Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue Return: Prices, Seating & Showtimes
Walt Disney World has announced the return of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness! The dinner show has been dark for over 2 years, but will soon by back at Pioneer Hall, bringing with it family-friendly entertainment and an all-you-can eat feast. (Updated May 23, 2022.)
This news of the hilarious and high-spirited hootenanny that is Hoop-Dee-Doo returning is the latest in a string of quiet but incredibly optimistic reopening updates from Walt Disney World in the last couple of weeks. These include the returns of H2O After Hours at Typhoon Lagoon, Cultural Representatives in Epcot, and Minnie Vans rolling around the roadways. These might each seem insignificant, but some are ‘late-stage’ items that signify an acceleration in the return to normalcy at Walt Disney World.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t all been positive news. To the contrary, with the announcement of the New Hotel Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort came the reveal that Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show, a luau featuring traditional Polynesian dances, live music, and an all-you-care-to-enjoy tropical feast would be retired. Spirit of Aloha is essentially Hoop-Dee-Doo’s counterpart. Neither had reopened since the closure two years ago, and the Poly’s dinner show is now permanently closed as Fort Wilderness’ is on the precipice of returning…
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue was one of Walt Disney World’s original ‘upcharge offerings’, a show that was created to lessen the blow of decreased attendance in the wake of the 1973-74 Oil Embargo. It debuted on June 30, 1974 as a temporary summer show with a cast of college interns.
However, Hoop-Dee-Doo proved so popular that Walt Disney World scrambled to audition a full-time cast once the interns went home, and opened as a permanent show on September 5, 1974. Even that first permanent cast probably didn’t expect that would still be around nearly five decades later.
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue was an immediate hit with guests, and Walt Disney World Entertainment was auditioning a full-time cast by the end of summer. It opened as a permanent show on September 5, 1974. It’s now one of the longest-running dinner shows in the United States, with more than 40,000 performances.
While the show has been tweaked over the years, it’s largely the same today as it was in 1974, maintaining the same spirit of Americana and old-fashioned family fun served with down-home comfort food. That’ll remain true once Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue reopens in Summer 2022.
Per Walt Disney World: “Hoop-Dee-Doo will return with a few updates to its script and scenery, while staying true to the treasured experience the whole family can enjoy – with the hilarious, high-spirited entertainment that it’s been known for all these years.”
While I can’t recall anything that I’d consider objectionable in Hoop-Dee-Doo, it wouldn’t surprise me if a couple lines or visuals were deemed inappropriate and are being scrubbed from the show. Hopefully its irreverence and hijinks are left mostly untouched (and we suspect that’ll be the case–nothing about the show was overtly offensive).
It’s also possible that the creative team behind Hoop-Dee-Doo simply wanted to refresh some scenes and punch up some jokes, and that’s the only motivation for the changes.
Getting down to brass tacks, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue returns this summer to Walt Disney World Resort. If you’re hankerin’ for a seat at the table, Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) will be available via DisneyWorld.com and the My Disney Experience app starting May 26, 2022 for dinner shows beginning June 23, 2022.
Personally, I’m curious just how difficult Advance Dining Reservations will be to score for Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue. While many fans have been asking about this iconic dinner show, there are a couple of wildcards. First, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue will hopefully be filling every table during every seating, which is not the norm among other restaurants. That should help satisfy demand.
May 23, 2022 Update: Walt Disney World has released more details about the return of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue ahead of ADRs opening up later this week. First is times–Pioneer Hall’s doors open at 4:00 PM, 6:15 PM or 8:30 PM. Seating will begin immediately at these times; the show begins 20 minutes later.
Next is pricing. As you can see from the seating chart above, there are three categories, ranging in cost from $39 to $44 for kids and $66 to $74 for adults. Category 1 is obviously the best, but I’d rather sit in the front row of Category 2 than the back of the main floor. Category 3 can be fine, so long as you’re not too close to the stage as that can make for a tough viewing angle.
Walt Disney World also released transportation info, none of which is really anything new. Basically just a reminder that there’s no direct route between your hotel and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. The easiest option is driving your own car (this is the perfect use-case for Minnie Vans, assuming they’re back by then), but you’ll have to park at the front entrance and take bus transportation to Pioneer Hall. Allow 30 minutes for that.
Alternatively, you can take a bus to Magic Kingdom and then a boat to Fort Wilderness. Allow up to 90 minutes for all of that, from your hotel to Fort Wilderness. The best option is doing Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue during your Magic Kingdom day. The boat ride is a relaxing respite from the crowds, and gives you a chance to see sunset on Bay Lake, the Electrical Water Pageant, the evening lights of Magic Kingdom, or whatever else is happening–depends on which showtime you choose. (Our favorite is the first one, but then again, we’ve been training to take advantage of the Bob Evans early bird specials.)
Second, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue benefited tremendously from the Disney Dining Plan and Cast Member discounts. I don’t know what percentage of tables were filled via one or the other, but I’m guessing it was well above 50%.
We probably don’t need to remind you, but the Disney Dining Plan still is not back. As for Cast Member discounts, there’s no need to offer those if demand is healthy at full price. If forced to make a wager on it now, I’d predict that demand will be strong for Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue for the first few weeks, and then would level off and become easier to book. Not as easy as City Works at Disney Springs, but not nearly as difficult as Space 220 or Artist Point.
For those who are unfamiliar with Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, the reasons it’s so beloved among longtime Walt Disney World fans, and why people kept asking about its return more than any other restaurant (once ‘Ohana reopened), here’s a brief synopsis and capsule review.
The menu here features unlimited down-home comfort food, with likewise unlimited beer, wine, and soda. Prior to the closure Hoop-Dee-Doo offered three different view tiers, which vary by price. It’s worth it to get the Category 1 (main floor) seating to be in the center of the action. Conversely, if you don’t like being “picked on” you might want to opt for Category 2 or 3 balcony seating to be safe.
The concept of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is simple: you’re a guest watching a traveling vaudevillian troupe of performers know as the Pioneer Hall Players for a 2-hour variety showing consisting of Wild West dancing, singing, cornball humor, and improvised audience-centric comedy acts.
The show features Claire de Lune, Johnny Ringo, Dolly Drew, Six Bits Slocum, Flora Long and Jim Handy on stage in defined ‘roles’ that allow them to play off of one another and the audience to present an eclectic show. Even though this “same” show has been running multiple times for decades, it manages to remain fresh and enjoyable on repeat viewings.
This is, in part, thanks to the audience. Guest participation is a big element of the show, and the performers here do a great job of working the crowd, choosing easy marks who are most likely to give the reactions they’re after. It also helps that Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue has a lot of regulars in the crowd.
From older couples who visit every year to families whose kids grow up on it to College Program students who visit a couple times a year on Cast discounts. The crowd feeds off of the performers’ energy, and vice-a-versa, and it’s really nice to have an audience that doesn’t just stare blankly at the performers.
Like so many Walt Disney World fans, I have personal history with Hoop Dee Doo. Before Shades of Green opened, my family’s Walt Disney World ‘resort’ of choice for our annual trip was Fort Wilderness. Part of that tradition was seeing Hoop-Dee-Doo every year, something that I remember being a hoot for me as a kid.
Sarah and I have since seen Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue a few times as adults and have had a blast. The good, clean fun style of wit is almost universally appealing, so you probably won’t find too many people (aside from too-cool teens) who don’t enjoy Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue to at least some extent.
This show wouldn’t be such a long running hit if most guests didn’t enjoy it. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is absolutely, unironically hilarious, and regular readers should have a good idea of my idea of humor by now.
As for the all-you-can-eat feast, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue shares a kitchen with Trail’s End Buffet next door, and literally everything served at Hoop-Dee-Doo is also on the dinner buffet at Trail’s End.
Basically, the food at the Musical Revue is an abridged, family style version of exactly what’s available at Trail’s End–plus unlimited booze. There’s nothing wrong with this. As we noted in our Trail’s End Buffet Dinner Review, it’s one of our favorite–and most underrated–buffets at Walt Disney World. (Note: that’s the normal buffet at Trail’s End, which is what we’d expect to return by the time Hoop-Dee-Doo reopens.)
Hoop Dee Doo serves what amounts to a ‘best-of’ the Trail’s End buffet.
In addition to the crowd-pleasing favorites of fried chicken, ribs, and mashed potatoes, be sure not to overlook the corn bread. It is not just pointless filler here–it’s delicious. The strawberry shortcake is also a fan favorite.
Ultimately, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is a quintessential Vacation Kingdom of the World experience that every die-hard Walt Disney World fan should do at least once. It is absolutely fantastic to hear that it’s returning, even if a bit later than we would’ve liked to see. This is especially true after the big blow earlier this month in losing Spirit of Aloha.
While the hokey humor won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue has something for nearly everyone. The performers are incredibly talented, the audience engagement gives it a great energy, and it’s a good meal. Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog (or somehow actually finds my “humor” to be funny) is pretty likely to appreciate Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.
To recap, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue returns on June 23, 2022 at Fort Wilderness. ADRs go live starting on May 26, 2022 via the My Disney Experience app and DisneyWorld.com. Expect minor changes to the script and scenery, but the food and fun should largely remain unchanged in this classic piece of Vacation Kingdom entertainment!
On a tangential note, it’s great to see so much entertainment starting to return to Walt Disney World. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is just the latest, joining other recent entertainment offerings like the Festival of Fantasy Parade, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, and Adventure Friends Cavalcade. Other shows will be coming back later this year, including Fantasmic! and a fresh spin on a guest favorite, Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
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Your Thoughts
Are you a Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue fan? If you’ve done this Walt Disney World dinner show, what are your thoughts on it–both the food and the fun? Anxiously awaiting the return of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I thought we heard, just a few days ago, that the revue would NOT be back! Was there an outcry? Must have been. Personally, I feel the Polynesian Luau is a better show but I hated the idea that Hoop-Dee-Doo would not be coming back. I want BOTH shows to return! I guess Bob Paycheck had other ideas.
So excited to hear that it is back ! Just to be clear can we make a Resv. on May 26th for Oct 2022 or is it a 60 day thing ? I love your blog link to all my friends !
Happy to hear Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is back.
We had both ADR for both Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue & Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show for our Sept 2020 trip – so sorry we will never see luau show. And, so sorry to hear about the Poly Tower – afraid it will forever change the Poly. Love the 80s Walt Disney
My wife and I have attended the show several times, but not since 2019 (or 2018?). We will have to add the show to our October vacation itinerary. We’ll be staying at Wilderness lodge for the last 4 days of our trip.
Yes!!! Just in time for our late June trip. I have one of those Too-Cool teens and even she enjoys it. It was a real bummer this was closed on our last few trips so we will make sure to snag a reservation for our next one. Thanks for the heads up Tom!
Great news indeed. No trip to WDW would be complete without taking in Hoop-Dee-Doo!!! My prayers went unanswered last May when we went sans HDD Revue. Finally Disney World is getting back to wonderful/normal!
This is our favorite thing to do for dinner. We started going on our honeymoon in 1984. We never miss it when we are at Disney . I’m thrilled to see it back. This show not being reopened was a deciding factor on cancelling. Feb trip. With all the other restrictions not being able to go to the Hoop De Doo was the deciding factor to cancel.
So glad to hear “Hoop” is returning. We are local and plan on getting a group together and enjoy the fun again! Thanks for the great report Tom!!!
I shared this update at dinner and my kids started twirling their dinner napkins!! We’re staying at the Fort in August and have been fervently wishing for HDD to return in time.
So excited for this news, but just wished they were bringing it back a little sooner for our end of May trip at Fort Wilderness. Just have to add it to the list for 2023!
Not sure if opening reservations with a 28 day notice is a great idea or a terrible idea, but this returns two great WDW restaurants, with the return of the normal buffet at Trail’s End thanks to the shared kitchen with Hoop-Dee-Doo! (No more just sampling cornbread and strawberry shortcakes at P&J!)
Happy to hear Hoop de do is returning. When will the buffet at Trails end return. We were there last weekend and it was still family style service. The family style food there is nothing near as good as the buffet was. And 3 parfaits for 4 people was a bit short compared to the selections that were once on the buffet. Please let us know when the good buffet will return.
My hope/assumption is that Trail’s End goes back to normal when Hoop-Dee-Doo returns.
So glad about this……but where is the dining plan?
Back in the day, the review was in the Diamond Horseshoe and there were no online reservations. I rushed to the “shoe” as soon as the park opened to sign up for a seat at an upcoming show that day.
As late as the early 1980s, there was a Diamond Horseshoe Revue AND a Hoop-Dee-Doo! We only did one on each trip, though. After that, the Diamond Horseshoe entertainment was at least slightly different each visit we made until the mid-1990s or so.
Big H-D-D fans at our house where we have a long string of the 2 x 3-inch photos of us and our friends at the old barrel out front.
Only downside is that the ribs got drier and drier as the years went by – didn’t stop us from going back again and again.
Looking forward to doing it again.
Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog (or somehow actually finds my “humor” to be funny) is pretty likely to appreciate Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue….
Well, I can’t think of a better endorsement..
Just tried to do an advanced booking. Not listed anywhere on Disney’s website. Will it be a 60 day restaurant advance or is it like Up close with Rhino’s which can be done a number of months in advance?
I believe I read that reservations open May 26th for shows beginning June 23rd.
Reservations available starting May 26.
Thanks everyone. I was so excited by this news that I skimmed it to quickly in order to book it and missed that part. I should have gone back and re read it as Tom would never leave such an important part out.
I first saw this show in 1980 and as a 3 year old was brought up on stage (my mom still has the grainy photo somewhere) I love that 40+ years later it’s essentially the same experience and so uniquely Disney. This makes me so happy I was very nervous it was a goner.
About time.
I am a parent of one of those “Too-Cool Teens” and even she loves this show! Some of the best news to come from Disney World in quite a while! It feels like Christmas morning!