Some Disney World restaurants are more popular than others…

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Have you ever eaten at any of these restaurants? Let us know in the comments below.

The post The 2 Least Popular Disney World Restaurants, According to the Experts first appeared on the disney food blog.