This Disney World restaurant finally has a reopening date!
Coral Reef Restaurant
There are tons and tons of Disney World restaurants, and not only do we keep track of all of them to see new menus, openings, closures, renovations, and more, but we have also eaten at every single one. Yep, we’ve eaten at all Disney World restaurants, so when we share food reviews, you know it can be trusted. Well, one of the restaurants we feel… a bit conflicted about… finally has a reopening date in EPCOT, the mecca of Disney World food.
Coral Reef Restaurant is closing on September 8th and is currently showing reservations for November 4th. It’s closing for planned maintenance and refurbishment, and the ability to book reservations in November is a great sign that it will open in just a few months.
Coral Reef Restaurant
Now, why do we have mixed feelings on Coral Reef? Well, one of the neat things is that it’s completely surrounded by aquarium walls, and you can watch tons of fish and sea creatures while you’re enjoying your meal — your meal of seafood. Some members of our team feel a bit weird eating fish in front of fish, and you know, it’s not for everyone.
Aquarium walls
The restaurant is attached to Sea Base, the massive aquarium in The Seas in EPCOT. The whole restaurant is dark, with an under-the-sea theme, and it can almost feel a little hidden.
Coral Reef Restaurant
We’ve tried a lot of different meals here throughout the years, and not every dish has been a winner. We generally find the meals to be just okay, not dishes we completely rave about, seafood or otherwise.
Coral Reef Coconut Fried Shrimp and Chicken Wings
Should this restaurant be completely off your list? Nope! We find that there are restaurants for everyone, and if you’re looking for a quieter, darker, and more relaxing restaurant to escape to in the middle of your EPCOT day, this might be a great fit. If you have aquarium lovers, they might enjoy staring at all the creatures during the meal, too. It’s also great if you’re looking for dishes that you’re likely familiar with and want something consistent.
Coral Reef
We’ll be keeping an eye out for a new menu at the restaurant and whether the refurbishment is worth another visit. In the meantime, make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more Disney news you need to know before your next vacation.
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We love Coral Reef! For all the reasons you hate it!! To each their own!!!
Please bring back the Prime Rib.
I ate here for the first time back in 2021. I loved the shrimp and grits. The waiter was even kind enough to bring me a sample of the sauce that goes in the dish because I always worry about the spice level restaurants use. I didn’t even ask him to do that, he just overheard me talking as he walked by. I saw multiple things on the menu that I wanted to try when I went back. I’m glad it’s not going away.
My wife and I ate there for one of our anniversaries. I don’t eat seafood but she does. We enjoyed it since it was just us. Probably not a place to take kids given the fare offered and the ambiance but we enjoyed it and the free dessert we got was good also.