(photo Courtesy Disney)
Well, maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised. With the pandemic seemingly on track to get worse before we’re out of the dark forest, live entertainment in tight spaces seems like a faded memory. And now WDW is releasing the cast members of its Hoop Dee Doo dinner show in Fort Wilderness. This feels almost as bad is if Animal Kingdom no longer had a Lion King show. Or Star Wars had no Jedi Training Academy.
This salad has been a go-to for All-American celebrations (think Mickey’s Backyard Barbecue) for many years. There’s little, if anything, that has changed from this favorite since the campy Hoop-Dee-Doo dinner show opened 45 years ago. Yesterday, for our July 4th party, Baby Back Ribs and Clementine’s Prizewinning Potato Salad took center stage, but our good friends and neighbors devoured this traditional salad (iceberg lettuce) with its tangy and complex vinaigrette. Of course, its presentation in a heavy tin bucket at Pioneer Hall adds the frontier touch,and makes it suddenly appealing to kids. For our shindig, I picked up a cheap tin ice bucket at Walmart.
Hoop Dee Doo Meal at Pioneer Hall- Courtesy Disney
The Orlando Sentinel published the Disney-provided Pioneer Hall recipe as a response to a reader request back in 1978. “The salad was the best we’ve ever had anywhere,” the reader noted. Nearly a decade later the recipe reappeared (with some small modifications in the amounts of ingredients) in the first Disney cookbook, Cooking with Mickey Around the World (1987). As you recall, back in the 80s, a spinach salad with bacon dressing was about as exotic as we got. It wasn’t until the 90s when we saw the spread of arugula, spring mix, candied pecans, and more inventive creations.
As far the cookbook itself, very little of the food items are still served at Disney today. In addition to the Pioneer Hall Salad Dressing, some other favorites that remain at WDW include the Philadelphia Pepper Pot Soup (Liberty Tree Taven), Cinnamon Rolls, Fettucine Alfredo (Italy Showcase), Queso Fundido (San Angel Inn), Scotch Eggs (Rose & Crown Pub), Fish ‘N Chips (Rose & Crown Pub), and Strawberry Shortcake (Pioneer Hall). Most of the restaurants in the cookbook, such as Top of the World, South Seas Dining Room, and The Empress Lily, are long gone.
The Hoop Dee Doo Salad gave our classic BBQ cookout the requisite greenery.
When you crave the good-old-standard salad, it doesn’t get much better than this. I suppose the closest commercial equivalent might be the beloved Olive Garden salad, but this dressing stands superior. As with any Disney recipe, some measurements look like of strange when they have been reduced from a mass quantity. For example, the dressing recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of chopped red pepper. Seriously? So, I’ve provided the original recipe, but indicated how I made reasonable modifications. Note that the recipes do not include cheese, but it has been served on this salad for some time. This stores well in the refrigerator, so you can make it a few days before your camping trip or outdoor soiree. I would leave the addition of the chopped boiled egg until the day of serving.
