Will I be dissappointed with Coral Reef dinner??

[Jenngoofys]

I will just say everyone views things differently and you should try things for yourself. There are always going to be bad reviews of places others love. Hope this helps you some.

 

[Linda T.]

Well, my daughter just called from Disney (on her honeymoon) and she said the Coral Reef was beautiful. They got a great table by the aquarium and they were seated for their ADR at 5:00 p.m. She said the service was absolutely horrible, and it took them over two hours to receive their meal. She said the food was good but they would never go back due to the very poor service.

 

[danceintherain]

I am forever in the "try it for yourself boat." I don't even look at the reviews when making my ADR decisions. It's just not worth it. I guarantee you my experience and yours will be entirely different than anybody else's. Maybe some elements will be similar, but we're all different people.

I make my choices based on menu, convenience, and atmosphere. The Coral Reef is definitely one of the most unique restaurants I've ever eaten at, so I'm glad I tried it. Will I go back? Probably not in the near future, because I would rather try some other restaurants.

 

[pixarmom]

We were considering Coral Reef after a recent trip to the zoo, because our pre-schooler was in love with the fish. For those who didn't like it, was it a particular entree that wasn't so good? I usually like salads/appetizers and was wondering about those. The beet salad looked great, for example - has anyone just ordered salad and appetizers and enjoyed them?

 

[crabbygal902]

I had the Chocolate Wave dessert (kinda blah) and lobster soup (eh.) I can't remember what the entree was exactly except that it was fish that was overcooked.

Perhaps I am sounding spoiled and difficult, but I'm really not that hard to please. The thing that sticks out in my mind most of all was the bill for dinner was extremely expensive for something I could've cooked better at home for a fraction of the price.

I do remember my DS being horrified that we were EATING fish in front of the aquarium!

I agree with the other posters; perhaps we hit an 'off' night. There are plenty of places on property that I adore (Mama Melrose's, for example) that others detest.

 

[Ariel on Land]

I am always surprised by the bad reviews too... We were there last spring and really enjoyed it! DH thought it was just as good as Le Cellier. I think I had the mango something or another, and DH had the steak, food was very enjoyable. Our waiter was perfectly pleasant and timely, the only thing is I wish we would have waited for a table closer to the tank. The twins were just two, and we were too far away for them to really enjoy it. But I think if it appeals to you- try it! I mean, you never really can be sure one way or another at ANY restaurant. There will always be times when a server has a bad day, something happens and the food is running late, or that you ended up not being absolutely in love with your food, but I think it's more likely than not, that you'll have a great meal.

 

[happydayva]

Thanks for all of the good info.....I think we are going to try it and hope we hit it on a "good night"!! I agree that we have been to resturants that other thought were terrible and we loved it!! Here's hoping it is great, I hate to ruin a good opportunity to eat at Disney!!!

 

[Sleeping Becca]

I'd give it a try, I've eaten there on a few occasions and had good meals.

I too have had less than stellar service there, the food was good, and the atmosphere is fantastic.

I prob will not go back for a while (there are better restaurants in Epcot), but it is not on my never again in a million years list.

 

[julayla]

We went there last December (the week immediately following Thanksgiving), got a table right next to the fishies, and were entertained by a diver. Our server was friendly and prompt. The food was pretty good, and I was relieved that the portions were smaller than what you normally get at a Disney sit-down place. Didn't leave feeling like a bloated tick.

No kids bothered us, but we were seated at the very end of the aquarium. We also went at one of the slow times of the year (if there truly is such a thing at Disney World).

In short, we had a great experience. The atmosphere is wonderful and memorable. But we're not likely to go back on our next trip, mostly because a) there's no guarantee will get right next to the aquarium and have the same exact experience again, and b) we want to try other restaurants.

So I think Coral Reef is worth trying at least once. Not everyone is going to have the same experience.

 

[JCMHutch]

DH & I really enjoyed the Coral Reef on our last trip. The atmosphere was great and the food was good. I loved the Chocolate Wave. We were seated right away for a 5:00 ADR. We did find the service a little slow after the restaurant filled up. Our food came fast but it took a while to get our check (they seemed short on waitstaff). Our server was very nice and friendly though. We would definitely go back again - we just couldn't fit it in on our next trip!

Like any restaurant, opinions vary. DH was a little a nervous about going there because of the bad reviews and he really enjoyed his steak there.

 

[Harmonysmomma]

We are going but at lunch time. We have 2 small kids going so I think the atmosphere alone will be great for them. WE are also on the deluxe plan so we are eating at Kona, O'hana, Le Cellier, and Coral Reef...

 

[Tinker Pam]

We ate their last Dec and it was one of the best meals of our trip. the steaks we had there were far better then the ones from the highly rated LeCellier. We were sat on the first set of steps, close enough to see everything going on in the tank- although while we were there I didn't see anyone storm the tables up front like you hear about. When I began making my list for this Dec this was one of only 2 places that my DH and DS listed as a must do.

 

[Tinker Pam]

Kids Pizza and Make your own sundae

New York Strip-YUMMY

Creme Bruele- First time my DH tried it and loved it.

Chocolate Wave- just ok- not my favorite

 

[Chelley00]

DD and I loved our dinner at Coral Reef in November. We had good food, good service and we loved the atmosphere. Everyone raves about Le Cellier, and it was one of our least favorites.


There are plenty of bad reviews about every restaurant. If you never ate at a place with a bad review, you would never get to eat

 

[Spazzie]

I think each person's experience varies like most other things at Disney. We ate at a different sit down each night of our 8 nights in Disney this past Feb. and dinner at Coral Reef was for us one of our best meals (that and Boma).

We ate at Le Cellier and the steaks we each had were tough and nothing exceptional. Food at Coral Reef (fish) for all of us was great. At Coral Reef waitress was exceptional and very attentive to our 4 year old. Le Cellier, waiter was brief, impersonal, and very slow. Even got our initial appetizer order wrong.

Guess it just depends on how the stars line up that day. Good Luck and enjoy!

 

[plien69]

We ate at Coral Reef this past Sunday, May 30 with a 4:25p ADR, and it was one of the best meals of our trip. We waited about 15-20 mins to be seated, but that was because we requested a tank-side table.

My seasonal catch (swordfish) with mushroom and scallop risotto was hands down the best dish I had the entire trip, and my wife cleaned off her plate of the rainbow trout with warm salad of white beans, arugula, bacon, and tomatoes. At $21 for the trout and $27 for the swordfish, it's not cheap, but not out of line for what we would be charged for comparable dishes at home. (e.g. At a local restaurant "Grilled Atlantic salmon, mushroom-asparagus risotto, English pea puree," similar to CR's swordfish dish, is $27)

Yes, the restaurant is dark, and yes it's loud. But our server (Jim from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin) was very nice, and service was well paced. Maybe we lucked out due to our early ADR slot, but Coral Reef was the best meal of our trip.

 

[annacali]

We also had an early ADR there (4:25 pm dinner on Friday, 6/4) and had a lovely meal. We were a party of 7 and seated faster than the kids could get out of the restroom from washing their hands! We all had seafood...halibut, salmon and rainbow trout, and the kids had cheese pizza, the meaty macaroni and one had the grilled mahi mahi. They all ate every bit. The make your own ice cream sundaes were a huge hit. All the adults thought the seafood was wonderful. Our server was prompt and attentive. The sharks, rays and even a diver in the tanks kept the 3 girls entertained, and the Tinkerbell themed kids menu was a plus too. We had eaten there two years ago and were excited to return...and were not disappointed.

 

[happydayva]

Good news!! It was great!! One of the best meals of our trip!! My DH was not too crazy about it because there was nothing on the menu he liked. (it was a rather small, limited menu) I chose the tuna with a creamy shrimp sauce on top of Jasmine rice and it was FABULOUS!! We also were seated rather quickly, but at a not very desirable table and asked to be closer to the tank. Within 5 minutes we had a table right next to the tank!! My DD (7) loved that!! I like how they give you a little fish guide to identify the fish. We also did not have a problem with anyone (children) crowding us to see the tank. There was pretty much a great view from any spot! Thanks for all of the imput.....I am soooo glad we decided not to change our ADR!!