REVAMP of Whispering Canyon Cafe BEGINS

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I honestly don’t think no one believes nothing bad happens at Disney, however you did not really do anything to “describe” what was said even still, further some people are offended by different things than others. The thing I don’t understand is why you are allowing one bad “server” determine whether or not you eat somewhere. I work in the food service industry as a manager and I would certainly not tolerate my servers speaking in such a way to a guest that person would have to be let go and I’m sure that is what happened to the server in this case because Disney holds their staff to higher standards than most places.

It happened 4 years ago. I didn't film it. So, I guess, it didn't happen. Or at least not that I remember, right?

And why would I go back? There are literally dozens of other choices. Ones that have much better food than WCC.

And as I have said, it doesn't matter to me whether they keep it as is, or change it. If it changes, we might try it out. If it doesn't, we won't bother.

 

[Runnsally]

Well I have an ADR for WCC on June 4th which I will keep. Only for 2 reasons 1 we have to eat anyways and the girls want the milkshakes and 2 if it is as boring as I am expecting I will be asking for the manager to give my 2 cents worth to him.

You like the antics, you know the antics are gone, you intend to keep the reservation anyway, and you already plan on complaining to the manager...hmmmmm

 

[KenHutch]

You like the antics, you know the antics are gone, you intend to keep the reservation anyway, and you already plan on complaining to the manager...hmmmmm

It really simple I believe that a few people did complain about the antics and far to many of us did not tell them we liked them. While the food is good its really not worth leaving the park for on its own.

 

[KenHutch]

And report back please, I'm very curious to know what is actually happening in the restaurant vs. what is being talked about online.

Will do and I got to wondering does either the hotel or the restaurant have a new manager? If either is new it could explain a lot as someone who is new will be trying to stamp his/her vision on the place to get promoted upwards.

 

[Deb & Bill]

It really simple I believe that a few people did complain about the antics and far to many of us did not tell them we liked them. While the food is good its really not worth leaving the park for on its own.

Maybe the new general manager decided that insulting Disney guests really wasn't what she wanted for the resort. Who knows?

 

[Captain_Jim]

Disney caters to first time guests. Period. First time guests will have no idea that they have missed anything (unless they are compulsive researchers and review readers like us). This was one of our evening meals our last time at WDW and my family enjoyed it tremendously. I hate that other first timers will miss this experience, but who knows what re-imagining will occur here? It might be a fantastic change that begins many new traditions for many new families. Of course it might be like Soarin' (over California), Adventure Island, or Horizons and those of us that remember them will lament, but new guests will never know what they are missing. I still hate to see it change. Maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. Get off my lawn!

 

[Bostonbeans99]

I have 3 ADR's there. I will keep my Breakfast for 2, so I can see what's going on. But for my other 2 ADR's there, they are both for party of 6. I will ask for the manager and let her know I am canceling them.

 

[DSLRuser]

my .02¢ on this....

We have not "just discovered" this place. We had been going to WCC since the mid 90's well before we had kids. Back then, before the internets were such a part of everyone's lives.....WCC had the antics, but no one knew about them. The servers would only do the ketchup gag 1x every 90 minutes. So it caught everyone in the restaurant off guard, and it was truly funny. but oover time...especially the last 5 years.....the gags are expected...and expected WAY TOO MUCH.

Now, everyone knows about the gag, and it is expected every time you want ketchup. Now it's not funny. kids just sit an wait for the next gag. parents urge their kids to ask for ketchup to see the gag work.....this happens every 5-10 minutes now. makes it hard for the servers to do their job.

this is all getting ruined because it would't be "fair" if family A got to be part of the fun but family C was left out.....so we all syffer

 

[DSLRuser]

I went for my birthday in 2009 for lunch and we had zero antics except for throwing the straws at us. We even had a cake and my daughter was 6 at the time. We stayed at WLV for the first time in February this year and gave it another try. They stuck us in the back (just a party of 3) and again no antics at all. There were loud noises coming from the front at times, but we were back behind a walled off area and only one other party back there. Food was fine but i was disappointed again. Can't get me back there no matter what.

case in point to my post above. Cant be happy with a good thing....."we didnt get to be part of the reindeer games"...so no one should be able to...life is random people...sometimes you get lucky...some times you dont. dont ruin it for everyone else

 

[Bostonbeans99]

my .02¢ on this....

We have not "just discovered" this place. We had been going to WCC since the mid 90's well before we had kids. Back then, before the internets were such a part of everyone's lives.....WCC had the antics, but no one knew about them. The servers would only do the ketchup gag 1x every 90 minutes. So it caught everyone in the restaurant off guard, and it was truly funny. but oover time...especially the last 5 years.....the gags are expected...and expected WAY TOO MUCH.

Now, everyone knows about the gag, and it is expected every time you want ketchup. Now it's not funny. kids just sit an wait for the next gag. parents urge their kids to ask for ketchup to see the gag work.....this happens every 5-10 minutes now. makes it hard for the servers to do their job.

this is all getting ruined because it would't be "fair" if family A got to be part of the fun but family C was left out.....so we all syffer

Things don't get old though when your the newbie. Doing the ketchup gag every 90 minutes? How any people would miss it then?

They should have went back to the drawing board (what would it take maybe a weekend to think up some added new things?) and thought of about 30 gags to rotate, so that it can be fresh and EVERYONE gets to see a handful at least for every meal.

Sidenote: I'm not one of the complainers...I actually think they ruined it for all of the WCC regular patrons who enjoy the place! If you can't laugh.....or are appalled when they aren't funny enough, go eat somewhere else. WDW has tons of places to eat

 

[Deb & Bill]

Things don't get old though when your the newbie. Doing the ketchup gag every 90 minutes? How any people would miss it then?

They should have went back to the drawing board (what would it take maybe a weekend to think up some added new things?) and thought of about 30 gags to rotate, so that it can be fresh and EVERYONE gets to see a handful at least for every meal.

Sidenote: I'm not one of the complainers...I actually think they ruined it for all of the WCC regular patrons who enjoy the place! If you can't laugh.....or are appalled when they aren't funny enough, go eat somewhere else. WDW has tons of places to eat

You have to remember that this isn't the Jungle Cruise. It's a restaurant where tables need to be taken care of quickly, food delivered and tables cleared and readied for the next guest. It's not a comedy club where the cast needs to know the routines.

 

[Bostonbeans99]

You have to remember that this isn't the Jungle Cruise. It's a restaurant where tables need to be taken care of quickly, food delivered and tables cleared and readied for the next guest. It's not a comedy club where the cast needs to know the routines.

I respectfully disagree. The cast does need to know the "jokes" so it doesn't run off the rails. I have never been "rushed" out of there because they were trying to clear another table so I disagree with the word quick also.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I respectfully disagree. The cast does need to know the "jokes" so it doesn't run off the rails. I have never been "rushed" out of there because they were trying to clear another table so I disagree with the word quick also.

And therein could be the problem. It appears to have run off the rails according to the new General Manager.

 

[Bostonbeans99]

Most people know that Jungle Cruise is always different because the CM's are allowed to throw in their own jokes. (easily researched)
If at WCC, 1/2 of the staff does the ketchup routine, and a fistful of straws, and the larger drink etc and then Waiter Joe & Waiter Kate just look at you and hand you one it sort of ruins the whole idea.

WL manager used to be at The Contemporary and GF, hence the reason she probably doesn't like the hooting and hollering at WCC. (just my thoughts, not proven)

 

[DISNEYSQUIRRELS]

I'm shipping Thea a case of ketchup today! Maybe if we all do she'll get the hint!!
I didn't realize that a Disney GM could make an autonomous decision like this. I guess I figured that Disney mapped out exactly what the vision/experience was at each restaurant.

 

[Merida43]

First time in a while that we haven't either booked at WL or wanted to, not least because of the WCC. On the plus side, we don't have to feel bad anymore about how awkward it is to get in to that restaurant if we're not staying at the WL. On the negative side, yeah, it sucks. Add the closure of the kids activity clubs and my daughter is bummed. She'll get over it because after all we'll be in Disney, but I wish they'd stop making what feel like backward steps away from the magic.

 

[chuff88]

I'm shipping Thea a case of ketchup today! Maybe if we all do she'll get the hint!!
I didn't realize that a Disney GM could make an autonomous decision like this. I guess I figured that Disney mapped out exactly what the vision/experience was at each restaurant.

I would assume that she's not acting autonomously and that she has the support of the people above her. From reading this thread I've gotten the impression that sales at WCC are down (based on several people mentioning that it frequently has a lot of empty tables, and others commenting that the antics have gotten old for them so they haven't been making ADRs there), so this new GM is probably working with Disney to develop a way to make WCC appealing to a wider variety of people. Obviously there is a group of people who are unhappy with these changes, but if Disney feels that the "antics" are causing the restaurant to lose money, they're going to make a change. And having a GM who is on board with making those changes is going to be to their advantage.

Honestly, I have no horse in this race because I've never been to WCC and have no personal investment in it. That being said, Disney must be weighing the number of people who have expressed unhappiness with the change against the number of complaints they have received about the antics and chosen the path that they think is right. And as others have said, we don't know WHAT the changes will be, just that there will be changes. They could decide to introduce a whole new "show" aspect, and they are just toning down the existing one in the interim.

 

[DisneyHardin]

Everyone keeps saying "A few complainers have ruined the fun." No where in Rusty's original post does it mention anything about these changes being made because patrons complained. If very may well be that the GM just wants to see the restaurant go in a different direction.

 

[Wes1stTrip2016]

I cancelled my ADR based on the changes - we loved our dining experience last time.

 

[GillianP1301]

my .02¢ on this....

We have not "just discovered" this place. We had been going to WCC since the mid 90's well before we had kids. Back then, before the internets were such a part of everyone's lives.....WCC had the antics, but no one knew about them. The servers would only do the ketchup gag 1x every 90 minutes. So it caught everyone in the restaurant off guard, and it was truly funny. but oover time...especially the last 5 years.....the gags are expected...and expected WAY TOO MUCH.

Now, everyone knows about the gag, and it is expected every time you want ketchup. Now it's not funny. kids just sit an wait for the next gag. parents urge their kids to ask for ketchup to see the gag work.....this happens every 5-10 minutes now. makes it hard for the servers to do their job.

this is all getting ruined because it would't be "fair" if family A got to be part of the fun but family C was left out.....so we all syffer

I think this argument has merit. Much the same that pixie dust moments become expected (i.e. towel animals). The general but overwhelming sense of entitlement these days makes it pretty hard to have "special" spontaneous moments. Personally, the schtick at WL is not my thing, but my son loved the ketchup routine. It was amusing the first few times, but it gets really old when it happens 20 or so times during your meal.