Need a Magic Kingdom park-break? Craving a terrific meal in a great setting?  Got a hungry group or family to please?  Have I got a restaurant for you!

Whispering Canyon Cafe, located in Disney’s beautiful and majestic Wilderness Lodge, offers guests a unique, and delicious dining option just a quick boat-ride away from the Magic Kingdom or a bus-ride from the other three parks.  Didn’t I make that sound wonderful?  The real deal is that Whispering Canyon is plain old fun!  Worth the trip no matter how you get there.  The theme is western, the food American, and the service will be either hilariously ridiculous or the usual service of the excellent Disney variety – you get to decide if you are ready to be part of the action or if you just want to watch and enjoy some tasty comfort food.

Raymond and I booked lunch at Whispering Canyon based on reviews we’d read and recommendations from Disney World food fans like us.  Having had poor luck with meals in the past at Artist Point, we were hoping Whispering Canyon would become our go-to dining choice at Wilderness Lodge – a resort we love to visit!  We booked for lunch on a Magic Kingdom day and the break could not have been more perfect.  The weather was gorgeous and our FastPasses were spaced just right to have enough time to get to Wilderness Lodge, enjoy a leisurely lunch, and get back to rides and attractions.

Our first impressions were great!  We gave our name at the podium and were seated immediately.  The décor is adorable!  We were seated near the middle of the room which gave us an excellent vantage point from which to view the action.  If you’ve been to 50’s Prime Time Café at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Whispering Canyon’s experience is a bit like that one, but (to me) better.  I don’t want to spoil it for you, but if you have a good sense of humor and don’t mind being picked on a little, you’ll enjoy Whispering Canyon.  (If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you’ll use one table service credit to eat there.)  The crowd during our lunch was mostly made up of families and groups of friends who were there to embrace all that this special place has to offer.

After a quick glance at the menu, we decided to split the Slow-smoked Pulled Pork Spring Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce for $12.49.  These were absolutely fantastic! We each ordered a different beer to try (both brews were new to us) and Raymond decided to go with a burger and sweet potato fries (Bacon-Cheese Angus Burger -Thick-cut Praline Bacon, Sharp White Cheddar, and House Ketchup with your choice of House-made Idaho Potato Chips, French Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, or Cucumber Salad -$17.49).  I thought a basic tuna melt sounded exactly right (Tuna Melt on Sourdough Bread with Vine-ripened Tomatoes, Sharp White Cheddar, Arugula, and Herb-Olive Oil – $14.49).  We were very happy with our choices and before we knew it, our bellies were too full for dessert and we could hear our FastPasses for Space Mountain calling to us.  We headed to the boat dock and enjoyed the scenery on our way back to Magic Kingdom.

Absolutely we will be making a return visit to Whispering Canyon at the earliest opportunity!  Our expectations were high and we were not disappointed.  Good food, fun atmosphere, excellent service…all in gorgeous Wilderness Lodge.

Have you eaten at Whispering Canyon?  How’d you like it?