Think I’ve decided that hoop de doo will be our big dining out meal for our oct weekend trip… Here’s my question… If you book the 6:00 show, what time are you eating? Right away or later? I’m confused on timing… 4 is too early to eat but if you eat say an hr into the show, then 5 is good!?! Does that make sense? Any info would be great, thanks!!!
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Oh! I would love to know this too!
Great question! It’s why we are shying away from the 8:30 seating. 9:15 is a bit too late to eat.
The entire meal runs about 90 minutes, right?
The eating is mixed in with the show. They take your drink order and then you get a salad and cornbread when you first sit down. Then there is a little bit of the show. Your main course comes out and you eat for awhile. More show - there is even a song to introduce the dessert. And then they finish up. You are really grazing the whole length of the experience!
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[quote=“LaurenB, post:6, topic:9530”]
You are really grazing the whole length of the experience![/quote]
That’s a good way of phrasing it, as you grab what food you can as the performance is going on. The servers are constantly circulating around throughout the show, so there is only a short time when you first sit down that you’re not eating something.
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When you are seated your salad and bread are waiting for you. The meal is spread across the performance. I like the 4pm show since the bulk of the meal appears at 5pm.
There are three key questions that drive my scheduling of HDDR:
- The 6:30 show is normally sold out. I like Cat 3 seating so it’s not my seating, but I prefer a full house. Much of the show is interactive and it’s more fun when the place is full.
- If DS10 wants to be chosen for the show, I book Cat 3 for the 4pm. Only during peak times is it sold out and they will mush you all forward vs spreading people across an empty room based on category booked. We end up in Cat 1 tables and booked as Cat 3
- After dinner plans - my ideal is to relax and sleep after HDDR. If I have a BIG day planned, I go no later than 6:30 so I can get to bed at a decent time. If it’s a chilled day at the resort pool, I book later knowing we will bounce to MK for a while or to the Poly for a Lapu Lapu.
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That’s exactly what I needed!! The “bulk” of the meal is when ds5 will eat so I was worried about it being too late 
plan for the day of HDDR is to do the pool and relax after the night of mnsshp! Thinking cat 3 all the way for us… If dh or ds get picked for the show, they would die (and not from excitement!) thank you!!!
Personally, I love doing the early seating on a MK day for the following reasons:
- Ease of transportation via boat to/from MK.
- You get out of the park at its busiest & hottest time, so you miss the crowds & lines.
- There is a TON of food, so this covers lunch & dinner quite well.
So you don’t need any other ADRs that day, just a snack to tide you over. - During non-peak seasons, reportedly those in the balcony may (or may not, I wasn’t) be moved up to better seating if it’s not sold out, which is more likely at the early seating.
- You return to the MK filled up & well-rested for the evening touring.
- If you schedule your TP right, the evening time is usually a good time to see Mickey with little wait after you get back.
Only down side is missing the afternoon parade, if you’re really into that.
You could probably do the parade from the Main St. railroad, but you’d be cutting it SUPER close; not worth it.
HDDR is awesomeness.
Highly recommended.
Again, a TON of food, all-u-can-eat, so don’t make any other meal ressies that day.
Go well, best to you.
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Thinking the 6 show will work out for us after a day by the pool… Thanks so much liners!!!
I have a few related questions about HDDR. First, what is cat 3? Also, how many days out can I make my ADR? Lastly, what are your thoughts about going on New Year’s eve? I suspect that for an ADR for Dec. 31st I’ll have to make the reservation during the first few minutes of availability, so any tips (or warnings) would be appreciated.
I’ll wait for the expert liners on this but I know the categories are price differences/seating areas… Cat 3 is cheapest and I believe it’s all balcony seating above the show. I’m going to go with that since I know dh and ds would hate to be right in the action!
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Related question: On MDE, they have a warning that it could be cancelled due to inclement weather. Is this outside?
It’s not outside… that’s a weird warning, but probably just a legal technicality that they include.
@jstagnaro If I’m not mistaken, HDDR is a 180 day ADR. Cat 3 is one of the three seating categories. Here is a chart of the seating: Hoop De Doo Seating Chart
I’ve never been but have been told by many on here that Cat 3 is actually pretty good seating, that the performers strive to involve everyone in the show. I’m still trying to decide category and dinner time.
I think I’m going to shoot for the cat 3 at the 6 show… When are you going? I’m think oct 3rd, a Saturday night, guessing a sold out show or close to it!?!
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We are still working on ADR plans but our off day will be Thursday, 10/15, so we will probably do HDDR that day. I’m torn between using DDP on Cat 3 or paying for Cat 1 OOP.
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