Christmas Day...
We really have been wanting to do the House of Blues' Gospel Brunch and I'd planned to do it this trip, but HOB couldn't tell me when it was time to make the ADRs IF they'd have it Christmas day or what...so we picked Whispering Canyon instead. HOB Gospel Brunch will just be another day...
Whispering Canyon Cafe at WL 12pm lunch ADR, 2nd time eating here, last time in June 2005 for dinner
WCC, we thought might be a bit like home for the holidays, even though we'd come to WDW to get away from just that...After I made the ADR, they announced WCC would be serving a special Christmas dinner skillet meal at a set price...sounded fine to us.
Here's what ya got...
Fresh Field Greens with tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, and apple vinagrette dressing (I think the is the standard salad for the skillet)
Cornbread
Entrees...marinated pork loin wiht cherry apple chutney, smoke house breast of turkey, oven roasted chicken, baked salmon with fennel lemon buter
Sides...yukon gold mashed potatoes, traditional stuffing, giblet gravy, cinnamon orange glazed baby carrots, cranberry relish
Dessert...yule log
Non-alcoholic, non-specialty drinks included ( we had soda or tea)
Cost...$26.99/adult, no discounts...
DH also had a never ending milkshake $4.99
I couldn't find this receipt, but you can do the math...I'm sure DH left a 20% tip at least...he's a pretty good tipper even if service isn't great
What we thought...
The salad was crisp and good...can't mess up that much...and the cornbread was good, just wish it'd been a bit warmer to melt the butter
The entrees were good...it was the same ol' chicken you find on the skillet or regular menu...pork and turkey were a bit on the dry side, but nothing the gravy couldn't cover...and the salmon was (to me since I was the only one who tried it) fishy, which I learned at Flying Fish means that it's older...a piece of fresh salmon should not have that fishy taste...cool, now I know
The sides were great....loved the mashed potatoes here...the gravy was really good too...had bits of giblets in it...dressing was good...pretty close to what we make at home...carrots were great!...cranberry relish very tart but yummy...DH was loving it since at home we don't do the relish since he's really the only one who eats it
Dessert....can't go wrong with chocolate cake and chocolate filling and chocolate coating...it was like a ganache or just chocolate (think that Magic shell stuff or the stuff used for chocolate dipped ice cream cones)...it cracked when you cut into it...but ALL chocolate
DH said his shake was good...still thinks 50's Primetime has the best though...
Now, for the antics of WCC...it surely wasn't as crazy as it was in June. One poor woman near us must have been raggin' at her MIL cause she ended up riding a pony around the room saying "I won't pick on my MIL"...and the MIL was lovin' every minute of it....
There were no cries for ketchup...don't know what anyone would have put it on with that meal anyway....1 cry for crayons...DS helped out...1 pester about a cell phone and DS purposefully waited to call his aunt and uncle till WCC just in hope (they love the place and would fully understand)...no luck...and that was about all. DS had kept an eye out for the CM who wanted to help him eat his birthday cake in June...the guy brought a huge wooden spoon and asked DS if he needed any help. Well, DS spotted him, who's name we now know is Paul...DS stopped Paul and asked about the spoon to which Paul went in the kitchen, grabbed it and brought it out to DS...told him he could keep it company if he liked....so DS sat there with his spoon until we left and he walked over to Paul and returned it for safekeeping.
So, comparing this visit to WCC and our visit for dinner in June, DH and I have started to wonder about WHEN the antics are the best...he thinks it must be dinner since that is when we experienced better antics. I, however, think it has to do with the time of day. Or we could both be wrong it maybe it was because it was Christmas and they were just being nice...nah! See, I'm of the thought that the CMs have to get their grove on...
My theory is that a CM just starting his/her shift is still "warming up", while those that are...oh, say an hour or more into the shift...are just hittin' their groove and getting into it. Then those that might be nearing the end of their shift might be getting tired so the groove is wearing off...
Since in June, we were eating about 1 - 2 hours into the dinner time...the groove was going good....
while Christmas day we were the very beginning of the lunch crowd.. 
Now, since I kinda get how the schedule (probably)...like a 4 hour shift or so...maybe more...but the early breakfast shift CMs might have gotten off on Christmas day before the lunch crowd...so basically a new crew to all get their groove on...there were probably some that came in later on the breakfast schedule so they were hangin on to the groove and carried it over to lunch...then the cycle might repeat itself for the lunch to dinner carry over...so, we just happen to get a fresh CM for our lunch...she didn't do anything....even when DS inhaled the soda...5 of them!!! All she ever did was bring an extra pint size glass on the last serve of beverages.
So, we were disappointed with the level of antics this trip...and if I could figure out how to word the poll, by golly, I'd do my first DIS poll on my theory....instead...maybe I'll just do an additional post...come on DISsers let's get to the bottom of this...why WCC is a hoot one time and not the next...or something like that...
anyway...
Grade: B-...food was good, but missed the antics...
Artist Palette at SSR, no ADRs taken, counter service, about the 3rd time we'd eaten here this trip
Since we were heading to the airport we decided to grab a bite at SSR Artist Palette before we left...since we thought the food was so good and it was very convienent.
Again...I can't find the receipt for this one, but it was very affordable and filling.
What we had...
DS had a soda and grilled chicken caesar salad...like ya couldn't have guessed that one...
(I know the prices are listed in a previous post)
DH and I each had a pepperoni flatbread pizza and a soda. I want to say the pizza cost around $7...maybe like $7.49
Again, it was a great meal! The pizza crust is very thin and crispy...think California style...just right amount of sauce and cheese for me...DH would have like a bit more cheese. DH ate all of his, but I shared mine...ate 2 pieces and DS and DH each had a couple (total of 6 pieces on the whole pie).
I know that we didn't get the DDE discount since it was a holiday, but I think the DVC discount was applied...can't remember for sure.
Grade: A
Well, that is all for the dining reports from WDW during our Christmas trip.
We really have been wanting to do the House of Blues' Gospel Brunch and I'd planned to do it this trip, but HOB couldn't tell me when it was time to make the ADRs IF they'd have it Christmas day or what...so we picked Whispering Canyon instead. HOB Gospel Brunch will just be another day...
Whispering Canyon Cafe at WL 12pm lunch ADR, 2nd time eating here, last time in June 2005 for dinner
WCC, we thought might be a bit like home for the holidays, even though we'd come to WDW to get away from just that...After I made the ADR, they announced WCC would be serving a special Christmas dinner skillet meal at a set price...sounded fine to us.
Here's what ya got...
Fresh Field Greens with tomatoes, red onion, cucumbers, and apple vinagrette dressing (I think the is the standard salad for the skillet)
Cornbread
Entrees...marinated pork loin wiht cherry apple chutney, smoke house breast of turkey, oven roasted chicken, baked salmon with fennel lemon buter
Sides...yukon gold mashed potatoes, traditional stuffing, giblet gravy, cinnamon orange glazed baby carrots, cranberry relish
Dessert...yule log
Non-alcoholic, non-specialty drinks included ( we had soda or tea)
Cost...$26.99/adult, no discounts...
DH also had a never ending milkshake $4.99
I couldn't find this receipt, but you can do the math...I'm sure DH left a 20% tip at least...he's a pretty good tipper even if service isn't great
What we thought...
The salad was crisp and good...can't mess up that much...and the cornbread was good, just wish it'd been a bit warmer to melt the butter
The entrees were good...it was the same ol' chicken you find on the skillet or regular menu...pork and turkey were a bit on the dry side, but nothing the gravy couldn't cover...and the salmon was (to me since I was the only one who tried it) fishy, which I learned at Flying Fish means that it's older...a piece of fresh salmon should not have that fishy taste...cool, now I know
The sides were great....loved the mashed potatoes here...the gravy was really good too...had bits of giblets in it...dressing was good...pretty close to what we make at home...carrots were great!...cranberry relish very tart but yummy...DH was loving it since at home we don't do the relish since he's really the only one who eats it
Dessert....can't go wrong with chocolate cake and chocolate filling and chocolate coating...it was like a ganache or just chocolate (think that Magic shell stuff or the stuff used for chocolate dipped ice cream cones)...it cracked when you cut into it...but ALL chocolate
DH said his shake was good...still thinks 50's Primetime has the best though...
Now, for the antics of WCC...it surely wasn't as crazy as it was in June. One poor woman near us must have been raggin' at her MIL cause she ended up riding a pony around the room saying "I won't pick on my MIL"...and the MIL was lovin' every minute of it....
There were no cries for ketchup...don't know what anyone would have put it on with that meal anyway....1 cry for crayons...DS helped out...1 pester about a cell phone and DS purposefully waited to call his aunt and uncle till WCC just in hope (they love the place and would fully understand)...no luck...and that was about all. DS had kept an eye out for the CM who wanted to help him eat his birthday cake in June...the guy brought a huge wooden spoon and asked DS if he needed any help. Well, DS spotted him, who's name we now know is Paul...DS stopped Paul and asked about the spoon to which Paul went in the kitchen, grabbed it and brought it out to DS...told him he could keep it company if he liked....so DS sat there with his spoon until we left and he walked over to Paul and returned it for safekeeping.So, comparing this visit to WCC and our visit for dinner in June, DH and I have started to wonder about WHEN the antics are the best...he thinks it must be dinner since that is when we experienced better antics. I, however, think it has to do with the time of day. Or we could both be wrong it maybe it was because it was Christmas and they were just being nice...nah! See, I'm of the thought that the CMs have to get their grove on...
My theory is that a CM just starting his/her shift is still "warming up", while those that are...oh, say an hour or more into the shift...are just hittin' their groove and getting into it. Then those that might be nearing the end of their shift might be getting tired so the groove is wearing off...Since in June, we were eating about 1 - 2 hours into the dinner time...the groove was going good....
while Christmas day we were the very beginning of the lunch crowd.. Now, since I kinda get how the schedule (probably)...like a 4 hour shift or so...maybe more...but the early breakfast shift CMs might have gotten off on Christmas day before the lunch crowd...so basically a new crew to all get their groove on...there were probably some that came in later on the breakfast schedule so they were hangin on to the groove and carried it over to lunch...then the cycle might repeat itself for the lunch to dinner carry over...so, we just happen to get a fresh CM for our lunch...she didn't do anything....even when DS inhaled the soda...5 of them!!! All she ever did was bring an extra pint size glass on the last serve of beverages.So, we were disappointed with the level of antics this trip...and if I could figure out how to word the poll, by golly, I'd do my first DIS poll on my theory....instead...maybe I'll just do an additional post...come on DISsers let's get to the bottom of this...why WCC is a hoot one time and not the next...or something like that...
anyway...
Grade: B-...food was good, but missed the antics...
Artist Palette at SSR, no ADRs taken, counter service, about the 3rd time we'd eaten here this trip
Since we were heading to the airport we decided to grab a bite at SSR Artist Palette before we left...since we thought the food was so good and it was very convienent.
Again...I can't find the receipt for this one, but it was very affordable and filling.
What we had...
DS had a soda and grilled chicken caesar salad...like ya couldn't have guessed that one...
(I know the prices are listed in a previous post)DH and I each had a pepperoni flatbread pizza and a soda. I want to say the pizza cost around $7...maybe like $7.49
Again, it was a great meal! The pizza crust is very thin and crispy...think California style...just right amount of sauce and cheese for me...DH would have like a bit more cheese. DH ate all of his, but I shared mine...ate 2 pieces and DS and DH each had a couple (total of 6 pieces on the whole pie).
I know that we didn't get the DDE discount since it was a holiday, but I think the DVC discount was applied...can't remember for sure.
Grade: A
Well, that is all for the dining reports from WDW during our Christmas trip.
