Mickey's Backyard BBQ

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Since it's at the Fort and we just went, I'm going to review Mickey's Backyard BBQ. It's also going to be my first post with pictures. IHere we go....

Mickey's Backyard BBQ is at the Settlement at the Fort. It's an open air pavilion, so I’ve heard it gets hot during the summer, but we were comfortable at the beginning of April. For us, the show started at 6:30. We heard we should arrive early, so we got there at 5:45 and were early arrivers. That said, we got there just as Goofy, Chip, and Dale stopped taking pictures, so if you want to pose before the show, get there earlier. While waiting, they have activities for the kids like sidewalk chalk, drums, etc. We also carried in a cooler of beverages for the wait.

See, the kids are happy to wait...

Here's one of the photo ops we missed, but our friends who got there just before us were just in time.

The all you can eat menu consist of ribs, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs, sides, watermelon, ice cream bars, and BEER and WINE. If you like Trails End, it's the same beans and some other sides as much as I could tell. We got in the area early, so we didn't have to wait in line for food. They served drinks for a time, and then you had to get your own. The food isn't gourmet, but we enjoyed it.

We got a seat around the main stage, but any seat near a white taped off area is a good seat. When the show starts, the characters rotate around to those areas and dance with the audience. There is a band, plus a cowboy who does rope tricks and brings kids from the audience into the show.

Yep, that's me in the white skirt being a dork in my son's cowboy hat, but look how much fun he's having with Goofy and me.

The character interaction was great. They really had fun with the kids, joking around and dancing with them. Even my small 3 year old got a lot of time and wasn't pushed out of the way. Autograph books aren't allowed, and there aren't big breaks to pose for pictures, but you get great candids, dancing and having fun is really the focus.

After the show (did I mention all you can eat Mickey bars?), Mickey and Minnie come out for pictures. There was a pretty big line, and we felt we'd had enough time with them, so we skipped that part.

Overall, it's not something I'd do if it was just my husband and me, but both our teenage daughter and 3 year old son enjoyed it, as did the other family with us. I think getting there early to get a good seat and skip the long food lines are important. If you want seconds or thirds, the lines are gone by then, so no worries. It was expensive, but we did eat a lot, and aren't Disney beers around $6? If so, we got our money's worth. I think we will do it again at least once while our son is young because he is still talking about it, and keeps asking to see pictures about it.

PS- Bring cowboy hats. We got cheap ones for a couple of bucks from Oriental Trading, and it made for cute pics. It helped that he had just had a cowboy birthday party.

[Auntie 17]

We did this years ago when our kids were younger. We enjoyed it. I thought the character interaction was good too. They came out quite a few times and everyone had a chance to get their photos and autographs. By the end of the evening they just danced around with the crowd. It was a good time .I especially think it's a good option for those with younger kids who won't "sit" through an entire meal, as there is plenty of room for little ones to get up and move around.

Looks like you all had fun! :wiz:

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I've always figured I'd never pay those prices for what seemed to be picnic food. But you make it sound good. And I don't think I realized that ribs were included. Between the ribs and the beer, I'd probably get my money's worth. And my little one's would enjoy it. Might have to consider this one. Thanks for the review!

[campingpixi 11]

We love the Backyard BBQ the food is great!

Good job on the report!

[stefa70 205]

Great review Kelly! I've always wanted to do this, but figured it might be a waste since I don't have kids.

I LOVE your dorky dancing shot!! Life is too short not to act like a dork and look how much fun your son had! That's a good mommy!! :thumbsup3:

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Looks like you had a fun evening!

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

It's $50-55 for adults and about $30 for kids, but we really did have a good time. And did I mention beer? Ha, ha!

The funny thing is that it was actually our 9th wedding anniversary. Romantic right? We did get a slow dance....

[Marilyn 19]

Definitely a fun time,

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

You did a great job on your first post with pictures!

And the review was good, too.

Thanks for sharing.

TCD

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

This is great, Kelly - thanks so much for posting your review!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

From All Ears. Follow the link for the photos...

Mickey's Backyard BBB is great All-American activity for the summer

Heading to Mickey's Backyard BBQ for the first time on the Fourth of July, I was a little skeptical about how the Fort Wilderness dinner show would play out -- especially for my kids, who have experienced other similar dining experiences elsewhere at Walt Disney World.

Many of those other dinner shows were the subjects of glowing online reviews, and my family and I usually had an idea of what to expect before we showed up for the first time. Not so with the Backyard BBQ, though. In fact, what little information I could find online even contained several negative comments about the food and the experience.

But all seven people in our party had a great time, and there were no complaints about even the smallest detail. We took AllEars.Net readers' advice and arrived about an hour before the start time. Although this did mean some standing around, it also allowed us to be near the front of the line for our choice of seats. (There is a playground near Pioneer Hall, so the kids could burn off some energy and break up the wait.) Cast members even walked the queue, serving drinks.

When it was time to enter the outdoor pavilion, cast members took groups of 20 to 25 guests and led them to picnic tables with benches. No stampede at this rodeo! We requested a table in the front, bordering the main dance floor. Cast members assured us there were no bad seats in the pavilion, but I do think our location was perfect for our two families. It allowed the elementary-school-age kids to come and go on the dance floor, in view of the adults who were eating and hanging out.

As soon as you are seated, cast members invite you to visit the buffets. There are four lines serving the identical menu, so we never really saw a long queue form. Guests can choose from BBQ chicken, pork ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, tossed salad, potato salad, cole slaw, corn bread, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon and ice cream bars. Lemonade, ice tea, beer (Bud Lite) and wine (red, white or blush) are included, too, in this all-you-care-to-eat dinner. The food remains available almost until the end of the 90-minute experience. Everyone in our party enjoyed the meal, and we actually found the food to be even more flavorful than we expected, given the venue’s outdoor setting and the food choices. (Those with special dietary concerns can request ahead of time to be served meals that meet their needs.)

Live entertainment begins shortly after everyone is seated. This means the dinner experience is loud, so if you are sensitive to noise, you might want to reconsider. We had to shout to hear each other, but that didn't bother us at all. There was too much going on to have an in-depth conversation anyway. The live country-western band was good, playing popular and patriotic songs. A cowboy performs rope tricks and even invites a few lucky kids in the audience to join him. Plus, there is line dancing to well-known favorite songs.

Throughout the evening, Disney characters are circulating among the diners. They dance with the kids and pose for photos. If they are not on the dance floor, Mickey Mouse and his pals might even sign autographs. Please know that this is not like other Disney World character meals; the characters do not come to each table, so you are not guaranteed to see each one. I'm told that the usual characters at Mickey's Backyard BBQ are Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale.

For our Fourth of July dinner show, we also saw Donald Duck, Pluto, Phineas and Ferb. The characters were decked out in their Colonial-era threads, though they usually wear western get-ups. Another difference for the holiday was that Mickey and Minnie stayed outside the pavilion posing for photos the entire time. They did not join the festivities on the dance floor, which they normally would do.

All-in-all, we enjoyed Mickey's Backyard BBQ immensely. Perhaps the guests who did not have a good experience were ones who had different expectations for the meal and the dining ambience. But make no mistake: This experience is not comparable to an indoor character meal. It's an outdoor, casual picnic with rollicking entertainment to delight youngsters and get everyone out on the dance floor.

For our celebration of the Fourth, the experience was as summertime-appropriate as the Mickey ice cream bars the kids enjoyed for dessert afterward.

Prices, which include tax and gratuity, are $54.99 for adults and $31.99 for guests ages 3 to 9. Mickey's Backyard BBQ is open seasonally.

http://land.allears.net/blogs/kristin-ford/2012/07/mickeys_backyard_bbb_is_great.html

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Whoa, that's a hefty price!

[disneylitch......Debbie 61]

It may be on the expensive side, but if you want Character Dining and entertainment this is the way to go. We have been a couple of times and have always had a great time. The last time was for Christmas dinner and it was great. All of the kids were dressed up for Christmas and so were the characters. The last time we went my "kids" were 21 and 22.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

It is expensive, no doubt about it. That said, since you prepay, you're not shelling it out at the same time as your trip, so that helps some. All in all, we thought it was worth it. We were 2 families, each with a teen and a little guy, and everyone had a good time. If you want to make it a better value, drink lots of beer/wine and have the kids sugar up on tons of Mickey bars.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

If my Grandma was still alive, she'd figure out a way to sneak a collapsible cooler in and cart off a couple dozen Mickey bars. That woman could stock her kitchen for a week in one trip to Golden Corral.