Hoop Dee Doo Review ?

[fun2bmomof3]

I booked and paid cash for reservations for Hoop Dee Doo Review on thanksgiving. It cost us 331.00 I'm having second thoughts about spending so much on one meal. Can someone tell me if it's worth it?

thanks,

crissy

 

[pamole]

Sorry i can't help, but here's a "bump"....

 

[danny1649]

If it was just the the food I would say no.The dinner show is great we have been several times and the show and food make it worth it to us.The food is good and all you want to eat Fried Chicken,BBQ Ribs,Salad,baked beans,hot bread,plus soda,coffee,tea,Sangria,beer,strawberry shortcake,all you can eat and drink buffet at your table.Plus if you have special diet let them know in advance and they will work with you on other food to eat.As always you may get many opinions on this and it may be a time you are going to have to try one time and form your opinion on if it is worth the bucks.To DW and I and two grandsons it was well worth the dollars for the experience we had at HDDR.

 

[Karen_N]

We went in 2006 with a 10 and 14 year old, and thought it to be just okay.
With so much Disney has to offer, with fabulous character dining and free shows in the parks we didn't feel the extra expense was worth it. The kids didn't care much for it either.
Just my opinion, save your money, and enjoy the parks.
Karen

 

[want2bamommy]

In my opinion it is worth it! I went with a party of 8 people. There were 5 adults and 3 kids ages: Boy 8 and girls 3 and 4 years old. DH and I have booked it for our Christmas trip and will pay OOP instead of using the Dining Plan.

The show is a lot of fun and the waiter makes a ton of corny jokes. My BIL loved the chicken so much that I he said to SIL "This chicken is so good you should put it in your purse" (for later, lol). I have a picture of his reaction and we were all laughing so hard. I personally do not like strawberries (icky seeds, lol) so I don't eat the Strawberry Shortcake but I know DH loves Strawberry Shortcake.

If you do keep the reservation I will be interested to hear about what you think when you return.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Missie

 

[DonaldTDuck]

I've been a 5-6 times and will be back there Sept 8. I love the food, the show is great, and the beer is Bud Light. Ok, as Meatloaf said, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. But it is included in the price.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I'm one of those who also just thinks it's just okay. Our family of 4 went in Dec. 2003 and we had just a so-so time. Granted, my 4 yr. old thought the jokes were very funny, but, to me, not so much. Very corny, but then that's what I expected. I think for me the biggest disappoints were twofold:

1) Even though the room was no where near sold-out, the tables they did seat where still so packed together that it was hard for the performers to work through. I can only imagine how tight it is in more crowded times. When we were there only about 1/3 of the lower floor was being used.
2) The food was mostly okay. Biggest disappointment was the chicken. It was okay, not great, and barely warm. When we did get a few more pieces from the kitchen, it was hotter, and definitely better. Lesson learned-if you don't like the tempature of the food, as for more.

Additional, I didn't like the fact that we were supposed to arrive so early and all we could do was stand around outside (early Dec-it was cold!) and wait to be admitted. The only thing to do was check out the jewelry for sell, visit with the horse (wagon rides for sale), or sit on the porch of Trails End Buffet if you could get one of the highy coveted rockers.

The performers were good, but IMHO, the food and show wasn't worth the price. It should be noted here that we were traveling with my niece who was a DL employee so we got a discount and I still thought the cost was too high.

So, these are my 2 cents, HTH

 

[kmjmom]

DD and I went last year for the second time and loved it. We lucked out and had a table in the first row. We enjoyed the foods AND entertainment. Guess we like our humor corny! When we started to plan this year's trip, she asked to return to Hoop-de-doo. Since we're trying out the DDP we're using to TS credits to go. We won't go quite as early as they recommend though since as the previous poster stated-you sit around too long!

 

[inloveindisney]

We went on our honeymoon and thought it was fantastic. I could have eaten a whole bucket of the salad myself, but wasn't all that fond of the the ribs or corn. The food isn't that spectacular, but I thought the show was great. Now, they included us in the show 2 or three times and I was invited on stage. That could be one of the reasons we had so much fun.
On the other side, after having such a great time, I convinced my mom to go and she hated it. They had a bad waiter that spilled a drink all over my sister and didn't even apologize for it. So, they have not had good memories from the event. They did agree, though, that the show was great.
It is quite a bit of money.
I do also have one thought to add. It is all you can eat, but they kinda take your food away after each course and there really is never an opportunity to ask for a whole lot more. Now, we aren't overeaters by any means, but we did want extra food a couple of times and we didn't get it because they were moving through the courses so quickly.

 

[mabenoab]

We've done the Hoop Dee Doo 2ce, the latest time just last week. My teenagers thought it was a hoot! We think of it as dinner & a show, to justify the cost in our minds. And we feel it was worth the price (I've paid more and gotten less at other WDW restaurants). I do think that one think that sort of makes it or breaks it (in terms of cost: value) is the waiter or waitress you get. The first time we went we had a very attentive waiter...our glasses were never empty, nor was the pots of food...Last week when we went, our waitress wasn't very good...Everyone at our table wanted 2nds on chicken & potatoes, but we sat & sat waiting for our refills. Then, when she was ready to clear dinner to prep for dessert, she literally took my son's half eaten plate away from him (he wasn't done!). My dh asked for coffee, and she never brought it.

We love the show, and the food is good but the value largely depends on the service you get, imho.

 

[GC&S]

We went last year for the first time and had a great time. My dd (4 at that time) couldn't stop laughing. She had so much fun. We loved it;food was good (except the corn was mushy). Our waiter was a blast, loved how the cast interacted with the audience. DD has requested this again so we're heading there in Sept.

I do agree about getting there early - what a waste. They tell you to be there 1/2 hr prior to the show - there is really no need for it. They don't open the doors until the specified time so if you get there a few minutes before you'll be ok.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[wildernessDad]

Since this is your first time, it's probably worth it, but not for the food. The food went down hill. It used to be good. The ribs were not fall off the bone, they were rip with your teeth off the bone.

 

[terri01p]

This is going to be one of those things that it just depends on who you ask if it's worth it or not...to me it wasn't. We went in April, we had chicken, ribs, cornbread, salad, baked beans, corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake for desert. The food was ok, not fabulous...couldn't eat the ribs they were so tough but the rest was good, there were 4 of us and they brought out a bucket of 6 pieces of chicken, well we asked for more and had to ask again for some more after that we were alittle embarrassed to keep asking, they only bring out a couple pieces at a time . The show was very corny and people seemed to love it, I just thought it was cute, I think also it had to do with where we were sitting, a pole blocked my dd view and that made it alittle stinky for us, plus we had to turn to see if we wanted to see the stage. I felt very rushed while eating, for what ever reason, I guess because it's a fast pace show and the way they bring out food and keep removing it. To us we won't go again...but it's just one of those things of who you talk to weather they liked it or not.

 

[BarbWB]

It was soooo worth it for us. We went in Jan 2006 with 4 kids (ages 2,4,6,8) and me and my mom on her 60th b-day. I booked wayyyy in advance and had great seats/tables on the second row. It is expensive, but so is everything in WDW. We have great memories of the night. My mom got attention b/c of her b-day and my kids really thought the show was hilarious.
It was the last night of our trip, so I expected the kids to fall apart, but they didn't b/c they were having so much fun. My mom and I love slapstick comedy, so we enjoyed the show, too. You just have to have the right frame of mind. It's pure, simple, and old-fashioned fun. My dh and his family went 25 yrs ago and, from what he described, I think the show is basically the same. If you like more intense entertainment and upscale food, it's probably not your thing. If you like slapstick and goofy stage shows with fried chicken and strawberry shortcake for dessert, you'll love it!!!

 

[MainStreetFireman]

As most posters have noted, there is alot to say about The HDDR. When we first went to WDW as a family in 2001 (DD: 7, DS: 5), my DW really wanted to do the HDDR as a childhood touchstone for her, so we did. It was big hit for us. So much so that we have gone back in 2004 and 2006 as well (including grandpa and grandma).

Will you like it? That depends on if the food or the show is more important to you. By itself, the food is good to very good, but without the show it would definitely be over-priced.

As for the show, think cornball and vaudeville humor and songs sprinkled with some classic American music (some great piano and banjo playing, a break featuring "Shenandoah"). Plus, you need to like getting involved. There is plenty of audience participation and sing-along.

If you are looking for just a meal, or a traditional show (like Beauty and the Beast in MGM), this may not be your cup of tea.

Our last time, I had to repeatedly "ask" (at increasing levels) that the father behind us shut off his child's video DVD of Spongebob that was competing with the volume of the show. As I turned around to thank him after my 3rd request was finally honored (right after dinner was served), they had already packed up and gone. But, even after having had to be the community parent for that family, we still had a great time.

As you will find the more you read, most posters are not wishy-washy about the HDDR. You either really love it, or you can leave it. We love it.

Good luck with you decision.

 

[slmcn66]

We are booked for the HDDR in December. I saw the show when it was still shown in the park and really enjoyed it. For all you regulars here is what I am struggling with: my ten year old son has an anxiety disorder and personalizes external actions. What is the audience participation required? It could really freak him out if one of the show participants approaches him?

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

I think it is a great idea. I have not eaten there but will be in Sept. But having been to the parks on Thanksgiving day, I think it is a great idea to step away from the chaos of the crowds, sit and relax and enjoy the show. Thanksgiving is a very busy day at the parks. MK closed due to full capacity when we were there. If you want to change it I would go ahead and start trying to make an ADR for seomething else now, before you cancel. I have had alot of difficulty getting thanksgiving reservations in the past. They go quick.

 

[MainStreetFireman]

I saw the show when it was still shown in the park

My DW remembers going to the HDDR in 1973 and it was at Fort Wilderness then. Maybe you are confusing this show with the Diamond Horseshoe Revue, which was in Frontierland?

As far as participation is concerned, the set-up is tables. In the beginning, the cast is all in and about all parts of the space, interacting with guests and involving them first in between verses of the song "Hoop Dee Doo", and then going out into the audience to interact with the guests and asking them where they're from in a song called "That's where they come from."

Later, they pick participants for a sketch, including, typically, a young boy around 10. There is also some more singing from the audience and, at the end, a raucous audience participation involving making noise on washboards.

You may want to talk to a CM about your concerns in getting a table towards the back and double-checking by making your concerns known at check-in.

Hope that helps a bit.