Some Disney World restaurants are more popular than others…
©Disney
To many, dining is one of the most important parts of a Walt Disney World vacation, with everything from in-demand fine dining establishments to fan favorite quick service snacks scattered across the property. However there are definitely some eateries in Disney World that aren’t quite as popular as others, and food isn’t always the main reason why.
First off, a quick note, “unpopular” as we’re using is a relative term. For starters, unpopularity doesn’t necessarily translate to a lack of diners, as Disney World is often crowded enough that even “unpopular” restaurants are packed. Secondly, “unpopular” also doesn’t necessarily mean either of these restaurants is “bad” in either food or service. Rather, for reasons we’ll get into, they’re simply not at the top of many-if any-Walt Disney World restaurant lists.
The Coral Reef check-in area.
Coral Reef Restaurant
There was a time when the Coral Reef Restaurant — located at EPCOTs Seas (originally The Living Seas) Pavilion — was arguably the most famous restaurant in Disney World. The restaurant, with its high-brow menu and massive water tank that allowed diners to view sea creatures in the pavilions massive aquarium, was heavily promoted in Walt Disney World promotional materials, and prominently featured in tie-in television episodes on shows like Full House and Boy Meets World.
Coral Reef Restaurant
So what happened?
Well, to be honest, that’s the issue. Nothing happened. The Coral Reef has barely changed over the decades, while the rest of EPCOT has arguably evolved into the “foodie” capital of Disney World thanks to a slew of popular restaurants like Le Cellier, and Les Chefs de France, as well as festivals like Food & Wine. This has somewhat left Coral Reef “in the dust” as it were. On top of that, its out-of-the way location in The Seas (a pavilion that has struggled to bring in guests in recent years, even after a Finding Nemo re-theme) doesn’t help.
Dining room
All that being said, there are definitely reasons to dine at Coral Reef. The menu, while not quIte as adventurous or exotic as some of EPCOT’s more popular eateries, is a solid offering, especially for fans of seafood, and the Chocolate Mousse Bar might be one of the property’s best under-the-radar desserts. Than of course there’s the real draw, the sea creatures. A wildlife aficionado of any age would likely welcome the change to eat literally in the midst of one of the world’s largest aquariums.
Sebastian’s Bistro
Moving outside of Walt Disney World’s theme parks, we’re heading over to the Caribbean Beach Resort to Sebastian’s Bistro. This restaurant offers arguably one of the best buffet deals on property.
Sebastian’s Bistro
For $38 per adult or $20 per child, guests can indulge in a Taste of the Caribbean Menu which includes house-baked pull-apart rolls, a salad, oven-roasted citrus chicken, slow-cooked mojo pork, grilled chili-rubbed beef, sustainable baked fish, cilantro rice and beans, vegetable stew, and grilled vegetables, and house-made coconut-pineapple bread pudding for dessert. The restaurant also offer a similar-in-flavor’s plant-based menu.
Sebastian’s Bistro
Why is Sebastian’s somewhat unpopular despite offering such a strong bag-for-one’s-buck, especially compared to many other Disney locations? First off, it’s a location issue. Caribbean Beach is a large hotel to navigate and isn’t necessarily one guests not staying at the property go out of their way to visit, despite being located on the Skyliner line. Furthermore the menu, while sounding delicious to us, might be a bit too far outside of the culinary comfort zone for some guests, especially those with young children.
Inside the dining room
Despite those issues, we would still absolutely recommend making the trip out to Caribbean Beach to Sebastian’s if the above menu sounds appealing to you.
Sebastian’s bistro rolls
We think both of these restaurants are definitely worth a try for various reasons despite their relative unpopularity. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney dining tips.
A NEW $120 Entree Was Just Added to a POPULAR EPCOT Restaurant Menu
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Have you ever eaten at any of these restaurants? Let us know in the comments below.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
The problem with the Coral Reef is that for a seafood restaurant, the seafood options are mighty slim. You should be able to have a wide range of seafood options instead of just one or two. You would think every seafood restaurant would have the option of fried shrimp but not with this place. It needs a much better and wider menu.
Sebastian’s is one of our Favorite! We make the trip every time we visit.
We’ve eaten at Coral Reef many many times, but not in the last 6-8 years, possibly even longer than that. I don’t know if it was a new chef or just a change to the menu, but there wasn’t anything my daughter or I would eat there. The last time we ate there, my meal included horseradish mashed potatoes. They were awful! It seems the entire menu has elements that we would never eat because we don’t like them. So sad, especially since we loved eating there for so long. We keep checking the menu in case they added items we like. 😆
I used to love eating at the Coral Reef, in spite of not being a lover of seafood. The aquarium is amazing and there are good views of it from pretty much every table, but it’s been several years since anything on the menu has appealed to me. It’s a shame, because I’d go to Coral Reef every trip if they had a better menu.
While Sebastian’s Bistro is on the Skyliner route, it’s a long hike from the Skyliner station to the restaurant. Time is expensive at Disney, so driving or taking an Uber may be a better choice.
Not to mention taking a long walk in the Florida heat is not something most people want to do immediately before a sit down meal.