Mickey’s Backyard BBQ

Food was great and was literally refilled the entire night. All you can drink soft drinks and wine, sangria and draft beer too. My child has a peanut allergy and the chef personally came and spoke with us. This was a great opportunity to get up close to all the characters too. You can dance with them, get autographs and family pics. Worth the money! Id come again!

Just when I thought Disney could not surprise me they do it again! We have been dining at Disney hotels, parks, and cruises for over 20 years and have grown to expect and appreciate the high quality, artistic presentation and superior cuisine of Disney’s chefs!
But forgive me Mickey, when our family made reservations for «Mickey’s Backyard BBQ» at the Wilderness Lodge and campgrounds for Christmas Day I let out a huge UGH! A BBQ for Christmas?!?
The Camp grounds are not what I expected! The area boasted a breathtaking lake, decorated canteens, one huge beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the middle and a large Pavilion where Mickey and Minnie greeted all their Christmas guests in turn of the century Christmas frocks! After taking our picture with our sociable hosts we were escorted to our picnic table in the center of this festive hall.
By this time the band started playing on the large opre style stage and people were dancing and partying with their families while Santa Goofey, Pluto, chip and dale in holiday wear were hob nobbing with folks! In the corner was Jessie and Woody taking pictures and signing autographs.
I decided to first visit their canteen bar set up in the corner with all you could drink, beer, wine, sangria and moonshine! Yes moonshine folks which was pretty tasty lemonade with whiskey!
I was pleasantly surprised about the arrangement of the many rows of the BBQ Buffet and how the servers continually replaced low trays of food, the cleanliness of the stations and presentation of the food!
All you could eat hot dogs, bratwurst, hamburgers, pulled pork, chicken, ribs, mac and cheese, corn on the cob, pasta salad, potato salad, Caesar salad, coleslaw, jambalaya rice and cornbread! Well slap me on the back and call me a snob! This was beautiful! How could I have doubted Disney! All the food was cooked just right, fresh and delicious!
We were entertained by a sequenced studded cowboy that knew his stuff while doing lasso rope tricks, and cracking the whip and jokes! The band was awesome playing a great mix of Christmas, country, and pop songs with line dancing and more!
There were ice cream bars available including the famous «Mickey Bar». But I decided to indulge in the Fruit Cobbler with fresh whip atop! So satisfying and scrumptious!
I had to meet and compliment the Manager! David Kong was very nice and introduced me to his Chef Sergio Endara and
BBQ Dinner Show Leader, Chad Haggerty. I have to say that all the cast members from hostesses to servers to entertainers were very accommodating and full of cheer and I blame the great managers for this!
This Christmas Day will be a fond memory for many years to come! We may even make it a family Christmas tradition!
Thank you Disney once again for doing an excellent job and making a magical Christmas experience for our family and many other families!

Loved this show! Interactive with adults and kids and food was pretty good. The only bad thing is that we drove there and had to take a bus to the back and then walk to the show. Had I known we would have just taken the boat over to save time.

I loved the bbq. I don’t know why people give it so many bad reviews! I am from the Dallas area and love southern comfort food and country music, and that is exactly what you will get here. The buffet is big and well stocked. They have all you can drink beer and wine. They have dancing. And we got to meet lots of characters without having to stand in line. We had a party with ages ranging from 7 – 59, and we all had a good time. Plus, of you book the 5 or 7 o’clock, you can head over to the sing a long and movie after.

I remember when I was younger and I would frequent WDW at least once a year, I always remember reading all of the travel books and DVDs of all of the stuff I have NOT done in Disney. The free vacation planning VHS (hell yea, old school!) would show of things like character breakfasts, dinners, and behind the scenes tours. Then they would show Mickey’s Backyard BBQ. I always wanted to try it! Out of the blue, I finally got to!
My sis planned out the most recent trip (she was a rookie at it, but I give her credit for her due diligence planning every detail) we had– and I ended up being a last minute fill in for my brother in law. So I really had no idea what was on the agenda. Our last night in WDW, we had planned to go to Mickey’s Backyard BBQ– I was excited, as this was my (and the rest of the family) first time.
We drove there from the hotel, and I tell you what– I had not been to Fort Wilderness in an easy 16+ years, so I couldn’t remember the layout for anything. I parked, then wondered, «what next?» We asked a gentlemen, and told us to wait for the bus. Easy enough, eh? We went to the pavilion, and waited. Looked like all the people there were going to the BBQ.
So we hopped on the bus (mind you, there are a few to choose from– if you overlook things, you will get lost! But don’t worry, it’s Disney– they will help you rectify the situation quickly if they notice you stressing enough) and headed on to the back of the property.
Upon unloading, there were a few buildings– it looks like all of the dining and general store are in the back part of the resort in this area (it makes sense when you get there). Follow the heard of people, and you see the large pavilion and hear the music.
There is a host stand about 100 yards from the pavilion, and they check you in. We got seated on the left side of the pavilion, stage side. It was all picnic tables– which was cool. Down home and all.
Since it was a buffet, you just go for it. They had about 6 lines of food (all identical) — starting with salads to meats to veggies and cornbread. The drink station had something for everyone. There was even a bar, which I keep hearing was free (believe it or not, I behaved and did not get a single drink!). Then they had ice chests full of Mickey Ice Cream bars.
During all of this, they kept music playing, and people dancing. The entertainment was constant. Personally, I am not a big fan of country music– but they Disney-​fied it– making it tolerable, and fun for almost everyone.
Its all plastic forks and spoons here as well– just a heads up. More on that later. I filled up on food, and I tell you what– it’s not Disney’s best buffet– but given the fact they cook the food offsite (aka not at the pavilion), but for what it is advertised– a backyard bbq– it was palatable. I mean, I ended up getting 3 heaping plates and 2 ice cream bars. Even as the night progressed, I could tell the rookies got one plate and done. Lines thin out quickly, and then you can really focus on the food (while everyone else is focusing on the stage) — but this is just a fat man speaking. Oh yeah, they also have a DIY strawberry shortcake bar too!
I also like how the Disney characters dress up in western gear– you won’t find Mickey or Minnie look like that anywhere else on Disney property! IT is definitely unique. Unfortunately for my 5 year old nephew, he is/​was TERRIFIED of the characters (he his under the table half of the time!)! As the characters started to come around and dance with everyone, I decided to take him elsewhere (my mom, sis and 9 y/​o nephew stayed at the table) — towards the beach.
With that being said, you can step away if you feel it is too loud or you need a breather. We walked to beach area, which was about 1000 feet away, and I taught my nephew how to play tetherball. That calmed him down, which was huge!
I posted a picture of the receipt– to give you an idea of how much it costs. In reality, Disney dinner buffets average to about $ 30 – 40 per adult, sans entertainment. Yes, usually the food has a little more variety at the other places, but you do not get the action-​packed entertainment, and the photo ops with the characters at the other places either. For a few extra bucks, you get all that, and free flowing beer? If you can go with that mentality and don’t mind spending the money, I am pretty confident you will have a hell of a time.

The planning of this event is not the best, you can’t park there you have to bus in. The man at the gate entering the complex failed to mention that.
Good is fine, the typical barbecue meal. Ribs are real good.
They did accommodate us with our problems, Manager is very nice. It just wasn’t our bag

A full buffet, with Mickey ice cream for dessert, excellent musical entertainment and an hour and a half of dancing and character meet and greets. Kids loved it, adults loved it; best character meal we’ve ever had!!!

I’m giving this one star for the kids ho-​downing with Mickey and the gang… yes that’s precious, but for $ 200 bucks for a family of four? Out side of that, this meal activity is terrible. I drop a lot of coin on these WDW trips. While I may say «damn this is expensive» this is the only place I ever said «total rip-​off.»
They charge you 20% tip. When you arrive someone points you to a picnic table… they bus the paper plates for a spell but stop about halfway through, and plates sit on the table unless you bus your own, (and the person’s next to you who left). I’m all about tipping for great service… but here there isn’t even «any» service.
The food is marginal… can’t believe some folks actually think it was good. OK, if this was the church picnic, I’d say I was happy with the food. For what they are excavating from your wallet… no way. We stayed at Fort Wilderness but I’d have to agree (unless you boat over from the Contemporary or Wilderness Lodge) this will be a time consuming experience getting back and forth.

Decent food and lots of character interaction for all ages.
We arrived an hour before our reservation and had five minutes of photos and high fives/​hugs with Goofy, Chip, and Dale. We were the third family in line. It opened 10 minutes early and we sat one family from the edge of the dance floor to the right if facing the stage. The first family got really bad seats almost to the side of the band.
The pulled pork, ribs, and herb chicken were great. Mac n cheese was very good as well. The food is typical buffet BBQ.
We watched the show for a bit while eating. Then we danced and took lots of photos. In fact, Minnie photo-​bombed my wife’s selfie. The characters split time between the main stage and two small side areas. Almost no one danced on the sides so we got lots of quality time. Note: they are dancing so they don’t pose for photos or sign books.
As soon as the characters leave for the trick rope performer you should head outside the pavilion (left of stage) and form a line. Mickey and Minnie will show up in about 5 minutes. This is where you can get photos and autographs. This is also the only Disney photographer opportunity — at the start they use your camera for Goofy and the rodents. The trick rope guy comes out again later got the best tricks so you won’t miss much.
The Nestle ice cream bars are in an ice cream bar freezer in the back. Facing away from the stage the vanilla ice cream covered with chocolate, orange cream, and fruit flavored bars are in a freezer to the right of the buffet when you are facing away from the stage. It was not obvious.
After eating I highly recommend going on the Horse-​Drawn Excursions. This is NOT the $ 70 horse-​drawn carriage ride. Both are 25-​minute rides, but the Wagon Rides are $ 8 for adults and $ 5 for kids. It holds 25 people. It is located right in front of the Information & Tickets Concierge. There are NO reservations, it is first come, first serve. Arrive 45 minutes before the ride and pay the driver in cash. Bring exact change!
No one knows about this awesome ride so please keep it a secret. Don’t post it on the Internet!

Attended the 630 pm show tonight, October 9, 2014. The food wasn’t bad and the servers and hosts were friendly. My niece enjoyed the show since she loves dancing and was having fun up until one particular moment with Minnie Mouse. Whoever played Minnie tonight was awful! I was watching my niece dancing and was trying to snap some pictures of her when I witnessed Minnie actually push my niece aside when she was taking turns dancing with some kids and my niece had been so excited for a turn. A few moments later, I saw her push two other children aside as well. The look of disappointment on their faces was terrible. This place is supposed to be fun and magical for kids and I couldn’t believe what I saw. I refrained from addressing the situation right then and there because I didn’t want to cause a scene or ruin it for anyone else but I was truly disappointed, as were the kids. I’ve been to many Disney attractions and the service is usually top notch so seeing this was truly upsetting. If this person isn’t happy with their job or isn’t willing to uphold Disney values, then she truly shouldn’t be employed there.

There are only two questions you need to ask yourself; 1) is the price worth it? It is very expensive for so so BBQ food (free beer and wine though) 2) will your kids dance the night away? If your kids won’t dance it is totally not worth it. Plus summertime in Florida is brutal dining outside.

A bit pricey for basic ribs, chicken, hamburgers and hotdogs Mac-​n-​cheese Your sitting outside along picnic tables with other families they offer dancing with the characters and photo oops with Mickey and Minnie

Not worth 2 table service dining plan meals. Watered down drinks, average at best food, and very loud. Disney does a lot right, this is not one of those.
Food was ribs, burgers, chicken, and hot dogs. Absolutely nothing special.
Entertainment staff does a good job of trying to make it fun. If you like country music and square dancing with the characters, this is your place.

A 2 and that’s being nice. Although its for the kids which is the only reason they got a 2 they do a good job for the kids. The food is horrible its disgusting. Hamburgers don’t even look right !! Ribs hard and the other things where just not good. The event for 2 adults and a child is $ 145.00. At least make the food edible. Free beer was good and the ice cream pops Where good also. All in all if you eat before and don’t mind spending 145.00 for two adults and one kid to dance it’s worth it …

Lets get all the negatives out of the way about this dinner show. Because there are a few flaws. So, if you know what to expect going in, maybe you will be better prepared and have a better time than some in our group did.
First, let me stress this to you because no one at Disney seems to tell anyone this. YOU CANNOT DRIVE TO THIS EVENT DIRECTLY. You must park at the main lot of the Wilderness Campground. Then you take on of the busses to place where the Hoop De Doo is.
The BBQ is located behind the Hoop De Doo so you must walk past it and towards the lake. Just follow the path and everyone else.
Second, you must pick up tickets at your hotel concierge if you made reservations. Typically, you can do this up to 7 days in advance. If you have questions, ask them. They don’t neccesarily just give you info telling you of the difficulties of going here.
One could take a bus to the TTC and then go to the campground on another bus, I imagine, if you didn’t drive to Disney.
Third, this event is not a traditional dinner show. It is outside. It is seasonal. Your experience will vary depending on the weather. Also, it is only two days a week. So, reserve early.
Now, with all of that out of the way, lets get to why I really like this event.
It takes you over to the Wilderness campground. For many of you, that may be a pain. For me, it was a chance to see the campground for the first time in well over 20 years. I once was here for the Hoop De Doo as a kid. So I was looking forward to this.
Free beer! That’s right! For the adults, free beer. Of course, being the guy I was, I didn’t bring cash because I was told all tips included in the price of admission. Yet, people were still giving the «bartender» dollar tips for the beer. Well I had no clue so no cash equals no tips although I only drank about 3 beers and mainly because of this, otherwise I would have left half blitzed.
Don’t get me wrong. This truly is a kids first event. But it is really cool that they serve more adult beverages for the bigger folks. No one was getting out of control while there so hopefully everyone stays respectful. They also serve wine and maybe some liquors but I didn’t really think to look at everything. It seems more like a beer event to me.
Buffet with hot dogs, burgers, chicken, and ribs!!! AYCE! Ok, so for me, that wasn’t really a good thing.
I have one rule when I pay for something. Get everything you can out of it. Probably why I was a 310 pound guy last January who really had to change his life to slim down to the 245 I am at now. Buffets are killers.
So, when I approached this buffet with that attitude, it went a little bad. Three Yuenglings, and tackling that buffet like a hog left me with a very upset stomach the rest of the night.
The food isn’t great. It is a step below a place like even the Old Country Buffet. But it is what it is. It is edible.
A really cool thing about this place is that there is a live band on stage playing new country favorites. I am not even a country fan, at all. But they do a decent job playing some of the songs you would hear on contemproray country radio.
At times, there is a separate entertainer when the band is taking a break. He does all types of things to keep the kiddos engagged. Mostly Western theme tricks totally in theme.
So here is the 4 star barn burner for the kiddos. Listen up kiddies… YOU GET TO DANCE WITH MICKEY, MINNIE, GOOFY, CHIP, AND DALE! There are three separate dance floors.
The center floor in front of the stage, and two side areas taped off near the ends. One just happened to be near our table.
My kids had an absolute blast with this. Even the 3 year old. This is why I say it is very kid centric. If you are an adult group only, keep yo grumpy butts elsewhere. Unless, of course, you can see it through the eyes of a kid.
The Hoopty Doo is a great option for adults and a very entertaining dinner show. I suggest going there if you don’t have kids. The food is maybe a little better, too.
But if you have kids, and you don’t mind paying out the bucks, (50 something per adult, a little less for kiddos) then try it out. Where else can someone hoe down with Mickey and some of his pals?!? That, to me, is worth the price of admission. Don’t forget to bring tip money for the «bartender».

I thought the food was good. About what I expected really. Yes it is picnic fare served buffet style. Hot dogs, hamburgs, ribs, chicken, beans with all the salads. It is not gourmet. We had 5 adults and 2 small children in our party. Everyone seemed to like it. The adults enjoyed the all you can drink draft beer and wine. Yes it was the cheap stuff, but it was cold and it served it’s purpose.
The live music show was very good and very entertaining.
The kids had a blast. Heck even some of the adults had fun dancing. My niece and nephew were dancing with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the other characters that took turns on the dance floor.
Unlike other character meals, these characters do not pose for photos or sign autograph books. Makes sense, it would take till 3 in the morning for every kid there to get their picture taken and an autograph.
Yes it is expensive, even with the dining plan. Even so, we all left full, exhausted, and entertained. Especially the children, and that’s why we go to Disney.

This is an outdoor BBQ at Fort Wilderness Camp Area.
There were 16 of us there. 9 adults and 7 kids. The food is not very good. Frozen Hamburger and Hot Dogs they threw on the grill. The ribs were ok, but just ok. The coleslaw, corn and salad all tasted out of a bag instead of fresh.
They have all you can drink tea, lemonade, fruit punch, bad tasting wine and bud light.
It is insanely expensive if you don’t have the dinning plan. It is $ 36 for kids and $ 60 for adults. The dining plan costs you two dinners and it is so not worth it.
The music is good. It is a ho down. It is really aimed at little kids to get up and dance with the characters.
It was 100 degrees and no air moving through the place so it was pretty uncomfortable. If you want a charater dining I would recommend Chef Mickey Breakfast instead much much much better. Better food and indoor in the A/​C.

Entertainment is cheesy (lots of macarena) and food is plentiful but a bit plastic. A fun time nonetheless.

This is a fun dining event at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, mainly in the summer season, and not every night. It is the price of a dinner show, and counts for 2 dining credits on the Disney Dining Plan. It is in the evening, but does not go on too late. The food is hot dogs, chicken and lots more barbeque food. There is country music and dancing, and the characters and it is such a fun evening.

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ is located in an open air pavilion in Fort Wilderness, so weather is a factor and it is seasonal from March through December and only open on Thursdays and Saturdays, so it books fast.
Long picnic tables fill the dining area which is open to the bandstand and dance floor. An open covered room holds the twin buffet of barbecued ribs, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, cole slaw, cornbread, watermelon, marble cake and ice cream treats.
This is an all you can eat buffet, including wine, beer, lemonade, iced tea. The price is $ 59.99 for 10 years of age and up and $ 36.99 for ages 3 to 9, the price includes tax and tip.
This is a western themed ho down with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Chip and Dale all dressed in their cowboy and girl attire ready to dance the night away.
Live music with a huge dance floor to get down or line dance with the characters. The interacting entertainment lasts from 6:30 until 8:00 in the evening.
The food is good and free wine and beer is still a bit pricey for an hour and a half. I’m glad that I did check it out but I am not so sure I will again.