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Adventureland Veranda - Skipper Canteen restaurant
- Thread starter danlb_2000
- Start date
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
Perhaps having 7 table service or buffet restaurants is one too many for the park.The Adventureland Veranda was always a counter service place, the land's equivalent to Columbia Harbour House or The Mile Long Bar. Are guests really eagar to drop $40 a head on a standard meal in this park or do they just want burgers with a shorter wait than Pecos Bill?
Maybe the name itself is working against the place. You'll note nearly all other sit-down locations have the word "restaurant" or some variation in the title (Table, Tavern etc). What does "Skipper Canteen" mean to the average guest? Is the idea of a Jungle Cruise restaurant too weird for anyone who isn't a die-hard fan? I think the previous idea for a Pirate character meal would have been much easier to sell.
I don't thnk weak reviews are keeping the customers away (if that were the case, Nine Dragons would have closed years ago), I think Disney just needs to do a better job at communicating what exactly this place is, and that it does exist. Putting it up for ADRs would be a good start.
Maybe the name itself is working against the place. You'll note nearly all other sit-down locations have the word "restaurant" or some variation in the title (Table, Tavern etc). What does "Skipper Canteen" mean to the average guest? Is the idea of a Jungle Cruise restaurant too weird for anyone who isn't a die-hard fan? I think the previous idea for a Pirate character meal would have been much easier to sell.
I don't thnk weak reviews are keeping the customers away (if that were the case, Nine Dragons would have closed years ago), I think Disney just needs to do a better job at communicating what exactly this place is, and that it does exist. Putting it up for ADRs would be a good start.
Next Big Thing
Well-Known Member
What you mention may hold some weight if it was a higher capacity restaurant, but Skipper Canteen is pretty low capacity (and elsewhere around the kingdom, The Plaza Restaurant is even lower)
The park could handle probably 2 more sit-downs and still fill them up if they really wanted (ahhemm... Golden Horseshoe...)
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I kid, I kid.
You know.. it's alright! Sometimes the hat just makes the outfit work.
RSoxNo1
Well-Known Member
The menu was interesting, but I'm not sure any of it was over the top good. I think the options at Yak and Yeti and Harambe Market serve the purpose of being Asian and African but do it better. I'm not saying dumb down the menu, I don't want that at all, but I think it needs to be tweaked. More importantly though, the mess hall needs to have a lot more touches that scream skippers.
unkadug
Follower of "Saget"The Cult
Personal attacks certainly do not make your posts any more friendly.
BernardandBianca
Well-Known Member
I note that the countries you listed are all fairly well developed. Try eating in some out-of-the-way countries if you really wish to taste exotic foods - like Viet Nam, Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, Bhutan, or even mainland China. That seems to be more appropriate as the basis for comparison. (I'm not going to comment on your thoughts about the food, as that is a totally subjective matter and I can't tell you how you should or should not like something.)
Oh, and I haven't eaten here yet, nor will I until they start taking the Tables card.
So I haven't read where you state exactly what you ordered and didn't like. Can you tell us?
aprincessatlasst
Active Member
Hmm interesting, we have visited Canada mutiple times from Vancouver Island to Toronto and I have always come home craving flavor, spice or anything. It is the most bland food in all of the countries I have ever visited. Now granted we have family who live there who I know love good food so it would not be fair for me to assume the whole country is lacking in flavor or diversity based on my locations I visited of British Columbia or Ontario would it? I know the community we live in the small area of the midwest have tons of Indian, Asian, mediterranean and yes southern foods. I am talking authentic native menus too. You know what they say when you assume things don't you?.....
Agreed, the menu isn't the problem it's the execution of said menu that is the issue.
BoarderPhreak
Well-Known Member
Guess the empty seats are getting to the management.
Chris82
Well-Known Member
I suppose if the restaurant now shows up in the online reservation system, even if it's not available for any day but today, people will at least see it and know about it? I just hope that the system somehow makes it clear that it is a same-day reservation restaurant only, rather than simply never showing as available for your upcoming trip.
I'd love to know what the real story is with the strategy on the opening of this one.Guess the empty seats are getting to the management.
It isn't close to being full, and yet they won't put it on the proper reservations system like every other restaurant.
Jon81uk
Well-Known Member
I assume there are guest complaints that they don't want to be "forced" in to booking everything early. But it would make more sense to have something like the Plaza offering walk-up only, as it is cheaper and less of a destination place.
note2001
Well-Known Member
Although we don't usually see it happen, I'm betting this location has failed the test phase and they're planning on reworking something back in the kitchen before they can open it up fully for reservations.
If reports in general are telling us that food is taking far too long to be served, I wonder, what is an acceptable amount of time guests should be expected to wait? If they're not meeting or beating that time, something is wrong back in the kitchen. Might be a space problem, might be a flow issue. Or, could have to do with a difficult menu. (Who knows.)
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I don't think the plan has ever been to have this place walk up only. CM's during the soft open period were talking about reservations being planned for January.
Ultimately Disney want to maximize the return from each restaurant, and this trumps having a restaurant available for walkups.
There is something more to it.
Chris82
Well-Known Member
If I had to guess what the main restaurant-related guest complaint would be, I would guess "I couldn't get a reservation for Be Our Guest" beats "I don't like making reservations at all" by an order of magnitude.
Maybe Skipper Canteen was intended to serve as a test for eliminating Magic Kingdom advance dining reservations altogether, perhaps on the theory that no reservations would be better than a reservation you couldn't get? In theory, queuing for a table that day might seem more natural and equitable to people than booking things 180 days in advance...
I don't know... maybe that's not what Disney's thinking. When rationing scarce resources, there's problems and caveats with any plan.
If you already have an adr for a different restaurant the day you want to go, you will be able to switch for a reservation at skipper on that same day for no charge. Just like if you swapped your reservation for a different day, restaurant or, time between other restaurants, same no charge rules apply. It's also Disney's way of staying walk up based but integrating the app, reservation line and, concierge/GR into the process so it's not a complete shot in the dark hoping to get in without a long wait.
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