Whispering Canyon Cafe Review

On our trip this past March, we went with some friends who are life-long Disney goers (if that's a word!). My good friend's parents are DVC members and she has done to Disney at least once a year since she was little. She said there is one restaurant that is her father's favorite and we had to try it out - Whispering Canyon Cafe.

I really had no idea what to expect, except that she told us to be prepared for some fun! We made our reservation for an early dinner - I think about 5:30. We were actually one of the first ones in the dining room that night. Once we got checked in, we wandered around the Wilderness Lodge lobby to check out all the sights. I was amazed at how beautiful the inside of the resort was. We checked out the bridge and the geyser as well. It wasn't long before we were buzzed that our table was ready!




Beautiful light fixture in the lobby!


We were seated close to the front of the restaurant, next to the window. We thought it was a great spot! As soon as we got our first drinks, both the guys drank them so fast - so they got refills. Now, when you drink that quickly at Whispering Canyon Cafe, they don't just refill your glass - you get a much bigger one that I'm sure most people don't ever finish :) And that was just the beginning of the fun we had!

Look at the size of those drinks!

The waiter/waitresses make you feel like family when they first arrive to take your orders. They toss the napkins and straws out on the table and cut up with you! Our waitress was so fantastic. She picked on the guys and messed with the kids - it was a blast!! My husband had a lot of fun with her and ended up leaving her a crazy tip - a bunch of quarters! He had told her to break down his change so he could leave a tip, but she didn't, so he left her what he had available.

That is a lot of quarters :)

Whispering Canyon Cafe really knows how to have a good time with the kiddies too! While we were there eating - there were 2 different activities for them to be involved in. First, they had all of the kids come up to the front and did the Hokey Pokey. My son loved it - he loves dancing and singing, so he had a ball. The second came later in our meal, they had a horse race! All the children that wanted to came up and grabbed a wooden horse and "galloped" around the restaurant. My son enjoyed it so much that he went around one more time after everybody had stopped - LOL!

You put your Right foot in, you put your Right foot out . .

Horse race!

Now, we didn't just come to have a good time, we came for a good meal! Whispering Canyon Cafe is famous for the Canyon Skillet, which is definitely a feast! It includes: Smoked Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, Oven roasted Chicken, Beef Brisket, Mashed Potatoes, Cowboy Beans, Corn on the Cobb, Cole Slaw, Mixed Greens w/apple vinaigrette and Cornbread. Plus, all of it is All You Can Eat! Unfortunately, we did not get the Canyon Skillet - although after seeing it at a nearby table, we will next time. I ended up getting the Chicken Vegetable Penne Pasta, which was delicious! The serving was huge and more than enough for two people. I ended up saving half for lunch the next day at our resort. My husband got the Pot Roast w/mashed potatoes and veggies. He said it was ok - not the best he's had but not the worst. His plate was clean - so it must have been decent :) Nicholas got the kids Grilled chicken strips w/pasta and marinara sauce and veggies. He was also celebrating his birthday, so he got a yummy cupcake for dessert!

Yummy!

Overall, we had a fantastic time at Whispering Canyon Cafe and cannot wait to go back! If you are looking for a restaurant where you can not only have a delicious meal, but also a fun time - this is your place! Oh, and don't forget to ask for ketchup!!

I am linking up today with the Tiggerific Blog Hop . . . or Bounce! Check out all the other great posts!

Amanda

Magical Meals Review!

Magical Meals written by Nancy Bobby from The Affordable Mouse!

Since I am planning our first Disney trip that will include staying at a Disney resort and utilizing the dining plan, I have been in search of books/information that can help me best decide since there is so much out there! I came across "Magical Meals: A Guide to Affordable Dining at Walt Disney World" This e-book was written by Nancy Bobby from The Affordable Mouse.

Although I had already decided that we wanted to try out the dining plan and see how it worked for our family, I knew this e-book would be very helpful to me in understanding the dining plan and making sure that I knew all my options for dining before we booked our trip.

One of the great things about Magical Meals is that it is available in e-book format, therefore, as soon as your order it, it's delivered to your email and you can begin your planning immediately! There is no 2-3 day wait period for it to come in the mail and that makes it even better for me. I am the kind of person who when I get something in my head, I have to have it or start planning it right then. I don't like waiting for things, so this made me very happy!

Another great thing about the e-book is that it's an easy read and so easy to understand. Nancy explains everything about dining at Disney World with such simplicity that anybody would read this book and understand - I now (almost) feel like a pro!

*Check out the Free Budget Spreadsheet on pg. 37 :)

Magical Meals consists of 6 chapters all about dining in Disney World. Nancy covers everything from what type of meals are available at Disney World to special things you can do to make whatever you are celebrating (birthday, anniversary, first trip!) even better! There is even an entire chapter dedicated to those of you with food allergies and how to have the best dining experience in Disney World with them!

*There is some great information about Celebrating in WDW on pg. 57!

There are a ton of links in the e-book as well that are a great addition. These take you to different websites with even more tips and hints. One of my favorite parts in the book is where Nancy talks about the pros and cons of the Disney dining plan and how to tell if the plan is right for your family. As she mentioned in her book, the dining plan is not right for every family. It's important to look at all the options available and go from there!

*Check out some great tips about ADR's on pg. 46!

Another one of my favorite parts of the book is Chapter 3: Getting the Most Value out of your Meals. These tips and hints are perfect for me because I am always looking for ways to make our money stretch and get the most out of everything we experience, dining included!

*Pg. 44 has some wonderful tips from other readers to help you too!

If you are planning a trip to Disney World and contemplating the dining plan, or even just want to know a little bit more about it - I highly recommend this e-book. Magical Meals: A Guide to Affordable Dining at Disney World is a fantastic book with tons of information at an affordable price. This e-book is only $10.95!

If you would like to purchase this e-book, you can head over here to do so! Also, don't forget to check out Nancy at The Affordable Mouse - she is always giving out advice and tips to make your Disney World trip so much better! Don't forget to tell her I sent you :)

Amanda