An iconic Disney World table-service restaurant appears to be cutting its hours early next year. This themed location, which first opened in 1986, has experienced a decline in popularity over the years.
Now, according to the Disney World website, it appears that a meal service will be completely removed from the restaurant. Keep reading for everything we know so far! At Mickey Visit, we cover all of the latest Disney news, including Disney World expanding the return of a popular perk and Disney’s termination of its relationship with a top travel agency.
READ MORE – Don’t Pack These Items For Your Disney Trip. They Can Cause Headaches and Some Are Banned
Disney World Restaurant Ending Lunch Service
Coral Reef restaurant at EPCOT is a themed table-service restaurant with panoramic windows providing views of a living coral reef that is home to about 2,000 sea creatures. Guests can enjoy their meal while watching for creatures like sharks, sea turtles, rays, and more.
Disney World Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Park Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
Many have expressed that this restaurant has declined over the years, and the atmosphere is more appealing than the food. Since the relatively recent opening of the immersive Space 220 experience in the park, guests have overwhelmingly gravitated towards that themed restaurant.
Another factor in Coral Reef’s decreasing popularity may be the popularity of marketplaces during the various EPCOT festivals throughout the year, which draw guests away from some table-service options like this.
Right now, Coral Reef Restaurant typically has an all-day menu offering lunch from 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM and dinner from 3:45 PM to 8:30 PM. However, it appears that starting in January 2026, Coral Reef Restaurant will be cutting its lunch service. On the Disney World website, lunch has disappeared as an option starting January 4.
From that point onwards, reservations are only available for dinner, offered from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
READ MORE – It’s Never Good to Hear These Disney Cast Member Codes They Use to Communicate Right in Front of You
Of course, this is all subject to change, but this is how it is currently appearing on the Disney World website. Interestingly, on the restaurant page, the operating hours show lunch hours through January 10th. On January 11th, it shows dinner from 11:30 AM-9 PM, then dinner hours (4-9 PM) only from the 12th onwards.
Disney World has not officially confirmed this change, but we are currently operating under the assumption that the lunch service will be ending at this restaurant, given that dinner hours are still shown when booking a reservation.
We will keep you updated if these listed hours on the Disney World website change as we get closer to the time.
Don’t Miss the Latest Disney News
Don’t miss the latest Disneyland and Disney World news from Mickey Visit. Join the FREE Mickey Visit newsletter that over 100k readers receive every single week. Mickey Visit is here to help you save money and experience more during your Disney and Universal vacation. See the Mickey Visit guide to Disneyland and the Mickey Visit guide to Disney World for tips.
