Hoop Dee Doo?

[castlecake2.0]

The only thing that needs to be done is people need to stop finding things to be offended about. It's not like the show pulls up a Native American person and casts them in the Indian role. The whole Davy Crockett "play" is done in jest.

Is it offensive to Davy Crockett that we depict him as wearing a coonskin cap? It was Fess Parker who started that portrayal. As far as I know Davy Crockett himself never wore one.

Is it offensive to bears when someone dresses up in the bear skin and has to play dead pretending to be a bearskin rug?

Should we stop having a woman come on stage to dress as the can-can dancer because that's a sexist depiction?

I think the majority of visitors to Hoop Dee Doo not only enjoy the show as is, but continue to come back because of how different the show is than other live action shows at the resort. I can't think of another show where they come walking through the audience and interact with the guests throughout the show which people seem to love.

The only thing that needs to be done is people need to stop finding things to be offended about. It's not like the show pulls up a Native American person and casts them in the Indian role. The whole Davy Crockett "play" is done in jest.

Is it offensive to Davy Crockett that we depict him as wearing a coonskin cap? It was Fess Parker who started that portrayal. As far as I know Davy Crockett himself never wore one.

Is it offensive to bears when someone dresses up in the bear skin and has to play dead pretending to be a bearskin rug?

Should we stop having a woman come on stage to dress as the can-can dancer because that's a sexist depiction?

I think the majority of visitors to Hoop Dee Doo not only enjoy the show as is, but continue to come back because of how different the show is than other live action shows at the resort. I can't think of another show where they come walking through the audience and interact with the guests throughout the show which people seem to love.

I’m assuming you’re not Native American

 

[DoleWhipDrea]

Minor changes can always be made to shows and attractions to suit current audiences. Honestly, if they don't make those changes, people will complain, stop coming or (as Disney has experienced) start a campaign to encourage changes. It's how entertainment has always worked. A few questionable moments don't inherently ruin the art from being enjoyable, but adjustments can be made to make it more palatable.

The show itself doesn't have to be cancelled, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made a few adjustments if they plan on bringing it back. One thing in the show's favor is how long it has been running for and how popular it has been. But I do hope that the IP stays away. If I hear of Toy Story invading yet another thing related to the parks, I may rip my hair out. They've hurt the legacy of the films by pushing it so hard everywhere, IMHO.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

But I do hope that the IP stays away. If I hear of Toy Story invading yet another thing related to the parks, I may rip my hair out. They've hurt the legacy of the films by pushing it so hard everywhere, IMHO.

100% agree.

 

[GladToBeHear]

I’m assuming you’re not Native American

Doesn't matter. He can still have an opinion on this subject.

This is yet another issue where context should matter. At some point, we have to entrust the public to be smart enough to look at something and view it for what it is -- as opposed to immediately jumping to the conclusion that there must be nefarious intentions. If you look hard enough for offensive material, you'll almost always find something.

Call me naive, but I think the vast majority of Disney goers can handle it.

 

[Disneyson]

I personally think that the adjustment at hand is subtle, necessary, and can be integrated into the show easily "now, leemmmie get a REAL STRONG MAN from the audience" instead of getting a "racist stereotype".

 

[junglecruise93]

Well - we took my parents to the HDDR for their 50th anniversary pre-covid and the fact that the cast came over to the table and had them stand up and dance together while they sang "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" was absolutely priceless. It is quite the shame that Parks and Entertainment is going down this path...and these entertainment opportunities are slowly fading.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Doesn't matter. He can still have an opinion on this subject.

This is yet another issue where context should matter. At some point, we have to entrust the public to be smart enough to look at something and view it for what it is -- as opposed to immediately jumping to the conclusion that there must be nefarious intentions. If you look hard enough for offensive material, you'll almost always find something.

Call me naive, but I think the vast majority of Disney goers can handle it.

Just because most “can handle it” doesn’t makes it right. It could be easily and subtly changed. Having someone come up and make “whoop” sounds is not ok anymore. I’m not even saying that it offends me, it’s just not ok. The audience member could come up and wear something that looks a bit more traditional than a feather in his head and and not make whooping sounds, I’m not saying cancel the whole thing.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Well - we took my parents to the HDDR for their 50th anniversary pre-covid and the fact that the cast came over to the table and had them stand up and dance together while they sang "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" was absolutely priceless. It is quite the shame that Parks and Entertainment is going down this path...and these entertainment opportunities are slowly fading.

Exactly - the type of personalized entertainment you can get at Disney is so special! I was 9 years old and I still remember the cast at Hoop singing a song about where my mother went to College.

The type of interactivity you get at Hoop, Adventurers Club, The Horseshoe, Citizens of Hollywood / Main Street, Piano Players like Jim, Carol, and yeehaw Bob... that type of entertainment is very special and memorable.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Just take out the stereotype. No need to replace it with more Toy Story junk (for a company that “cares” about diversity, we sure don’t see a diverse set of franchises implemented).

 

[Brer Oswald]

Minor changes can always be made to shows and attractions to suit current audiences. Honestly, if they don't make those changes, people will complain, stop coming or (as Disney has experienced) start a campaign to encourage changes. It's how entertainment has always worked. A few questionable moments don't inherently ruin the art from being enjoyable, but adjustments can be made to make it more palatable.

The show itself doesn't have to be cancelled, but I wouldn't be surprised if they made a few adjustments if they plan on bringing it back. One thing in the show's favor is how long it has been running for and how popular it has been. But I do hope that the IP stays away. If I hear of Toy Story invading yet another thing related to the parks, I may rip my hair out. They've hurt the legacy of the films by pushing it so hard everywhere, IMHO.

Agreed. The sight of the words “Buzz and Woody” now make me nauseous, and I used to love the 2nd movie.

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

Exactly - the type of personalized entertainment you can get at Disney is so special! I was 9 years old and I still remember the cast at Hoop singing a song about where my mother went to College.

The type of interactivity you get at Hoop, Adventurers Club, The Horseshoe, Citizens of Hollywood / Main Street, Piano Players like Jim, Carol, and yeehaw Bob... that type of entertainment is very special and memorable.

Carol's amazing in her improv. Bob is wonderful to see, too, in how he incorporates the guests into his shows.

I don't know if they do it at WDW, but at DL, the Dappers will sing you 'Happy Birthday' if they see you're wearing a birthday button. I felt like I didn't even have a birthday last year because I didn't get them or the Bootstrappers singing to me in the park. (Or the piano player at Coke Corner playing for me or Five & Dime acknowledging me or...)

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Dad was Davey Crockett's angel in 1983 and it was one of his favorite memories. He passed on Christmas Eve 2020. However, the show needs to be updated and I hope they bring it back in some form.

 

[Jon81uk]

Surely any current reason for the show not happening is covid related? Indoor shows with lots of people moving around and singing and shouting is quite high risk. If one of the performers was asymptotic but had Covid and then moved around the whole room singing and shouting that would be quite effective at virus transmission! Best to wait until later in the year and open the show in full safely than try to do a halfway version for now?

 

[harryk]

Just leave the show alone. It does not need fixing. If you are the type that get 'offended' or 'uncomfortable' you need to get over it. Yes, times have changed - so does that mean that we have to update and get with the times? No - I don't want to get with the times if it means getting offended or uncomfortable. - Does it mean that we get to use inclusive language, swears and curses as we see on current TV and in movies? -- I know that is not what people are saying - but this is what it could lead to. Walt Disney had a vision, he did not want to rewrite history. HDDR is a period piece. Leave it alone - that is how we saw things many years ago. We don't need an updated show. What is being asked for is the same as what brought about the end of the minstrel shows.

 

[ohioguy]

There's nothing wrong woth updating a show to reflect the times and temperament. Oh, and thank god the minstrel shows disappeared.

 

[DreamsCrusher]

Just leave the show alone. It does not need fixing. If you are the type that get 'offended' or 'uncomfortable' you need to get over it. Yes, times have changed - so does that mean that we have to update and get with the times? No - I don't want to get with the times if it means getting offended or uncomfortable. - Does it mean that we get to use inclusive language, swears and curses as we see on current TV and in movies? -- I know that is not what people are saying - but this is what it could lead to. Walt Disney had a vision, he did not want to rewrite history. HDDR is a period piece. Leave it alone - that is how we saw things many years ago. We don't need an updated show. What is being asked for is the same as what brought about the end of the minstrel shows.

When I see the code word "type" all I can say is wow.

 

[Dnb]

I believe there is a problematic segment in the "Davey Crockett" finale of the show in which an audience member is encourage to dress up like a stereotypical Native American sidekick. They are given a feather headband are encouraged to fold their hands and "whoop". Cast dressed as bandits shoot at this audience member's feet and encourage them to "dance". I believe there is some whooping by some of the female chorus members, when Davey "saves" the ingenue from a fate of being chased by the natives, whom later tie her up. There is a reverence to the "Indian wars" in the song and a painted teepee unfurls from the ceiling.

Changing this would be in line with the elimination of the native sequences in Jungle Cruise as well as the deletion of Peter Pan from the children's section of Disney+/content warnings.

I love this show, but this segment needs to be heavily altered. If it would save the rest of the show, I could see this turning into a similar-in-spirit recreation of "Woody's Roundup" with audience members cast as bit parts - swap out one IP with another. Or else just take the cringe-worthy characters out of the current show.

I also feel that the portrayal of Hawaiian natives in the Spirit of Aloha show by not-always culturally native Hawaiians might be salvaged by saying that we are in "Motunui", and the show could be re-framed as a celebration of Moana's successful voyage, taking pieces of the Hong Kong Disneyland show ('let us recount your story', ala Enchanted Tales) and layering in the existing performances as "gifts from neighboring islands". Increases diversity of acts, too. Or like, drop Stitch in. Just please take out the portion where the girl takes her top off and suddenly the guys are like "wow what a babe", it's really hard to watch with a modern lens.

I usually hate hate hate IPification, but something really needs to be done with pieces of these dinner shows to make them palatable again.

P.S., All this discussion of Broadway at the Top makes me wonder why they haven't done some Disney on Broadway version of that show yet, the Festival of the Arts clearly shows that the Broadway performers are a huge draw.

The Indian Scout was changed to a Wilderness Scout, without the feather headdress, a couple years ago. The drops depicting a cartoonish Alamo war and Indian Chief were not used for quite a while before Covid. Some jokes and songs were changed with MeToo awareness. The Florida Gator joke was cut. I’m sure more things will be looked at before the show (hopefully) reopens. It’s still a heck of a fun time with very talented actors.

 

[LittleBuford]

I saw the show last February, shortly before the pandemic really hit, and I don’t remember any Native American imagery or references. Thank goodness Disney is run by people who understand that change is sometimes necessary.

 

[LittleBuford]

What is being asked for is the same as what brought about the end of the minstrel shows.

You talk about anti-racism as if it’s a bad thing.

 

[castlecake2.0]

Just leave the show alone. It does not need fixing. If you are the type that get 'offended' or 'uncomfortable' you need to get over it. Yes, times have changed - so does that mean that we have to update and get with the times? No - I don't want to get with the times if it means getting offended or uncomfortable. - Does it mean that we get to use inclusive language, swears and curses as we see on current TV and in movies? -- I know that is not what people are saying - but this is what it could lead to. Walt Disney had a vision, he did not want to rewrite history. HDDR is a period piece. Leave it alone - that is how we saw things many years ago. We don't need an updated show. What is being asked for is the same as what brought about the end of the minstrel shows.

You seem just as uncomfortable about change