Day 3 – In The Wilderness | Part 5 | Halloween in the Wilderness 2015

Please Share This Post!

Landscapes of Flavors (CS Breakfast) | Check in at Wilderness Lodge | Whispering Canyon Cafe (TS Dinner)

Continued from part 4…
October 25th, 2015

As compensation for the construction work going on at the resort, Disney gave us $100 for every night of our stay that we would be affected – so we had a $1300 credit on our Magic Bands upon our arrival.

I have to say, that while we were there any work going on was at a minimum, and the scaffolding was at the back of the building. This may change, going forward, but it didn’t spoil our holiday at all. The only thing it did affect was the Hidden Springs Pool which was closed a few days after we arrived.

We did try out the pool a couple of times, before it was closed off, and it was such a lovely spot – peaceful, and secluded.

The $1300 courtesy of Disney went towards paying tips in restaurants, and treating ourselves – so naturally a lot of Disney shopping was done! The Mercantile at Wilderness Lodge is deceptively big, and they had lots of great things on sale – I came away with Wilderness Lodge EVERYTHING – mugs, totem poles, picture frames, magnets, pins. I didn’t buy the soaps though…

I then received a text to say our Garden Grocer delivery had arrived, so we headed back up to our room, where it was brought up to us. I hadn’t realised I had ordered so many drinks! That space under the sink I mentioned earlier? That’s where a lot of it had to go as there was not enough room in the fridge! If I recall, I know I didn’t order enough drinks last year, and we ran out, this year, I over ordered, and we ended up bringing them back home to the UK with us!

We got ready for dinner, and went back down to the lobby, to just chill out before our reservation time. I just loved sitting down here – just marvelling at the grandeur of the place. (And those lights – I’m obsessed with them!)

We checked in at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and were given a buzzer that would go off to indicate our table was ready. No sooner had we walked back to sit on the sofas, did it start to buzz. We were led through and shown to our table.

WCC is a themed restaurant – the servers are slapdash, throwing napkins and straws on the tables, but this is intentional. As is the, I don’t want to say rudeness, maybe abruptness is a better word – they ain’t got time for yo nonsense! They are there to pull as many of your legs as possible! Oh it’s loud too, so be prepared for that! Not just the customer chatter, but also the servers shouting at the tops of their voices!

You can opt out of this by flipping the coaster to red – then you get service as normal, without all the themed elements, but you can watch from the sidelines. We’ve been before, so know what to expect, but if you don’t know this, it can come as a bit of a shock!

We were given menus, and had our drinks order taken – no question about it, it was milkshakes all round! They are the most delicious, creamiest milkshakes ever! And they are refillable too – not that I can manage more than one. The boys on the other hand…

When it comes to the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan at a table service restaurant you are entitled to one appetizer, one entrée, one dessert and one non-alcoholic beverage (usually refillable) for one credit per person.

When looking at the menu, Steve and I said we would share the tortilla chips, but it turns out it only counts for one of us, so I also ordered an appetizer. We ended up switching and sharing this lot of apps.

The soup was really tasty, and full of flavour. Liam really like the soup, and finished the bowl off for me. Of course, the chips were for two to share – but even then it was a huge bowl of chips! It seemed never ending! Steve really like the chili, I wasn’t a fan, but the salsa was delicious. The shrimp were huge, and whilst Liam finished them off, he didn’t entertain the salad, so that was mine, and it was delicious.

Appetizers…

Me: Ranger John’s Chicken Tortilla Soup ($8.49)

Him: Gold Rush Western Chips – with Chili, Queso Dip, and fresh Salsa (serves 2) ($11.99)

The Boy: Chilled Applewood-Smoked Shrimp – with Jicama Salad and Avocado Horseradish Sauce ($12.99)

In my notes, I’ve written that the servers decided to bring out our main course before we had even finished our appetisers. Then they were in a real rush to take away the salad that came with the skillet that Steve and I had decided to share.

The food on the skillet wasn’t as hot as it could have been either. But then, we noticed this a lot this year, with food not always being piping hot. The salad also had blue cheese in it, which I am not a fan of, so kind of picked my way around it. If I had known it was on there (it doesn’t say on the menu) I would ask for it to be left off. The cornbread was lush though!

Then when asked if we wanted top ups on the skillet, to which we replied yes on a couple of things, they forgot to bring them out. So the service on this part of the meal was not very good at all I’m afraid to say. Such a shame, as it was our first night, and service had been good the first time we visited WCC.

Liam had steak – but instead of all the sides that came with it, he just had fries.

Entrées…

Me + Him: All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Skillet – Starting with Family-Style Mixed Greens tossed in an Apple Vinaigrette Dressing and Fresh-Baked Cornbread. Featuring Slow-Smoked Pork Ribs, Barbecued Pulled Pork, roasted Chicken, Oak-Roasted Beef, and Western-Style Sausage served with Seasonal Farm Fresh Vegetables, Mashed Yukon Potatoes, Corn on the Cobb, and Cowboy-Style Baked Beans ($29.99)

The Boy: Steak-Your-Claim-Char-Crusted New York Strip – with Roasted Potatoes, Fresh Garden Vegetables, Blue Cheese Butter, and Cabernet Demi ($32.99)

By the time dessert time rolled around, we couldn’t manage it, so we took them to go. Liam didn’t want a dessert at all, so we didn’t order one for him. Steve had his eye on the cobbler, but the server said they couldn’t do that to go. So he picked something else instead. We took them back up to our room, but they ended up going in the fridge, and being eaten a few days later! The apple pie was packed full of apples, and flavour – I imagine it would taste even better hot, with some ice cream.

Overall, it was a bit hit and miss this time at Whispering Canyon Cafe, but it won’t put us off going again.

Desserts…

Me: Apple-Caramel Pie – Fresh Granny Smith Apples, Sugar Cookie Crust, Streusel Topping, and Caramel Drizzle ($7.99)

Him: Cheescake of the Season ($6.99)

Whispering Canyon Cafe

Bill Total: $177.09 (3 Credits) {Tip: $29.93}

DxDDP Running Totals: Bill: $177.09 | Credits: 3/126 | Tips: $29.93

After paying our bill, we chilled out in the lobby before going back up to our room. Tomorrow we’ll be hitting our first Disney park – Epcot for the International Food & Wine Festival!

Read about the day before:
Day 2 – Look At This Stuff:
Resort Tour – Art of Animation | Bahama Breeze (Lunch)

Read about the day after:
Day 4 – Eat Around The World:
Farm Fresh, Scotland, Hawaii, Desserts & Champagne, Brazil, Belgium at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival | La Cantina de San Angel (CS Lunch) | Le Cellier (Signature Dining) | IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Read ALL the days!

Halloween In The Wilderness 2015:
Trip Report Index | Pre-Trip Planing Report | Highs, Not So Highs, and Lows
All the photos from this day can be found here | Florida 2015 photo collection on Flickr here

Please Share This Post!