Disneymooners Dine Like Royalty for 8 days - Coral Reef

[poeticeclipse]

After the best wedding, we had the best honeymoon. During the best honeymoon, we ate some of the best and only a little bit of the worst food at Walt Disney World. I'll start with our Table Service and then proceed with our counter service and snacks.

Coral Reef at 4:30 p.m.
This is a second visit for Matt and I. Last year we had a great time and tasted some wonderful food. We got a table right by the tank within 5 minutes. After we were seated we got our drinks taken care of and were presented with an awesome menu that was personalized. We both chose the lobster bisque for our appy. FABULOUS. Even if it sounds funny to you, just get it. It's like tomoto soup on acid. I love it. Far too soon after our lobster bisque came, our Mahi Mahi (yeah yeah, I ate some before I took the picture) came out. The mahi mahi was a 3 1/2 out of 5 for both Matt and I. The fish itself was good but we didn't care for the rest of the dish. Our waitress was great and payed attention to when we needed refills on drinks. Now, onto dessert...Chocolate Wave. Best dessert on WDW property.

As far as ambiance in concerned, this place is beautiful and so relaxing. If you hit it at the right time. Don't go during high dinner time if you want a romantic night. Go early, go late.

Overall, this was great. We give it an 8 1/2 out of 10.

[Sharon1026]

Glad you enjoyed it. We ate there last Tuesday. Hubby didn't like the lobster bisque. I had the salad, it was good. Can't remember what DS had. DH and I ordered the Ahi Tuna. It was supposed to be medium. Mine was cooked all the way through. Everyone was done or 3/4 of the way done eating before we could flag down the waiter. He got another meal for me, but c,mon, you are eating alone and that wasn't fun. Chocolate wave was good. it's basically a cupcake with some warm chocolate sauce injected in it. Tasty, but not that much to write home about.
We ate at 4:10pm - not the height of dinner, but absolutely crazy there. Sat right next to the tank. Nice view, but very annoyed with all of the people stopping to stand next to our table or squeeze in between tables to look or get a photo. Had to give people a few dirty looks so they would leave and let us eat in peace. Who wants some 4 year old yelling "look at the turtle" right next to you in the middle of dinner?

We won't eat there again. Too loud, bad service, over priced. I've had better seafood elsewhere. Thank goodness we were on the dining plan. It would have been $157 out of pocket for the 3 of us - not worth it at all. Raglan Road was half the price and twice as good.

[January-2007]

Thanks for the review, we'll be trying this restaurant for the first time in September. We'll be dining late in the evening, so hopefully we'll catch some of that magic too. How cool that they made you personalized menus! Very special indeed!

[ElenitaB]

Stacey, glad to hear that you had a wonderful Disneymoon! I'm looking forward to reading your Trip Reports.

I'm also glad to read about your positive experience at Coral Reef. I agree with you about getting a later seating for a quieter meal. (I haven't had the pleasure of having the opportunity for a romantic meal yet, but maybe one day, right? ) I love the lobster bisque as well but, like you, don't care for the pearl couscous (which is why I ditched the mahi mahi and ordered the ahi tuna —which was cooked properly the night we were there— and got those yummy wasabi mashed potatoes ).

Like I said, I'm off to find your trip reports!

[moe513]

We liked Coral Reef very much.

[SBETigg]

A good lobster bisque should never taste like tomato soup on anything. If there is tomato(which would be used for color, not flavor) it should not be evident. But that's just the food snob in me coming out. (shut up, food snob!) The important thing is that it tasted good and you liked it.

I'm really glad you enjoyed your meal, and that you were seated close to the tank. The chocolate wave sounds fantastic. I wish I could go back just to try that-- but our Coral Reef experience was so bad (an anomaly, I hope) that I will never get my husband to step foot inside again. Looking forward to more Disneymoon reports!

[poeticeclipse]

A good lobster bisque should never taste like tomato soup on anything. If there is tomato(which would be used for color, not flavor) it should not be evident. But that's just the food snob in me coming out. (shut up, food snob!) The important thing is that it tasted good and you liked it.

I feel super stupid that I mentioned that it was like tomato soup. I guess I should explain that I LOVE basic tomato soup. Since I was a kid it's been one of my fav foods. So, when I say that the lobster bisque is like tomato soup on acid, I should explain that it doesn't taste like tomato soup at all... but that it's far better than any tomato soup i've ever had.

[SBETigg]

Actually, it was wrong of me to say anything. I was going to come in and delete that part because it sounded rude, and that wasn't my intention. Sorry! And it does have the soothing and yummy quality of tomato soup, so no feeling stupid. It was really a cute and clever description. And I really want to hear more about the food and the great time you had.

[LibertyTreeGal]

Hmmmm.... I have seriously been thinking about exchanging our Narcooses reservation for Coral reef instead...... you have me thinking.....

[cindymouse6]

Ate at Coral Reef at an odd time with 4 kids (party of 8) and what a relief --- not crowded, very few kids there so no crowding our table in front of the tank (we were in a booth across the aisle from the tank). Incredible food -- even the toddlers ate the lobster bisque it was so good!

The best part on the dining plan was the kids got a frozen smoothie as their drink for no extra charge ---I love how the wait staff help you maximize your dining plan.

First time at CR this past March and was very pleased ---- am going back in 3 weeks b/c of the great experience. We spent approx. $350 for the 8 of us all on the dining plan.... are they breaking even on this plan???? We are getting more than our share! Especially paying 10.99 for a kid for the day! That's one character breakfast!

Not a bad dish there -- DH had steak and it was as good as Yachtsman he said.

Give CR another try, just go when kids are napping!

[poeticeclipse]

The best part on the dining plan was the kids got a frozen smoothie as their drink for no extra charge ---I love how the wait staff help you maximize your dining plan.

Yeah, our waitress was wonderful with telling us what was included. She offered us champagne on the house but we both drank enough for free on the plane that day. I can only hold my alcohol in the hot sun for so long. haha. I'm a smoothie nut, so, I had to get one at every place that offered.

[DisneyorBust]

Hey Stacey! Thanks for the review of Coral Reef.
We have an ADR planned for our December trip and reports like yours makes me glad that we made it!

[pixiegoose]

We ate at Coral Reef on our honeymoon last July and LOVED it. We also received the personalized menu but it said "Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. My maiden name" becaue I had made all of the ADRs in my name beforehand. Oops! My new husband was amused. We have an ADR for our September trip and I am hoping that it will be as good as last time.

[reptma]

We heard such great things about the coral reef also so we made reservations at 1:00 p.m. We were seated right away but it took forever for the waitress to come take our order. The food was terrible, we never got refills on our drinks and the view wasnt the best. It was very disappointing for the whole family, we will never recommend it to any of our friends going to disney this summer.

[offwego]

Stacey thanks for the review. I love pearl couscous, but my DH can't stand it so I understand what you mean. (mind you that would mean I would get it since I can never have it at home.) It's not for everyone that's for sure.

I really appreciate your reviews and your pics. thanks so much for sharing your disneymoon dining with us.

[Natazu]

Always great to hear a positive review on Coral Reef. We've have many, many wonderful meals there.

[DREAMADREAM93]

Great. I looked at the pictures and now im hungry.

Jordan :]