Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen – Review!

Today, I am sharing our review from one of Magic Kingdom’s best-themed table service restaurants – Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen!  That is QUITE a name.  Referred to simply as the Skipper Canteen, this Adventureland dining location is a continuation of the theming and story of the Jungle Cruise attraction.

As the story goes, due to the success of the Jungle Cruises, the skippers opened the doors of their headquarters and kitchens to feed hungry travelers passing through.  Skippers make up the waitstaff of the restaurant – so be prepared for more corny jokes and silly puns during your visit. 

Home to “World-Famous Jungle Cuisine,” the menu features exotic flavors inspired by the cuisines of Asia, South America, and Africa.  We tried our hand at preparing some of these dishes at home as part of our Jungle Cruise Themed Dinner.  Check it out HERE!

Are you a fan of the Jungle Cruise attraction?  Then follow along to see if the Skipper Canteen is a must-do on your next Walt Disney World vacation!

Backstory

The detailed theming and story of Skipper Canteen is a BIG reason why this restaurant is so appealing.  To truly appreciate it, I’m going to give you a brief overview of the backstory! 

Don’t worry, there won’t be a pop quiz at the end of class 😉

Guests on the Jungle Cruise attraction may be familiar with the name Dr. Albert Falls.  He founded the Jungle Navigation Company in 1911 to transport cargo along the rivers of the jungle.  He was also a prominent member of the secret Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A).  This secret organization is alluded to in many Disney Park attractions and dining locations across the world!  But I’ll save that history lesson for another day. 

After his mysterious disappearance in 1927, his granddaughter Alberta Falls took over the family business.  Over the course of time, the jungle began seeing less and less adventurers passing through, and the cargo transportation business began to suffer.  So, Alberta began giving jungle cruises along the rivers to tourists instead! 

Due to the large success of the Jungle Cruises, the Falls’ colonial jungle mansion (also the skipper headquarters and secret meeting place of the S.E.A.) opened its doors to feed hungry travelers passing through. 

Guests of the Skipper Canteen can enjoy three distinct dining rooms in the Falls mansion: the crew’s Mess Hall, the secret S.E.A. Room, and the Falls’ own family parlor – The Jungle Room.  More on this later!

For a more detailed history and list of references and hidden Easter eggs throughout the restaurant, check out the Disney Fandom Wiki and the Society of Explorers and Adventurers Wiki!

Atmosphere

Seeing as how the Skipper Canteen is housed in the Falls’ colonial jungle mansion, you can expect to see an array of artifacts found by the explorers in every room.

Mess Hall

The first room of the Skipper Canteen is the crew’s Mess Hall.  This room is the largest and most open space in the restaurant.  Artifacts can be seen along the walls and in the balconies above.  You can also spot several skipper offices along the balcony, with names that allude to Disney Imagineers such as Marc Davis and Harper Goff.

S.E.A. Room

Arguably the COOLEST room in the restaurant, the S.E.A. Room is the secret meeting place for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.  Accessed through a secret library door (but oftentimes left open), guests in this dining room will enjoy an intimate and elegant setting.

The S.E.A. room hosts large maps charted by S.E.A. members, more artifacts discovered through their expeditions, a large wall of butterfly specimens, and a portrait of Dr. Albert Falls himself discovering the Cambodian temple seen on the Jungle Cruise.

But one of the most fun details here is the library case itself.  Each book title refers to a different Disney attraction, film, or Imagineer from the company’s history.  It is a lot of fun to read through them and see how many references you can catch!

Jungle Room

The final room of Skipper Canteen is the Jungle Room, the Falls’ family parlor.  Brightly colored and rife with more artifacts, this room really transports you to the heart of the jungle.  Details such as wood carvings and stained-glass parrot chandeliers really solidify the story.

The atmosphere and theming of Skipper Canteen is absolutely amazing.  I really encourage you to take your time to explore all the details found throughout the restaurant.  Just make sure to be respectful of staff and other guests!

Menu

As I mentioned before, Skipper Canteen’s menu features exotic cuisine inspired by the flavors of Asia, South America, and Africa.  This was right up my alley, as I LOVE international cuisine.  Some guests, however, may assume this menu may be too adventurous for them.  But Disney does a really great job of ensuring there is something for all palates at the Skipper Canteen.

Appetizers

Some popular appetizers on the menu include the S.E.A Shu Mai steamed dumplings, Falls Family Falafel, and Orinoco Ida’s Cachapas.  But one of the most popular dishes, is not even on the menu!  The Pão de Queijo (AKA Brazilian Cheese Bread) is a not-so-secret menu offering Skipper Canteen guests RAVE about.  You may also stumble across this dish during Food and Wine Festival at the Brazil Marketplace booth.

Entrees

The entrée choices at Skipper Canteen range from fried chicken, pork, and steak in addition to a few vegetarian dishes.  Because the menu is inspired by international cuisine, guests can expect to see exotic twists made to these traditional dishes.  Most of the entrees range from $19 to $34, which may be considered rather spendy depending on your budget. 

I decided to order the Perkins Thai Noodles, a vegetarian dish of rice noodles, seasonal vegetables, and a spicy soy-chili-garlic sauce.  I added chicken to my entrée, which made it a very filling meal.  As a fan of spicy food, I felt the heat level of this dish was moderate (but rather spicy for Disney standards).  If you are sensitive to heat, you may be better off avoiding this entrée.  I was happy with the flavor and execution of this dish, although the hefty price point of $25 for noodles was a little hard to stomach.

My husband (the adventurous eater of the group) ordered the Sustainable Fish, priced at $31.  This dish is a whole fried fish which, frankly, looked downright TERRIFYING to me.  My husband said it was cooked well but lacked flavor.  The preparation of the dish was more for show than for taste.    

My eldest daughter ordered the Hardy Har Char Siu Pork ($25), which of course I sampled.  The pork was marinated in Char Siu sauce and served with jasmine rice and “seasonal vegetables,” which was really just a piece of steamed bok choy.  Despite my disappointment in the vegetable offering (although it was pretty tasty), the pork was FANTASTIC!  The Char Siu sauce was sweet and smoky and the spices gave it a wonderful depth of flavor.  I would argue it was the best flavor of all our dishes.  Highly recommend.

Kids Menu

My three-year-old ordered off the kids’ menu.  The available offerings included staples such as chicken strips and mac-and-cheese as well as more adventurous offerings such as grilled steak and coconut curry.  Kiddos also get to select two accompaniments.  She went with the chicken strips, fruit, and Monkey Banana Bites.  While the chicken and fruit were pretty basic, I have to say Get the Monkey Banana Bites!  They are chocolate covered bananas served with pistachio cake and whipped cream and they were DELICIOUS.  It was all the dessert we needed.

Dessert

Despite us not ordering dessert, Skipper Canteen is famous for their Kungaloosh – an African-inspired chocolate cake served with caramelized bananas, cashew-caramel ice cream, and topped with coffee dust.  The dessert menu also includes a lime panna cotta with mango-lime sorbet and a coconut bar served with pineapple-basil compote and vanilla cream.  I have heard reports that the dessert offerings are delicious and refined, but very small portions.  If you are looking for a dessert with more substance, I suggest heading over to Aloha Isle (next to the Enchanted Tiki Room) and grabbing a Dole Whip!

For a current and comprehensive menu, head over to Walt Disney World’s site.

Final Thoughts

For our final thoughts on the Skipper Canteen, I want to start with the food!  Being a fan of international cuisine, this menu was right up my alley!  However, if you are looking for more a more traditional American dining experience in Magic Kingdom, I would skip Skipper Canteen (see what I did, there?) and check out Liberty Tree Tavern.  We whipped up some of their traditional American dishes as part of our Liberty Tree Tavern themed dinner HERE!

We felt the price point was somewhat spendy, but this is typically the case with table service restaurants at Disney.  And while the dishes were higher priced, their high-quality ingredients and execution justified the cost.

I think the BIG draw at the Skipper Canteen, is the theming and atmosphere.  The space is rife with details and history pertaining to the Jungle Cruise attraction and the S.E.A.  If you are a fan of either, this restaurant is a must-do.

Would I return to Skipper Canteen again?  Absolutely!  For the opportunity to explore all the nooks and crannies of the restaurant alone, I would return.  The adventurous food menu is also a draw – I love being able to try something new and exciting that I can’t find back at home.  While the price point is a bit high for our budget, I would plan to share appetizers and entrees, and maybe save some room to get snacks in the park!  Mickey pretzel, anyone?

Have you dined at the Skipper Canteen?  How was your experience?  Let me know in the comments!

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