The Hoop Dee Doo Review: Which Category Should You Pick?

The Hoop Dee Doo Review is the best dinner show in Disney World.  It's goofy humor, great atmosphere, and decent food have made it a fan favorite for over thirty years.

Like most things Disney the Hoop Dee Doo Review has different categories.  In this case there are three different categories.  Category one are the tables closest to the stage.  Category two is a little further back and consists of most of the floor.  Category three are a few tables with obstructed views and the second floor.

For category one the the price is rather high considering what you get.  You get a great view but it's hard to justify the increase in price.  Also you cannot book category one if you are on the dining plan.

Category two is a nice balance between what you get and what you pay.  your view can be very good depending on where you end up.  Also if you book the latest showing you can use two dining plan credits.  Here are a couple of examples of the view you get from a category two seating. You can click the photo to see a larger version.

It's hard to argue against a category three seating.  If money is a consideration then do not hesitate to book a category three.  The Hoop Dee Doo actors go all through out pioneer hall.  Just because you are in the back or on the second floor does not mean you are left out of the fun.  You still get a great amount of entertainment and the service is just as good if not better than than the other categories.  I don't know if it's the location or what but when we booked a category three we got the best service we ever got at the Hoop Dee Doo.  Here are a couple of examples of the kind of view you get from a category three seating.

 

Now if you are concerned that the photos are zoomed in then check out this video.  It's not zoomed in and it gives you an idea of what the view is like.

Now for the bad of a category three - it's really uncomfortable.  If you are on the second floor they put you on seats that swing around so you can see.  This sounds good but you are packed in so close to the people next to you and the table that you cannot swing all the way around.  To see you have to turn as far as you can go and the crank your back and neck around to see.  When you book a category two you do not run into this. 

So there are the three different categories.  No matter what one you pick you get a great experience.

Disney On A Dime - Where to Stay

Families that want to go to Disney but consist of more than four members often run into a very difficult situation.  Value resorts really cannot handle more than four people.  In fact fitting four people into a value resort room is a challenge.  Moderates are a little better but five is really tight.  A deluxe resort would do but it's so expensive.

The other issue you run into is the extra fee.  For each person beyond double occupancy Disney likes to tack on a decent fee per person. This fee can make a deluxe impossible and a moderate seem over priced.  What can you do?  In most cases getting two rooms isn't a option.

What if I told you that you can fit six people into a spacious room with a separate bedroom with no per person fee?  What if I also told you it's on property and does not involve renting points off of a DVC member? Oh...and it costs the same as a moderate.

No I'm not crazy.  At least not that kind of crazy.  The room in question is cabin at Fort Wilderness.  Now these are great rooms that include a kitchenette, bunk beds, murphy bed and double bed.  They easily fit six and if you have an infant you could most likely fit seven.

The cabins are spaced out enough that noise isn't an issue unless you are near a bus stop and they can be really dark at night. 

Fort Wilderness also has some of the best recreation of any resort.   It has a lot of options that no other resort offers.  It also has the best dinner show on property in the Hoop Dee Doo, an on site trading post, and boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom.

Granted Fort Wilderness has a confusing internal bus system and it can be a process getting to some of the parks.  However I will say that it's still one of the best values you can find on Disney property.  I'm not just saying this.  I myself had stayed in the cabins many times and on at least four occasions have stayed in a cabin with a total of six people.

All I can say to close this out is hurry up and stay there before Disney finds out and wrecks it for us.

Photo of the Week - Hoop Dee Doo Review

If you've never been to the Hoop Dee Doo Review at Fort Wilderness, go. It's the best diner show in Walt Disney World. It's fun, the food is decent, and it's all you can drink alcohol. If you base the ticket price on Disney's alcohol pricing you'll make your money back right there.

Another View of the Hoop Dee Doo Review

On my 2008 trip to Disney World I did the Hoop Dee Doo for the first time in ten years and I loved it. On my 2010 trip I did it again but this time from a different seat and a much different show time.

Last time I did the 9:30pm show. There were a couple of problems with that. The first was the transportation doesn’t run that late so they have to make special arrangements to get you back to your resort. The second problem was the parents who kept their kids up that late with predictable results.

This time I did the 4:30 show. Most of the kids were ok but most of them really needed a nap. The crowd really doesn’t change much. It’s about the same at both times. The kids are a little fresher so you have a choice. Spend time with kids or spend time with kids who are half dead. The show itself doesn’t change a whole lot either. It was still good.

The food was as good as I remembered it. The ribs and chicken are great. The corn bread is some of the best anywhere. The beans are top notch. Even the salad is good. This time instead of beer I did Merlot. It was an ok Merlot. It was cheap but not so cheap that I got a headache from it. My wife did the sangria and enjoyed it.

Last time I sat off to the side and got a good view of most of the action. This time I was in the middle and could see everything. Both times I bought category two. That category seems to be the most bang for the buck. One key to getting a good seat no matter what category you are in seems to be showing up as soon as they start checking people in. They almost always change your table when they check you in.

Pioneer Hall hasn’t changed at all. It’s still a classic. It’s a nice inviting building that is perfectly decorated. You have to love it.

Is the Hoop Dee Doo worth doing again? Yes. I’ll do it every time I got to Disney World. It’s the best dinner show in Disney World. In fact I can’t think of a dinner show that beats it anywhere but then again I haven’t done a lot of them.

One of the Best Dining Deals in Disney

How do you find a great dining deal in Disney World? It’s not easy. The prices are high, the food quality varies, and the service can be all over the place.

For this overview I’m aiming for the overall package. For the money what gives you the best combination of food, atmosphere, entertainment, value, and service?

First of all most “Signature Dining” locations are eliminated. The price point is too high to really fall into the value category. I’m not saying some of them are not worth the money. They are just don’t fit the bill for what I’m looking for.

What about buffets? You can stuff yourself silly at an ok price.

Buffets don’t fit the bill either. The service isn’t that great, the atmosphere at most buffets isn’t good either. Then there is the food. Buffet food has never been top notch.

One of the best values in all of Disney World might surprise you. It’s the Hoop Dee Doo.

You might balk at that right away and say that’s too expensive. Consider this:

Atmosphere – Pioneer hall is great. It’s a nicely themed building and is very rustic inside.

Show – It is arguably the best show in all of Disney World.

Food – The ribs are the best I’ve had in Disney World. The corn bread is great. The salad is fantastic. The chicken is decent. Even the beans are good. The strawberry shortcake is awesome. Plus it’s all you can eat.

Service – The servers are very good. They even take part in the show.

Wild Card – Yes the Hoop Dee Doo has a wild card. It’s the wild card that makes it the best value. It’s all you can drink. Last time I was there, I put away four beers. At Disney prices that’s about $30 worth of booze. Considering that, I paid about $25 to stuff myself with great food, watch a great show, and get great service. Plus the tip was included.

To Pin or Not to Pin

You might not know this but Disney makes a lot of pins. You might not know this but people buy them too. Type “Disney Pin” into the search field on eBay and you’ll typically get about 30,000+ hits on any given day.

I have to admit, Disney does a great job with a majority of the pins they put out. Many are detailed, well designed, and really grab the eye. However, there are some pins I just don’t understand. For instance, they have pins of the bathroom signs. WHO IS BUYING THE BATHROOM PINS!?! Why!?! Why do you want to collect pins that have the bathroom signs on them? What kind of a vacation did you have where these cause nostalgia?

I don’t go overboard in the pin department but I do own a number of them. I have specific rules for the pins I buy. They have to meet certain requirements:

1 – Can be a ride I’ve ridden and enjoy
2 – Can be an event I was present for
3 – Can be tied into a Disney World vacation memory
4 – Can be a resort I’ve stayed at

To give examples of the above, I have a Splash Mountain pin because I’ve ridden it and enjoyed it. I do not have a Turtle Talk with Crush pin because I’ve never ridden it.

I own pins for the 15th and 25 anniversaries of the Magic Kingdom because I went to Disney on both occasions. I also own a Year of a Million Dreams pin because I was there for it. I do not own a 35th anniversary pin because I wasn’t there for it.

I own a pin of Pluto sitting on top of the Disney World sign because Pluto once stole my shoe and ran off with it at Chef Mickey’s.

I only own two resort pins – Fort Wilderness and the Contemporary. I’ve never stayed anywhere else. When I do I’ll add to that list.

There is only one exception in my collection. It’s a Grumpy pin. I’m not a fan of Grumpy but this pin was funny. It’s for a stout beer and says “always bitter.”

There are also a bunch of pins I’d love to get my hands on like a Horizons, World of Motion, Body Wars, Original Journey Into Imagination, Dream Flight, and the Time Keeper pins. I’ve seen some of them but I’m too cheap to buy them. They tend to be expensive. I normally don’t pay more than five dollars for a pin. The only real exception was for an Alien Encounter pin. I think I paid eight for that.