Whispering Canyon has really gone downhill

[jenny-d]

We always go to WCC during our stay at WL. This time we were really disappointed. Maybe it was since we weren't on the dining plan this time...everything just seemed so expensive and they took a couple of things off the menu too. I struggled to even find anything to order! I wound up getting a milkshake (which was still good!) and a salad which was really small for the price. The kids love going here, but I don't think we'll be returning next time.

 

[dalt01]

we weren't on the dining plan this time.

the price will just jump up and bite ya when your not paid in advance...............also.........."downhill".......to me.......means poor service, dirty, etc etc

 

[MelissathePooh]

Its gone downhill - because of the dining plan - not just because you didn't have it. Just because you pre-pay with the dining plan doesn't mean you're saving money. Especially if you're using credits for breakfast or lunch. If you order the most expensive entree on the menu and eat at the most expensive dinner buffets - you can come out maybe ahead by a snack or dessert. What is it - $45.99 a day? In most cases you basically break even because you're ordering extra desserts that a majority of people don't order with every meal. Disney has priced everything to practically force you into the stupid thing. For it to really save you money though - you have to work it pretty well - and you have to eat a ton.

I don't like WCC in general, but the quality of the meal we had last trip was significantly worse than in years past. Super greasy.

 

[Cat0727]

I'm sorry to hear that. I've been wanting to try WC. It seems like Disney food is going down in quality and size and up in prices.

 

[Nadjalu]

We had WCC on 1/30 and it was fine. Didn't experience any "down hill" things except the ribeye is now replaced with a new york strip and the bourbon pecan pie is gone totatlly.

The skillet was very good and while I was disappointed with the strip and not the ribeye we had nothing to complain about.

Sometimes I think it is just the days people go on. We always go to WCC as it is one of our favs and will continue to do so.

Sorry you didn't enjoy it.

 

[dvcHammer]

I agree with the previous poster:

It's gone downhill - because of the dining plan - not just because you didn't have it.

The DDP has dragged most of the TS places down to the point where it's hard to find a good meal in the parks and resorts.
Now it's the company I'm with that make a meal good.

 

[lesabrowning]

I have no real complaints with the dining plans or the food quality at WDW. But I am curious as to why some feel the dining plans have brought down the food quality if they are costing about the same as menu prices. I mean, if Disney is not losing money.... why the need to cheap out on food quality? What am I missing? For me the only complaint is that now it seems so many have the dining plans with free dining during slower seasons that the restaurants seem to be more crowded than they used to be.

 

[MickeyNicki]

We didnt care for it either...thought the food was horrible

 

[Sandi]

I'm disappointed to hear these comments on Whispering Canyon. We are doing the Backstage Magic Tour in April and lunch at WCC is part of the tour. Although we've stayed at WL before, we never dined at WCC. I guess we'll just go in with an open mind since it's not a choice.

 

[Sunny37]

I agree--we ate there in December and the food is just not as good as it used to be. We found that to be the case at most every WDW owned restaurant we dined at, unfortunately. Good thing the food is not what we like most about WDW!

 

[jwalk1861]

I dont think it has gone down hill i think its they keep changing thinks on the menu. I use to go there just for the apple pie and ice cream but a few years back they took it off the menu so i stopped going there.

 

[seven dwarfs]

I have no real complaints with the dining plans or the food quality at WDW. But I am curious as to why some feel the dining plans have brought down the food quality if they are costing about the same as menu prices. I mean, if Disney is not losing money.... why the need to cheap out on food quality? What am I missing? For me the only complaint is that now it seems so many have the dining plans with free dining during slower seasons that the restaurants seem to be more crowded than they used to be.

I think when you pay out of pocket right then and there, you have something to compare. For example, if I spend $200 for my dinner and $36 for the tip, (party of 8) it is easier for me to say that my meal was not worth that amount of money and may choose not to eat there again. When you are on the DP you really don't pay attention to the cost of each meal. Most see it as a 1ts or a 2ts. If it isn't great food or service is sub par, you think well, it wasn't to bad since we are on the DP.

I think it is easier for Disney to go to cheaper quality food if most people are using the plan because people will not notice it as much.

I have traveled to Disney with the plan and without. I noticed when I paid out of pocket right then and there it mattered to me much more how the food/service was. Right or wrong, just the way it is. It would be neat to see a study on this. I did not even realize I felt this way until here on the dis when I read some of the poles about quality of food and if the DP was the result of the decline.

 

[MelissathePooh]

I think it also depends on how much dining people did back before Disney every initiated the DDP. Did someone eat at TS places often and regularly 5 years ago (or how ever long the plan's been around) or have they just started going to Disney as a result of the plan and promotions around it.

The quality wasn't initialy an issue when the plan first started, but service really took a hit when the gratuity was included. Servers were getting their tip regardless - some took severe advantage of that! Since Disney only reiburses a flat rate to the restaurants the restaurants in turn started changing the menu to reflect that rate - there was about a year where all you could find was a sirloin - strips and ribeyes were long gone. As the cost has gone up some of the menus have adjusted back a bit. Appetizers vs desserts is another one. Even at the counter service level - you used to be able to get something besides that plastic container of chocolate cake, strawberry yogurt

Wasn't the dining plan around $28.99 when it first came out - its $45.99 now? I'm trying to go off memory and from a DVC view as we couldn't get it for a while without paying for a whole package through DRC which DVC doesn't typically need.

 

[Corwin]

We ate at Whispering Canyon last December as well, and were very disappointed.

It was neat that our server happened to be someone we knew from our hometown in Connecticut (what a coincidence!), but unfortunately the food and drinks were terrible, and very expensive for what you got. We also thought that the servers were a little over-the-top in their interactions with the guests. In particular, the ketchup game got old in a hurry.

We won't be going back there any time soon.

 

[SunniKC]

We went a year ago, December and it was our first visit, and will be our last. I was looking forward to it for the kids as our first meal at Disney (and our kids first trip). But the food was just so-so (we had the skillets and come from a bbq town so were seriously disappointed in them). Prices were over the top for the quality. We couldn't hear when events were happening (kids missed out on the horse races because couldn't understand the announcer) and NOTHING special other than that happened ---no ketchup, no nothing during the entire time we were there.

 

[princess aleya]

I have no real complaints with the dining plans or the food quality at WDW. But I am curious as to why some feel the dining plans have brought down the food quality if they are costing about the same as menu prices. I mean, if Disney is not losing money.... why the need to cheap out on food quality? What am I missing? For me the only complaint is that now it seems so many have the dining plans with free dining during slower seasons that the restaurants seem to be more crowded than they used to be.

Argreed, I have no complaints about the dining plan or the food quality.

 

[aubriee]

I'm disappointed to hear these comments on Whispering Canyon. We are doing the Backstage Magic Tour in April and lunch at WCC is part of the tour. Although we've stayed at WL before, we never dined at WCC. I guess we'll just go in with an open mind since it's not a choice.

OT: Not sure if it's changed but when we did the Backstage Magic Tour last year you didn't have a choice about what you ordered. They had the all you can eat skillets waiting on us when we arrived. For dessert they brought out two huge skillets of hot apple cobbler and bowls of ice cream. The apple cobbler is not even on the menu. It was just for the tour guests.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

The quality wasn't initialy an issue when the plan first started, but service really took a hit when the gratuity was included. Servers were getting their tip regardless - some took severe advantage of that!

That's opinion, not fact.

I consistently had exceptional service when using the dining plans (both when it did include the tip and now that it does not). My experience is that when paying cash, my service has been uneven and I have experienced the worst Disney service ever.

 

[CheshireKittyKat]

I haven't noticed a change in service, just a change in food quality. Since we've been going in 2005, I would say last year saw our worst meals on property. Disney, like everyone else, is trying to make more money by providing less and less quality. That may be subjective, but let me tell you, this comes from someone who used to look forward to the food at Disney. Now I'm neutral at best. I just shake my head at things like the Disney Food Blog (raving about lard cupcakes just gets on my nerves!)

To stay sort of on topic, we ate at WCC in 2005 and thought the food was pretty bad then and never returned.

 

[ADP]

With wholesale food prices going up (wheat, corn, and other base materials for food items) expect the food quality to drop even further and prices to continue to rise. Some of this isn't Disney's fault, it's just part of the world we live in today. Prices are going up and businesses (like Disney) are not going to eat the price increases. They are going to pass some of those prices to the consumer (us) and get creative in other ways to benefit themselves.

In my personal opinion we are reaching a point with food prices on Disney property where a rental car and eating off property is enough of a cost savings than eating on property. I know Magical Express and Disney transportation are free, but when you start paying the kind of money for food and beverage on property the rental car becomes more affordable to the point where its a cost savings.