Jungle Cruise: DIY Viewing Party

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We have been anxiously awaiting the Jungle Cruise movie ever since it was announced. I don’t know if it was just the anticipation or what, but when it finally came time to watch the movie, we were STOKED! We are so pumped it’s on Disney+ now for no extra fee!

Heidi and her family watched it in an actual movie theater (can’t believe that’s as exciting as it is… amazing what a pandemic does for perspective!), and I paid for Premiere Access on Disney+. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint! I’ve actually watched it 3 times so far!

Our family was especially excited to see it because we had literally just gotten back from Walt Disney World when it was first released, and we ate at Skipper Canteen. We have a goal of eating at every Table Service Restaurant in Walt Disney World, and this was one we were really excited about! I’ll put up a full review of the restaurant eventually; for now, know that we really enjoyed it. The theming, servers, and food were all an extension of the “World Famous Jungle Cruise!” If you like the ride, you will love the experience at Skipper Canteen.

On release day, we decided to do a themed dinner alongside the movie. We have done this previously for Mulan, Cruella, and Raya, and find that it really adds to experience!

Menu

I kept the menu simple in that I picked items from the main menu at Skipper Canteen. It’s simple food with clever puns, which is a win/win for me! Check out their menu here to get inspired yourself, or try out one of the recipes we served with the movie!

Perkins Thai Noodles (Plant-Based)

Noodles: Prepare Pad Thai rice noodles as per directions on the package.

Sauce: Mix 3 tbsp each of sambal and sriracha (you can do less if you don’t love the spice), 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup tamari sauce (or soy sauce, if you don’t have tamari), 2 tsp sesame oil, and 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar. Then grate about an inch of fresh ginger and add 2 small cloves of garlic.

Toppings: You can top this dish with nearly anything you want. We did crushed peanuts and cilantro (if you don’t like cilantro, try parsley!), bell peppers, shaved or cut carrots, snap peas, green onions, and black sesame seeds. You can also top with firm tofu, but we did not. If you don’t want the dish be plant-based, you can add chicken. Serve the veggies lightly sautéed (in sesame oil) or raw on top.

Toss sauce with warm noodles, and do a self-serve bar of toppings.

Jungle Green Salad

Iceberg lettuce wedge, shishito peppers (we used red peppers*), radish, hearts of palm (we used bamboo shoots*), cucumbers, and crushed pistachios.

For the dressing I used a hand blender with 1 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and fresh herbs.

(* – We were unable to find shishito peppers or hearts of palm so we improvised!)

Punch Line Punch

This item is no longer on the menu at Skipper Canteen, but it’s still perfect for a themed Jungle Cruise evening. We used exotic flavours (mango pulp, passion fruit and tropical juices) and mixed them together for a delightful punch… delicious!

Dessert

I didn’t have time to make a dessert on the night of, but there are quite a few good options on the menu! Including…

Panna-Connie’s Congo Lime Delight: Lime ‘Panna Cotta’ served with Mango-Lime Sorbet

Kungaloosh!: African-inspired Chocolate Cake with Caramelized Bananas, Cashew-Caramel Ice Cream, and topped with Coffee Dust

Dress for the Movie

You know we love to support small shops! There are lots of fun ideas on Etsy when you look for “Jungle Cruise.” I love anything with “the backside of water” (I once saw a kid in the park with a shirt that said “the back side of toddler” and I was rolling!).

A simple ‘bound is pretty easy too. There are tons of safari looks you can make out of what’s in your closet. Earth tones first and foremost. Khakis if you have them. Even animal print. All of these options make for a great “Jungle Cruise” inspired look!

Movie Review

First of all, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a comedic/romantic role was gold. I loved his chemistry with Emily Blunt, and it was just a super fun role to see him in! The skipper jokes had me giggling every time. I don’t know why they are SO FUNNY but it’s just a really good time. If you have never had the joy of experiencing the Jungle Cruise ride in the parks, they are basically known for their puns and dad jokes. Think jokes so cringey you can’t help but laugh. I loved hearing some of the classic jokes that I love from the ride itself.

We knew it was a risk watching the movie with our daughters (they are 8, 11 and 14) before vetting it, but it was fine for our kids. You know your own kids, and what they can handle on screen. It’s about as intense as Pirates of the Caribbean; if you are squeamish about snakes and bugs, that’s something to be aware of for sure! My boys (4 and 6) were fine watching it, but lost interest, so by the time it got to the intense parts, they had moved on to playing.

The story was clever and unexpected in a good way. It was action-packed and made us giggle. I definitely recommend it for anyone, Disney fan or not! Overall we were pleasantly surprised at how clever and dynamic this movie was. I still am not sure how I feel about The Rock in a romantic lead, but honestly, he crushed it.

Activities

The Jungle Cruise game by Ravensburger is a huge hit at my house! We have a great time playing it. Simple, fun, and hilarious… what more can you ask from a game! The board itself is beautiful and served as our centerpiece for the evening. You can purchase it on Amazon here or from from Toys “R” Us (in Canada) and Walmart. I wish I had the Adventure Land “You Are Here” mug from Disneyland, but we don’t. I did use it when we played the game at my dad’s though!

Have you seen Jungle Cruise yet? We’d love to hear from you!

Check out the next Disney Friends Blog Hop!

Roll Call:
1. www.stressfreemickey.com
2. www.skywaytowonderland.com
3. www.accidentaldisneyfamily.com
4. www.disneyparklife.com

Have a magical day!
Erica, Heidi, Elisia, and Danielle