Adventureland Veranda - Skipper Canteen restaurant

[Jon81uk]

With regards to the theming of the main Mess Hall room, another blog posted that in part it has been restored to the original designs of the designer of the Adventureland Veranda. That could explain why this area feels more "plain" compared to the SEA room and the Falls family room.
Also if it is meant to be the main Skipper mess hall the basic feel with a bulletin board and office doors (with reference to Imagineers) does make sense.

 

[note2001]

^My expectations were for things like animal heads on the walls that occasionally growl or flick an ear, secret book-case doors that open to bathrooms by pulling a certain book(like NYC's Jekyll & Hyde), tribal masks that occasionally talk (link to Tiki room), old artifacts (globes/astrolabes) you can touch and use, 1920s radio playing... that sort of thing.

All good ideas. It is rumored that there is more to come, and animatronic-like devices can take some time to work out the issues, so who knows?

Oh, and regarding hiding the bathrooms behind a bookcase... that could be problematic.

 

[ChristianG]

I don't know if it has been reported on at all, but does anyone know if the walls are down that covered the building and meet+greet location to the right of Sunshine Tree Terrace?

 

[Blairnicol]

I think a lot of people might have been looking for something more like Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar decor?

Part of me was expecting more of an Adventurer's Club vibe, but I wonder if they stayed away from that because they wanted to differentiate from some of the recent openings (Jock Lindsay's, both Trader Sams) have that "EVERYTHING ON THE WALLS" vibe? I do get the feeling that there is some stuff to be added, but I guess we will see.

 

[Matt_Black]

I know part of the point of Disney is the theming and atmosphere, but I think some of us diehards may not notice that if you're sort of a "foodie" and a more casual Disney fan, you may find lot of the food options lacking. Don't underestimate the importance of having not only more real sit-down meal restaurants, but also having some unique food at them.

I think that might be a fair complaint for MK or DHS individually, but when you factor in Epcot, DAK, and all the resorts, I think there are plenty of options for those who want a diverse variety to choose from.

 

[aladdin2007]

It looks pretty good from what Ive seen in the video, the park really needed this and will def try it next month. The only thing is and maybe its just the video and someone who has been can elaborate, but the lighting looks really way too bright in some parts almost like horribly bright florescence?

 

[jmmc]

I think that might be a fair complaint for MK or DHS individually, but when you factor in Epcot, DAK, and all the resorts, I think there are plenty of options for those who want a diverse variety to choose from.

Yes, you're right. I was thinking most specifically about Magic Kingdom. Obviously, World Showcase alone has all kinds of great diverse dining.

 

[JoeCamel]

It looks pretty good from what Ive seen in the video, the park really needed this and will def try it next month. The only thing is and maybe its just the video and someone who has been can elaborate, but the lighting looks really way too bright in some parts almost like horribly bright florescence?

I think it is a case where they put in a lot of light so when the bulbs burn out and are not replaced it is still at a respectable level. Always thinking ahead they are......

 

[Goofyque']

I think the pictures look great! As far as too bright, really? The only room I saw that seemed really light was the mess hall area, and I thought that was close to the sky light? The main dining area in BOG is also much lighter than the smaller rooms. Like BOG, I expect being there to be much different than speculating the feel based on static 2D photos, (Don't get me wrong, I haunt the web for new pictures all the time) What I'm saying, is a picture of the back side of water doesn't quite get you there like actually being on the back side of water.

 

[dgp602]

I don't know if it has been reported on at all, but does anyone know if the walls are down that covered the building and meet+greet location to the right of Sunshine Tree Terrace?

As of Monday, they were still up..

 

[Richards070712]

It's now on the disney website, but reservations are not available yet. Hoping to get a reservation for Jan. 10th!

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/jungle-navigation-skipper-canteen/

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

With regards to the theming of the main Mess Hall room, another blog posted that in part it has been restored to the original designs of the designer of the Adventureland Veranda. That could explain why this area feels more "plain" compared to the SEA room and the Falls family room.
Also if it is meant to be the main Skipper mess hall the basic feel with a bulletin board and office doors (with reference to Imagineers) does make sense.

This. The Mess Hall, given the theming and story of the restaurant, should look more plain (and I would argue substantially so) compared to the Falls Family and SEA rooms, which were meant to be exclusive areas available only for members or privileged staff.

You could argue that this story choice was a poor one as it results in the bulk of diners sitting in the "least themed" room in the restaurant, but in terms of cohesion, I think the mess area is pretty close to what it should be.

(To do a quick armchair imagineer idea if you wanted to add to the mess area, set up 3-4 more bulletin boards on the walls and have each one dedicated to a specific river or region. So one board would have items associated with the Nile, another the Congo, another the Amazon, and so forth. Each board could have specific info about that river, like current/depth charts, Skipper notes on native or animal sightings, weather reports, etc. Fits the mess theme and gives diners a bit more to take in.)

As of Monday, they were still up..

Be great if that ended up being an outdoor seating area for the Canteen. Anyone know what's happening there?

 

[George Sanderson]

FYI - no more souvenir mugs. Not even on the menu and staff has no clue if or when they'll ever be back. Were they only for the opening?

 

[note2001]

FYI - no more souvenir mugs. Not even on the menu and staff has no clue if or when they'll ever be back. Were they only for the opening?

There's money to be made with those mugs, I'm betting they'll be back. They may, however, be different.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

There's money to be made with those mugs, I'm betting they'll be back. They may, however, be different.

If they do return, I bet they're plastic rather than metal.

 

[flyerjab]

Good thing I got two of them.

 

[MarkTwain]

I kind of like the approach they took with the mess hall interior, or at least don't mind it.

The Jungle Cruise and the Adventureland Verandah were features of the original 1970s Magic Kingdom, and both reflect a certain level of 1970s design. All of 1970s Magic Kingdom, especially the restaurants, had a more simple, minimalist approach when it opened - Fantasyland (especially when you compare it to New Fantasyland or in places like Paris), the original 1970s Tomorrowland, interiors of shops in Liberty Square, so on.

Meanwhile, the cluttery, "stuff on the walls" theming approach didn't really happen until the late 80s/90s. You saw this in attractions like Adventurer's Club, Animal Kingdom, Tower of Terror, etc. Some would say this style is superior, but I think there is charm in both.

In my opinion, the original Adventureland Verandah was one of the most beautiful examples of that earlier style of theming. The theme didn't come from all the props on the wall, but more the colors and feel of the architecture. I'm glad Disney decided to preserve that idea with the new restaurant (and even continue the original restaurant's motifs in the new bathrooms with the ornate tiling). I think if they were building a new Jungle Cruise restaurant from scratch, I would feel differently. But because they were renovating the already-existing Verandah, I'm glad they decided to keep the original design style, and only added a few props here and there to get the new theme across.

In other words: if they decided to renovate Columbia Harbour House or Crystal Palace into some new restaurant concept, I would hope they wouldn't just completely cover the walls with props and crap to reflect the new theme.

 

[jensenrick]

^My expectations were for things like animal heads on the walls that occasionally growl or flick an ear, secret book-case doors that open to bathrooms by pulling a certain book(like NYC's Jekyll & Hyde), tribal masks that occasionally talk (link to Tiki room), old artifacts (globes/astrolabes) you can touch and use, 1920s radio playing... that sort of thing.

I like the idea of the radio. For those who have been, is there music or sounds at all?

As for the rest, I wonder (merely wonder, NOT excusing, just wondering) if TPTB are against too much interactivity, trying to avoid a AdvClub effect- where people would spend a lot of time without buying much.

 

[disney4life2008]

If its still standby on nye i will wait in line at opening.

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

Was able to eat lunch there yesterday.....easily walked up and had no issue getting a table. Food was decent, but by the time the afternoon arrived, they were having to place cast members outside to try to lure guests in!! I'm sure this will change, but there empty tables galore!