We are getting ready to make our ADR and trying to decide between Cape May or Coral Reef for dinner. Its a group of 8 adults.
Which is more appealing:
a) All you can eat seafood Buffet?
b) A giant aquarium to watch the fish go by while you eat?
I think it comes down to do you want the quantity/breadth of choice a buffet offers? Or the atmosphere provided at Coral Reef?
Cape May’s Café, definitely! Coral Reef is just not what it used to be. Menu is limited and high priced. Check menu at Disney Dinning. Cape May’s though a buffet, has all you can eat Crab Legs and there steamed in big steamers not boiled in water which loses all the favor. Huge jumbo cold shrimp plus claim Chowder and corn on the cob among other things. If your into the Sea life view, you can tour the aquarium even the you don’t eat at the Coral Reef.
I loved Coral reef! Actually, the lobster bisque seems to be great everywhere- I had it at three different places during our trip and it was amazing every time. The tank was lovely to have nearby and be able to watch without people clambering all over it. Very relaxing atmosphere.
I’m probably the only person on this forum that wasn’t impressed by either restaurant. I’m glad we went to Coral Reef, and may go back some day. Its pretty much as the previous posters described. In our case, we simply felt so many other WDW fine dining restaurants were better. Cape May however goes down as one of the single worst dining experiences I had at WDW. The night we went it was crowded, people were pushy at the buffet table, hot food was cool, and much of it had an off taste to me. The waitress tried to explain that they had a new chef … hmm. And then we had a Julia Roberts moment right out of Pretty Woman … as the waitress was trying to help my wife with the crab legs, they slipped in her hand and splattered all over me. No joke. After I came back from the wash room, we simply left. That was last summer and clearly a “unique” experience. With 8 adults, I’d actually try Cape May (in spite of my story). Seriously. I think you’d have more fun there and I’m sure the chef has his act together my now. 
Wow! That was some experience at Cape May’s. Personally I have never found this to be the case. Crab legs come out of a big steamer so they are always hot. Jumbo shrimp are cold to start with so you can’t place blame there. Claim chowder has always been hot for us and though it is crowded they bend over backwards to serve you. Why wouldn’t they? They are looking for a big tip if possible. I can understand the accident with the crab legs as they aren’t the easiest to handle. I’ll bet she/he apologized all over the place. Now I have been to the Coral Reef many times as well and the scenery is good but the menu is not. Of coarse depending on how hungry you are, I guess that would be the determining factor for me. It is indeed nice to get a table right next to the aquarium window, but that rarely happened to us. So I guess if you want to eat and see the activity in the aquarium while there maybe that is the place for you. You can however visit the Living Sea’s and see it all simply by walking around the place. Either way both are good depending on what you are looking for.
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