Coral Reef - Best Strategy to get seat by the aquarium?

[BillyBuckner]

We are planning a trip in November for our DS' 4th birthday (shhh, we told him we'll go on his 5th birthday).

DS loves fish and aquariums so we have selected Coral Reef for one of our meals and we'd like to maximize our chances for sitting next to the tank.

I realize that there are no guarantees; however, I think I read somewhere last year (but can't find source now) that the best strategy for sitting by the tank is to book the 1st seating for lunch and ask for a table by the tank.

(1) Do you agree with this strategy, or is there a better strategy?
(2) What time does Coral Reef open for lunch? One source said noon so I got a noon ADR, but I just noticed that I can get an 11:35 am ADR on the same day.

 

[tkitty]

We'd love a seat up and close too. We have 5:30pm ressies, and I guess we'll ask when we get there, but last time we ate there, it was packed, and we took what we could get.
Also, it may depend a bit on party size.

 

[tfoster]

I'm going to try to get an ADR for this December. I was hoping for an aquarium table, but from the pics I've seen, it appears as if there isn't room for parties of more than 4 to sit by it.

If anyone is certain of otherwise, please chime in.

 

[BillyBuckner]

We'd love a seat up and close too. We have 5:30pm ressies, and I guess we'll ask when we get there, but last time we ate there, it was packed, and we took what we could get.
Also, it may depend a bit on party size.

We are a party of 4.

 

[beroh2253]

As a party of 2 that may be the best at getting up close cause the tables on the floor next to the acquarium can be separated to seat 2. The seats on the different levels I don't think can be broken up.
3 years ago just me and DW were able to get right at the glass, 2 years ago and last year there were 4 or more of us and we were up a level, but all good spots to view the acquarium but tas good as being right at the glass.
We do have ADR's for the last week in OCT for 5 so we probably won't be at the glass.
Great NY Strip there.

 

[treehugnmama]

when we went in feb party of four we were seated farthest from the aquarium. where we were i would have to but my then 2 yr old on the inside sto he could see. he could have very easily fallen over to the lower section. I asked the waitress if we could have one level down as they were designed differently and I was afraid he would fall. Although there were lots of tables she told me she could not move me they were taken.....well that made me angry. My son had sugery as a baby that had teken out pieces of his skull so any fall could be bad....I didn't tell them that but any two year old to fall would be hurt so that bothered me I was just shoed aside.

SOOOO I asked for the Manager. She came out and before I even told her my concern (the waitress must have) she told me she had a table right by the tank for us.....I didn't expect that just to be down one level where it was safe. My husband thought the view was better from the top because you could see the entire tank in one view like a pamaramic......this time we go my sone is just turned 3 and can follow instructions a lot better. We will sit where we are seated.

 

[ElizabethB]

To the OP: Your strategy is a good one. We've used the same strategy successfully. We've always had four people and the tables at the aquarium are all four-tops, so definitely have four people in your group.

 

[janetlynn07]

I don't know how to get a tank seat but we sat in the middle and had a perfect view. I loved the Coral Reef we took our dd(6) there last year before she started kindergarden and had a special menu made for her from Mickey wishing her good luck! I don't remember how I did it but I had to e-mail some pictures of her to Disney and it was waiting for her when we were seated. She was so suprised, she talked about that for a long time.

 

[dlovesdisney]

Last month DH, DS4 and I had 11:35am ressies at Coral Reef and I think that was the very first seating of the day. We were the second party to be seated in the whole resturant and without even asking we were seated right next to the glass. DS4 LOVED it!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

If it that important, arrive 15-20 minutes before your ADR, request a tankside table and tell them you are willing to wait, if necessary. Mentioning the birthday on the ADR might not hurt

As for all the tables being 4 tops, we ate there in June, sat next to the aquarium at a 2 top, so not all of them are

 

[Pakey]

Although I actually dislike the tables right up on the aquarium, we have been seated there every time we have had the first ADR for lunch. That has been as a party of 4 (twice) and a party of 2 (twice).

It could be coincidence or perhaps it's because we really don't like sitting that close that we always get those front tables when we are a small party.

 

[SmallWorld71]

We ate there last year during free dining. It was a 12:30 ADR and the place was packed to the gills as was the waiting room. When I checked in, I very politely requested a table as close to the aquarium as possible. We waited about 15 min. and then were led to the bottom level booth type seats which aren't against the glass, but are almost at the tank. This was perfect, IMHO, because I didn't have to worry about kids walking next to the table but we were still right there. If it is what you want, I would definitely politely mention it at check-in; I heard some very disappointed people being led to their seats on the top tier. Also, be prepared to not get what you want, as it is a very busy place. I didn't mention to the kids that I had asked so that they wouldn't be disappointed and instead were pleasantly surprised. We were a party of 4.

 

[tara32]

For some reason, these replies are making me LOL as I'm sure they hear hundreds of times a day ad nauseum "Can we sit by the aquarium?" ..Someone should ask if they can get a non-aquarium view and watch their look

Not every person is going to be able to get the Perfect Seat. After speaking with a Disney rep when we booked our pkg, she highly recommended the Coral Reef (which hadn't been my plan to go to) so now we're going .. I think the fam will enjoy it. As long as it's not a total blind spot where we see nothing, I'm sure it'll be fine The kids will be the ones facing the tank, anyhow

 

[Golden Rose]

I may have been the poster whose suggestion you read about getting the first lunch seating and requesting a table by the aquarium. That is the advice we were given five years ago by one of the club level concierges, and we have used it and gotten right up next to the aquarium every single time we have requested it with a party of 3 or 4. (As others have mentioned, there are two seaters and four seaters by the aquarium, so if you have more than that in your party, you cannot get seated right by it.)

We have gotten those seats at least 4 times in the last 5 years by showing up when they open (usually 11:30,) and asking politely. DS is a an animal (including fish) nut and Coral Reef is his favorite restaurant in all WDW, so we try to go every trip where we're going to Epcot. We've had great meals there and we've had really mediocre meals there, but we return again and again for the view.

Unfortunately for DS, our next two planned trips will be with 5 and 7 people, so no close up table near the window for us for a while!

 

[Macdonx]

They give you a sheet for you to "find" different fish and turtles and sharks. We sat on the bottom level, but not right at the aquarium, and we could see alot better than we would have if we were right beside.

And, the glass is something like 8 inches thick, so it's not like looking into a window to the left and right - you can mostly only see right in front of you clearly if you sit right in front of the glass.

That said, I'm sure it will be fantastic wherever you sit.