The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen is a table service restaurant located in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida. The restaurant is themed after the popular and classic Disney attraction, The Jungle Cruise. Located in Adventureland it’s one of Disney World newest restaurants, but is it any good? Check out my full review after the jump.

The Restaurant

The theming in the restaurant is really good! It definitely feels like you’re stepping into an extension of The Jungle Cruise. There are several areas of the restaurant with their own distinct feel. The front of the restaurant has several seating areas that felt like you were in a jungle area building. It was surprisingly comfortable. I dined in the “Mess Hall” This is the first area that guests enter while being escorted to their table. While walking to the table the host was explaining some features of the restaurant and his jokes were in true Jungle Cruise fashion. The jokes didn’t end with the host.

My waiter played right along. He didn’t go overboard with the character and he seemed to read my mood/own willingness to participate really well. This isn’t to say that I wasn’t playing along, I certainly was! I did like that he played his character like this. It worked really well when he did go full Jungle Cruise and didn’t feel old by the end of the meal. If you enjoy the Skippers on the Jungle Cruise then you’ll definitely enjoy this aspect of dining in the Jungle Skipper Canteen.

The Food

First things first, I have several food allergies. I plan to get into my specific allergies in a future post, but I’m usually able to easily eat at almost every Disney restaurant without issue. I may have to customize my food or limit myself to certain selections. The food at Jungle Skipper Canteen may be classified as more on the exotic side. My personal choices were limited, but I knew this going in. I didn’t get a chance to see the kids menu but this restaurant may not satisfy a picky eater.

I ordered the Skip’s Mac and Cheese and Schweitzer Slush. Editor’s Note: The Skip’s Mac and Cheese appears to no longer be on the menu at Jungle Skipper Canteen since Disney has slightly refreshed the menu. The meal started off with complimentary “Ambasha Bread” and a honey dip. The bread was good, but the dip was not. Both contained some spices that just did not pair well.

My drink arrived soon after. The Schweitzer Slush is one of the two specialty non-alchoholic drinks at Jungle Skipper Canteen. It’s a mixture of Apple and Mango flavors in slushy form topped with apple boba balls! I really enjoyed it and would definitely pick it up again if it was offered elsewhere in the park. The other specialty drink is the Punch Line Punch, which is a tropical juice with mango. Both drinks can be ordered with a souvenir mug, but I chose to go with just a plain old glass..how boring!

Next up was the entree. I did plenty of research on the restaurant before coming simply due to my food allergies. I had decided on the Skip’s Mac and Cheese since I’ve heard good (and bad) things about it but also because I didn’t think it would be a trigger food. Skip’s Mac and Cheese is a pasta with beef and a white bechamel sauce. The pasta and beef were good, but the sauce completely ruined the dish. I ended up trying to eat around the sauce but ended up leaving the bulk of the food on the table. I certainly would not get this dish again with the sauce and really I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat it again period. There’s so many other good offerings at the Magic Kingdom instead of this!

Final Verdict

So, would I eat here again. Well, in one word…NO. I was really looking forward to this restaurant when it was under construction, but with the bulk of the food being unavailable to me and what I can eat being not good at all I don’t think it’s worth my time. It is nice to see exotic food like this in a theme park, but I honestly don’t think that the Magic Kingdom is a good fit for this type of food. It really belongs somewhere in Epcot instead. I could see a lot of guests walking in and not realizing what they’re in for with the food. The theming is really the standout aspect of this restaurant. the staff and building itself really make it a one of a kind place. If you’re a huge fan of Jungle Cruise and have reviewed the menu ahead of time then maybe give it a shot. If not, I would not board this cruise.

Thoughts?

Have you eaten at the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen? What was your opinion of the restaurant? Leave your comments below or as always, feel free to reach out on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook!