Skipper Canteen Dinner Review [2025 Gluten Free & Food Allergy Options]
This gluten free dining experience took place in October 2025. It includes information about dairy free options, as well as fish/shellfish, peanut/tree nut, chicken/turkey & cabbage allergies.
Dinner at Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
Skipper Canteen, located in the Magic Kingdom, is a table service restaurant that serves up global fare and all the corny jokes you could want, inspired by the classic attraction The Jungle Cruise. Nestled near the attraction in Adventureland, this restaurant quickly became one of our favorite dining spots in the park when it opened in 2015. On this visit, we stopped by for dinner after a day of exploring the Magic Kingdom and visiting the newly opened The Beak & Barrel.
Atmosphere
From the exterior to the interior of this restaurant, the retro and Jungle Cruise theme is everywhere. We especially love the entrance which really sets the tone for where you are about to dine.
Skipper Canteen / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
There are three distinct dining areas in the restaurant:
The Crew’s Mess Hall
The Falls Family Parlor (also called the Jungle Room)
S.E.A. Room (secret meeting room for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers)
Skipper Canteen Mess Hall / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
On this visit, we were seated in the Crew’s Mess Hall, which is the largest room in the restaurant. It’s heavily themed with items collected from the Jungle Cruise crew and features lots of eclectic decor.
Skipper Canteen Seating / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
When you’re visiting Skipper Canteen, we highly recommend walking around and looking at all of the details. There’s so much to see and take in.
Skipper Canteen Art / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
We especially love the S.E.A. Room which you enter through a hidden bookcase door. Be sure to ask your friendly Skipper (server) what their favorite books and features are in that room too.
The Food
Like the theme, the menu at Skipper Canteen is quite eclectic featuring a lot of Asian, South American, and African flavors. One of the things that we appreciate most about Skipper Canteen is that most of the menu is naturally gluten free and dairy free. They have an extensive allergy-friendly menu.
Skipper Canteen Allergy-Friendly Menu / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
In addition to the allergy-friendly menu, you can also speak directly with a chef if you have questions or want to discuss options. On this visit, we did speak to a chef, as our server felt more comfortable given that we had multiple special dietary needs.
Skipper Canteen - Pao de Queijo / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Up first, we did order the not so secret menu item - Pao de Queijo. This Brazilian Cheese Bread is one of Brandon’s must order appetizers at Disney, and we order it every time we go to Skipper Canteen. It is not listed on the allergy-friendly menu but is gluten free & nut free and covers the rest of Brandon’s allergies. It does contain dairy and cannot be modified.
If you love a good Brazilian cheese bread, then this is a must order for you. The portion size is large and perfect for sharing. The chimichurri and cream cheese dip on the side adds a nice zip to the bread too, but it’s great on its own. This is a high recommend from us.
Skipper Canteen - GFDF Duck Fried Rice / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my entree, I tried a new dish for me — Mess Hall Duck Fried Rice. This is marked GF and safe for Fish/Shellfish, Milk, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame Allergies.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. The duck was in a 5-spice sauce and very aromatic. My most favorite part was the fried rice itself. It reminded me of the fried rice with shrimp appetizer that used to be on the menu. It was so good. Just as a spice level warning, watch out for the fresno peppers. They were spicy!
Skipper Canteen - Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For Brandon’s entree, he got the Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak with Thick-cut French Fries, Roasted Peppers, Tomatoes, and Ají Amarillo Mayonnaise. This was marked GF and safe for Fish/Shellfish, Peanut/Tree Nut, Sesame Allergies. If you’re dairy free, this entree can be easily modified.
Brandon really liked this. He’s not a huge fan of hangar steak but said it was very flavorful, and he also, of course, loved the fries. Skipper Canteen has switched up the steak entree a lot over the years, and Brandon did enjoy this version.
Skipper Canteen - Mashed Potatoes / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
What he enjoyed most though were the mashed potatoes. Our server recommended getting these on the side and said that they are some of the best at Disney Word. These are gluten free but do contain dairy (SO much dairy, including sour cream and milk).
Brandon proclaimed these a #thereitis dish. These potatoes were perfectly seasoned and very rich in flavor. If you love a good mashed potato side, this is the one to get. Brandon and I both agree that these rank as some of the best at Disney World.
Skipper Canteen - GF Brigadeiro Prestígio / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For dessert, I had to get the Brigadeiro Prestígio: Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart, Coconut Mousse, and Salted Dulce de Leche. This is marked GF and safe for Egg, Fish/Shellfish, Sesame Allergies. It contains dairy and cannot be modified.
If you can have dairy and like both chocolate and coconut, this is a must get. It was so good. The flavors taste almost identical to the famous Caramel deLites/Samoa cookie. It is very sweet and rich, so it can be a good shareable dessert too. I would absolutely get this again and recommend it.
If you want to hear more about our experience at Skipper Canteen, check out the vlog we did for our YouTube channel for more information.
Overall
Skipper Canteen continues to be one of our go-to table service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom. We love the vibe, the variety of options, and everything about it. Sometimes Skipper Canteen feels like it’s off the beaten path (or jungle) and is a hidden gem of a location. We find that getting a reservation here is usually fairly easy, even last minute. We highly recommend it for guests with special dietary needs too. With so many options, it’s hard to choose and is a reason to go back again and again.
Have you been to Skipper Canteen? What was your experience dining there gluten free or with other special dietary needs?