Review: Jungle Navigation Co. Skipper Canteen Restaurant

On our recent family trip to Walt Disney World, I gave the new Jungle navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen restaurant a try, and what a wonderful surprise it was! It now ranks #1 on my Magic Kingdom restaurant list.

Located in Adventureland, across from the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, this one-credit table-service restaurant is themed after the Jungle Cruise attraction. All of the artifacts that adorn the walls are reminiscent of 1800's jungle explorers. 

The Skipper Canteen is not available for reservations in advance; you can only make same-day reservations.  On the morning of our Magic Kingdom day, I woke up at 6 a.m. and logged into the My Disney Experience app. I was able to select from several reservations and chose an 11:30 a.m. early-lunch reservation.

We are a family of five, two adults and three children, ages 11, 9, and 8. Our oldest son has Autism and has a limited food repertoire, so that sometimes presents a few challenges when it comes to our food selections.

My husband and I tried the Punch Line Punch with tropical fruit juices and mango purée.  I loved the punch, but did not care for the savory spiced-rim; I used the straw, and would order the drink again, but without the rim ginger-salt.

Two of the boys chose to try the Exotic Coca-Cola® - Fanta Melon Frosty from Thailand. One loved it, one didn't prefer the watermelon flavor.

The two youngest boys chose the Smiley's Little 'Croc' of Chicken Noodle Soup with fresh Seasonal Fruit. This soup reminded me of Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, linguine-shaped rice noodles called bánh phở, a few herbs, and  served with either beef or chicken. This crock of soup had a slightly-flavored broth for little people's palates, and the pieces of chicken were large cuts of roasted chicken.

My son, who has Autism, will eat very little on the menu, but he will eat steak. He ordered the Dr. Falls' Signature Grilled Steak, which is a strip loin asado-marinated in sofrito and served with Yuca Planks, Avocado, and House-made Chimichurri. We asked for everything to be served on separate plates, and the server was more than happy to help with that request. His steak was cooked to perfection, and he ate the whole thing happily. My son would not try anything else, but I tried the Yuca Planks, which looked like large-cut french fries; they were delicious, but a different consistency to fries. I also tried the Avocado and Chimichurri, which were amazing, and I ate those garnishes as a side dish!

My husband and I both tried the Sustainable Fish served over Chinese Broccoli, Carrots, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Red Bell Peppers in a fragrant Lemon Grass Broth. The fish was cooked to perfection, and flaked with the touch of my fork. The broth was very flavorful and complimented the fish and vegetables perfectly.

For dessert, the little boys tried the Volcano!, a Gooey Chocolate Cake with Caramel Lava and exploding Chocolate Rocks.  They were very excited when this arrived at the table!

My oldest son tried Bertha's "Banh Bong Lan" Cake with Mango-Lime Sorbet
Vanilla Chiffon Cake soaked with Lemon Grass-Ginger Syrup. He loved the sorbet, the curly chocolate, and the little meringue drops.  He had a few bites of the cake, and then my husband and I finished off the last few bites.

I tried the Coconut Bar with Pineapple-Basil Compote and Vanilla Cream with Pineapple-Basil Compote and Vanilla Cream. This was the second-best dessert I've ever had at a Walt Disney World resort (behind a chocolate/cherry dessert that is no longer offered at Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge). Light, tangy,  citrusy - it was amazing! Highly recommended!

My husband tried the Sugar-crusted Congee Pudding Caramelized Custard with Millet, Almonds, Apricot, Dates, and Honey-Almond Tuile. He describes this as an "adult dessert," not cloying sweet, with hints of savory notes.

While everything we tried on the menu was top-notch, the star of the lunch was the bread and fenugreek dip. The bread was seasoned with coriander, and the warm honey dip tasted like AMAZING. I wanted to ask if we could take some home in a to-go container, but didn't know how to carry it all day without spilling honey all over the inside of my bag.

Many guests associate Magic Kingdom with standard Park fare: burgers, fries, sandwiches, pizza, pasta. It's so refreshing to see the Magic Kingdom offer a choice for people who are looking to try new and exciting flavors.

Long Summer Days

Ready or not, here is it!  Summer vacation!

Kids are off from school and I find that there are usually two schools of thought when it comes to Summer Break: 1) I love those long lazy summer days with the kids, hanging out in the back yard, taking day trips to the Zoo or the Museum, and 2) OMG, what will we do with the kids for x-number of days until school starts again?

I personally fall somewhere in between.

I start the summer off with loads of enthusiasm, mapping out educations trips to see local sites, going here and there without having to worry about homework and time constraints due to sports practices or clarinet lessons or whatnot. The freedom from the rigors of the school year make me giddy with the possibilities of activities with the kids.

This attitude usually lasts until August.

Then the kids have spent waaay too much time with each other. They start turning on each other, and me. I tire from being a constant cruise director of activities. My husband comes home from work and I look like I've been through a tornado, with sweat dripping from my brow and the crazy-eyes look on my face. "Take them," I say, as I call for a pizza, because I can't make one more personalized meal that day.

This is why getting away for an actual SUMMER VACATION is such a great idea. You don't have to worry about taking the kids out of school while you're gone, and you're free to schedule it when you'd like. Vacations in the summer take you and the kids out of that home familiarity, that routine -- As a family. It's such a bonding experience. A learning experience.

Before you know it, the kids are grown up and starting lives of their own. Those summer vacations are memories that will last a lifetime.

Walt Disney World Dining: Where to Make Your Advance Dining Reservations

Clients often ask me for dining reservation recommendations, and I have plenty! Being a bit of a foodie, I've tried many of the onsite restaurants, both in the Parks and in the resorts.

When you start planning your vacation, make a list of your top 3-5 restaurants for each Park and a few resort restaurants as well. As you make your restaurant lists, be sure to do your research. Check the menus (and children's menus, if this is a family trip!) to make sure that the food choices are to your liking.

Have this list handy when making your reservations, so that if you don't get your #1 choice, you can have an alternate restaurant choice handy.

When your "180 days" date arrives (180 days prior to arrival at WDW, you can make your dining reservations either online or over the phone).

O.k., now for my restaurant recommendations:

1. Animal Kingdom:
   • Tusker House - Character Dining (Donald Duck and Friends). A buffet assortment of salads, basmati rice, carved meats, cold cuts, desserts, and more. Something for everyone.
   • Yak and Yeti
     • Yak and Yeti Cafe. Quick Service Dining.  Egg rolls, honey chicken, teriyaki beef. Good quick service dining option for those on the go in the Park.
     • Yak and Yeti Restaurant. Table Service Dining. Asian fare including potstickers, dim sum, salmon and more.
2. Hollywood Studios:
   • Sci-Fi Dine-In  - While the Sci-Fi Dine-In features mostly burgers, being able to sit in a 1950's car while watching retro science fiction movies is the really cool feature here. Lots of fun at this unique eatery. Table Service Dining.
   • ABC Commissary - Offers Asian salads, seafood platters and strip steak. A little more healthy than the usual quick-service dining options.
   • Hollywood's Brown Derby - Signature Service Dining. Known for its Famous Cobb Salad, this restaurant also features port tenderloin, salmon, duck breast and more. Also try the Grapefruit Cake.
3. Epcot:
   • Coral Reef Restaurant - Table Service Dining. Features strip steak, rainbow trout, lobster and shrimp pasta, salmon, mahi mahi , and a sustainable seasonal catch. Be sure to ask for a table near the sides of the aquarium. While the fish are seen from all tables, being able to sit "close to the action" is a lot of fun.
   • Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles - There are some place at WDW that offer food I dream about between trips. The selection of desserts at this little cafe is one of them. Offering baguettes, quiches, creme brulee, chocolat tart, eclairs, chocolate mousse, and the ever-popular napoleon. Quick Service Dining.
   • La Hacienda de San Angel - Table Service Dining. While the food offered is very good ( tacos, carnitas, ribs, and more), the real star at this restaurant is the margaritas. After a hot day of walking around the Parks, what could be better?
   • Restaurant Marrakesh - Table Service Dining. I'm obsessed with their beef brewat rolls and shish kebabs. And the belly-dancing show is fun to watch.
4. Magic Kingdom:
   • Be Our Guest - While reservations for this restaurant can be elusive, if you can get in, be sure to try the braised pork. Or the rack or lamb or ratatouille. And the selection of cupcakes include lemon meringue and strawberry cream. Now open for breakfast and lunch, as well.
   • Cinderella's Royal Table - Character Dining (Cinderella and Princess Friends). My family enjoyed this character dining experience on our last trip. I have all boys, but I was able to bribe them into going with the promise that they would get swords as a take-home gift. As we walked into the castle, we took a quick photo with Cinderella, and were shown upstairs to the dining room. The food was incredible; this restaurant offers pork and beef tenderloin, swordfish, tomato risotto, and more. As we enjoyed our dinner, more Princesses came to our table to say hello, sign autograph books and take photos with the kids. At the end of the meal, we were presented with the photo of the kids and Cinderella that we had taken before dinner.
   • Gaston's Tavern - Quick Service Dining. If you are looking for breakfast and are on the dining plan, you can get a cinnamon roll, using a Snack credit at Gaston's Tavern. This cinnamon roll could literally feed an entire family, it's so big
5. Various WDW Resorts:
   • Animal Kingdom Lodge
     • Boma - Table Service Dining. I love to try new things, but am some times hesitant about trying new foods. Boma's buffet enables you to try new African flavors without committing to a whole plate of food. Includes durban-style roasted chicken, bobotie, pork ribs, beef strip loin, and a wonderful selection of desserts.
     • Sanaa - African/Indian Table Service Dining. We tried the Indian-style Bread Service on our last visit, and love the Naan bread with samplings of spreads to go with it. Be sure to also give the tandoori chicken, lamb shank, and shrimp a try.
   • Contemporary Resort
     • The Wave of American Flavors - Table Service Dining. This restaurant offers some of the most healthy choices in WDW property. They try to get all local products for that farm-to-table-style restaurant. The Wave features djon-crusted lamb chops, pumpkin marscapone ravioli, beef and pork tenderloin, and sustainable fish. The kids also loved the rainbow bread grilled cheese.
     • The California Grill - Signature Dining/ Features sushi, seared ahi tuna, flounder, lamb shanks, bison strip loins, shellfish mole, and swordfish. Try for a reservation around the time of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and ask for a table by the window. or have a drink on the outside patio of the restaurant for the best views of the Magic Kingdom.
   • Fort Wilderness
     • rail's End - Table Service Dining. I think about this buttermilk-marinated fried chicken between trips. I've tried to make it at home, to no avail.
   • The Wilderness Lodge
     • Artist Point - Signature Dining. Food inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Jumbo lump crab cakes, salmon, filet mignon, diver scallops. Yum.

For more restaurant recommendations or questions, call Magical Storybook Travels at 585-880-6951 or nicole@magicalstorybooktravels.com