Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue Review

The Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is held in Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness Resort. The easiest way to get to the main part of Fort Wilderness is to take the boat from either Magic Kingdom or Wilderness Lodge. You can take a bus to the resort, but from what I’ve heard this is a bad option because it is confusing. If you find yourself at Wilderness Lodge, you have some time before your show-time, and you would like to put a little exercise in your vacation, there is a trail between the two resorts. It’s a nice walk and it really makes you feel like you are in the wilderness. The trail will also bring you past the horse ranch at Fort Wilderness.

Once you have checked in at the barrel and taken a picture with the M-T boxes (if you choose to, that is) take some time to look around the area outside of Pioneer Hall. Right next store is Trail’s End Restaurant which has checkerboards set up outside. Between the marina and the Hall is a playground for the kiddos, across from the Hall is a small souvenir stand, and down the trail a little there is a larger shop.

This spectacular dinner show is offered three times a night, every night. The show-times are 4:00, 6:15, and 8:30pm. In my experience the listed show times are actually when the dinner bell will be rung and guests will begin to be seated. The only advantage to being at the beginning of the line is that you will make it to your table with cornbread and salad before others make it to theirs. The show will not start until the line is gone. So, if you’re not really in a hurry to get to your table, or you have kids that are still burning off energy, hang back a little.

A server will lead you to your table where cornbread, salad,  red table clothes, checkered napkins, and metal plates await you. The meal will be served family style during breaks in the show. So sit back, listen to the piano and banjo, and await the arrival of the Pioneer Hall Players.

The show itself is full of song, dance, and comedy. This show, which is two table-service credits on the Disney Dining plan has been around since the beginning of Disney World. Some people think that the show is tired and dry and that the jokes aren’t funny, but we think that this show is worth it and I have seen it four of the five times that I have been to the World.

Food

As mentioned above, if you are on the Disney Dining plan this show takes two table-service credits, and tax and gratuity IS included.

Since the show takes place at Fort Wilderness Resort and in Pioneer Hall, you can and should expect the food to be “country” fare. The meal includes cornbread, salad, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, mashed potatoes, cowboy beans, corn, strawberry shortcake for dessert, and drinks served in mason jars.

When you arrive at your table salad and cornbread will be waiting for you. The salad is simple with greens, onions, and tomatoes. The dressing is not too heavy or to tangy- it is a nice complement to the greens. The cornbread- I have a slight problem when it comes to cornbread – is quite delicious. It is crumbly, but not dry and has a great corn flavor. It comes with butter on the side if you’re looking for a buttery flavor, but the bread is great without anything added to it.

Your entrees and sides will be brought to your table for your enjoyment during the first break in the show. Be warned, depending on how into the show your server is, your buckets of chicken and ribs will be loudly plopped onto your table. Important- Remember, this is a family style meal – if you want more of something after what is on your table runs out don’t be afraid to ask for more. Be sure to save room for dessert though. 

The Fried Chicken is crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, just like you want fried chicken to be. We think that the seasoning is just fine the way it is, but we’re not big salt people, so if you like more salt and pepper in your chicken, you may be slightly disappointed.

The BBQ ribs have a slightly tangy sauce slathered on top that Howard finds a bit too vinegary and thinks that they have perhaps too much sauce. I think that they are just fine – I definitely go back for a least a second or third rib.

The mashed potatoes are well, mashed potatoes. You can tell that they are real potatoes, though, and not from a box because of the chunks and skins that can be found throughout. Yay for real potatoes! If you are one for over the top seasoning, you may want to season your own potatoes. Remember, they have to cater to many different tastes, and under-seasoning is most definitely safer than over-seasoning. This isn’t Food Network after all. For some added flavor mix the potatoes, corn, and beans together. The corn is your standard probably from a can corn, but there’s nothing wrong with that. The beans are in a slightly tangy sauce. If you mix the three sides together they make a great combination.

Towards the end of the show the dessert becomes part of the show. Look for your server; they may be up on the stage dancing with trays of dessert! The number of shortcakes delivered to your table depends on the number of people in your party. The strawberry shortcake is constructed of two layers of shortcake filled with strawberry “sauce” and topped with whipped cream. The shortcake itself is slightly sweet and is perfectly crumbly. The strawberries are perfectly macerated and form a sweet and delicious sauce. The whipped cream adds to the flavor and helps to cut through all of the sweetness. This is a must finish dessert.

Overall

We think that the food and the show are great and are definitely worth the two table-service dining credits or even the $59.99 per adult. It is also nice to take two hours to sit back and relax and not have any worries about wait times or fastpasses. We recommend that you either take the boat from Magic Kingdom or Wilderness Lodge or the trail from Wilderness Lodge to add to your relaxation and to immerse you in the “wilderness” before you arrive at the resort and the show. Taking the boat back from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom after the show also gives you a great night time view of the castle and the Monorail Loop Resorts. We will be returning to this show again and again.