There is truly a restaurant for everyone across Walt Disney World‘s 27,000 square acres. Some upscale eateries cater to those seeking a more adult experience. Other highly themed meals exist within the canon of beloved Disney stories. Then there are dining locations that aren’t connected to any Disney franchise or character, but still feel distinctly “Disney” nonetheless. It’s that last category we’re diving into today, with a visit to a restaurant at one of Disney World’s most beautiful resorts.
It’s here we find a family-friendly table service restaurant that’s more interactive than most. Let’s take a look at our recent meal there. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a makeover experience for all ages and a change to Disney World’s Extended Evening Hours.
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Family-Friendly Restaurant Out of the Way from the Parks
Just off the lobby at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of our favorite family restaurants at Walt Disney World. In addition to the restaurant’s unique experience, dining here gives you a reason to visit this beautiful deluxe resort off the beaten path. Most guests never make it out here. The rustic design and comfortable feeling make Wilderness Lodge feel worlds away from a Disney World theme park.
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During Christmas at Disney World, this hotel is particularly notable for the large tree and decorations. There was even a gingerbread house added here last year. We love this resort during the holidays, but recommend a trip out here during any trip to enjoy the atmosphere.
Whispering Canyon Café is a Western-themed restaurant with all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets of BBQ and a joking dining staff that is the highlight of every meal here. The meal feels like a combined experience of two table service restaurants at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Roundup Rodeo BBQ and 50’s Prime Time Café. Whispering Canyon Café takes the Western food from Roundup Rodeo and some of the sassy cast member fun of the 50’s Prime Time Café.
Whispering Canyon Café is loud and boisterous. The sign at the front of the restaurant describes the experience: “We’ve got stories, games, and even a song or two, so … get ready to join in!” That captures this experience perfectly. There are so many fun touches to this restaurant beyond just the dining, and if you are ready to join in, you’ll have a ton of fun.
The restaurant is open for brunch from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM and dinner from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM. We really like brunch here for a mid-afternoon break from the parks. Start your morning in Magic Kingdom, then take a boat to Wilderness Lodge for the perfect afternoon. The restaurant is typically also less crowded during this time, so you’ll receive even more “care” and attention. The care you receive here is a little bit different than the care you might expect at other Disney World restaurants, but even with that said, it’s great to have lots of focused time from your waiter.
The seating for the restaurant is in a long dining room with one side almost completely open to the lobby.
Whispering Canyon Café serves multiple options of refillable platters for the table and endless soft drinks. There are also à la carte options.
Here are examples of current brunch options. Prices are per person, not per skillet, but again, the food is all-you-care-to-enjoy, so you can request as much as you’d like.
“The Heritage” skillet is $27 and comes with house-made buttermilk-cheddar biscuits, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, country potatoes, Hickory-smoked bacon, pork Sausage links, and Mickey-shaped waffles.
“The Carnivore” skillet is $27 and comes with house-made cornbread with honey butter, maple-chipotle barbecued slow-smoked pork ribs, oak-smoked beef brisket, barbecued pulled pork, citrus-herb chicken, country potatoes, buttered corn on the cob, and baked beans.
The cornbread with honey butter was delicious.
“The Lighter Side” skillet is $27 and comes with Swiss oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt, egg-white spinach frittata, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, country potatoes, and Mickey-shaped waffles.
Cast members lean into an aggressive service approach. They play into a “rude” style of literal service based on what you ask for. It’s a ton of fun and brings a specific old-school Walt Disney World charm to the restaurant.
They will keep the food and drinks coming throughout the meal to a hilarious extent. When we asked for just a “little more” soda, they brought this smaller cup, and then the person who was drinking a lot of soda at the table got this massive one.
Here’s another massive water for the person (me) drinking too much water at the table.
When we asked for straws, the waiter launched them onto the table for us, seemingly frustrated that we would even ask for something like that.
If you ask for ketchup, they’ll arrive and stack the Heinz containers tall into a pyramid or just fill your table with them.
Just like at 50’s Prime Time, if you go to the bathroom, your waiter will ask you what color the soap was to confirm you washed your hands. If you don’t know, it will be back to the bathroom with you.
Here are some of the other fun stories that I’ve heard from readers about their experience at the restaurant (please comment your own below):
- If you ask your waiter to take a photo of your group, they’ll take their own selfie.
- Ask for lemon water, and you’ll get a whole lemon with your cup of water.
- Get a birthday cupcake, and the waiter will take a bite out of it after singing.
- Food to go is presented in a huge cardboard box.
Toward the end of our meal, cast members invited kids up to grab a wooden horse and follow the leader around the restaurant while Western music plays. During our meal, the restaurant was not that full, and the staff pulled some willing adults up to join in the fun as well.
In our group, we had some diners who were very intent on leaning into the banter with the cast members. Others were not. That was okay. I have heard from readers who were not as interested in partaking in the fun of it all, and the waiter understood and pretty quickly switched to normal service so that they could just enjoy the atmosphere of the chaos.
I finished my meal with a chocolate shake for $11. It comes with unlimited refills.
Continue planning your Disney World dining options with our recent reviews of the highest-rated restaurant at Magic Kingdom and a menu item that’s only available for two hours each day.
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