Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen – what a name! – really leans into the best of the Jungle Cruise!
The Jungle Cruise is the Disney attraction that popularized dad jokes. At least… that’s how we Nerds like to think of it.
Now, the wise-cracking Skippers can be found table-side in this Adventureland gem that has seating for more than 220 guests. The eatery offers great service, delicious food and ambience worth of the Jungle Cruise faithful.
Jungle Navigation Co – yes, we are going to abbreviate it for this entire post – purports to have once had piranha on the menu but removed it because patrons said it had too much bite (get it? piranha? bite?). Well, the jokes don’t get much better but the delivery – dry to the core – was spot on. Every single time our server came by the table she seemed to have a new joke to share; and my dad joke repertoire swelled to new heights.
The Jungle Navigation Co’s proprietor, Alberta Falls – daughter of the man made famous by those cheeky Skippers on the Jungle Cruise attraction, built three distinct rooms for patrons to enjoy:
The once-hidden S.E.A. (Society of Explorers and Adventurers) boast a number of exotic collections including a table surrounded by butterflies.
But humor and service is not all Disney World’s Jungle Navigation Co has to offer – it also has really good food! It was a hot Orlando day (in October???) so the first order of business upon arrival was to order up an Old Elephant.
Hot, thirsty and hungry, the Nerds wasted no time with appetizers and dove into to the entrees. First up was Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak (hold the wine reduction) and it hit the spot. The food was prepared as requested and delivered hot to the table.
The second entree we ordered and the one I wish I had selected, despite my delicious steak, because my fellow Nerd was clearly not in a sharing mood was Perkins Thai Noodles with chicken.
Despite the great food and ambiance, we had no room for desert. As you might imagine, the Nerd had a belly full of Mickey pretzels from a long and fun day of exploring Magic Kingdom.
Planning Your Expedition to the Jungle Navigation Co LTD Skipper Canteen
We Nerds love Disney theme parks – we may have hinted at this a few times – and snacking our way through the parks while enjoying world-class attractions. On days when the parks close early – Magic Kingdom closed at 6pm on the day of our visit – we do our best to extend our visit by booking our advanced dining reservation (ADR in Disney World speak) at the end of the day. In this particular instance, we were able to secure a 5:55pm ADR and savor our meal since we had nowhere to go, except back to the heat and the hotel.
There is a real strategy to securing the right timing to the reservation including the help of sites like mousedining.com. Check out our step-by-step Disney World dining strategy here.
Perhaps one of the best things about snagging a reservation near closing is the walk out of the park. It’s like having Magic Kingdom all to yourself. It’s as if the Disney Cast Members let you wander around, unsupervised, in a magical setting….because they did!
As we made our way toward Main Street, U.S.A., we found the center hub nearly empty.
And we were able to get great crowd-free shots of Cinderella Castle.
All in all, it was a great day at Magic Kingdom. So, pack your bags and snag those ADRs and feel free to check out the Jungle Navigation Co LTD Skipper Canteen’s full menu here.
