Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Prices Revealed & Dining Reservations Open (UPDATED)
Walt Disney World has revealed the official menu, including adult and children’s pricing, for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant in Hollywood Studios. Additionally, we have details about the Advance Dining Reservation drop and–surprise, surprise!–it did not go smoothly!
For those who are unfamiliar with it, the idea behind Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant is that Andy and all of his toys are inviting guests to participate in the fun of a backyard barbecue. However, we do not mean the walk-around variety when referring to Andy’s toys. Toy Story Roundup Rodeo Restaurant is NOT be a character meal! Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the other characters will continue doing meet & greets around Toy Story Land.
Rather, Roundup Rodeo is a regular all-you-care-to-enjoy, family-style restaurant with an art style similar to that of both Toy Story Mania and Slinky Dog Dash. Andy has built a rodeo restaurant consisting of Woody’s Roundup toys and other playthings. To create the restaurant, he cut and taped cardboard boxes together to create a new rodeo arena.
Previously, Walt Disney World announced that Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ opens on March 23, 2023 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In preparation for that, Advance Dining Reservations were to be released on February 21, 2023 for the opening period (not just opening day).
Given the wording thus far, you can probably guess how that went if you have any experience with past ADR drop days for new or returning Walt Disney World restaurants or dining experiences…
February 21, 2023 UPDATE: Advance Dining Reservations have now opened in FULL for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant, going live at about 10 am EST. Word quickly started to get out, and the system slowed to a crawl and frequently errored out as a result.
On a positive note, we were able to make reservations after a few tries at around that time, again at 11 am, and once more at 1:30 pm EST. As of the time we last checked, there was still scattered ADR availability for select dates at Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant.
If you were unable to get what you want, or simply missed the ADR drop, we’d encourage you to check back later today, this evening, and tomorrow morning. It’s likely that many Walt Disney World planners scrambled and booked more than one reservation and will cancel their extra(s) in the coming days as they figure out their actual plans and what they need/want. Good luck!
Next, let’s take a look at the official menu with pricing for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant:
The pricing here surprises us...in a good way! For an in-park, all-you-can-eat restaurant, $45 for adults and $25 for kids is surprisingly affordable. If you recall, our guess for prices was $55/$29 on the low end and as high as $59/$39 on the high end.
This is so low that it has us suspecting that Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant will be Regal Eagle caliber cuisine, but in all-you-can-eat, table service form. I wouldn’t even be mad–Regal Eagle is quality stuff, and an unlimited version of that as a sit-down restaurant for $45 sounds about fair to me.
Anyway, as we’ve indicated previously, Advance Dining Reservations demand is going to be sky-high for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant and you’ll want to book reservations ASAP. Regardless of how good or bad the cuisine or themed design ends up being, this will be the most popular restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios because Toy Story.
Again, this will be the most competitive ADR for Disney’s Hollywood Studios going forward, and probably one of the most coveted ones in all of Walt Disney World. Suffice to say, you will want to have a plan of attack if you’re hoping to score ADRs for the initial opening period. See our Top 10 Tips for Booking Difficult Advance Dining Reservations, specifically numbers 9, 8, 6, plus 5 and 4 if you’re booking further into the future. (What follows is the original article detailing the ADR problems…)
It’s difficult to tell what, exactly, happened with the ADR drop for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ. As has been the case in the past, it appears that availability was released early and trickled out starting sometime between 5 am and 5:30 am.
This happens a lot–we’ve seen precisely this occur with Artist Point, Space 220, Fantasmic Dining Packages, and Candlelight Processional. In other words, ADRs going live before 6 am EST and in a slow-drip manner is not unprecedented. To the contrary, it is very…precedented.
My assumption is that Walt Disney World recognizes that demand will far exceed availability, and purposefully loads reservations early to reduce strain on its servers and get the whole ordeal over with. Or it could be the same mistake/accident being repeated over and over again. Given the track record with Disney IT, just about any explanation is plausible.
Whenever this does occur, we always hear from readers who claim that Advance Dining Reservations never opened. In reality, what usually happens is that they did open, but were gone so quickly–and all before 6 am–that a lot of Walt Disney World vacation planners never even saw them. For a new restaurant, there’s exponentially more demand than there is ADR supply, and thousands of people are online simultaneously hitting refresh and booking quickly.
The story is somewhat similar here, but with an odd twist. Advance Dining Reservations were available briefly, but I truly do not believe they were released in full. Now, I recognize it’s possible I’m making precisely the same mistake as those aforementioned readers–confusing what I saw (or didn’t see) with what actually happened (or didn’t happen). But here’s the evidence…
First, we didn’t see anything ourselves outside of opening day, and we checked a range of dates when we had the chance. At one brief point, we could have booked opening day, but nothing else. (We can’t do opening day, so we didn’t even try for that. Maybe it would’ve errored out or not let us book that, either.) We know all of the ‘tricks’ for making difficult ADRs, and have never been totally shut out before. This would be a first.
Second, we’ve heard from many readers–more than normal–who were unable to book anything. By contrast, we have not heard from a single person who had success in booking Advance Dining Reservations for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant. Usually, amongst all of the defeat, there are a few people who emerge victorious in booking ADRs.
Finally, Walt Disney World has actually updated the official website for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant to remove the reservation button and add this language: “Check back on February 21, 2023 for information on how to book reservations.”
Even after Advance Dining Reservations fully book, that usually does not happen for the simple reason that more ADRs are released on a rolling basis, every day thereafter. To my knowledge, Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant is not a limited time pop-up location (even though it kinda looks like one!). It’s going to be operating on an ongoing basis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Honestly, I don’t know where this leaves us. To the best of my recollection, Walt Disney World has not had an issue like this with Advance Dining Reservations anytime recently. (The closest thing was probably the delayed release of Fantasmic Dining Packages.)
However, it has happened at Disneyland and I can tell you how that played out: ADRs were simply dropped later in the day, totally at random and without warning. Those filled up pretty quickly, with reservations being gone by the time ‘heads up’ reports hit social media and blogs. Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant is sure to be more popular than any returning restaurant at Disneyland, so if this is how things go, expect ADRs to be gone instantaneously once ADRs do drop in full.
Hopefully, what Walt Disney World does is reschedule the Advance Dining Reservation release date for this restaurant. While that’ll mean another early wake-up call for all of us, it’s exponentially better than sitting online for hours in the hopes of being there for a stealth drop.
Compounding the popularity of all things Toy Story is the fact that Roundup Rodeo BBQ is opening on March 23, 2023, which is during the heart of spring break season at Walt Disney World. It’s just after local school breaks conclude, but it’s still before Easter–the peak week of spring break.
Frankly, that doesn’t matter that much. Roundup Rodeo Restaurant could open during the slowest week of 2023, and it’ll still book up in minutes. This restaurant will likely be on par with Space 220 Restaurant at EPCOT in terms of demand. And that’s despite it not having a highly-themed or immersive component. Toy Story Land is incredibly popular, and people love barbecue.
Ultimately, we shall see what happens next with this Advance Dining Reservation saga for Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant. After a relatively quiet 6+ months free of Disney IT woes, this is now the second time in the last week that there has been a release with major issues (TRON Lightcycle Run’s AP preview being the other–not to get conspiratorial, but I think there were unpublicized issues with that given my own problems with the virtual queue). Feels like things are back to “normal,” in a way. Oddly reassuring, even. (Okay, not really.)
In any case, we’re just glad that Toy Story Roundup Rodeo BBQ will finally open on March 23, 2023. So long as we’re able to secure one, we’ll be booking an Advance Dining Reservation for shortly after opening night–so stay tuned for a full restaurant review coming soon!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What do you think about the addition of a table service restaurant to Toy Story Land? How does the menu look to you? Excited to dine at Roundup Rodeo BBQ Restaurant starting on March 23, 2023? Thoughts on its themed design and details as compared to other exquisitely Imagineered restaurants at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Do you agree or disagree with our thoughts? 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!
On Tuesday morning, my TA was able to score us a lunch reservation for Friday April 21. The email notification has a time stamp just after 9am, but I’m not sure if that’s when she booked it or not. She tried for a number of her clients and was only successful with a few.
Hello Tom. Thank you for your recent updated news re:Toy Story Rodeo. I logged in at 5:45am and everything was gone. However, the night prior, I found an open slot for Hollywood & Vine. Grateful.
I’ve visited WDW throughout the years, and always had a great time. Thus far, I’ve encountered more IT issues than you may imagine. Not on my end but rather on Disney’s IT end. The issues have been resolved after many phone calls and some diligent cast members.
Bob Igor, instead of further expansion, how about putting an IT system in place that actually works! And, how about compensating your Cast Members with an equitable salary and benefits.
So disappointed and our trip isn’t until April.
I was reading the menu and it seems like it’s not really “all you care to enjoy”. My family is already arguing over which sides to choose because they limit you to four.
I tried to secure a reservation from 2:45am until about 3:30am west coast time with no luck, gave up went back to sleep and woke up at 6:50am ish to availability on the 28th of March for dinner at 4:30pm!!!! Wohooooo, never did I think I would be successful in securing a reservation.
Mixed feelings on this. I know the food will be a disappointment compared to what we make at home. That’s why I only get the filet at restaurants; everything else is subpar. You should’ve seen the turkey breast and tri-tip we smoked this weekend! And yes, we buy whole tenderloins and cut our own filets at home. But yes, I know we will try it at some point, just because, and maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Can’t say home smoked turkey breast does much for me, but you DEFINITELY have my attention with the tri-tip.
And I’m guessing you will not be pleasantly surprised by this, but who knows!
Well I’m willing to give it a chance! Smoked turkey is delicious! For our office Christmas dinner last year, I smoked two turkeys, then deep fried one of them. Everyone loved it, moist and smoky…
On the tri-tip, we cook them like a brisket. A smaller brisket. This one was about 4#. No brining this time. Season liberally all over. We use a mix of equal parts salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and add a little cumin, sometimes paprika. Don’t be shy because a lot will fall off when you move it and then spraying it. We run pellet smokers, Traeger and Pit Boss. Place a couple of small aluminum mini-loaf pans of water inside. Normally we use a 50/50 blend of hickory and mesquite pellets. This one we smoked at around 225-250 for 4 hours, spraying every half hour with a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and apple cider or juice, then wrapped in BBQ paper (pink paper, peach paper, etc) and smoked for another 3+ hours. Then wrapped tightly in foil and towels and placed in an ice chest overnight. The next day, we unwrapped it and it was still quite hot, placed back on smoker rack to make a little bark on the outside. Maybe 2 more hours. Let it rest, then sliced… Moist and falling apart, difficult to slice it was so tender!
We do filets and ribeyes by searing the outside, season with salt and pepper, smoke at 225 on each side for 30-45min (longer for the thicker ribeyes, less for smaller filets), remove and cover, then crank the heat up to 400+/-, and set back on grill for 2-6 minutes each side, depending on how done folks want it. I feel 6 min is too much personally. On the ribeye, the marbling fat renders nicely and there are no gross fat nodules left in the meat.
Funny story, the boss used to make the main dish meat for our office potlucks. Until I brought in some stuff and thereafter got nominated to cook. I was worried she would be offended but she’s happy to pay for the meat, so now I make stuff. Ooh, here’s another party pleaser. Take pork tenderloins, slice lengthwise partially thorough twice like a Z and fold out flat. Pound flatter if you like. Smear with cream cheese, finely-chopped green apple and jalapenos, garlic powder, a little salt. Roll tightly then wrap with bacon and tie closed with string. Cook in smoker for about an hour at around 275-325 until the meat is 165 inside. Let rest, cut strings off, slice and serve. It helps to wrap tightly with butcher paper before trying to slice it.
And finally, slice fresh jalapenos lengthwise and clean out. Stuff with a mix of cream cheese and sharp cheddar, add a L’il Smokie, then wrap with a slice of pre-cooked bacon (Costco has better stuff, slices are thicker) held with a toothpick. If you use raw bacon it will never get done enough. Smoke around 180-225 for an hour or so, until the jalapeno still has some crispiness left.
I want to ask you about best books and not-to-miss stops and such on Scotland and Ireland, but that’s for another blog… Dad will be 71 this year, and he wants to go and see where his family came from.
“After a relatively quiet 6+ months free of Disney IT woes…” gave me a chuckle. You obviously didn’t sign up for the return of the Disneyland runDisney races last week when the link did not go live at 10:00 a.m. EST as advertised. At least it wasn’t a couple hours later like Marathon Weekend registration last spring, but still it was delayed for 20 – 25 minutes or so where all you could do is refresh your browsers until you were slotted in not on when you logged in, but randomly when they went live. Some people were given over an hour wait down to 10 minutes wait. And many seasoned runDisney patrons like myself, were shut out altogether. So frustrating. 🙂
I actually *did* sign up for the return of the Disneyland Half Marathon! While I was not shut out in the end (made the cut by about 10 minutes), Sarah was not able to register for yoga.
Can’t believe I already blocked out that unpleasant experience. Must be a defense mechanism or something–makes me wonder what other unpleasant Disney IT experiences I’ve already forgotten!
I was unable to see any availability at 5:00 am Central time. Thankfully I saw your article around 9:30 and, after several attempts, was able to score a late lunch on the day I wanted the first week of April! Thanks Tom for your timely article.
(this is totally off topic but we’re at DLR next week and I just saw they’re dropping the virtual queue for MMRR tomorrow. Assuming we can’t stay until park closing cause of little kids, is rope drop the best bet? Or are we gonna have to suck it up and pay for an ILL?)
I also got up bright and early this morning, failed, and then nabbed a dinner slot for 3/25. This was one of those rare occasions where I had zero interest based on theme and had no plans to try it out anytime soon, and then I saw the menu and got excited.
I was on at 5:45am and gave up refreshing at 6:15am when the reservation button magically disappeared . A CM told me “the system was updating to load reservations”. I gave up hope seeing as Tron was a miss for me. Something told me to try again while on break and I landed a dinner during Springtime Challenge in April. There were still other openings randomly being sprinkled.
If Disney IT can’t get upper management to fund a decent cloud computing contract for times of higher demand, I guess I need to scale down my hopes for basic tech *significantly.*
I think having another TS in the Studios is a good thing, but personally I wish it wasn’t a buffet. I realize those are probably operationally easier and more profitable for Disney, but buffets make me overeat.
I too wish it also had a non-all you can eat option. So many plant-based options for this vegetarian! Wish we could walk up to get a meal like at American Eagle. Such a derth of plant-based options in the parks and this menu looks amazing. Variety!
We were able to get a dinner reservation during Springtime Surprise just a few minutes ago. I was surprised with how wide open the availability was.
When my kids were little, this would have been a highly desirable reservation. Now, I have no interest. I’m hoping it makes it easier to get reservations at Sci-Fi and 50’s Prime Time.
I too got a reservation right after 10 for early April.
“It now seems like there’s a more-than-decent chance we won’t be dining at Roundup Rodeo BBQ right away.”
I’ve realized for quite some time now that you’re base is no longer Florida but LA. However I can’t imagine what would keep you away from a new BBQ place especially one in Toyland! I know this is a blog about Disney Parks but do I hear a baby crying in the not too distant future? Just wondering.
They went live just before 10am – was able to get a lunch in April.
i hope to see this become a character meal one day.
I spoke with a cast member in dining reservations earlier and they advised that Rodeo’s portion of the website was undergoing “magical enhancements.” They also indicated that the “enhancements” should go into effect some time today.