By: Russell Turner, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
Turkey legs, corn dogs, funnel cakes, Mickey bars, and even cheeseburger spring rolls are now a common occurrence in Magic Kingdom, but where can you enjoy a well themed sit-down dining option that also has a ton of Disney history? The answer is no joke; let’s head to The Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen! This cleverly themed restaurant is located in Adventureland and isn’t far from a few of your favorite attractions, including the one the restaurant is themed after, The Jungle Cruise. You will need a dining reservation along with a park reservation for Magic Kingdom that same day to be able to eat at Skipper Canteen. Make sure you reach out to your travel advisor for assistance with reservations.
Now, let’s cruise into what’s on the menu……sorry, dad jokes are mandatory when eating here and yes, the cast members are essentially Jungle Cruise Skippers, but on land. You’ve been warned. The restaurant offers a variety of “Jungle Cuisine” that you may run across on your adventures through the jungles of Africa, Asia, or South America. We began our dinner with some refreshing cocktails, my wife chose the Jungle Bird while I decided on the Tropical Sangria. She prefers a bitter, tart drink while I prefer the sweeter side of things. The Jungle Bird comes with rum, Campari liqueur, cane syrup, lime juice, and pineapple wedge. The Tropical Sangria includes white wine, various tropical juices, pineapple wedge, and a hint of ginger.
We both enjoyed our spirits alongside our appetizer, which was Orinoco Ida’s Cachapas. These delicious little South American corn pancakes come topped with beer-braised pork, roasted corn, Fresno pepper salsa, and an avocado cream. Delicious!
Our entrée arrived after a few more jokes from our skipper, and it didn’t even take two weeks like he said it would. That’s what I call quick service! I heard the portion for the ‘Tastes Like Chicken Because It Is’ dish was sizeable so we decided to share, and it did not disappoint! The fried chicken breast was massive, glazed with a sweet chili sauce, and sat atop stir-fried veggies and jasmine rice for an Asian flare. We were so stuffed that we couldn’t go for dessert afterward, but I had my eye on the Kungaloosh cake! Definitely next time!
Disney fans will love all of the hidden elements around this restaurant. It is filled with history surrounding the story of The Jungle Cruise, along with nods to so many other parts of Disney such as The Tiki Room, Indiana Jones, Disney Cruise Line, and the founder of the The Jungle Navigation Company himself, Dr. Albert Falls.
One of the dining rooms here, the S.E.A. room, is home to secret society meetings and is accessed through a “secret door” bookcase using a certain book. Hint, it’s The Jungle Book! How fitting right?!? Definitely give the books a once over the next time you eat here, as some of the titles are real page turners! Ha! One of the most famous parts of any Jungle Cruise is the introduction to the 8th Wonder of the World, the backside of water! This anticipated part of every cruise is not lost at Skipper Canteen when you take a look at the back of your menu. You’ll thank me later.
The crew at Skipper Canteen play the role very well, and of course the jokes were never too far away. If you’re looking for a fun and tasty place to sit down for lunch or dinner while visiting Magic Kingdom, definitely give Skipper Canteen a look…….or better yet, ask your trip advisor to book a reservation for you and cruise on in!
