For decades after its opening, the Walt Disney World food scene was best known for its hamburgers, hot dogs, and sometimes chicken nuggets. After all, people came to the parks for the rides, not the food.
However, in the early 2000s, the food scene at Disney World started to evolve. Suddenly, the food became just as important as the rides, and Disney World realized that it could make a lot of money by giving people good food and, of course, drinks.
No park better exemplified Disney World’s new food scene than EPCOT. The nations of World Showcase started giving guests authentic cuisine from their countries, or at least as close as the American pallet could handle.
Then came the festivals. EPCOT began using its festivals as an opportunity to showcase its food with pavilions set up all around the World Showcase. Suddenly, eating around the world became as popular as drinking around the world, almost.
However, the former Future World was left behind. Before the opening of Space 220, guests had very few options in the front of the park.
One of the first restaurants to open at EPCOT was the Coral Reef Restaurant in the Seas Pavilion. It opened only five years after the park opened in 1986.
But while the rest of EPCOT has kept up with the times, Coral Reef has become the “least loved” and most often “forgotten” restaurant in all of Disney World.
Does dining in a dark, dated, dank room
forever stuck in 1997 sound exciting? How about the added disappointment of not getting your preferred “tank” seat? Welcome to EPCOT’s Coral Reef restaurant. It may be the least seen / loved Walt Disney World dining spot ever. pic.twitter.com/ftoSKtCpoM— Parkeology (@Parkeology) December 19, 2024
One guest took to X, saying about the Coral Reef Restaurant:
Does dining in a dark, dated, dank room forever stuck in 1997 sound exciting? How about the added disappointment of not getting your preferred “tank” seat? Welcome to EPCOT’s Coral Reef restaurant. It may be the least seen / loved Walt Disney World dining spot ever.
Other guests said that the limited menu and infrequent views of the aquarium made this one of the least desirable restaurants on Disney World’s property.
Coral Reef’s menu only offers six entree choices and four appetizer choices, but that is fairly typical for a Disney World restaurant.
Most guests agreed that with so many choices available at EPCOT, it’s easy to overlook the Coral Reef Restaurant, and with such a limited menu, there’s no reason to go back there more than once.
With so many great options at EPCOT, it’s time for Disney World to update this restaurant. It has great potential, and eating next to massive fish tanks is a draw, but it won’t bring anyone back.
What’s the worst restaurant you’ve ever eaten at in Walt Disney World?
The post Disney Fans Agree: This Might Be the Worst Restaurant at Disney World appeared first on Inside the Magic.
