wouldn't last that long without a meltdown. I haven't seen the show in about 30 years I think. (I think I want to see it because I lost my mom in Dec 2015. We will be there for Mother's Day and my family always stayed at FW until we got DVC.) We are already doing a bunch of character meals. My husband doesn't want to spend more money on another expensive meal especially since we said we wouldn't do as many as we did in Aug. (We will have a kitchen.) Is HDDR worth trying to convince him? Thanks.

 

[Hopefully]

Before you even try, I would check to see if is available. It often sells out in advance.
We love it. We have gone as a family and as a group of 30 - 60 somthing adults and had a blast each time.
The food is good "down home cooking" but certainly not gourmet.
THe show is great - full of singing, dancing, audience participation and corny jokes.
Good Luck

 

[aebeauregard]

I love HDDR. I've seen it 4 times now. Twice as a kid and twice as an adult.

Once was just me and hubby and I'll admit I had a just ok time. It was our last trip day and I think we were just tired and getting there was a bit of a hassle. The show and food were fine.

A couple years later we took ou Dd2 and my parents with and had a blast. We were staying at the fort and did it on a scheduled pool/no park day. My dd loved it, and it was so much more fun with a bigger group and child I thought.

If it was me I'd probably just use an adult evening to go to a park together alone. Or think about doing a 4pm HDDR with everyone if you really want to see the show on this trip.

 

[danikoski]

I love HDDR. I would suggest taking everyone to a 4:30 show. You can eat dinner, then take the boat and head over to MK for fireworks or something.
The food is good, the show is great, and the whole experience is enjoyable. My husband likes to see how many buckets of ribs he can eat

 

[Coconuts]

HDDR is one of our must dos every trip The show is so energetic and fun, and such a welcome respite from the heat when you enter the air conditioned Pioneer Hall. We all have a great time even though we know the entire show. The food is great comfort food, ribs, chicken, cornbread, salad and we love the unlimited sangria and beer! That sure did help me last trip when my DD2 was having a meltdown! And you may be surprised about your 3yo; my DD would quiet down when they sang and absolutely loved the washboards at the end. Good luck!

 

[HopperFan]

Hi! We're heading to WDW in 2 weeks with my mother in law and DD 3. I was thinking of going to HDDR one evening with just my hubby since DD probably wouldn't last that long without a meltdown. I haven't seen the show in about 30 years I think. (I think I want to see it because I lost my mom in Dec 2015. We will be there for Mother's Day and my family always stayed at FW until we got DVC.) We are already doing a bunch of character meals. My husband doesn't want to spend more money on another expensive meal especially since we said we wouldn't do as many as we did in Aug. (We will have a kitchen.) Is HDDR worth trying to convince him? Thanks.

Some things are less about the cost and more about the love & memories that it will bring. His Mom is getting to go and spend Disney World time with your family for Mother's Day. And this sounds like a way for you to have a special Mother's Day with memories of our Mom at FW.

If it truly is too much money, then reduce your character meals by one. Your 3 year old won't even notice or remember, but you will remember a special dinner in spirit with your Mom.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

If he likes the hokey pokey he will be fine with it.

 

[bsj1701]

When reading about the show through online descriptions or reviews. It can come across as being incredibly lame, silly, outdated, and unsophisticated. All of which IMO are true. However, THAT is what makes it a must see! It is so unlike anything you have ever seen or would expect to enjoy, yet so many do, year after year, including myself. Tell him to take a chance. If nothing else, the food is pretty good!

 

[DisneyFive]

It remains one of our favorite experiences at WDW in our last 6 trips. The show is well done, the food hearty, and the unlimited beer and sangria are a major bonus. It's one of the lasting gems at WDW.

LOVE HDDR.

Dan

 

[amberpi]

Would he enjoy the hokey stuff, the loud atmosphere, and the family style food? If its just you and your husband why not make it a more sophisticated date night? Those kind of "dining" environments are NOT for me. I want exceptional food, a quiet, relaxed atmosphere, and I HATE antics, hokey rustic crap, comfort food (for the most part), and shared foo. Lots of people LOVE it though, and that's what makes WDW so cool, something for EVERYONE!!! But you should assess if your husband is ok with paying that much for fried chicken or whatever and honestly, if he's the type to enjoy it, or the type that wouldn't. I know lots of people that love places like 'Ohana, 50's Prime Time, HDDR but you have to know your audience. If you're doing lots of character meals, a nice quiet respite might be really welcomed by your husband and you can wait until your daughter is older to share your love of HDDR?

Is it a night for you and him, or for you to remember your mom? If that's the case, my answer would be different.

However you go - I hope its amazing and that the whole family has a great time!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

HDDR is a lot of fun and I agree with you, it's probably best to go without DD3. I first took my DS when he was 3 and he really couldn't sit through the whole thing. Plus, if cost is a factor, just going as a couple will obviously keep the cost lower. Honestly, if you need to tweak some things to fit this into your budget, I would consider dropping one of your character meals and doing HDDR with your DH. Your DD is so young and won't remember them (yes, I know you will and you will get cute pictures!), but this sounds important to you and it's Mother's Day. If DH really objects to HDDR, would you consider having dinner at Trail's End? You won't have the dinner show, but the atmosphere is fun, the food is good and you will be at Ft. W!

 

[Hessie628]

Thank you all! I'm still not sure what we will do. DD has a scary good memory and remembers way too much about meals and rides. It's been rough trying to get her to understand we are not eating in the castle this time. Lol. Pretty sure I can convince my husband, but now I'm thinking maybe we'll head over to FW and do Trail's End Buffet, walk around and then see the water parade if they have it. (He stayed there with his family too as a child and my FIL passed 3 months before my mom so it might be a nice thing to do.) If we do that he'll just have to promise we see it on our next trip- which means we will have to plan another.