Coral Reef opinions

[Pugmalion1]

I wouldn't call the Coral Reef a must for us, but it's certainly a restaurant that we have enjoyed on more than one occasion. Last time we went, I had the trout dish that is still on the menu, and I thought is was quite delicious. It was also a perfect portion size and lightness for a lunch before tackling more of the parks.

The drawbacks are the same as they always are, though. It's a much larger restaurant than it appears to be, so the service can be slow. The stadium seating makes it so that the closer you are to the aquarium the louder the din. There's no getting around it. It's a restaurant that caters to families and the theme attracts a lot of them. It's just plain loud in there and by no means intimate or romantic.

You go for the experience, you go for the cool atmosphere (you're looking at the largest salt water aquarium in the world, after all) and you go for above average seafood at reasonable-for-Disney prices. If you're going to this restaurant for anything else or with signature-level expectations, you're going to be disappointed.

 

[goofy4prez]

I have been to CR three times and all three times the food was very good. As for the noise, I find it typical for a Disney restaurant. There are very few that I would call quite. When we go back to WDW I'm sure CR will be on the itinerary.

 

[tkitna]

Best meal we had at Disney last September (granted we didnt dine at any signature places). My wife still talks about the pan seared trout and the pork tenderloin I had was fantastic. Our kids really liked it too.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Not a fan of Coral Reef (anymore). My most recent meal there can be summed up in one word: average. The menu descriptions made everything sound much more exciting than each dish actually was. The mahi mahi in particular was especially disappointing - it had so many exciting ingredients, such as hearts of palm, but the flavor was very bland and uninteresting.

It shocks me that 10 years ago Coral Reef was considered one of the best restaurants at WDW. In fact, it was originally 2 credits on the DDP before it got demoted, and I think becoming a 1-credit restaurant has absolutely ruined this place. It's not great anymore.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Went to Coral reef with friends a week ago. Perfectly ordinary, very noisy, lots of kids.
The aquarium is the main draw..