The end of an era...

In 1974, when the Walt Disney World resort was just 3 years old, a new dinner show was established in response to guest criticism that there was not enough for adults to do outside of the parks. This new dinner show would compliment the two already in existence- the Polynesian Luau, and a Broadway style revue at the top of the Contemporary Resort (in what is now the California Grille). The show, titled The Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, was to play the property's third resort- Fort Wilderness, giving each resort a nighttime show.

The Original Cast from 1974

The show's premise was that a traveling group of entertainers arrived by stage coach to entertain guests while they ate an all you can eat feast. The performers sang, danced, told jokes, and incorporated audience participation into the show. It was corny, hokey, and meant to be squeaky clean.

The Hoop Dee Doo Revue began performances at Pioneer Hall in the summer of 1974, and attendance those first few months was abysmal. There were serious discussions that Disney would close the show at the end of the summer and try again. However, guests who saw the show loved it, and word of mouth quickly began to spread. Over the course of the summer, attendance increased enough that Disney decided not to close the show. Attendance continued to increase.

A Sold Out Pioneer Hall

Fast forward to one year later...the show was now the hardest ticket to obtain. Performances were sold out a year in advance. Over the course of the next three decades, the Hoop Dee Doo Revue became synonymous with Walt Disney World. It became a right of passage for guests to spend a night withe Clare de Lune, Six Bits, and the gang at Pioneer Hall. Simply put, you hadn't really experienced Disney World until you saw the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. My family went repeatedly, and I think Mike's did, too, though I believe Mike does not hold the show in quite as high regard as I do (To be fair, I loved going when I was little, and my mom still loves to go....as I got older, audience participation shows made me nervous - Mike). Repeat guests made a trip to the Revue a part of their vacation, regardless of how often they'd seen it. The show's uniqueness and unabashed good time (combined with unlimited food and booze) made it a Disney institution.

For 37 years, the cast of 6 entertained guests at Pioneer Hall, performing the show exactly as it was written. That all changed a couple of weeks ago.

Current Cast who got Disney sued...way to go guys.

You see, at the beginning of August, the composer of the show's anthem, the Hoop Dee Doo Polka (which bookends the show) attended a performance with his family. He was shocked to hear a song he had written (with altered lyrics) being used in the show. Disney believed that their use of the song was a parody and thus, not copyright infringement. The composer, however, felt different, and the week after he saw the show, slapped Disney with a cease and desist. An interesting sidenote to this is that the lyricist (now dead) was said to be "thrilled" Disney was using his song in their show. His estate is currently squabbling with the composer over the rights to the song. This leaves Disney caught in the middle, and rather than stand up for what is clearly parody, they cowered and quickly changed the show, writing in a new opening number (along with a new version of Chow Down, the number performed right before the food is served). Officially, Disney claims the change is just temporary, and the original will be restored once the legal issues are resolved. But, let's be honest here...these sorts of things could be tied up in court for years. For all intents and purposes, the show has been revised permanently, and not for the better.

Just how bad is it? Let's take a look at the original opening number, the Hoop Dee Doo Polka (filmed in 2009):



Here's the new version, taken from a dress rehearsal (which is why the place is half empty and everyone is taking notes):



For the record, the group of 6 people sitting next to the piano player is the cast that I saw most recently when I had the displeasure of viewing the new show (the show is double-cast, given that it performs 21 shows a week).

I get that Disney's stuck between a rock and a hard place here, but there's no way anyone can watch both versions of this show and think the second one is better. The show without the Polka is like...Fiddler on the Roof without Tradition as its opening number, or Oklahoma without Oh What a Beautiful Morning, or Wicked ending the first act without Defying Gravity. You get the idea. The show is iconic, at least at Walt Disney World. What made it so much fun was its corniness. The new version tries desperately to be "hip", with lyrics like "raise the roof," which, just...no. At the performance I attended, I felt terrible for the cast, who gives it their all and sells the new songs for all their worth. I asked my server, Nancy, about the changes, and she was pretty blunt. Nancy is a large, bawdy, no nonsense woman from New Jersey. Her response was, "Yeah, we all hate it and think it sucks." I also spoke with a manager about it, and while she was more diplomatic, she essentially acknowledged the same thing- it's inferior to the original.

Surely the composer of the Polka would be willing to accept a settlement. Disney needs to just pay the guy off so that this great show can return to being a great show again. This just doesn't seem worth getting cheap about, Disney. Make it right!