Coral Reef

[DaleKJackson]

We're traveling with kids and are thinking about CR. How is the food? Do all tables have a good aquarium view?

 

[Pixie_Dust]

All tables have a view, although I think the wait would be long to be right up against it for a really good view.

I did not like the food or service and felt it was a waste of a chance to eat somewhere new when we went back there to please some members of our party on this last trip.

 

[Ro Z]

We have never had a bad view but the further away from the aquarium I am the more I tend to forget it is there! We like the food. DS and I usually get the chicken, DH steak, DDIL will try something new each time. The portions are not huge. Our one complaint is the service. Especially getting drinks and the check.

 

[Rekenna]

Hi! CR is one of our faves, we eat there every trip.

Getting a table next to the tank is possible, although you may have wait, not sure of your party size b/c there are tables and chairs and rounded booths at CR and they are in rising tiers. The booth works for us-we have 2 Adults, 1 big kid and 2 little kids. We sat on the second tier on our last trip and had a nice view. DH and I have gone alone before an easily scored a tank side table. Also, if you go for early lunch when they open (11am) you may have a good chance in getting a tank side or 1st tier (lowest tier) table.

The food is good and has all kinds of things that my family likes. DH and I and DS12 tend to go for the steak and potatoes, the little boys usually get the grilled chicken and mashed potatoes (a nice change from fried food and they eat every bite). We typically go with the Chocolate Wave for dessert and the little guys have the make your sundaes (they are small, but plenty for them, especially after tasting our Chocolate Wave cakes.

I agree with a previous poster that the service is on the slow side-I don't know if it's the ambience of the restaraunt or what, but every time we eat there we have to ask for our check and wait for the transaction to be completed, but this would be our only negative for CR-just don't eat there if you are in a hurry!

 

[gojoe]

ONLY Once! Our first trip several years back still haunts us till this day. Never have we met a staff as rude (unless it was a French restaurant). I stood at the podium for what seemed like an eternity until my presents was acknowledge. I was handed a pager and told where to wait. After a couple of minutes our pager went off, we were now escorted to a nearly empty restaurant. The tables by the windows were full of couples (tables of 4). I asked for the next level up. Our hostess made it clear we were putting her out but did honor our request. I noted other families were sat away from the tank too. We waited for a table to clear in front before taking our kids down to see the fish up close. STRIKE ONE.
My wife had issues with her meal. I truly don't recall what, it went uneaten. Our server never asked ever if our meal was fine. He came to take our plates and ask if we wanted desert. I know he didn't cook our meal but if a guest doesn't eat her meal it might be a clue! Strike 2.
He promptly returned with our check. I had to flag him down to get him to run my credit card. Strike 3
I check out any tread I see about Coral Reef in hopes to hear it has change. I do see some good reviews but not enough yet to try it again. I am hoping it does because I have two granddaughters I would love to take.
Here is the last DIS review.

 

[Blackbeltdisneygirl]

I have never disliked a Disney restaurant until eating at Coral Reef. I don't know if we went on a bad day, or what, but I won't be going again. I just don't want to risk it. I was really sick that day, so I will wager a guess that it's not as bad as I perceived it. That being said, I will still avoid it. I have to say that the ambiance of the place is fantastic. They did bring my hubby and I free champagne for our anniversary, and the server made us snuggle up and kiss for a picture to mark the occasion. That was nice. I just wasn't impressed with my food. I kindof hated it actually. My dessert was great, but my chicken tasted gross. Some of my kids hated it too. My husband and one daughter thought it was all right. Anyway, this is my first review of a restaurant, so I hate it to be a negative. I love Disney food usually!

 

[zhonggu54]

Don't worry, Disney would never make you dispointed.

 

[kmedina]

This was my least favorite restaurant at WDW. The food and service were both sub-par. Our view of the tank was okay. It is like movie theater seating. I am not likely to go back there, but I'd never say never.

 

[kmedina]

Most of the reviews I've read or heard are bad, but there are some good ones too. This thread shows that. I would try it once for yourself and make your decision then.

 

[milmore104]

This is our families FAVORITE place. We eat here twice every trip. My 2 favorites are the Lobster ravioli and the chicken breast. But the real reason we keep going back the BAILEY'S MOOSE DESSERT!!!! YUMMMMMMM-O! Yes the service can be slow. But we tend to go for lunch @11:30 and it's not bad then. I figure I don't have to cook it or clean up after it so I'll wait an extra 5 min for the check and take in the view!

 

[lurkernj]

We love Coral Reef. It is our one must-do restaurant every trip. Haven't had a bad meal or poor service yet. We love both the atmosphere, and food. Once when it was just two of us, we were seated right next to the aquarium, other times we were up a tier or two, but still had a view.

Oh, DS always gets the steak here and says it's his favorite on property, I always get the Mahi Mahi, though I like the old one better than the new one. Love the Chocolate wave too.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

The Coral Reef is one of our favorites. It's true that service there can be slow, but we've always found our servers to be personable and accommodating despite their work load. The seafood dishes and desserts are remarkably good. The dining room acoustics do make for a noisy meal, but the fish tank is so cool that I think it's worth it. We've been seated both directly beside the glass and all the way at the other end of the restaurant. The aquarium is impressive from any vantage point.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

We love Coral Reef.

This is the only restaurant my DH requests on our Disney trip. He likes the food & he enjoys watching the fish as we dine.

Lots of folks on this forum seem to dislike it...but it is a favorite of ours & the place is always full when we go.

 

[Aunt Bee]

Count us on the "we like it" side.

The food is good, we like the atmosphere and the sometimes slower pace doesn't bother us a bit.

In some Disney restaurants, Chefs de France, for instance, I feel really rushed, like they're waiting to turn the table. Sometimes I'm not even half way finished with the appetizer before the entree arrives.

When we go to Chefs, we've learned to order our appetizer and a drink and then order our main course after we've finished the appetizer to keep it from being delivered too quickly.

At Coral Reef, it's a slower pace.

 

[disneynutz]

The view if next to the tank is nice, food was average, service was the worst that I have ever had.

Bill

 

[Pakey]

We have eaten here many times and I really don't know why we still go on occasion. We take a lot of first timers and this is a place they always pick as wanting to try to so we go. Thenb it's always their least favorite of their vacation!

We have found that the earliest lunch seating is the best time to go. It's not as crowded (or noisy, the noise in this place can be excruciating) and the slow service is more of a snail's pace then nonexistent as it gets later in the day.

Sitting by the tank is largely dependent on your party size and luck. The tankside tables are for parties of 4 and a few for 2. I don't think they are the best seats in the house; the booths that seat 5 (maybe 6 if your party is small) that face the tank on the first tier are my favorite seats. If you are a party of more than 5, you will be seated in the 2nd or 3rd tier. I think the 2nd tier seats are still very good (we've had both tables and the booths on the 2nd tier) but the 3rd tier seats are pretty far removed from the tank.

The food is mediocre. This restaurant has been downsized in food quality severely in the past decade, more so since the dining plan was created and the restaurant probably had to cut entree costs to come in within budget. While the adult menu is now a sad shell of what it once was, the children's menu has suffered even more.

 

[x5x5x5x5x5]

Man this restaurant could be so amazing. I echo the sentiments about slow service and mediocre food BUT I love the atmosphere so we suck it up and usually go once every couple of trips. I would recommend going super early because it gets crowded and messy sometimes (yes, messy believe it or not). Don't be in a hurry and just enjoy the ambiance. I have had a couple really nice experiences but I will confess that more often than not - the food/service is so so.

 

[jess20k]

You can request a tank side window, but only when you check in..and of course it is not guaranteed. But, if you can't get one, then just about most of the tables seem to have a decent view. Food and service wise, we have had hit or miss occasions here. There have been times the food was very good, as well the service and vice versa. I also wish they had a bigger/better selection to choose from on the menu. Especially, have more seafood for a seafood restaurant..lol

 

[tinkerbellnsnowwhite]

We just ate there last week and loved the food. The steak there was actually better than the one we got at Kouzzina. There is a view of the tank from just about anywhere in the room. We had good service.

 

[jenf22]

I was super excited to get my Coral Reef ressie for the 14th, but now I'm worried. How bad is the service? One of my pet peeves is waiting around at a restaurant for the check. How long did the CR dinner take?