Both Mrs. InACents and I are admitted big seafood fans. My wife is also always in charge of planning and making our dining reservations exactly 180 days in advance of our visit to the Walt Disney World theme parks. So I did not think much about it when she reserved a romantic meal for the two of us at the Coral Reef Restaurant located inside the Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion at Epcot on our honeymoon.
There we are, two lovebirds, telling each other “just keep swimming” or making comments about “mine, mine, mine” while enjoying the each others company in the air conditioned space of The Seas. Hey, it was our honeymoon, and I had to have some fun, right?
Once inside the Coral Reef Restaurant, one could not help but be impressed with the 5.7 million gallons of water and ocean life swimming right besides your table. The main tank is 203 feet in diameter, more than large enough to contain the entire Spaceship Earth attraction (160 foot diameter).
The windows inside the Coral Reef Restaurant are made of 8-inch thick acrylic, creating very little distortion or magnification. The tank is a beautiful backdrop to enjoying your meal.
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My new bride and I went on to enjoy a nice meal and each others time. However, there is just something not right about dining on seafood when their distant relatives are looking on only 8 inches away. That would be like enjoying a burger out in the cow pasture. Mmm, my fish is great honey, but I sure bet that Grouper over there would be terrific with some lemon butter sauce. If fish had feelings, I am positive this was not the dining with Nemo and Friends experience they were promised when signing an exclusive, lifelong contract with Disney.
However, despite my angst that the fish may attack, in traditional Disney fashion, they took my mind off of things by wishing my bride and I “Best Wishes” with some complementary chocolate mousse. Now when are we going to dine with the lions next dear?
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It is our first time visiting EOCOT We are arriving at Orlando, fla to visit EPCOT 12/25/12 at 8pm. We then fly to a family party in DC early 12/28/12. So could you help us to plan a cost effective vacation, please. We have free points for the Marriott but then we don’t get the benefit of extra hours. Also, we think it might be worth it to make reservations at a restaurant to view the candlelight procession and the fireworks. Which restaurant is best? Also, what additional special experiences should we sign up for? I like scuba diving -is the diving area worth the money. Thanks
@Sher: Looking at your schedule, you only have two (2) days for the parks. Therefore, I suggest picking two of the Disney parks to attend, and plan on spending an entire day at each. You are going to be at the parks during the busiest times of the year, so plan on getting there early in the morning. It is up to you which is more important, a couple extra hours at the parks or spending hundreds of dollars on a hotel room. Personally, I’d use the points for a room as a couple extra hours is not worth the hundreds you could save on the price of a room.
You will likely have a hard time getting reservations this late (again busiest time of the year). I recommend calling to make reservations ASAP.
I would hold off on any special experiences because you don’t have that much time at the parks, and again the crowds will be high. Good Luck!