Good morning! I wanted to pop in and share our experience at Coral Reef Restaurant from our last trip to Disney. We visited in January but I was on a “blog-break” then. I want to get my “Disney” header as up to date as possible so I’m back tracking a little to fill it in. I hope that’s okay!
Do you like eating? Do you like to meet characters? Do you like saving money?
If you answered “yes” to all those, then the Disney Dining Plan is for you! The key to the dining plan is to get it for free. We’ve gotten the dining plan three times in the past and its been free each time. Disney offers it as a promotion in slower seasons (think Winter and Fall) to entice visitors on site. They do have criteria that you have to meet to qualify like booking a non-discounted room and staying for a minimum number of days. However, it has been well worth it in our experience to pay a little more for your room than to buy meals for our family of 5 in the park for a week.
I tell you all of this to explain how we found ourselves eating at the Coral Reef. When I was making our dining reservations (at the last minute) it was one of the few I could get at Epcot on the day we were scheduled to visit so we decided to give it a try.
The Coral Reef Restaurant is tucked away on the backside of the Nemo and Friends Ride in Epcot. We arrived a little early and the girls entertained themselves taking pictures on the benches outside.
Once it was time for our reservation, we were seated in a large booth. The restaurant is designed with stadium-like seating so that everyone has a great view of the main attraction, the aquarium wall which takes up the entire side of the restaurant.
Luckily, they provided high chair for Little Priss that attached to the table inside of the booth. She didn’t seem to mind it.
I asked our server for recommendations when we ordered and she recommended the steak. I felt like I might be missing out by ordering steak at a seafood restaurant but Chad and I ordered it anyway. And I’m so glad that we did! It. was. AMAZING. It was the best steak I’ve ever eaten in my life. Chad agreed.
We enjoyed watching the fish swim by during the meal. The girls especially loved pointing out the stingray each time it circle by. Please excuse Avery with her mouth open!
Our only regret was that we had eaten a big breakfast at the hotel and then we ate so much at Coral Reef that we were a little miserable. The trek around the World Showcase at Epcot took care of it though.
We loved lunching at Coral Reef. I would definitely book another reservation there when we are at Epcot again (and have the dining plan).
Here is a link to their menu, just for reference.
Have you eaten at Coral Reef? Did you love it?
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