I was at mk just last week, and hadn't heard of Skippers Canteen before. We just happened to be passing by the door when it was time to lunch, and decided to give it a try. What a wonderful restaurant it is! The theming is fantastic, and so is the food. We had lamb chops and a steak, and a wonderful desert that I don´t remember exactly the name. When the server was explaining the menu and the dishes to us, she was almost apologetic about the dishes, always pointing out that the garnishes could be substituted for more "traditional" ones, like fries or white rice. Of course we ordered the regular versions of the dishes, and were very pleased by the result. At the time, I commented with my girlfriend, the park was full of Americans, and yet, it seamed that at the restaurant, it was mostly foreigners, witch I thought it was odd. It´s a pity that Disney would have to dumb down such a wonderful restaurant, and if you haven't been there yet, please do before they change the menu to burgers and pizza, please! And try the Brazilian Guaraná, and awesome soft drink that you will be hooked on.

I love the Skipper Canteen. My husband and I have eaten there twice and I would say that not being able to make an advanced reservation is exactly why people are not going there. I had a large group of 8 people that I wanted to dine with but we had to ensure we had a reservation so we made one online for another place on that day.
I will be disappointed if they change the menu. We are a well traveled couple and I can eat only so many burgers, I'll choose curried cauliflower with acorn squash any day! Come on!!

Good to read that there likely is a $limit to what Disney is able to get from their customers. $35 parking upcharge....wow.
(if they allow you to valet park right in front of the gate $35 might be a valid option for some)

Said it before, and will say it again. the $150 upcharge is pretty bad. Finding out that you can get in at 5? or 7? and get basically 7 hours of park time is a bit better. you could think of it as a "double park" day. do a non-ticketed event (disney springs, day at the pool, resort hop or just rest) and then have a decent time at the park in the evening. That's somewhat better than buying a park ticket, and then another 150 for just the 3 hours (leaving the early admission out as you already had a full day pass).

as for the Skipper, having a "no reservation" policy mixed in with a very unique menu probably did hurt it. I mean, i like the idea of a TS venue w/o reseervations, so if you missed out on your ADR, you could still have a chance to use a TS credit. down side, is if you have an ADR and want to cancel to to to SC, you'd have to pay the late cancellation fee. so that's not good. and of course the menu does play a role. i'm guessing people don't want anything too out of the ordinary in MK. sure it'd work in AK or EC, as they have a more international vibe to them. I don't think SC needs to add pizza, burgers and chicken fingers to the menu. But i think a more toned down chicken or beef dinner would do well.

Not a fan of up charge events. Mind you I don't mind MNSSHP or MVMCP. I remember when Disney used the night time to clean and paint the parks after closing. Not so much painting goes on at night anymore. You can see that during the day with cracked and peeling paint. They still do the cleaning. I just think this experiment with after hours is just a money grab. I don't know what people are thinking paying $150 for three hours for an empty park and not all rides are included/open. As for the Skipper Canteen. There is nothing there many would eat. Just bring regular food and they will do a lot better.

Speaking about quiet restaurants, I was surprised when I ate at Be Our Guest for the first time last week.

After struggling to get a reservation, eventually picking one up a few days before i was surpirsed at how empty parts of the restaurant was. We were in one of the wings (not the one with the rose) and when we finished our meal the room was at least half empty.

When checking in there was quite a queue to order (we had pre ordered luckily) but this didn't seem to translate to people at tables.

This angers me to no end!! I recently dined at Skipper Canteen and it was amazing!! I loved the fact that we could walk up and put our name in like the old days at all the Disney restaurants and just wait a few minutes and we were in! Also the food was fantastic! I can't believe Disney has to dumb down the menu for tourists who aren't willing to try new things. The menu is exotic and full of flavor. I went with my parents in law who don't speak English and never try anything new. But they tried the pork and shrimp and arepas and loved it all! They were so pleasantly surprised to try something in especially in Magic Kingdom and felt special for getting dishes they'd never expect to get at a theme park. Yes they were looking for burgers but that's because they're Used to it. If people would just open their minds and try new things they'll be pleasantly surprised. I got the shu Mai, Mac and cheese, falafel, and sweet and sour soup. It was all to dies for! At the end of our meal we got the coconut bar which was heaven. If you really look at the menu it's actually simple foods but just dressed up better. Please don't ruin this restaurant that the Magic Kingdom so desperately needed! A touch of class and good food!

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