has been a staple of fun family dining at Walt Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge for years.
And I’ve enjoyed a meal and the overall atmosphere many times over the years. This has been the place to go for raucous hijinks like wooden pony races, massive straw drops, and tables overloaded with ketchup bottles.
That’s all to say: there has never been much whispering going on at Whispering Canyon Cafe. But it’s a place where fun was front and center, food was decent (although never particularly inspired), and diners knew they’d have a good time.
But that history of silliness and play was all in jeopardy last year when Whispering Canyon Cafe got a bit quieter. That’s because — for reasons unknown — Whispering Canyon Cafe toned the fun way down last May.
Whispering Canyon Sign
Or did they? After we posted about the major changes coming to the Cafe, our readers reported a lot of variation in their dining experiences. Some found the quieter setting, while others still witnessed hijinks. So I headed back to see how things were going.
Seating and decor
And I’ll say this: the old hijinks were back… sort of. Ketchup bottles still piled up on tables, giant glasses of soda were still being delivered to unsuspecting diners, and ponies were raced. But there was something missing — like the restaurant’s spirit was deflated. The sense of lighthearted fun just wasn’t the same.
Pony Races in the Old Days
The food, on the other hand, pretty much was. And that means it was fine. Not great, not awful — just hovering in the realm of mediocre and filling. One standout of the meal, however, were the Prospector Nachos. Maybe it’s the flood of queso coating the beef brisket and barbecue pulled pork. All of this (and salsa) top freshly fried tortilla chips. These were good: drippy, hearty, crunchy. What you want from a nacho.
Prospector Nachos
The Prospector Nachos aren’t expressly needed, of course, because the most popular member of the menu is the All-You-Care-to-Enjoy Skillet (now available in a plant-based variety,too!). The skillet begins with golden cornbread with butter. Nothing spectacular here, this is basic (slightly sweetened) cornbread.
Cornbread at Whispering Canyon Cafe
The mixed greens with apple vinaigrette is a decent salad. The sweet and tangy dressing makes it a little more interesting that the usual bowl of lettuce.
Mixed Greens with Apple Vinaigrette
The skillet is, of course, the star. It consists of meat: herb-roasted chicken, barbecue pulled pork. smoked pork ribs, western-style sausage, and oak-smoked beef brisket. And there are plenty of sides: mashed Yukon potatoes, seasonal vegetables (ubiquitous green beans), buttered corn, and cowboy-style baked beans.
All-You-Care-to-Enjoy Skillet
And look, everything is *okay*. The meats were decent, but borderline dry; the sides were filling but basic (the mashed potatoes were the star here). And I was left feeling a little meh. There’s a lack of thoughtfulness to the food that just doesn’t feel special. And maybe that’s okay if what you’re at Whispering Canyon Cafe for is the entertainment.
Dessert was quite good, actually. The Granny Smith Caramel Apple Pie is a thick wedge of pie packed with large chopped apples topped with clumps of cobbler/streusel style topping and drizzled with salty/sweet caramel.
Granny Smith Caramel Apple Pie
I’ve had it multiple times, and it’s always good. The buttery crust and streusel topping makes all the difference here, offering a counterpoint to the tart apples (plus that giant scoop of ice cream).
Granny Smith Caramel Apple Pie
So dessert is good. But the meal and the overall experience at Whispering Canyon Cafe just isn’t what it used to be…at least for me…and on this particular visit. As I always say — the only consistent thing about Disney restaurants is that they’re inconsistent. For those visiting for the first time, entering without expectations, it will still be a novelty — a fun meal with silly pranks and filling menu items. It could be really satisfying in that context. And maybe on other nights with different servers it’s still exciting. But for me, it just didn’t hit the mark this time.
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What’s your memory of Whispering Canyon Cafe? Will you still give it another shot in the future? Let us know in the comments!
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We were there last October (2018) and the hi-jinks were in full force! There were some pretty hysterical moments with napkins and making folks stand up to sing, putting people in “jail,” etc. It was highly entertaining. I had the All-You-Can-Eat plant-based skillet and my husband had the regular one, and we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We’d like to go back on a future visit! Hopefully we’ll catch the place on an “on” day rather than the “off” day reviewed here.
I felt the same way about my July 2018 experience. A family favorite and always a place we went during our trips, left us feeling bummed out. I actually even spoke to the server about it. She gave me some “maybe reasons why”…. I just went back to WDW in Jan and decided to skip it this time. Such a shame because I really LOVED the good old days there!
Eaten there many times over the past few months….Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and the hi-jinks were going on as usual for each meal. Straws and Napkins were being tossed…..ketchup was being called for and the giant glasses were going to anyone who said they were thristy. I have been eating at Whispering canyon for 20 years and have yet to see the reduced hi-jinks that some people mention.
Curious what is offered on the plant based platter? I actually really enjoyed the food but my husband is a vegetarian so curious what his options would be.
I would be interested also if they have a vegetarian option.
Susan, they do now have a plant-based skillet!
Maria, we haven’t seen the current vegan menu, but in the past it’s included barbecue jackfruit, Gardein ‘chicken’, and other items.
We were there in November and the meal was probably the best we had all week other than Ohana.
We had the skillet and loved it!
The cornbread is the same as Hoop Dee Doo and the apple pie was nothing spectacular.
The salad and skillet has me ready to go back right now!
We were there at the end of September. First time there – 11 of us. Had a great time! Mike, our waiter, was the best. I had the skillet – thought it was very good. My sister raved about some chocolate dessert she had – best during our trip. We’d definitely go back. Best time at a restaurant during our 9 day stay.
We just came home from Wilderness Lodge–loved it as usual. Although we’ve only eaten at the Whispering Canyon once, we were always irritated with how loud it made the peaceful lobby–never understood why they didn’t put up glass to separate it. We did find it a lot quieter this trip, but not sure if that’s because the whole hotel was not as full. But sitting in the lobby, even the “hijinx” I heard weren’t as loud/obnoxious to those who weren’t eating there. Also happy to find that you wouldn’t know “Snow White” was in “Artist Point”. We were afraid there’d be loud lines during dinner time. Still don’t think that was the right direction for the hotel….
Whispering Canyon? More like Raving Ravine! I wouldn’t eat there if you paid me. And, of course, Disney had to turn Artist’s Pointe into another themed encounter. Thank God for Victoria and Alberts!
We were there in June of last year and the food, as mentioned was ok. We got the skillet but by the time it came we filled up pretty quickly. We were more disappointed because we were seated in the last dining room, closest to Artist Point. The dining room itself is great with nice views outside, but you seem far removed from all the shenanigans at the restaurant. We could hear the ketchup calls from the main dining room but could not see what was going on. The table across from us got the ketchup call but it really was disappointing, there were only a couple of ketchup bottles delivered mainly because no one else could hear the call. We had been to Whispering Canyon before a few times and it was enjoyable but this time around it didn’t have the same vibe.
When you say that the barbecue is dry, do you meant that it is overdone? There is such a thing as dry barbecue. I could see it being an issue if they don’t offer additional sauce, but dry barbecue is cooked that way because wet barbecue burns the sauce. Dry barbecue is traditionally Memphis-style barbecue.
Russ, thanks for the comment. The meats themselves were on the verge of being overdone.
We ,were there in Mar of 19. We had 3 adults and 2 older teenagers. When we .had the horse race they jumped up and joined in.,. Maybe the food isn’t Victoria’s and Albert’s but the price is more reasonable and I’M sure they have no horse races there. We always recommend it.
We visited the Whispering Canyon in April last year and had a great time. Also had the skillet and we really enjoyed the food.