Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
332
Fantasmic! (p. 239). There are also two distinctly different dinner shows worthy of spe-
cial note, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show,
and a third show that's an occasional player.
Note:
While they offer family-friendly entertainment, don't expect haute cuisine. The
food, though good, takes a back seat to the show.
Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
Moments
While not quite as much in
demand as the Hoop-Dee-Doo, the Polynesian Resort's delightful 2-hour show is like a
big neighborhood party. It features Tahitian, Samoan, Hawaiian, and Polynesian singers,
drummers, and dancers who entertain you while you feast on a menu that includes
tropical appetizers, lanai roasted chicken, Polynesian wild rice, South Seas vegetables,
dessert, wine, beer, and other beverages. It all takes place 5 nights a week in an open-air
theater (dress for nighttime weather and bring sweaters) with candlelit tables, red-flame
lanterns, and tapa paintings on the walls. Reservations should be made about 60 days in
advance (but can be made up to 90 days in advance—full payment is expected when
booking), especially during peak periods such as summer and holidays. Like the Hoop-
De-Doo Musical Review, the Spirit of Aloha is priced in tiers—the closer you sit to the
stage, the higher the price you'll pay. Showtimes are 5:15 and 8pm Tuesday through
Saturday.
Note:
Not all the seats for this one are equal, so paying for a better seat is the
way to go—but I must warn that the resulting price is really too high for the value
received from the production as a whole.
1600 Seven Seas Dr. (at Disney's Polynesian
Resort).
&
407/939-3463.
www.disneyworld.com. Reservations required. Adults $59.99, $54.99,
and $50.99; kids 3-9 $30.99, $26.99, and $25.99, including tax and tip. Free parking.
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
Moments
This is Disney's most popular
show, so make reservations
early.
The reward: You feast on a down-home, all-you-can-eat
barbecue (fried chicken, smoked ribs, salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, bread, salad,
strawberry shortcake—all of it quite good, by the way—and your choice of coffee, tea,
beer, wine, sangria, or soda). And while you stuff yourself silly in Pioneer Hall, perform-
ers in 1890s garb lead you in a foot-stomping, hand-clapping, high-energy show that
includes a lot of jokes you haven't heard since second grade.
Note:
Be prepared to join in
on the fun or the singers and dancers, along with the rest of the crowd, will humiliate
you until you do. This is entertaining for the entire family. Even my husband gave it a
good grade, which is really saying something.
9
Tips
It All Adds Up, Up, Up . . .
If you expect to dine with your favorite Disney character during the holidays,
expect to pay a bit extra. Holiday pricing, first instituted in 2007, is now the norm
during peak seasons and the days (even weeks) surrounding most major (and
even some minor) holidays (among them, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's,
Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day). At press time, holiday pricing was
running approximately $5 more per person. For details and exact dates, go
online to
www.disneyworld.com
. To make Advance Dining reservations call
&
407/939-3463.
