Non-park evening: Whispering Canyon or DTD?

[Ari37]

Hi everyone,
I've been mapping out my family's trip coming up in May 2015, and we currently have an open evening after our AK day (since the park is closing at 6). It will be me (22) and my mom (59) traveling together. I currently have a reservation for us that night at Whispering Canyon Cafe, since I've heard that the restaurant is a fun experience, and have always wanted to explore the Wilderness Lodge. However, I have recently been considering canceling the reservation and eating/ shopping that evening in DTD instead. Any thoughts?

We are generally not big shoppers, but my mom has mentioned on several occasions that she really wants either a t-shirt or sweatshirt that says "Disney World 2015." Are these easy to come by in the resorts/ parks, or would this souvenir warrant a trip to DTD in itself?

Thanks so much for any advice that you can provide!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

My family and I have been to Whispering Canyon twice and really enjoyed it; however, I would choose DTD (which we go to at least 3-4 times each trip). If your mother is looking for a special, one-of-a-kind t-shirt, she can make her own at the Hanes Build Your Own Shirt store in DTD. You will likely see Disney 2015 shirts in the various parks though.
DTD has so much to offer. We like to go to the Christmas Store and buy a special decoration each year. We also like to go to Goofy's Candy Co. The giant Disney Store is pretty incredible too. There are fun restaurants to eat at DTD. Raglan Road is great (go during the dancing). Wolfgang Puck Express is our favourite Quick Service meal.
Either way, you will have a good time. Whispering Canyon is fun, but I've read reviews that your experience may vary due to your server (again, we've had great servers). Wilderness Lodge is also beautiful!
If you decide to go to DTD, you could just take a bus from AK to PORS or POFQ resorts and then take a boat ride to DTD. The boat ride is beautiful! (I think you can also do this for OKW and SSR, but I've never stayed there so don't want to give you wrong information).
Have fun!

 

[Ari37]

Thanks, OurLaughingPlace! I really appreciate your response It's been a difficult decision!

 

[MinnieM21]

I've heard that Whispering Canyon Cafe is actually going to be refurbished from May 15 - June 26th. It was mentioned on the Wilderness Lodge FAQ thread by some people and I saw it mentioned on some other sites as well. So I'm not sure what dates you're going but I thought I'd let you know.

 

[Ari37]

Thanks for the heads up, MinnieM21! I actually did see that refurb listed as well, but we arrive on 05/10, and should still have a few days to head over to WCC before it closes. That would have made the decision much easier though!

 

[minnie mum]

Given a choice, I'd opt for DTD. We were less than thrilled by the food quality at WL , and found it very noisy and raucous. OK for a family with young kids, perhaps, but not for this older couple.

I know a lot of people are turned off by the transportation concerns and by all of the construction walls up due to the Disney Springs work. But the Marketplace area is relatively untouched. Your mother can certainly find a plethora of Disney Parks Tshirts or sweatshirts at any Park or resort gift shop. However a dinner and a couple of hours strolling through some of the shops might be a nice, relaxing evening for you.

I like the idea of taking the POR bus from AK and then the boat to DTD. Then catch your resort bus at the end of the evening.

 

[Grumpy92]

Keep in mind construction will continue at DTD hopefully being complete in the Fall 2015. Parking is still very difficult at DTD. You may have to park across the street at Casting or Team Disney and walk to the shopping area.

 

[Marthasor]

You will be able to find the t-shirt in any gift shop! I am voting for Whispering Canyon. There's just too much construction going on at DTD. WL is such a beautiful resort and it's so nice to visit. We haven't stayed there in a few years, but tend to go over at least once a year to eat - it's really lovely!

I don't know if this interests you, but we also like to eat at restaurants on the Boardwalk and then stay for the nightly entertainment and fireworks on the bridge. Trattoria al Forno just opened there, but you could also do Capt. Grille, Cape May Cafe or one of the restaurants at Swan/Dolphin (there are some signatures in the area as well). Makes for a nice evening!

 

[goofyintoronto]

Id go to DTD for sure! Its a lot more fun, plus there are a lot of fun dining options.

I like the idea of taking a boat to DTD from POR (id go to riverside as the boat picks up there first. Its sometimes too full when it gets to POFQ. ive seen it take only 2 passengers at POFQ then move on. The rest of the people had to wait for the next boat).

 

[dtats]

To me, the comparison of these two options is like night and day. Like many here, we, too, have experienced both. Based on our experiences, an evening Whispering Canyon/ Wilderness Lodge is enjoyable, relaxing, and quieter in contrast to the bustle, noise, and hustle that nightime at DTD brings. So, if you want a more relaxed evening, go WL. If you love the nightlife, head down to DTD. Both locations offer opportunities to blow cash on souveniers.

 

[Uncleromulus]

No way Whispering Canyon is "quiet"--in fact, it is one of the loudest---and, in my humble opinion-- most irritating restaurants on property.

How about the Boardwalk instead of DD??

 

[Ari37]

Thanks everyone for your responses!
Marthasor and Uncleromulus- The Boardwalk is a great suggestion, but we are actually already planning on heading there in the evening after one of our Epcot days!

Goofyintoronto and Minnie mum- Thanks for the suggestion of boating over to DTD from POR! That would definitely make for a smoother trip from the AK. I'm a little concerned about how busy the boats will be though in the next few months due to all the DTD construction/ people attempting to avoid the parking lots?

Grumpy92- Thanks for the construction reminder! We would be using the Disney busses, so parking wouldn't be an issue, but all the construction still does make me re-think the DTD option a bit.

dstats- Thanks for your opinion. I'm currently leaning slightly toward the WL option that evening because I've always wanted to see the resort, but I'm also looking closely at our plans for the rest of our trip to see if we can squeeze some DTD time in somewhere!

 

[ncc1701]

Thanks everyone for your responses!
Marthasor and Uncleromulus- The Boardwalk is a great suggestion, but we are actually already planning on heading there in the evening after one of our Epcot days!

Goofyintoronto and Minnie mum- Thanks for the suggestion of boating over to DTD from POR! That would definitely make for a smoother trip from the AK. I'm a little concerned about how busy the boats will be though in the next few months due to all the DTD construction/ people attempting to avoid the parking lots?

Grumpy92- Thanks for the construction reminder! We would be using the Disney busses, so parking wouldn't be an issue, but all the construction still does make me re-think the DTD option a bit.

dstats- Thanks for your opinion. I'm currently leaning slightly toward the WL option that evening because I've always wanted to see the resort, but I'm also looking closely at our plans for the rest of our trip to see if we can squeeze some DTD time in somewhere!

OP we went to DTD on 5 of our 6 days last month. The construction wasn't a problem for us. There were some detours but if you stay away on Friday and Saturday nights you should be good (we did lunch time on Friday and stayed away on Saturday). Shopping at the big Dinew store and the Christmas shop are must do's for me along with a stop at Ghirardelli for some ice cream