(Above Photo, Courtesy Disney)
In a world weary of uncertainty and confusion, the much-anticipated return of the Hoop Dee Doo Revue on June 23 brought a whoppin’ dose of comfort, joy, and old-fashioned shenanigans to its opening-night guests. A beloved mainstay since the earliest days of Fort Wilderness (June 1974), the vaudeville-style dinner show closed abruptly in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic.
Changes were minimal (woohoo!), with improvements to ,the set, lighting and small script adaptations that removed glorification of guns and more questionable attitudes of the American West. One of the more mysterious and less palatable changes is the replacement of the metal serving buckets with skillets.
The Sound of Music
Overall, the reception to the return of long-running show is over-the-top positive. The menu of salad, fried chicken, BBQ ribs, macaroni and cheese, beans, cornbread, strawberry shortcake, and unlimited beer and wine are just like going back home. Many of the 2020 Pioneer Hall Players, such as the mega-talented piano player John DeHass and Joshian Morales, are back in the saddle.
The energy, entertainment, eating, & emotions were EPIC in Pioneer Hall with the return of Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue tonight! So happy to see the return of this show at Walt Disney World! ❤️#hoopdeedoo #hoopdeedoorevue #disney #waltdisneyworld #wdw #disneyparks #DisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/X6RpsTRPn5
— Tara Hood (@tarahood) June 24, 2022
And the Fort Wilderness Settlement area has come alive again, after two years of an eery quiet. While it was nice to be able to always find a spot for the trusty golf cart, I felt like I was supposed to be in bed at 9:30 or something. Love that the music and energy are back.
There is no try
Getting reservations, however, ain’t a piece of cake. Even at $74 per adult for the best seating, the three daily shows seem to get booked right when they open at around 5:45 am (ET) 60 days out. So you gotta be a persistent early riser.
Alternatively, there’s a pretty nifty app called MouseWatcher that will alert you when a reservation becomes available at Hoop Dee Doo (or most other WDW dining establishments). Obviously, cancellations are pretty frequent, particularly during the time period closer to the date.
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