A Detailed Review of Disney’s Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen

The newest member to the Magic Kingdom table service restaurants is Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. This dining experience is found in Adventureland across the pathway from Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. Jungle Navigation is a spin off from Jungle Cruise. The restaurant is the home to their many treasures and collectables. The design is colourful and is supposed to look thrown together. A place that is made for the adventurers of Jungle Cruise to come and relax after their weeks of travel. It’s a very open space, giving guests little privacy. It is bright, with high ceilings. This restaurant can accommodate small or large groups and serves lunch and dinner.

When you arrive you’ll be given a pager to alert you when your table is ready. In the meantime you’re able to go explore the treehouse or do some shopping in the closely located bazaar. Once you’ve been buzzed, check in with the host or hostess and you’ll either be directly brought to your table or be shown to one of two waiting areas, outside or inside the restaurant. Even with a reservation, we had to wait approximately 15 minutes for our table to be ready.

The staff are supposed to be sarcastic, dry and funny. Similar to what you would find on Jungle Cruise. When we dined here in January we did not have this experience. Our server was like any other server we would have at any other restaurant. Which wasn’t bad. And really we would have been none the wiser but our neighbouring table’s server was giving them the gears. She added an entertainment value. Our server did have difficulty when it came to bill time, she didn’t end up charging our dining plan or our room for our meal. Which gave us an extra, bonus, free meal. Making this meal at Jungle Navigation that much better.

The menu at Jungle Navigation is not very extensive. It is highly influenced by Asian and South American cuisine. For entrees guests can choose between three fish dishes, two steak dishes, lamb chops, a curried stew and a few other options. I enjoyed Sankuru Sadie’s Seafood Stew, which featured shrimp, mussels and octopus. Something I could never make myself and couldn’t find close to home. It was delicious. Unlike anything I’d had before.

For the dessert I chose the Kungaloosh!, an African-inspire Chocolate Cake with Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream. Again, this was totally unique and delightful.

To go along with this meal I enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The menu is reasonably priced. For two people, you could each have an entree and a drink under 100 dollars. We were on the dining plan, which included an entree, a beverage of our choice and dessert for each member of our party. The kids enjoyed the Crispy Chicken and we requested fries. Our server informed us they didn’t have fries at this restaurant but they could get them at a neighbouring quick-service restaurant and bring them in for us. Talk about accommodating.

This dining experience is not a buffet or character dining experience so the kids received activity menus which is always a bonus. It helped pass the time while we waited for our food, and the kids genuinely enjoyed doing the cross words and playing the games on the sheets. We chose to dine here for supper with the intention of grabbing a spot for the nighttime entertainment immediately after our meal. It was perfect. We finished our meal around 7pm. We walked out of the restaurant and didn’t have to walk very far before we were at our viewing spot in front of Cinderella’s Castle.

I really enjoyed our meal here. I would recommend it. Especially if you’ve been to the Magic Kingdom many times before and are looking to try something new. If you are not a fan of the style of cuisine then I would suggest trying to get a reservation at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant or the Diamond Horseshoe. You don’t want to waste a meal here that you may not enjoy because there are too many other fabulous options. Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time. You don’t necessarily need to book 180 days ahead, you can get a reservation a few days before. But it’s hard to get a walk up table. So, at least jump onto the MyDisneyExperience app the morning of to make reservations. Happy Planning Friends.

How To Get Here:

Jungle Navigation is located in Adventureland. You can get here a variety of ways. If you find yourself in front of Cinderella’s Castle take the bridge over to Adventureland and you’ll find Jungle Navigation very quickly on your right. Coming from Frontierland you can walk into Adventureland by Pirates of the Caribbean, or in the breezeway way after Country Bears Jamboree, in both cases walk towards Main St U.S.A. and you’ll find this restaurant on your left. If you’re coming from Liberty Square hang close the water and go over the bridge leading you to the Adventureland bridge and then proceed into this land where the restaurant will be on your right. Coming from Tomorrowland, make your way across the courtyard in front of Cinderella’s Castle into Adventureland and Jungle Navigation will be on your right. Lastly, if you find yourself in Fantasyland, get in front of Cinderella’s Castle and make your way to the Adventureland bridge and go into this land to find the restaurant on your right.

Hours:

Lunch 11:30am-2:55pm

Dinner 3:00pm-9:00pm

Dining Plan: 1 Table Service Meal Credit