Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen Dinner Review #CapturetheBite

Have you ever been on Disney's Jungle Cruise ride? Spent 10 minutes with a semi-humorous scripted ad lib boat captain? Imagine eating on the Jungle Cruise. That my friends is Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. Everything from the decor to the names of the entree's "Tastes like Chicken - Because it is!" makes you feel like you are sitting on the Jungle Cruise ride, not knowing what to believe or what will happen next.

I grew up on burgers, fries and PB&J sandwiches while visiting Magic Kingdom. There were a few times where I found myself during this dinner thinking - are we really eating (insert here - Lamb, Whole Fish, Noodle Soup) at MK? The menu is far different than any other restaurant located inside Magic Kingdom but I really enjoyed it and do see myself returning.

A few months ago, all of the sit-down restaurants in Magic Kingdom started offering beer and wine for purchase during dinner. I will say, I truly enjoyed having a glass of wine at the Magic Kingdom. The wine list is not huge but they had some good options. I opted for a glass of Franciscan Chardonnay from Napa Valley.

We tried out quite a few appetizers from the Skippers Canteen Dinner Menu. From everything we tried, y favorite was the Shiriki Noodle Salad, just make sure to mix it up if you are sharing with a group because all the flavor was on the bottom. I also really enjoyed the Cachapas and the Shu Mai.

All of the food descriptions below are copied and pasted from the Walt Disney World website - only because some of the descriptions are so silly, I couldn't bring myself to write my own description.

Shiriki Noodle Salad
Noodles, Edamame Beans, Mushrooms, Green Mango, and Cucumber tossed with a Sweet Chili Sauce. Famously served at Hotel Hightower on December 31, 1899

Orinoco Ida's Cachapas
And you thought our jokes were corny! House-made Corn Pancakes, Mojo-braised Pork, Black Bean Salad, and Avocado Cream

S.E.A. Shu Mai
A legendary blend of Pork, Shrimp, Edamame Beans, and Spices wrapped in Gyoza Skin then steamed

Falls Family Falafel
A secret recipe of Chickpeas, Garlic, Onions, Lemon Juice, and Herbs served with White Bean Dip and Tomato-Cucumber Salad

This was my last meal after spending 3 full days eating and drinking at Disney and I needed something light. All day long, I was craving Pho (my go-to after eating myself silly). Lucky me - they have noodle soup at Skipper Canteen. I did have to add Hoison and Sriracha to the broth but it hit the spot.

Nile Nellie's Noodle Bowl with Chicken
Niles and Niles of Rice Noodles...Fragrant Broth served with Mushrooms, Jalapeños, and fresh Herbs

Other dishes tried around the table:

Baa Baa Berber Lamb Chops
Berber-spiced Lamb Chop, Mint Couscous, Curried Carrots, Sun Chokes, Lamb-Butter Sauce

Sustainable Fish
"Not Piranha," served over Chinese Broccoli, Carrots, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Red Bell Peppers in a fragrant Lemon Grass Broth

Whole Fried Fish
You'll get hooked on Skipper Annette's latest catch! Served with Jasmine Rice, Grilled Scallions, and Soy-Ginger Vinaigrette

We also enjoyed a dessert trio but I did not get photos as we were in a hurry so we could make the Wishes firework show. Skippers Canteen is in great proximity for a place to have a sit down dinner prior to seeing the fireworks.

This visit to Magic Kingdom marked my last time seeing Wishes. The new fireworks show Happily Ever After debut on May 12. I have not seen Happily Ever After yet - but will leave you with one of the best photos I have taken at Walt Disney World.

This meal was provided by Walt Disney World as part of Capture the Bite Food Photography Workshop. No monetary compensation was provided. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Dining at Trattoria al Forno - Disney's Boardwalk

I had the opportunity to dine at Trattoria al Forno located at Disney's Boardwalk a few weeks back while at the Capture the Bite photography workshop. If you read my review of Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival, you saw how much we stuffed our faces before heading to dinner. While my belly was far from rumbling, I was very excited to dine here for the first time! Also - this is a great spot for all my runDisney friends looking to carb-load prior to a race!

The first thing you see when you walk inside the entry way of Trattoria al Forno is a giant wall of wine. This is speaking my language! The extensive wine list found at Trattoria al Forno is 100% Italian, featuring over 60 offerings by the bottle and 25 wines by the glass.

The main restaurant has an open floor plan, including an open air kitchen with a fire burning oven. While I didn't get to try the Neapolitan pizza this time around, I will be back!

We were greeted with a glass of Prosecco and with that, Trattoria al Forno and I were instantly best friends.

We started off with a few of Trattoria al Forno's most popular appetizers served family style.  Everything we tried was great and I would order them again on my own.

Calamari Fritti (Crispy Pepperoncini, Balsamic Agrodolce)

Insalata Salad (House-pulled Mozzarella stretched daily in house, Tomatoes, Aged Balsamic)

Salumi Italiani (Assorted Charcuterie with Seasonal Accoutrements)

Formaggio Artigianale (Assorted Cheese, Olives, Marinated Vegetables, Grissini)

We were offered a variety of entrees to choose from. Being I had steak the night before, I went with the handmade Pasta alla Bolognese with braised short rib, smoked pork belly, tomatoes, mushrooms, pecorino romano. It was absolutely delicious and although not starving, I nearly finished it.

My dining neighbor Lara ordered the Parmigiana di Pollo AKA Chicken Parmesan, breaded chicken breast, pecorino romano, provolone, fresh Pasta topped with Sunday gravy. This is one of Trattoria al Forno’s staple dishes. The even have a chicken pounder machine in the back, allowing them to pound multiple pieces of chicken at one (although pounding chicken is one of my favorite things to do while stressed out). It was a very well executed Chicken Parm.

A few other meals from our table – The daily risotto, which was scallop and asparagus. I am not a fan of scallops but this risotto looked incredible.

Continuing around the table, the Oak-grilled Strip Steak was served, paired with fire-roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and a herb-scented beef butter. Yep, I said beef butter.

Later that night, we had the Epcot Dessert Party scheduled, so I was not expecting dessert at Trattoria. Of course that was ignorant thinking on my behalf, an Italian restaurant sending you home without dessert? I had a small bite of each: Zeppoli, Almond Sugar-coated Fried Dough with Dipping Sauces; Dark Chocolate Semolina Torta with Brachetto Raspberry Crema

But the homemade gelato stole my heart. On the menu, it is called Spoonful of Gelato - you get your choice of Hazelnut, Double Dark Chocolate, Strawberry-Basil, or Pistachio-Stracciatella and I couldn’t stop. The pistachio and hazelnut were crazy good. Although we were full and had a Dessert Party to attend, we ended up fighting over the gelato.

We had a really nice dinner at Trattoria al Forno. I would suggest it for a nice sit down dinner outside of the parks. Boardwalks proximity to Epcot makes it an easy place to hop over.

This meal was provided by Walt Disney World as part of Capture the Bite Food Photography Workshop. No monetary compensation was provided. As always, all opinions are my own.

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Behind The Seeds Tour at Epcot, Walt Disney World

During my trip to Walt Disney World for the Capture the Bite Photography Workshop, we were hosted at a Behind the Seeds Tour at The Land Pavilion. If you are familiar with The Land, this is where Soarin is housed, along with four green houses and a fish farm.

Behind the Seeds is a tour that I have wanted to do for a very long time. If you’ve been on the Living with the Land ride, you've likely seen guests on this tour.

This tour is held daily. starting at 10:30 am. It is a walking tour so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. I by no means have a green thumb (skipped a generation) but this tour still kept my attention the entire hour.

Prior to starting our tour, we had a continental breakfast in The Land. It was the first and probably only time I have ever seen this always busy venue completely empty! Of course everyone had to take a shot of this surreal scene.

Our tour guide was interning at Disney and was quite knowledgeable in the world of horticulture. She was very patient with us too – let me tell you, corralling 11 bloggers is not an easy job!

We started off learning how they use bugs as natural pesticides. If you know me, you know I had zero interest in this and mentally blacked it out, waiting to put some distance between myself and the creepy crawlers.

Next up was seeing how Disney uses hydroponics in their garden, a form of gardening using no soil. I was first introduced to this style of growing vegetables from my father in law. However, his hydroponic garden looked nothing like Disney’s!

We also encountered one of the largest squash I have ever seen.

We saw many vegetables and fruits that Disney uses at its onsite restaurants. In fact, we had edible flowers from here the night before during our dinner at Tiffin’s.

Throughout the tour, we saw scanners where you could get recipes served at Disney restaurants using the produce found at the greenhouse. This particular one was the Tomato and Cucumber Salad found at Sunshine Seasons Restaurant in Epcot!

Moving through, we learned how Disney uses molds to shape some of it’s vegetables. Mickey shaped cucumbers? That will surely help kids eat veggies! Mickey shaped pumpkins?

What I wouldn't give for one of these in October.

What would you make with a Nine Pound Lemon?

We walked through the fish farm and witnessed a variety of fish including some of the largest shrimp I have ever seen in my life. We even saw white catfish! I thought he was albino but this is a variety of the catfish. Other varieties seen were eels, tilapia, catfish and freshwater shrimp

One of my favorite parts of this tour was going to the spice garden. This is typically where you will start your boat cruise once you get inside the greenhouse. It’s always fascinated me on the boat ride, so being that close and personal to the garden itself made me geek out just a bit.

If you my spice cabinet, you would understand my fascination. My name is Megan and I have a spice problem. They played a little game with us, testing our noses with the ground spices. Having 11 food bloggers in one area was a bit funny. I got a few right! We also learned how truly expensive saffron is. I always hate buying it in the store as I can spend the same amount on a bottle of wine.

Overall, this is a great tour if you are into plants and gardening. I am by no means a green thumb but I found the entire experience fascinating. The Behind the Seeds tour is $25 a person and last about an hour long. Click here for more information.

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Rivers of Light Show at Disney Animal Kingdom

 On my recent trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, I had the opportunity to watch the new Rivers of Light show. It was a stunning show that celebrates the beauty of all living things.

On top of my first time seeing the show, it was also my first time experiencing Animal Kingdom at night. It was an amazing experience. There was something serene about the lights in the trees, almost as if you were visiting an exotic country.

My group also rode Expedition Everest at night and that was a whole different experience, we loved every moment of it.

We had amazing seats, sitting in the first and second rows. I do suggest using a fast pass for this show for the best possible seats. You can also get get a Rivers of Light dining package at either Tiffins or Tucker House. Included in Each Rivers of Light dining package: A meal, a non-alcoholic beverage and premium seating for Rivers of Light show. We recently dined at Tiffins and I strongly suggest taking advantage of this offer!

My Sony a6000 got its first true workout that night. I was fortunate to be surrounded by amazing photographers and after owning this camera for a year, I finally started to learn my cameras features.

The show was a story that helps us remember that we are all bound together by earth and spirit—past, present and future. It had us all captivated the entire time – what would we see next. I loved the lighting special effects on the water, starting ith clusters of lantern light, shifting and changing into animal spirit forms—the Tiger, Turtle, Elephant and Owl..

Overall, one of the best shows I’ve seen at Disney and if you are planning a trip to Disney World in the near future, definitely plan to spend an evening at Animal Kingdom! Here are two videos I captured.

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Dining at Tiffins, Disney's Animal Kingdom #CaptureTheBite

A few weeks ago, I had the honor to join a very talented group of food photographers and influencers at the first ever Capture the Bite photo workshop. This workshop consisted of 3 days of informative food photography workshops and behind the scenes experiences. In the few days we were there, I learned a ton of photography tricks and techniques and can't wait to bring them to life on the blog. Plus I made 10 new friends I will have for life!

We kicked off the multi-day event at Tiffins, inside of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Although I am a passholder and frequent Animal Kingdom, this was my first experience at Tiffins (and it will not be my last). Dining at Tiffins was more than an incredible meal. At our kickoff meal, we learned the history behind Animal Kingdom's newest sit down dining establishment which is themed on travel.

There are 3 dining rooms, which honors the spirit of Africa, Asia and exotic animals, all of which featured artwork, photography, paintings and sculptures inspired by field sketches for the imagineers who created Animal Kingdom!

After our delicious welcome drink, a Snow Leopard Salvation (Snow Leopard Vodka, Belle de Brillet Pear Liqueur, Mint, Lime Juice, Ginger Beer - proceeds from every purchase go to the Snow Leopards), we headed off to our dining room and kicked off a 3 course meal with wine pairings.

We started with a Trio of Appetizers, 3 of Tiffin's most popular features.
Watermelon and Feta; Marinated Grilled Octopus; Black-eyed pea fritters
Paired with DeMorgenzon - DMZ Cabernet Rose (South Africa)

Of the three appetizers, the Watermelon and Feta was my favorite. It was the perfect bite and I would happily devour an entire portion of this appetizer. The Cabernet Rose was delicious, a perfect pairing to this trio. Plus I am all about Rose right now!

For the main course, we chose from:
Pomegranate-lacquered Chicken: Sweet Potato Pap, Thumbelina Carrots, Citrus-Fennel Salad
Wagyu Striploin & Braised Short Rib: Rainbow Carrots, Roasted Peruvian Potatoes, Chimichurri
Grilled Swordfish: Forbidden Rice, Tsukemono, Trumpet Royale, Carrot-Coconut Purée
Roasted Vegetable Curry: Millet, Market Vegetables, Lime Chutney

With no doubt in mind, I ordered the Wagyu Striploin & Braised Short Rib. It was paired perfectly with a glass of Tikal, Natural Malbac Syrah from Argentina. It was an incredible meal, the best I have had at any Disney Park from around the world. The Wagyu was cooked to perfection and the Short Rib was to die for. I am looking forward to our next trip to Animal Kingdom so my husband can experience this meal.

My dining neighbor Alejandra ordered the Grilled Swordfish and loved it! Her meal was paired with Raats, Unwooded Chenin Blanc from South Africa. I believe every other person at our table ordered the Wagyu Short Rib.

Following the main course, it was time for Dessert! We were slated to receive a Dessert Trio but ended up getting a duo and two additional full size desserts! Above is the Calamansi Mousse with Mango Lava, Swiss Meringue and the South American Chocolate Ganache with Caramelized Banana, Cocoa Nib Tuile

This is the Lime Cheesecake with Almond-Sesame Tuile and a Green Tea Sponge

Finally last but not least was the Passion Fruit Tapioca Créme with Chocolate Crumble, Citrus Fruits.

All four of the desserts were unique in their own way and something very different than you will find at restaurants, let alone Disney World. Our Dessert foursome was paired with Paul Cluver, Noble Late Harvest Riesling from South Africa.

Tiffins is open for lunch and dinner. Plus they have an incredible lounge on the water which I will be visiting again soon. Once Pandora, The World of Avatar opens later this month, I expect Tiffins will become  the hot spot of Animal Kingdom.

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