Any Recent Campers ate at Trails End, or Mickeys BBQ

[Southern Bell]

Have any recent campers ate breakfast or dinner at Trails End lately. Also, I have booked Mickeys BBQ for over JULY 4th. We will be camping at the Fort with my 6 yr old grandson and 3 yr old granddaughter along with their parents! LOL! Thought this would be more fitting for them than the Hoop De Do Revue. Then we would see fireworks later on the beach. I know its expensive for hotdogs and maccaroni that I could do at the camper for $5! LOL! But we wanted to do something on that day special other than Eggs and Bacon for $200! LOL! Any opinions or suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[jbrostek]

The Trails end breakfast buffet is a must do for me ever year I am there. I enjoy the selection and the mickey waffels, a lot more then eggs and bacon thats for sure. Dinner is ok as well, its again buffet style but I always find the spread nice.

 

[bama_ed]

I had breakfast at Trails End recently on Sunday Jan 11.

The buffet was $23 for adults and included the coffee/juice/soda in the price. They had the usual granola/cereal/fruit/yogurt along with steaming piles of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash, biscuits, breakfast potatoes (think chunky hash browns), little quiche thingies, a breakfast pizza, mickey head-shaped waffles, mickey waffles with chocolate chips, French bread pudding stuff with hot syrup, .......

Yum it was good. I normally shy away from buffets as a rule but this was a treat and in Disney's terms a good value.

Bama Ed

 

[Disneypeach]

I second, er...third, the opinion on the TE breakfast buffet. My family makes it our breakfast on the last day of our trips. Great way to end the trip...start home with a full tummy!

 

[Disneyaddictz]

Mickey bbq is so much fun! Yes it's expensive for The food but the entertainment makes it worth it! It can be pretty warm outside so prepare for that. We've always enjoyed the food available unlimited beer and wine The trails and is a must for us in the evening, however we always take it to go to eat it outside on the park benches as we people watch.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Our Ratings of Trails End for Breakfast-Dinner: (*rev 12/23/2014*)
. . . food price value: B-B
. . . food quality: B-C
. . . food quantity: A-A
. . . food prep speed: A-A
. . . food selection: C-B
. . . seating quantity: C-C
. . . seating comfort: C-C
. . . eatery atmosphere: B-B
. . . eatery convenience: D-D
. . . staff friendliness: B-B
. . . staff attentiveness: C-B
. . . character interaction: n/a

NOTE1: Above include breakfast-dinner (we don't like the lunch), it has tasty comfort
food. We like the buffets as dining alternatives, as they are reasonably priced for Disney
meals. Lunch is far behind in quality or value. In Spring-2011, they changed lunch menus
to ala carte and we recommend it only for a light midday meal. We think the lunch food
is a little overpriced and only average in food quality. For dinner, taste the yummy fried
chicken and "make-your-own-potato" bar. For breakfast, you REALLY, REALLY, NEED the
sticky buns. The nice thing about breakfast, might be the low crowds, as many campers
prepare breakfast at the campsite. Trail's End Breakfast Buffet is the second best buffet,
behind The Wave breakfast buffet at Contemporary for quality, and the best price value.
A point to remember is that the majority of the Trails End customers are from the camp
ground, so they prices are reasonable and the items are good comfort food.

NOTE2: Trails End is out-of-the-way for most WDW guests. It takes about 20-min for the
boat from MK-to-FW, about 10-minutes for the boat from WL-to-FW, about 15-min for the
boat from CR-to-FW (excluding the waiting times for the next boat).

************************************************​

Our Ratings of Mickey's BBQ: (*rev 11/14/14*)
. . . food price value: D
. . . food quality: C
. . . food quantity per serving: A
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: C
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: D
. . . eatery atmosphere: C
. . . eatery convenience: D
. . . staff friendliness: B
. . . staff attentiveness: B
. . . character interaction: B

NOTE1: Tables are long picnic tables of about 40 people per table, so you sit with
others. No reserved seating, so the "mad dash" for seats can be interesting. There is
no "front row", just the end of the picnic tables. Folks start lining up about 1-hr prior
to the 5:30pm seating. Also, the characters are there for dancing and front interaction,
and usually do not go thru tables, so sometimes there is a long line trying to get to the
characters. Also noted the sides are open to the weather. They put up plastic diverters
for winter and simple fans for summer, but it does get VERY hot/humid or cold. This is
not a well heated or air conditioned pavilion. "Dancing" characters interact well with
kids in front of the stage, and younger kids love it.

NOTE2: Mickey BBQ was always about one-half the price of the Hoop Dee Do Review.
With the popularity of DDP, they jumped the price double, including 2-TS coupons.
WITH NO CHANGE IN MENUS; NO CHANGE IN CHARACTERS; NO CHANGES AT ALL. Cost
was barely justified at lower prices, and not worth the current price. At least just
not for ribs-chicken-burgers.

 

[Southern Bell]

Just wanted to say thanks for the comments. I will be eating at trails end and trying the take out, too. I can't decide on the Mickeys BBQ or Hoop De Do! I've actually had both reserved and deleted the Hoop De Do. I go back and forth on what I think would be best!

For me personally and if it were just me and my husband I would do the Hoop De Do. No question about it. I think the food sounds better and I wouldn't have to worry about the weather.
But... I was doing this for my 6 yr old and my 3 yr old grandchildren for July 4th. If I'm ever going to do the BBQ the time would be now or never. My problem with the Hoop De Do is I don't think they will eat ribs, baked beans and cornbread. They would eat the chicken. I don't think they would understand the show and want to leave before it was over! LOL!.
The problem I have with mickeys is the weather, because we have no luck! I'm already planning my back up plan for raining the show out! LOL! Second how hard is it to get a table and get plates fixed compared to Chef Mickeys or Tusker house, where at least I'm given a table for the buffet. Do you really need to line up 1 hr before the show?

I usually make way to much of everything before I go and whatever we plan turns out OK in the end! If only I had a Crystlal Ball!

 

[KristinU]

Good deal on Trails End breakfast One thing I discovered this last time is the gooey caramel pecan rolls...I was in the right place at the right time to have one, ooh la la! I learned that if you aren't right there the moment they bring them out, you're not getting one. (I may or may not have stalked the kitchen for a round two )

We've done both HDDR and the BBQ when my DS was small. I think he was around 4 when we did HDDR and around 6 when we did the BBQ. Honestly, he liked the HDDR better. If the kids are the type that will go get involved in dancing and activities and stuff, the BBQ might be a better fit (my DS is not, but my mom is, LOL! she had a ball line dancing), but if they prefer to watch and take it all in and clap and stuff from their personal space, then the HDDR is a lot of fun. There's enough going on that it kept DS's attention and he even got to go up on stage after the show was over. I'd be on the fence as well if I were you! I don't think you'll go wrong either way.

 

[sirenia88]

When my daughter was 4, we did Mickey's BBQ. Our party of 6 felt the event was loud and crowded. The food was "eh" at best. Needless to say we did not do the BBQ on our last trip down. This time down we might do HDDR one night. Personally, we enjoy going to TE for what generally amounts to a nice dining experience especially on long stays. If you get the same wait staff, they will just ask if you want your usual. My parents loved that and generally gave that waiter or waitress a nice tip for it.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Docmom]

Here now. Had the dinner buffet last night and enjoyed it. Having lunch now. We're only here for a short 2 night trip. Was planning on grilling brats and burgers but the grill at the campsite is on the dirty side so need to clean or use foil on it. ...maybe for dinner .

 

[Maggie at the Fort]

I can't decide on the Mickeys BBQ or Hoop De Do! I've actually had both reserved and deleted the Hoop De Do. I go back and forth on what I think would be best!

For me personally and if it were just me and my husband I would do the Hoop De Do. No question about it. I think the food sounds better and I wouldn't have to worry about the weather.
But... I was doing this for my 6 yr old and my 3 yr old grandchildren for July 4th. If I'm ever going to do the BBQ the time would be now or never. My problem with the Hoop De Do is I don't think they will eat ribs, baked beans and cornbread. They would eat the chicken. I don't think they would understand the show and want to leave before it was over! LOL!.
The problem I have with mickeys is the weather, because we have no luck! I'm already planning my back up plan for raining the show out! LOL! Second how hard is it to get a table and get plates fixed compared to Chef Mickeys or Tusker house, where at least I'm given a table for the buffet. Do you really need to line up 1 hr before the show?

I usually make way to much of everything before I go and whatever we plan turns out OK in the end! If only I had a Crystlal Ball!

A couple of thoughts. We went to the Hoop Dee Do when my daughter was 19 months, and then when my daughter was 3 and my son was 1. We are about to go back with a 4.5 and 2 year old. My children have always been entranced by the show. My daughter has talked about Six Pence and his silly jokes since the last trip. I told her I was going to make her a shirt to wear that said she was Six Pence's biggest fan. Granted we had fantastic seats so that helped them pay attention. I found it was the meal where I got to relax and eat more than any other last trip. Once the show started my kids were pretty much content until the end.
As far as food at the hoop dee do, you can ask your server and get pretty much anything that is available at trails end. Last time we asked for Mac and cheese "for the kids." And the corn bread? Well my husband is from a very southern family. It is very northern (very sweet) cornbread. My kids thought it was amazing. It was for them but of course they shared

We really enjoyed the breakfast we did at Trails End last trip. We are replacing our traditional last day breakfast at Kona with a last day breakfast there this year!

Good luck with your planning

 

[Southern Bell]

Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[kristywvu]

The Trails End restaurant has a huge buffet and the food is really good. We love dinner there and even had them bring my son's bday cake out for dessert. Although, they had so many yummy desserts to choose from, we probably should have done the cake on another night at a restaurant that wasn't a buffet.

My son loved the Mickey's BBQ when he was 5 but I don't think kids much older than that would enjoy it. It was very loud and crowded but he loved that the characters would dance w/ all the kids. The food isn't that great but at least they provide the Mickey shaped ice cream bars for dessert and you can have as many as you want-- it was terribly hot in the middle of July!

For the Hoop-de-doo, the entertainment could use some updating but we still enjoyed it. The food is brought to the table homestyle (in big bows that you spoon out). The food was delicious. Here is a tip-- if one person in your group requests a vegetarian meal, they bring out special grilled veggies that are SO good as well as some other alternatives. They brought me so much that I shared w/ others at the table. Everyone else at the table still got the regular food which I also ate but we got the extra veggies too.