Whispering Canyon or Trails End

[Calee]

I haven't been to Disney since I was a child and I'm planning a trip for myself, my DH and our three children (8,6 and 4) for September.

Trying to predict what we are going to be up for so far in advance is hard! Anyway, I booked the most important (to us) ADR's back at my 180 days, but have been shuffling things around.

No one but me is an adventurous eater. The homestyle type food that I see at WCC and Trail's End is right up everyone's alley. But which one is better????! I will plan this for dinner on a Magic Kingdom Day.

Our other for sure ADR's are Crystal Palace and Tusker House breakfasts (so I don't want to do any more ADR breakfasts really), and Sci-Fi lunch on our Hollywood Studios day. I have Ohana scheduled but it's not an ideal day/time so I'm not sure I'll keep it. I think I want to do WCC or Trails End for one, and then we still will have one more. Any suggestions??! I don't want to run all over creation necessarily bc I'm just worried about wearing everyone out since we have never done a big vacation before.

 

[Deborah LeSueur]

I think you will see good reviews for both. Are you paying OOP or on DDP? Our last trip, I was paying OOP and we tried TE for dinner. It was great food, but since we are not buffet eaters...we didn't get our moneys worth. On a previous trip, we did dinner at WC and enjoyed it as well, it was obviously smaller portions since it's not a buffet and the wait staff likes to banter with the customers.

Either location is good since you are doing on a MK day you can just hop on the ferry to either resort and just walk from there.

 

[MichiganKris]

I've never been to Trails End, and it's been a while since we've been to Whispering Canyon. We are going to Whispering Canyon this year. It is a fun restaurant, so your kids may enjoy it a little more in that regard.

 

[Calee]

Thanks! We are on the ddp. None of us except my husband are very big eaters. The "fun" at wcc is appealing-though my kids could potentially be embarrassed. It's hard to know what they will be like in four months!
Buffets can be appealing since you don't have to wait for food-but I guess if there are antics to watch kids don't get bored as easily either.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

{Admitted Bias Showing}
1) I would do Trails End.
2) Yes, WCC can be fun, but it depends upon the crowd and the CM's.
3) The GREAT thing about Trails End, is that you can then explore the campground.

 

[Calee]

Bias is fine, lol. I know I'm asking opinions.

We would be doing dinner-I know Trail's End is a buffet at dinner time-is the buffet food good? (Looking at you RustyScupper!). Most of the reviews I can find are of lunch-the lunch menu looks delicious but I'm just not sure we want to make the trek out there at lunch time.

 

[shortnsassy730]

I would go with Trail's End. Personally, I think the food at Whispering Canyon is gross. Chef TJ at Trail's End is great. Also, I'm from the deep south and make pretty darn good southern comfort food on my own, so I'm super picky and Trail's End passes the test.

 

[Minnesota!]

Both are good. We enjoy the atmosphere equally at both, but the buffet (though small) at TE allows more choices in case something is not up to taste with someone. But, you really cannot go wrong with either of them...

 

[Blue32]

Is it easier or quicker to get to one more than the other? That might make a difference th the OP.

 

[Iowamomof4]

We tried Trail's End last year. People had compared it to Golden Corral, but I didn't think it was that good. We're going to try Whispering Canyon this time around.

 

[North of Mouse]

Not a fan of WCC - am sure the one night we dined there could have been 'off' with our 'greasy' skillet meal, but did not care for the 'antics' - especially when we made it clear that we really wanted to enjoy our meal without being called out. Didn't know to expect this, or we never would have dined there.

Trails End, on the other hand, is one of our favorites, and never skip dining there. Not sure how it would ever be compared to Golden Corral!
Just as easy to get to Fort Wilderness as Wilderness Lodge.

 

[Parker Clan]

The buffet food is really good at Trails End! It's our favorite, we do it several times each trip. There is something for everyone there!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

Trail's End is a buffet at dinner time-is the buffet food good?

Our Ratings of Trails End for Breakfast-Dinner: (*rev 05/18/2016*)
. . . food price value: B-B
. . . food quality: B-C
. . . food quantity: A-A
. . . food prep speed: A-A
. . . food selection: C-B
. . . seating quantity: C-C
. . . seating comfort: C-C
. . . eatery atmosphere: B-B
. . . eatery convenience: D-D
. . . staff friendliness: B-B
. . . staff attentiveness: C-B
. . . character interaction: n/a
.
NOTE1: Above includes breakfast-dinner (we don't like the ala carte lunch).For
dinner, taste the yummy fried chicken and "make-your-own-potato" bar. For breakfast,
you REALLY, REALLY, NEED the sticky buns. The nice thing about breakfast, might be
the low crowds, as many campers prepare breakfast at the campsite. Breakfast Buffet
is the second best buffet, behind The Wave breakfast buffet at Contemporary for quality,
and the best price value. A point to remember is that the majority of the Trails End
customers are from the camp ground, so they prices are reasonable and the items are
good comfort food.
.
NOTE2: Trails End is out-of-the-way for most WDW guests. It takes about 20-min for the
boat from MK-to-FW, about 10-minutes for the boat from WL-to-FW, about 15-min for the
boat from CR-to-FW (excluding the waiting times for the next boat).
.
NOTE3: Trails is going back to a buffet for lunch. THIS IS GOOD NEWS.

 

[mocame]

We ate at WCC years ago and loved it, but when we went to WCC earlier this month, it was just okay. Food was good, not great, service was good, but the entertainment wasn't funny...it was extremely loud. We are a family of 2 adults and 2 teenagers and the servers were so loud, we jumped several times when they yelled across the restaurant. The entertainment was fun years ago but they didn't do much of that this time...they were just yelling and loud.

We ate at TE for the first time this month and loved it! Great service, nice atmosphere, and great food. The food looked and tasted better than CP (we also ate there this trip) and there was a bigger variety, especially with the desserts. We will definitely go back to TE.

 

[MamaRoo]

We just had dinner at both and while we enjoyed both, our family gives the edge to WCC. We were 100% up for shenanigans, which started when my DH asked to ring the triangle as we were seated. My kids are still yelling "we need ketchup over here!", and tossing napkins on the table. If you're not into the antics, then i would say TE is a better fit as it gives you more options with the buffet and would be a more peaceful meal.

 

[sharadoc]

Trails End by a mile! More variety, lots of healthy options and great desserts. The only thing that WCC offers that TE doesn't is the milkshake. But TE has hot fruit cobbler and soft serve and tons of toppings!

 

[Puffin]

Visited both last week and my vote goes to Trail's End. The atmosphere is more relaxed and the food is great.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'm voting for Trail's End as well. WCC gave us a headache! LOL! Trail's End is really fun! I love the decor and my DS LOVES playing on the playground next door and visiting the horses at the stables. There is a height limit, but it is very possible your children are short enough to even go on a pony ride. Ft. W is just a great place to visit. Maybe you could even do the Chip and Dale sing a long afterward?

Other suggestions for TS - Depending on your touring plan, I would look into Liberty Tree Tavern, Garden Grill, Coral Reef, The Wave, Grand Floridian Cafe, 50's Prime Time.

 

[mmeeccee]

Trails End! We LOVE Fort Wilderness. My daughter likes the pony rides, seeing the horse stables, the playground and running around the beach. There is so much to do before and after, it is totally worth it.