Garden Grill vs. Coral Reef???

[chilerobin]

We're going to WDW in late May/early June with a 2-yr-old. We're going for four nights on the dining plan.

We've decided on Crystal Palace (dinner), Chef Mickeys (breakfast) and San Angel Inn (dinner) for 3 of our sitdown meals. We were thinking of Coral Reef for the fourth, but have seen mixed reviews. Many say the food is only average. We were thinking of Coral Reef because my son loves fish and aquariums. But I've also read that you don't always get a great view of the tank.

Garden Grill sounds great, but we've already got two character meals booked. Would three be too many?

Which would you do?

 

[byoung]

CR would get my vote.

 

[jloz]

We went in Feb with 5 & 8 year old to both and would recommend Coral Reef. The food is average at GG and you will see the same characters at Chef Mickey's. Coral Reef was a lot of fun, even though we were sitting in the furtherest possible seats from the tank since we had a party of 6. The food was very good except the crab cakes (too spicy). The kids food was very good and they LOVED the make your own sundae. Be sure to order the Chocolate wave cake if you like chocolate.

 

[aunt kelly]

I would do Coral Reef since you have two other character meals booked. The atmosphere at Garden Grill is nice and the character interaction great, but as said above, the food is average at best.

 

[chilerobin]

Thanks for the suggestions. Coral Reef it is.

Any tips for getting seats near the aquarium? How far are the furthest seats from the tank?

 

[pooh2001]

The seats at Coral Reef are tiered - so any seat gets a good view of the fish tanks. If you sit right next to the fish tanks - the fish may come right up to you - but you do not get to see everything in full - picture going to a garden and standing in the middle of the rose bushes. You get roses in your face.

If you sit a bit further up the tier, you will have a better, fuller view of the fish tanks, but not an up close view- now picture yourself up on a deck looking down into the garden , you see all the flowers - just not up close.

Ask the server for a placemat with all the names of the fish in the tanks.
It will keep the kids occupied - you may wnat to bring your own markers or high lighters to color with (crayons may melt on a hot day in EPCOT).

The menu is good- but a bit expensive...
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menus.htm#epc

My DS - teenager - requested Coral Reef for dinner when we return to WDW this year.

Enjoy

 

[grimley1968]

I've never been to Coral Reef, but would probably recommend it over GG. The reason is that we have eaten at GG twice in recent years, and had some of the worst service in any WDW restaurant you can imagine. The food was good, but the service was just awful. Coral Reef could serve PB&J sandwiches, but would still be preferable if the service was at least somewhat sympathetic.

 

[patsal]

I've never been to Coral Reef, but would probably recommend it over GG. The reason is that we have eaten at GG twice in recent years, and had some of the worst service in any WDW restaurant you can imagine. The food was good, but the service was just awful. Coral Reef could serve PB&J sandwiches, but would still be preferable if the service was at least somewhat sympathetic.

GG service was the pits in December--I was kind of hoping i was the only one who experienced this! I would (and did) choose CR for my next vacation. It is much more upscale and the service is great. THis is DD's favorite place. We all enjoy the food and atmosphere here.

 

[grimley1968]

GG service was the pits in December--I was kind of hoping i was the only one who experienced this! I would (and did) choose CR for my next vacation. It is much more upscale and the service is great. THis is DD's favorite place. We all enjoy the food and atmosphere here.

That's really too bad. This place (GG) has a lot going for it. The location, the type of food, the neat rotating platform, and the views of The Land. I even think the food can be good if you catch them on a good day. And I love the way the characters are able to spend tons of time with people in the character meals there.

But we've found the service there to be among not only the rudest in all of WDW, but among the rudest among any restaurant we've ever dined at, period. You'd think there would have been enough complaints by now that someone at WDW would notice and fix the service problems. I don't have the same consistent service problems at any other restaurant in all of WDW. It's bizarre, IMO. It's supposed to be "down home" sort of food served in a midwestern/southern sort of style. I'm from that area, and while the food matches what I expect, the servers act like they're at some kind of hauty French restaurant in the middle of Paris.

If the service was merely up to par with mediocrity, I think GG would be among the best places to eat in WDW. It still can be, I think, with just a little bit better hiring for this place when they're looking at waitstaff and host CM's.

But until that happens, I recommend Coral Reef, even though I know diddly about the place. The service simply can not be worse than Garden Grille.

 

[laurens dad]

Has anyone seen a updated menu for Coral Reef? The one on allearsnet is from October and I read on one of the threads that the menu has changed since it went from 2TS to 1. Is the one posted (from 10/05) still current?

 

[tweedlewtwinsmama]

Has anyone seen a updated menu for Coral Reef? The one on allearsnet is from October and I read on one of the threads that the menu has changed since it went from 2TS to 1. Is the one posted (from 10/05) still current?

I would also like to know what their latest offering are. Do they still have shrimp cocktail as an app.? Can you get the lobster (lunch menu) while on DDP? Thanks everyone