Do you want great food and marvellous entertainment whilst you are dining? If so I really recommend the Whispering Canyon Cafe in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.
“The goings-on can get a little loud and that’s the way we like it” and boy do they mean it! If you're looking for a peaceful meal, do not visit, but if it’s a good old-fashioned rootin’, tootin’ great time your after, this is the place for you and the fun never stops.
Whispering Canyon Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner at reasonable prices. We have only dined at lunchtime and the food was excellent with a great variety of choice. We opted for the Texas Taffy’s Red Snapper with Roasted Fall Vegetables and Balsamic Chive Butter and were not disappointed. Other choices include pork, chicken, meatloaf, pasta, sandwiches and their ‘Famous Canyon Skillet, All-You-Care-To-Eat’. We ended our ‘trail’ with Banana Dustbowl and Apple-Caramel Pie. Scrumptious!
However the experience at the Whispering Canyon is only in part due to the high food quality. The servers, dressed in cowboy/girl outfits, are the exact opposite of anything you would expect from Disney trained staff. They shout at the top of their voices and tease their guests constantly. I hasten to add that it is all in fun!
Diners are encouraged to sing and wave their napkins in the air at regular intervals, and there are other surprises in store too! Use a mobile phone at your own risk and be prepared for the whole restaurant to shout "Hi" to your caller. One diner didn't know that Disney only serves Coke and dared to ask for a Pepsi.……..or ask for Ketchup or where the restrooms are and see what happens! I don’t want to give too much away or else I will spoil the fun but suffice it to say we laughed all the way through our meal.
The entertainment was finally completed with youngsters being called to the front of the restaurant where they were given wooden horses and encouraged to ride them around the dining room. They were then asked to repeat (and promise to carry out) everything the server said including, “I will buy everything I see at the Disney Parks” and “to never, ever, ever visit Universal Studios”.
If you decide to dine at The Whispering Canyon but prefer to be left alone, there is a quieter dining area at the back of the restaurant. Reservations are recommended but we arrived just as the restaurant was opening and were seated straight away.
The atmosphere is great and the staff are very friendly. All in all, a really fun lunchtime which I fully recommend - although not if you are of a nervous disposition!