DILEMMA...Keep Coral Reef ADR or just snack in the world?

[vossjemi]

We will at Epcot on Sunday 10/30. Never been to Epcot before. 3 adults/3kids ages 11, 9, and 5. We have Princess Storybook Breakfast scheduled for 8:05 am, hopefully to be done and get us a good start on this park for the 9:00 opening time. Also, right now we have Coral Reef tenatively booked at 5:25, hearing the kids might really enjoy this aquarium style restaurant.

BUT, we are only doing 4 nights so our TS credits are limited and it seems like we have a lot of snack credits that could potentially go to waste and where better to use them than the F&W Festival, right??? We plan to stay all the way to the end with Illuminations and see what we can of Epcot in that one day.

So, my question is would you cancel Coral Reef and just sample the world the rest of the day? We are staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins and Trails End is the buffet style table service restaurant that we would most likely swap out for a breakfast one morning. I know probably no real comparison in food, right? Better value for $ at CR? But if we eat 2 meals at Epcot, will we have time and/or be hungry for all that wonderful snacking??? LOL And I'm struggling one morning with what to do about breakfast. We could buy/eat something in the room, but why when we have all these credits? hahaha

Just curious what all you seasoned Disers would do. Thanks!

 

[Pugmalion1]

Well, normally I would tell you to cancel that reservation and get into the Food and Wine Festival in the World Showcase, but seeing as how you're going to have three kids in tow and it being a Sunday, I suggest you keep your ADR. It's going to be ridiculously crowded once the booths open up, and as much as I love it, kids below a certain age don't really get a lot out of World Showcase.

I'm sure the adults would love the Food and Wine Fest, but it might bore your kids to tears, literally. I suggest keeping your ADR and maybe doing some of the booths as soon as the World Showcase officially opens, before it gets too crowded, for lunch.

 

[Sweet Melissa]

Is Sunday going to be your only opportunity to visit Epcot? The World Showcase can be very crowded on festival weekends. Sunday may not be as bad as Saturday, but I still don't think I'd want to deal with the crowds and long lines at the festival booths with three children. Coral Reef is a wonderful restaurant. I would keep the reservation.

 

[Pakey]

I agree, I wouldn't want to stand in the weekend lines at World Showcase, even without kids in tow. I thought I'd hop over there for a quick bite from the Beach Club last year on a Sunday and got in there and said "forget that". I was glad I was able to go midweek.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

i would keep it. with an entire family it may be easier to just sit down and eat all together. the weekends at food and wine are extremely crowded--sometimes so crowded you can't even move, or barely walk through the world showcase. the lines can be very long, and several times we've said "forget this" and moved on hoping to be able to walk up to a restaurant.

now we book what we call a "back up ADR" just incase the crowds are too much. better to be safe than sorry!!

i think you'll like coral reef!! we do!!

 

[ToddyLu]

We will be having dinner there on 10/28. I have tried for the last four months to change out ADR time but so far we are at 5:40, which is really OK.

What you need to realize is that for that Sunday night....MK will be closing for MNSSHP at 7, DHS probably around 7-8 and AK at 5...this means that everybody in WDW will funnel into EPCOT...just like they will the Fridy night we will be there due to the same scenario. If you have an ADR keep it for sure---

 

[vossjemi]

Thanks for all the advice!! Sounds like we should definitely keep our ADR then. I suppose we can always pick up a snack or two midday or later in the evening if we decide to try something. Yes, Sunday is our Epcot day. Saturday we are doing HS, Sunday Epcot, Monday AK til mid day and then get costumes and head to MK for MNSSHP ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT!! Simply cannot wait! We only have 3 days of parks really and then we are heading to relax at a condo we always stay at near Clearwater. Much needed rest after 3 days of Commando I'm sure!! Again, thanks for the advice!

 

[vossjemi]

Soooo with the food lines being so long, any chance the ride lines won't be? hahahahaha

 

[disneyfav4ever]

With kids, I'd keep Coral Reef.

 

[vinotinto]

I answered this in the F&W thread, but I think it may get lost there, so here it goes:

I think you have an excellent plan in place right now for Epcot with kids - Akershus for an early breakfast and Coral Reef for dinner time. You can do lunch as a series of snacks throughout the F&W booths. But, I don't think I would want to do 2 meals with kids out of the F&W booths. Not so much because of the food (kids love 'little foods'). But, you'll be grateful to sit down at an actual table and have the kids slow down and eat dinner. There aren;t good places to sit down at F&W. But, if you don't have enough credits, Epcot has the best counter service restaurants, the three that I have tried - Tangierine Cafe (really good!), Sunshine Seasons, and Boulangerie Patisserie - all had some really yummy choices.

P.S - We've had both lunch and dinner at Coral Reef and it's one of my favorite choices for park dining. My fish has always been cooked perfectly (i.e., not overcooked) and they have some nice meal choices for kids (Mahi Mahi).

 

[vossjemi]

Thanks so much for your thoughts! I was just 2nd guessing our plans with the thoughts of all that wonderful snacking! hee hee I guess we will lunch/snack it in the world and keep Coral Reef. The kids will LOVE it. And I'm so excited, but after Disney, we are heading to Clearwater and plan to go to the aquarium there...if you've heard/seen the movie Dolphin's Tale? YEAH!!!