Should we try to fit in Hoop de Doo for a 5 park day trip?

[bluedolphin32]

I vaguely remember going to Hoop de Doo as a child. I’d really love to fit it into our May 2018 trip. We’ll be 3 adults and 3 kids, 4, 7 and 9. We arrive on Sun, have 5 park days M-F, and leave Sat. It’s our 1st time flying with our kids so we may be exhausted arrival day (we have a 6:45 am departure so we should be at resort by lunch) but part of me wants to try for Hoop that evening. We probably need to prioritize bedtime that night, though, to be ready for the parks. I’m sure we could fit it in another night, but I also want to be sure we get to see at least 2 fireworks shows. Thoughts?

 

[Pumbaa_]

My personal policy is to schedule nothing non refundable on arrival day. You just don't know. Your noon arrival could very well turn into a 5pm arrival if you have any delays.

 

[Capang]

I would choose one fireworks show and do Hoop especially if your kids are used to a regular bedtime of say 8 or 9.

 

[bluedolphin32]

My personal policy is to schedule nothing non refundable on arrival day. You just don't know. Your noon arrival could very well turn into a 5pm arrival if you have any delays.

Very good point.

I'm also trying to remember that for a lot of young kids, the pool is the highlight of the trip. So if we only do the pool and walk around at AoA on arrival day, they're already going to be having the best time of their lives! lol

I would choose one fireworks show and do Hoop especially if your kids are used to a regular bedtime of say 8 or 9.

If we only do fireworks once, what's the best one to see? I'm assuming it's the show at MK. What's your favorite?

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I vaguely remember going to Hoop de Doo as a child. I’d really love to fit it into our May 2018 trip. We’ll be 3 adults and 3 kids, 4, 7 and 9. We arrive on Sun, have 5 park days M-F, and leave Sat. It’s our 1st time flying with our kids so we may be exhausted arrival day (we have a 6:45 am departure so we should be at resort by lunch) but part of me wants to try for Hoop that evening. We probably need to prioritize bedtime that night, though, to be ready for the parks. I’m sure we could fit it in another night, but I also want to be sure we get to see at least 2 fireworks shows. Thoughts?

I agree with the others. I wouldn't do it on your arrival night. With 5 park days, are you going to MK twice? Are you hopping? If you want to go (and it's REALLY fun!), I would plan on doing the 4 pm show on an MK day. You can simply take a boat to Ft. W from MK and go to the show. You would be done around 6 pm and could just head back to MK for the fireworks that night if you're up for it!

 

[Capang]

Very good point.

I'm also trying to remember that for a lot of young kids, the pool is the highlight of the trip. So if we only do the pool and walk around at AoA on arrival day, they're already going to be having the best time of their lives! lol



If we only do fireworks once, what's the best one to see? I'm assuming it's the show at MK. What's your favorite?

I do like the MK fireworks and projection show but to be honest I’ve never gotten to see illuminations at Epcot because my 6 year old is just “done” at Epcot long before fireworks. Didn’t really care for Fantasmic but I think I’m in the minority there. I like rivers of light which isn’t fireworks but is very pretty. Again, I may be in the minority there again.

 

[Pumbaa_]

My personal favorite is illuminations. The music and the story is my favorite, since our first trip in 1998

 

[only hope]

I haven't seen the new fireworks at MK but Reflections is not as kid-friendly as a MK fireworks show. Reflections is a projection show about the history of humanity that has a small amount of fireworks, unless you go during a special time when they add a "tag" of fireworks at the end- like near Christmas. If you can fit Fantasmic! in too, that is a wonderful show for adults and children, especially for people fond of Mickey and other characters- there are a ton of them in the show.

 

[gharter]

We don't try anything significant on the day we arrive. we've run into too many time where flights are delayed or you/kids are tired after the flight.
We usually go to Disney springs and a restaurant that evening at the most. YMMV.
If younger kids are involved, I would be on the conservative side. You will appreciate it the other days.

 

[GillianP1301]

I always plan an ADR on arrival day and accept the risk of the $10/person penalty if our flight is seriously late, but I wouldn't do a pre-paid non refundable show, that is too big of an impact for a travel delay risk.

I would still recommend it during your stay thought. With 5 days and 2 late nights already planned for fireworks/nighttime shows, I would put HDDR on a night that you want to end things a bit earlier or closer to normal bedtime.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

How long is the show? We are wondering the same thing for a shorter trip.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

How long is the show? We are wondering the same thing for a shorter trip.

It's about 2 hours long.

 

[chris benton]

I vaguely remember going to Hoop de Doo as a child. I’d really love to fit it into our May 2018 trip. We’ll be 3 adults and 3 kids, 4, 7 and 9. We arrive on Sun, have 5 park days M-F, and leave Sat. It’s our 1st time flying with our kids so we may be exhausted arrival day (we have a 6:45 am departure so we should be at resort by lunch) but part of me wants to try for Hoop that evening. We probably need to prioritize bedtime that night, though, to be ready for the parks. I’m sure we could fit it in another night, but I also want to be sure we get to see at least 2 fireworks shows. Thoughts?

I'd think Hoop would be a GREAT dinner option. Get to your resort, settle everything in, hang around, enjoy the pool, work up an appetite, go eat like pigs, enjoy the show, and get to bed.

 

[vanillarum]

We are going to the world for a very short 3 day stay in March (our DS works at WDW and our DD did the CP program last August). We plan on doing HDDR on our MK day, as a PP has suggested. We have never seen the show. We plan on doing the 4PM show, then heading back to MK for the fireworks.