Is the Hoop Dee Doo show good or is it a nostalgia thing?

[gottalovepluto]

Thanks all! Although I’m still torn, argh, lol. But leaning more towards skipping it. Has anyone done storybook dining by any chance? I’m between those two for a special night out

Storybook. HDD is a lot of corn. I thought my fam would enjoy it as we enjoy jungle cruise and CBJ but we all walked away feeling pretty meh. At Storybook the characters were kinda neat, the atmosphere was great and the food was great.

 

[Jen81NYC]

I think everyone has pretty much summed it up, but since I was just there I'll add my two cents. We went on NYE - my wife and two daughters LOVED it (ages 12 and 8), and I absolutely loathed the entire thing. The show is cheesy and corny - for the 1950's. For modern times, it's downright cringe-worthy. I thought the food was great, but my wife thought the food was terrible. So there you go. I'm not upset that I went, if only to know what everyone else has been talking about for the last several decades. But no plans to go back.

This is helpful but so sorry you disliked the show so much! I’m glad you at least liked the food because hating the show *and* the food would’ve made for a really tough night out! If you don’t mind me asking, what would’ve been your likely alternate plans if you hadn’t gone? Eg, was there another restaurant you would’ve booked? Or gone to a park or…? Thanks!!

 

[Pyxie]

Years ago the DL Horseshoe Review use to do snippets of the HDD. I've never been to WDW MK Horseshoe. If they do, it's an option.

MK's Diamond Horseshoe hasn't had a show for a very long time. It's essentially just another Liberty Tree Tavern right now (same menu and next door but separately bookable reservation).

 

[Jen81NYC]

Is the boat still not running from Poly to Ft. Wilderness. Take an Uber over and bus/boat back via the MK.

I thankfully don’t have to worry about transportation to HDD at least (knock on wood) since the boat from Poly to MK and then to Ft Wilderness seems pretty straightforward. Part of HDD’s (and Storybook dining) appeal for me is that they’re easy to get to or return from when staying at Poly, thankfully. No one in my family is a fan of big schleps, haha

 

[Maryrachel713]

If you’re only doing one, storybook dining is amazing. Personally I’d do that, but I think my 7 year olds would prefer hddr (and my husband).

 

[LiDa]

Hi, my ADR window opens up in a couple of weeks and I’m unsure whether to go for HDD—staying at the Poly for 6 nights in April, family of 4, two boys 7 and almost 10. I thought I was gonna try for it but a 2 hour show (plus at least an hour more with transport) is a pretty big chunk of one’s day!

I looked at a clip online and it seemed kind of corny tbh—in person, is it actually engaging to watch for 2 hours? Versus hanging out the Poly or doing a shorter ADR? Or is it a legit highlight not to be missed? I’m lucky to live in a city with a lot of shows, in case that’s relevant at all. Also, this is our last trip to Disney for at least the next 5 years.

Thanks!!

It is corny & silly & loud & raucous & expensive ... & I highly recommend it. This show is one of those Disney things that only Disney fans will understand. A lesser person might injure himself rolling his eyes thar far into his head.

 

[LiDa]

It is corny & silly & loud & raucous & expensive ... & I highly recommend it. This show is one of those Disney things that only Disney fans will understand. A lesser person might injure himself rolling his eyes thar far into his head.

And I forgot to mention: the food was nearly inedible -- still highly recommended. lol

 

[bigmac5]

Absolutely. Fort Wilderness is a wonderful place to spend time both before and after the show. It shouldn't be rush-in, rush-out.

What else would you suggest to do. We are thinking about doing the 615 show and my friend has a scooter if that makes a difference.

 

[DVCjj]

Yes, corny.
Yes, fun.
Yes, good food.

 

[cheryllarsen]

We loved it!

 

[cheryllarsen]

We didn't care for the food but the entertainment was great!

 

[Stratman50th]

Is the boat still not running from Poly to Ft. Wilderness. Take an Uber over and bus/boat back via the MK.

The wording of your question is a little confusing, but to answer the boat question,
No, the boats are not running between resorts. Only from resorts to MK and back. One of the things us Ft. Wilderness people have been waiting on. Unfortunately it doesn't look like there's any plan to bring them back. Not in the foreseeable future anyway.

 

[jvalic33]

I just got back and did the HDDR and Storybook.

Hands down, everyone would pick HDDR over Storybook any day, but our Dad got picked to participate in the show so that really sealed the deal for us loving it. This is our 3rd time doing HDDR. I have a bunch of kids in varying ages so this was the first year my younger daughter who was 3 the last time we did it could really appreciate it, but even my 15 year old son enjoyed it and appreciated the humor much more.

I'm not a laugh-out-loud type of person. I'm not a fan of slapstick humor, but the actors do a great job and keep you engaged. The singing is fun, the food is fun, and it keeps little ones entertained while they eat.

Storybook? Eh...we were HUGE fans of Artist Point and while the food is better than most character meals, it just didn't live up to our Artist Point expectations. Plus while the characters are cute and fun, it starts to get annoying that you can't put food in your mouth without someone showing up and having to take a picture, especially if the food is good and you all want to eat it. The Queen did not really interact with us other than to tell us to "go away now," as part of her being scary and we just went away because our desserts were on the table....

I think HDDR is something you have to do at least once. There is no way any of us could tell you to skip it because there is a much better chance that you would like it than not. One of my kids complained that they didn't feel like fried chicken but when it arrived, she gobbled it up, along with the corn bread (which would be nice if it were warmed) and the mashed potatoes which were surprisingly good.

 

[Jen81NYC]

I just got back and did the HDDR and Storybook.

Hands down, everyone would pick HDDR over Storybook any day, but our Dad got picked to participate in the show so that really sealed the deal for us loving it. This is our 3rd time doing HDDR. I have a bunch of kids in varying ages so this was the first year my younger daughter who was 3 the last time we did it could really appreciate it, but even my 15 year old son enjoyed it and appreciated the humor much more.

I'm not a laugh-out-loud type of person. I'm not a fan of slapstick humor, but the actors do a great job and keep you engaged. The singing is fun, the food is fun, and it keeps little ones entertained while they eat.

Storybook? Eh...we were HUGE fans of Artist Point and while the food is better than most character meals, it just didn't live up to our Artist Point expectations. Plus while the characters are cute and fun, it starts to get annoying that you can't put food in your mouth without someone showing up and having to take a picture, especially if the food is good and you all want to eat it. The Queen did not really interact with us other than to tell us to "go away now," as part of her being scary and we just went away because our desserts were on the table....

I think HDDR is something you have to do at least once. There is no way any of us could tell you to skip it because there is a much better chance that you would like it than not. One of my kids complained that they didn't feel like fried chicken but when it arrived, she gobbled it up, along with the corn bread (which would be nice if it were warmed) and the mashed potatoes which were surprisingly good.

Wow what a great and thorough review! May have clinched it for me! what dinner time did you pick? Thanks!

 

[jvalic33]

Wow what a great and thorough review! May have clinched it for me! what dinner time did you pick? Thanks!

We did 4pm but that was because we were coming direct from MK by boat and the night before we had a late night so I didnt want to kill us with a very long park day.

It was nice, however, to come out and still have some daylight. We hopped the bus after the show to the Wilderness lodge and stopped in the arcade and shopped and then made it back to our resort from there.

The kids were super hungry the next am so I might reccommend the 6 or 6:30 show, I cant recall the time of the second seating off hand. Originally I was going to book the six but I had reservation glitch issues and I wanted cat 1 seating.

Also I did the different seating over the years. You will still have fun with Cat 3, but if you can swing it, the possibility of someone in your group ending up on stage is much higher with Cat 1 and this time it worked for us and we will never forget it!

 

[stinkpickle]

HDDR was a hit with our group. Storybook was a disappointment.

 

[sethschroeder]

Would you say it was worth the 3+ of your evening it takes up?

What else are you doing during that time? If you are a open to close person maybe not.

For us it would replace an evening just having dinner and walking around Epcot (which we do plenty of nights). We don't do much for rides in the evening as we typically are done with rides by lunch, spend the afternoon at the resort, and then just have a slower paced evening.

The only real exception is when there is Deluxe/DVC late night hours then we plan on going to those parks for fireworks or right before close followed by a late night in the park.

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

We just took our two kids, 6 and 8, and they LOVED it! They had a great time AND the 6 year old got picked to go up on stage! Absolutely everyone in our family had a blast and laughed so much. It's really great.

If you're perhaps not into improv, it might not be for you. But it's a really good time and we plan on doing it every time we go to Disney. It's so much more than just dinner, it really is dinner and a show.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I know a lot of people who consider HDD their family tradition and wouldn't take a trip to WDW without it. We've thought about it several times because of all of the raves, even going as far as watching the full show on YouTube. I know it's not the same as seeing it in person and it's surely enhanced by the energy of being on vacation (as well as nostalgia/tradition for some), but we weren't too into what we saw in the video. If we found the menu to be more appealing, I'd be willing to give it a chance, but two of us are not huge fans of fried chicken and pork ribs will mean I'll get an earful about the superiority of beef ribs. We've also had one in braces each time we've considered it and meat on the bone is a no-no with our ortho. Sure, there's the "Beyond Italian Sausage," but I can't see spending $300 for any of this. We enjoyed the character interaction at Story Book and much preferred all of the menu options, so that's what gets my vote.

 

[gorkt]

For kids that age, particularly boys, I would pick HDDR every day of the week. It’s a must do for every trip for me, and I enjoy the show every time. We just went last night, and got sat next to the banjo player and piano player and both were phenomenal. It’s overall just a great atmosphere at pioneer hall.

I don’t understand people who say it’s super hard to get to. We left animal kingdom at 4:45pm, took a bus to MK, then took the boat to FW. We arrived at FW at 5:45pm. If you want to simplify it more, you take an Uber. I actually really like the boat ride over. If you do the 6:15pm show, you get to see the 8:15pm fireworks on the way back on the boat.

I get wanting to maximize your time at WDW, but honestly, it’s a great night out for a family at your kids age. Even if you don’t enjoy it, your kids will.