REVIEWED: Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground & Resort

We’ll be the first to say, we love to eat! We especially love the assortment of cuisines and dining venues at Walt Disney World. But, do you want something even better than the normal Disney dinner? Add a SHOW to it! That’s right – Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue features delicious food AND an entertaining show. We’ve experienced Hoop Dee Doo five times now, and each time is better than the last. Check out tips and details from our most recent dining experience below:

1 – It’s a “Hootenanny”!

First things, first! You’ll want to understand that Hoop Dee Doo is a family-friendly experience for those who like to laugh and have a good time. No Grumpy types allowed… although we’re pretty sure if Grumpy tried it, even he would smile! The Wild West rolls into town, and six performers fill the stage with music, humor, dance, and romance. You can expect some crowd involvement, so don’t be shy if you’re asked to help with a skit – although you can always decline. On our most recent experience, no one in our party of eight was asked to help. A gentleman was sitting in front of us that one of the female performers took a fancy too and was sure to acknowledge him several times throughout the night. It was sweet watching him blush! All four of us adults and the four kids were clapping, tapping our feet, and cracking up at the unexpected shenanigans.

Tip – Want to have a better chance of being picked out of the crowd? Be sure to reserve Category One seating!

2 – Getting There

Hoop Dee Doo is located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness, which makes for a perfect setting for this dinner show. It’s important to know you can’t park at Hoop Dee Doo if driving. You’ll park in the front parking lot of Fort Wilderness and catch a bus to Pioneer Hall, which is where Hoop Dee Doo takes place. If staying at one of Disney’s Magic Kingdom resorts, check to see if a boat is available to take from your resort to Fort Wilderness. A ferry also goes to and from the Magic Kingdom park. The boat docking area is super close to Pioneer Hall. Typically, we boat in, but this time we parked our car and took a bus. The bus trip was nice and easy and gave us a chance to see the different cabins and campsites throughout Fort Wilderness. We were sure to arrive at Fort Wilderness 30-40 minutes before showtime. We were early enough that the kids had a chance to play on the playground next to Pioneer Hall, while a couple of us adults checked out the Settlement Trading Post gift shop.

Tip – If you don’t want to boat or bus, you could always pay for a Minnie Van. Minnie Vans can drop guests off right at Pioneer Hall.

3 – Come and Get It!

Upon arrival at Pioneer Hall, you’ll want to check in with a Cast Member at the Hoop Dee Doo podium. Some people start lining up to get in at that point, but what many don’t know is that your seats are already assigned, so the line really doesn’t matter unless you’re just super eager to get in! The Chef opens the doors, rings the dinner bell, and yells, “come and get it.” Our party of eight shuffled in, and one of the servers guided us to our table. Inside Pioneer Hall is rather beautiful with its rustic and log cabin décor. Two musicians are in the front corner near the stage playing the piano and strumming the guitar. There are several floor seats with some seating upstairs in the balcony. During this experience, there was no one upstairs, but we have seen this space filled to the max. The floor space was filled. The kids especially loved the swivel chairs! They are great really because if you’re sitting with your back to the stage, you can just swivel your chair around to watch.

Tip – Expect tight seating as you can tell they try to make enough space for the performers to walk through the crowd.

4 – Chowing Down

As soon as we were seated, our server was taking our drink order. Soft drinks, sangrias, wine, and beer are all included in your price, so make the most of it (we recommend the sangria)! Drinks came out fast, and our server was telling us to get started on the salad and cornbread. Everything comes in silver buckets, and you just pass them around the table as needed. The cornbread is AMAZING. Our celiac family member was super excited it was gluten-free, so he could have it too! Once everyone was seated, the performers arrived to kick off the fun. You can keep chowing down while watching them or take a breather from the food. The main dishes are brought out to music of course! We had BBQ pork ribs, fried chicken, baked beans, mashed potatoes, corn, and macaroni and cheese. Eat up because it’s an all-you-care-to-eat dinner. If one of our buckets ran low, the server was extremely fast at bringing out another without us even asking! The same goes for drinks. You know that sangria we mentioned above? Don’t be surprised if you’re on your last sip, and your server is putting another in your hand. Finally, the yummy strawberry shortcake arrives to cap off the meal. The way it arrives, however, is fantastic! Without giving away too much, be prepared to cheer for your server!

Tip – Plan to skip lunch or have a light snack only. It’s such a filling dinner, you’ll want to prepare your waist to enjoy it! 

5 – High-Spirited Entertainment

The performers are impeccable. They surely can do this in their sleep! The voices, the dancing, the jokes… they genuinely make the skits come to life right on stage. Even though we’ve gone five times now, it’s a different experience each time because of the performers. They simply know how to light up the stage! From “dad jokes” to a touch of romance, you’ll be cracking up one minute and saying “awe” the next. Watching the kids’ faces and hearing them giggle was probably our favorite part.

Tip – Everyone’s favorite performer that night was Six Bits Slocum. We’ll just say, get ready for some bear jokes!

6 – Plan Ahead

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue has been a Disney World dinner show since 1974! The crazy thing is that it is still drawing in the crowds. While some nights are easier to get reservations for than others, we still recommend booking 180-days in advance. Showtimes are at 4:00pm, 6:15pm, and 8:30pm. Pick a time that works best for your family! Our most recent experience was a 4 pm which worked well with getting our kids back to the resort that night and rested for the next day. You’ll see when you book online, that the show has Category One, Two, and Three seating. For every experience we’ve had at Hoop Dee Doo, we have selected Category One seating. We personally feel like it’s a go big or go home experience! If this is your one-time doing Hoop Dee Doo, pay the extra for Category One. It’s also good to know that when making your reservation, your credit card is charged at that moment. This is one experience you’ll pay for before you arrive. Plus, the tip is included in the overall cost per person. If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you can not use your credits for Category One seating, but you can use 2 meal credits for Category Two and Three.

Tip – Do you have Tables of Wonderland? You can get a 20% discount credited back to your card for the 8:30 pm show. Annual Passholder? You get a 10% discount for up to three guests at any show.

Once again, Hoop Dee Doo, you gave us a memorable night. We can’t wait to load up the stagecoach and roll in again!