Review: Whispering Canyon Cafe’s Filling and Fun Breakfast (And Lunch)

My family has a tradition relating to how we end our Disney World vacations. We always pick a table-service breakfast to enjoy together before we head to the airport for our travel back home. It’s a great way to feel like we’re squeezing in one last bit of Disney magic while fueling up for the rest of our day. And we usually pick a resort that we wouldn’t have otherwise visited during our trip. This can be a great way to experience a Deluxe or DVC resort if one is otherwise outside of your budget. During our recent family vacation, our last-day breakfast took us to Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge – a resort that is on my personal must-do list, but where we haven’t yet been able to stay.

If breakfast isn’t your favorite time for a restaurant meal, take note! Although I’ve referred to breakfast throughout because that’s the meal we ate, the breakfast and lunch menus at Whispering Canyon are exactly the same. You read it right here, you can get that Belgian Waffle or Western-style Benedict all the way through to 2 p.m.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Logistics

Location and Transportation

Whispering Canyon Cafe is located at Wilderness Lodge, near Magic Kingdom. When you enter the main lobby from the front doors, the check-in desk is almost immediately to your left. And it’ll be hard to miss it – this is certainly the most active and loudest part of the large and impressive lobby. If you’ve never been to Wilderness Lodge, I highly recommend arriving a little early and spending time looking at the indoor spring, admiring the Disney totem pole, and sitting in a rocking chair while you wait for your reservation.

If you’re relying on Disney transportation, you have several options for getting to Wilderness Lodge. You can transfer to a resort bus from Disney Springs, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, or Hollywood Studios. Or, you can get yourself to Magic Kingdom, and then take the boat to Wilderness Lodge. If you’re looking for a faster, non-transfer option, you can also use your car, or take an Uber/Lyft/Minnie Van. Unless you are already staying at Wilderness Lodge, you will need to have the name on your reservation ready to give at the gate if you are arriving by car.

Reservation Availability

The breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe is a fan favorite. Still, it’s a breakfast without characters that isn’t in a park – and that keeps it out of the top tier of most sought-after reservations. You’ll definitely want to book 60 days out when reservations if you can. But if you’re flexible with your timing (like if you’re not rushing to get to a park), you should be able to get a spot at Whispering Canyon Cafe.

Cost

At the time of this writing, pricing for breakfast entrees at Whispering Canyon Cafe ranges from $11 to $26 for adults and $6.25 to $12.50 for kids. That’s before taxes and gratuity, and doesn’t include beverages. Annual Passholders and DVC members can both currently receive 10% off at this dining location.

If you are using the 2024 Disney Dining Plan, this is a 1-credit dining location. Meals with an all-you-can-eat offering are often some of the best values on the Dining Plan, but if you order the most expensive entree and most expensive cocktail ($26 skillet and $17 margarita, respectively) – you’ll only be getting $43 of food here. Therefore, this is a cheaper out-of-pocket option and you may want to reserve your credits for other meals.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Atmosphere and Service

This is absolutely not a quiet and subdued meal. In fact, it is one of the most energetic meals that you’ll find on property without Disney characters present. Instead, some of the servers feel like characters themselves. If you’re a Disney dining veteran, imagine a blend of Hoop Dee Doo Revue with its boisterous western feel, and a little bit of 50s Prime Time Cafe with some good-natured teasing and fun.

Kids will be invited to participate in stick-horse races around the restaurant at least once during your meal. And even if you don’t think you’ll use any ketchup with your meal … you need to ask for it anyway. You can thank me later for the abundance of joy that will arrive at your table.

Whispering Canyon Cafe Food

During breakfast, you have more than ten single-serve entrees that you can choose from. But that’s not why most people come to Whispering Canyon Cafe. Instead, you’re here for the All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Signature Skillets. At $26, these are significantly more expensive than other breakfast entrees across Walt Disney World. But they’re less expensive than most buffet or family-style all-you-can-eat options. If you’re looking for a truly filling meal (in a fun atmosphere), this is what you want to order. And there are three options for you to choose from:

• The Heritage – House-made Buttermilk-Cheddar Biscuits and Sausage Gravy with Scrambled Eggs, Country Potatoes, Hickory-Smoked Bacon, Pork Sausage Links, and Mickey-shaped Waffles
• The Carnivore – 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, Charred Carrots
• The Lighter Side – Bircher Muesli, Fresh Fruit, and Yogurt with Egg White-Spinach Frittata, Turkey Bacon, Turkey Sausage, Country Potatoes, Mickey-shaped Waffles

You know it’s a good meal when Mickey Waffles show up even on the “light” option. Ha! Both adults at our table ordered the Heritage skillet with its classic offerings. It was too early for the more lunch-leaning Carnivore skillet, and neither of us was willing to make the sacrifice of ordering the more healthy skillet. Even for science!

The scrambled eggs here are nothing special (they taste like the same buffet eggs you can get anywhere else on property), but everything else stands out. Our table ordered more biscuits several times. You can’t beat the cheesy, flaky combination – whether you eat them with the sausage gravy or not. I always judge a meal by its bacon, and the bacon here does not disappoint. Thick, flavorful, and reliably a great texture and doneness.

Kids Menu Options

Parents of picky eaters, rejoice! The breakfast menu at Whispering Canyon Cafe has SEVEN different entrees for your littles to choose from. And of course, Mickey waffles are one of those options. Each entree comes with two sides, from a selection of NINE side options. For those following along at home who aren’t math majors, that makes 252 possible breakfast combinations for kids. If your kid can’t find a pleasing meal here, they won’t find one anywhere.

Our girls appreciated that they could choose a fruit cup or apple slices, plus get their own bacon or sausage … and even a chocolate chip cookie. Still, with all of the shenanigans going on around them in the restaurant, it took a long time to finish our meal.

Is Breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe Right For You?

1. Do you like loud and entertaining meals that involve kids having fun with their servers and other kids? Then you absolutely should have breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe. On the other hand – if you prefer a more subdued and relaxed meal, this is absolutely not for you.
2. If you’re looking for a restaurant in the heart of a Deluxe resort so that you can explore and enjoy the atmosphere without paying for a room, Whispering Canyon Cafe is about as good as it gets. You’re in the heart of the impressive Wilderness Lodge Lobby. Soak in every minute.
3. Have antsy and/or picky kids and just want a filling and fun meal for everyone? Whispering Canyon Cafe was custom-made for you. Your littles can get up, roam around, and interact with others. In fact, that’s encouraged. Plus there are SO many food options for them to select from. Everyone will find something to eat.
4. On the whole, the all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets are Disney-famous for good reason. If you’re a big eater, or you need a particularly filling breakfast before a park or travel day, they are one of the better all-you-can-eat values that you’ll find on property. Get. Those. Mickey. Waffles.

Do you do one last Disney breakfast before flying out of Orlando? Have you tried Whispering Canyon Cafe? Let us know in the comments!