Feb. 2012 Hoop Dee Do Review and The Tangled 5K at Disney World

Last fall, under the spell of hopefulness, my husband and I signed up for the Tangled 5k as part of Disney Princess Half Marathon weekend. Time passed way too quickly and Friday February 24th we found ourselves in the car on the way to Disney. First stop was the Expo to pick up our bibs and t-shirts at the ESPN World of Sports. I was very impressed how smoothly it went. The expo has a nice flow to keep lines moving and we quickly picked up our packet and t-shirt. After the Expo we headed to the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds for the Hoop Dee Doo review - a dinner show.

 I was surprised by the campgrounds. I really felt like I was in a totally different place. The area is heavily wooded. Cabins, RV sites and tent sites make up the lodging. A stable adds to the wilderness feeling.

We took the bus back to Pioneer Hall - home of the show, wagon rides, a restaurant, a bar, a general store and the boat dock. Ferries to the Magic Kingdom leave from here about every half an hour. We got out table assignment and headed over to the bar. After spending the weekend at the River Ranch, we could not stop making comparisons. Wood paneling: check. Stuffed bar in the corner: check. Hay ride: check. Then it was time for the show.

We were led to our table - front row and center. We could touch the stage. Sitting down, a pail of salad and a loaf of cornbread were on the table. I loved the plates and silverware.

 The salad reminded me of Olive Garden. Drinks were included so I tried the sangria and Glenn had a beer. Sangria was very good. The stage coach performers arrived and sang and danced a few very lively, very fun numbers.

 They also went out into the crowd so everyone could share our great view.

 They took a break while the main course was delivered: fried chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, corn, and baked beans. The fried chicken, ribs and baked beans were good. The mashed potatoes were bland and the corn was normal canned corn. It was all you can eat. The service was quick and plentiful. Our waitress was great. After the main course, there was more singing and dancing. Dessert was strawberry shortcake. It was okay. Best part was at the very end, they handed out washboards and we got to play along.

 Very fun! After the show, we headed to All Star Movies to check in. Saturday we got up at 5 am to get ready. We took the 5:3.0 am bus to the starting line. A DJ was playing to get the crowd warmed up.  A lot of people were in costume. We were pretty excited. 

The sun finally started rising as we lined up in the corrals. It was a little chaotic because the volunteers weren't really directing people to move all the way to the left. Then the race started.

It was a great route. About a mile and a quarter around the parking lot through a side entrance and then into the world showcase. Every quarter mile princesses were ready for a photo op. Jasmine, Belle, Mulan - the gang was all there including Mickey and Donald. We ran under the ball and back out into the parking lot. The race finish was great. They had a good system for medal and gluten free snack box distribution. The one issue was the combination of runners and walkers. It was frustrating to weave through the walkers. Maybe next year they will announce a walk right/run left system. Overall, we had a fantastic time and will definitely do it next year.

After the race, we took the bus back to the All Star and took a nap. Refreshed it was time to head back to Epcot. We hit up Mexico for our favorite Avocado margaritas. We listened to the cover band in England.



Dinner was the Coral Reef restaurant. Overall the food was good and I loved the aquarium. We really liked how the seating was tiered so everyone could get a view.  Here's the play by play of the meal:

Mussels in tomato broth. The broth was slightly underseasoned, but we liked that is played up the sweet flavor profile of the tomato.

Fish Tostadas - These were the best bite of the evening. Great acidity and full of flavor.

Fish of the Day - A White Fish similar to sea bass, but sustainable. It was good, but underseasoned.

Pan Fried Trout - Just missed the mark on seasonsing and the beans. The beans overwhelmed the delicate trout in both texture and volume. Too many beans! Without the beans, the dish worked well with the wilted arugula, bacon and pearl onions.

Overall, we had a very nice dinner. We liked how the seating was tiered so that everyone could have a view of the aquarium. It was fun to see the divers swim by and the shark head our way every few minutes.