We are back at Wilderness Lodge’s Whispering Canyon Cafe, and this time it’s just for dessert! It seems like we were just visiting this favorite fun spot of ours for dinner but after hearing rumors about a new GIGANTIC dessert we had to make our way back… .
Making its sort-of debut is the…drumroll please…10-Gallon Challenge!
Ten Gallon Challenge!
Why sort-of? This item hasn’t made the official menu yet and will most likely be in a testing phase for the next few months. But don’t let that stop your party from ordering it for now. Just consider it to be a secret menu item!
I do recommend having some extra people at your table, though, because this thing is huge! Its current name is the 10-Gallon Challenge, but of course it isn’t actually 10 gallons. It gets its name from the ten-gallon cowboy hat, which happens to be what the dessert is served in. Or at least a plastic version.
10-Gallon Challenge
So what all is in this? Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up!
In the sundae you’ll find:
- Scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and mint-chocolate chip ice cream
- Pineapple sauce, strawberry sauce, some caramel sauce
- A whole slice of apple pie
- Two cupcakes: one vanilla and one chocolate
- An entire layer of whipped cream
- Two huge chocolate brownies
- Two Mickey Mouse shaped sugar cookies with dipped chocolate ears
- One banana cut in half
- Two Oreos
- Four toasted marshmallows
- Two pieces of chocolate covered bacon (WUT?!?!)
- Cherries
Bottom of the 10-Gallon Challenge
Crazy-town.
10-Gallon Challenge
So now that we know what all is in it, let’s go over my favorite parts. The brownies (which may seem like a safe choice since ice cream and brownies always go together) were super soft and really rich and delicious.
I also loved the skewer of marshmallows (and loved even more since they were actually toasted)!
And of course the pieces of chocolate covered bacon. These had a LOT of chocolate on them, but I could still taste the saltiness of the bacon.
Chocolate Covered Bacon
I really wish I could say the slice of apple pie was my favorite, since that was the piece I was probably looking forward to the most. But sadly it was on the very bottom, so by the time I reached it the slice was so soggy that is just tasted more like apple ice cream.
But overall everything else surprisingly remained pretty well intact!
Overall
A couple of things I learned now that I’ve gotten to try this: as soon as your server puts this down on the table, I would start removing the easily accessible items and putting them on a separate plate. This includes the cookies, brownies, and bacon. That way everyone can have a little bit of everything on their own plates and they won’t get too soft and soggy from the whipped cream and ice cream.
Also, the mint chocolate chip ice cream was NOT the best mix with all of the other flavors. I would totally recommend requesting an extra scoop of one of the other flavors. Or maybe get the mint chocolate chip in a separate dish so that those who want it can take a spoonful and add it to their own bowl.
And I would recommend having — at the very least — four people enjoy this with you. (In terms of big dessert items, I thought this one offered something that everyone will enjoy!)
The other tables got a kick out of seeing this delivered to my table. And Whispering Canyon is such a fun and loud atmosphere that something crazy like this seems to fit right in! I loved the elements that made it unique to the Whispering Canyon motif including the apple pie, marshmallows, and bacon; and for the $27.00 price tag (comparable to the Beaches and Cream Kitchen Sink at $29.00) you are able to feed plenty of people while enjoying a one of a kind dessert.
But remember — this is in a testing phase right now so you won’t see it on the menu. Ask your server if it’s still available on your visit.
Would you be up to trying the 10-Gallon Challenge? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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Oooh, I’m intrigued by the chocolate covered bacon – although I have to admit that at first glance I thought they had stuck a couple of old fashioned licorice sticks in the top!
But while I’m intrigued, I don’t think this is for me, mainly because there are usually only 2 of us present for meals and although I can eat a lot of ice cream *coff* that’s an awful lot of cake/ cookie / pie to wade through (and for the love of pie, yes, please put that slice on the top and not the bottom!)
As a wee aside, while we have the banana split and I believe Ghirardelli have done lemon / mango sorbet sundaes, I’d love to see some more fruit and ice cream sundae type desserts on offer around the World (giant-sized or otherwise) as while I love the idea of the 10 Gallon Challenge and the Kitchen Sink with their brownies and cupcakes and Oreos and super all-round-richness, the idea of say, a shareable Beaches-sized Peach Melba, Poires Belle Helene, or (IMO best of all) genuine seaside cafe style jelly, fruit, and ice cream Knickerbocker Glory would be wonderful, and one of your 5 a day too. ^_~
1.Scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and mint-chocolate chip ice cream
2.Pineapple sauce, strawberry sauce, some caramel sauce
5.An entire layer of whipped cream
6.Two huge chocolate brownies
8.One banana cut in half
10.Four toasted marshmallows
11.Two pieces of chocolate covered bacon (WUT?!?!)
12.Cherries
If I could order it this way then I’m in. Sounds like I could order the left out items on the side then that may not be to bad either.
Do you get to keep the hat like you do when you order the kitchen sink?
It looks like something you may do once for fun, but that would be, one and done, for me!
I understand why people like these, the whole wow factor and all, but I guess I’m in the minority that doesn’t like that much stuff mishmashed together. I’ve always thought the same about the Kitchen Sink sundae. Too much stuff, and when the cake/cookies get soft and mushy, ick.
I do like the clear cowboy hat though. Much like the kitchen sink, I’m guessing the hat isn’t part of the package that you get to keep though sadly or the price would be much higher.
I just want the bacon and marshmallows….aw heaven.
Anna — Unfortunately, no.
Oh my God! This Sundae sounds like heaven!
The eight of us in my family plan on a return trip to Disney in the Winter of 2017 just in time to see the Christmas Decorations. My family and I would give up all our Christmas presents for just this one gift! It sounds so very Disney!
This fantastical dessert has something for everyone In the family including my 88 (will be 90 for next years trip) year old Mom, who incidentally was the first in our group to become a Gallactic Hero on the Buzz Lightyear ride at age 82 a few years back.
This scrumptious dessert would surely top off our stay at the wonderful world of Disney that we all so love!
Does the dining plan cover this?
Nope. Not for me. I like the chocolate covered bacon and toasted marshmallows….just not a fan of a bunch of stuff glopped together in a bucket.
I’m not into strawberries so they can go I think I would replace it with peach ice cream and maybe hot fudge instead of strawberry sauce…maybe some more creative ice cream flavors. But I’m all in do you deliver…like to VA
Jess — Unfortunately, no.
I’ve never understood why they include mint ice cream in things like this. When I tried the Kitchen sink a couple years ago it was almost completely ruined by the mint ice cream. Mint does NOT go with pineapple, peanut butter, or apple pie. It’s truly disgusting.
There will be 4 of us staying & eating @ Wilderness Lodge so I hope we get to try this. Thanks for the review I am going to ask for no mint (surprised that’s one of the flavors anyways) and the apple pie on top. Will let everyone know how it is if we get to order it!
I would say “Hold the cherries, Please”…
We already have lunch booked for a group of 6 in January so I’m hoping I can convince them to do this with me!
I know calories don’t count at Disney 😉 but, if they did… what would that number be?????
am I the only person that absolutely despises this restaurant?
Yummy, worth the price.. lots of Brownies, bacon and chocolate was excellent… Chocolate cake tasty… Pineapple gave it a great flavour.. ice cream was good but melts too quickly.. don’t eat a big entree… There were three of us eating the ten gallon hat dessert… We ate the cake , pie and all the ice cream.. the rest we brought home… We would do it again…
Do you get to keep the hat? Like the smaller kitchen sink at Beaches and Cream?
Meg — No. The hat goes back to the kitchen. 🙂
Y is called a challenge?? If u finish it all do u get a prize??
Steph — No prize. I think it’s just a fun name. 🙂 We’re also getting reports that the sundae has recently been taken off the menu. We’ll update the post if that’s the case.
any updates on whether it is still on the menu… and for how long?
Amanda — We were told recently that it’s no longer on the menu.