Hi Monica,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and thank you for asking us a question!
I’m so sorry that you weren’t able to make a reservation to eat at
Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot during your upcoming visit to Walt Disney World Resort. Although there aren’t any “waiting lists” or other ways to be notified about availabilities during your visit, don’t lose hope!
My first recommendation would be to keep checking to see whether another Guest has cancelled a
dining reservation that you can snap up. I’ve had luck finding reservations when I check in the morning, but I’ve also seen some reservations for hard-to-get dining experiences pop up in the middle of the day too.
My biggest and best recommendation, however, would be to check availability 24-48 hours before the day that you’d like to dine in a given Walt Disney World restaurant. That’s when LOTS of dining reservations get cancelled in order to ensure that Guests aren’t charged a no-show fee pursuant to each individual restaurant’s
cancellation policy. I’ve found from experience that reservations often start popping up a week beforehand, so that’s definitely when I would start checking in earnest if you have your heart set on dining at a certain location.
I hope my tips help you plan your upcoming vacation and that you’ll be able to dine, as my son says, “wif da flishies” during your visit to Epcot! Should you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to come back and visit us.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne