Any thoughts/reviews into the Hollywood Studios Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater?

It's kind of a loaded question, and this is why: The food isn't great. If you're looking for a basic burger and fries, a great shake, then it's adequate. The prices are a little high for the food you get.

HOWEVER, we really enjoyed it. The ambience is the real draw here, and it is certainly a fun place. Know that if there are more than 2 in your party, you'll be sitting behind one another for most "tables" b/c it is set up like cars with 2 people in each "seat." THere are a few long tables and picnic-type tables that offer more traditional seating options.

The cherrry cokes, green rivers, and shakes were great. The service was great. My burger was actually good too! So, I'd say go there for lunch or off-time to enjoy a shake or dessert. The dinner menu seemed excessively high. We did end up here for dinner, but even though it wasn't on the menu, I asked, and was served, a very good burger. Just FYI.

I think it's a cool place to try at least once, and in DHS, which doesn't have a ton of great eateries, I think it's fun.

We've only been once, which says something about the place because if we really liked we'd be running back there.

It's a fun place to try, be warned that it seems overpriced (even for WDW) to me, and the menu was kind of limited.

It is a nice quiet, cool, place to relax for lunch, and on a summer day that can be enough.

HTH.

It's the Hillary Clinton of restaurants: you either love it or hate it. I love it (the restaurant, not Clinton)! I think the food is excellent and the ambiance is unbeatable. It's such a fun experience, especially for kids, and especially for kids who have never been to a drive in theater. A visit to WDW resorts would not be complete for me without a visit to Sci-Fi Drive-in! Just my 2 cents, both on dining and politics.

i love it there, but most of what has been said is true. the menu seems kind of limited, but i think that about most WDW restaurants...

the food is more suited to a lunch experience - good sandwiches, burgers, onion rings, shakes...

the atmosphere is the big draw. the "drive-in" feeling and decorations are excellent. the service has also always been great. we tend to do lunch there on the day we leave so we have a really special dining memory for the flight home.

I am on the hate it side of the coin. The food is very unspectacular and I don't think they did all that great of job with the ambiance. It has been a few years since we went there, but my wife and I both said never again. The only positive thing my wife mentioned was the service was great, but I don't ever recall having bad service in any of the parks, only the resort restaurants. As long as my pop stays filled, I am easy to please.

I would agree that it is more of a lunch restaurant than dinner. I ate here with a group of my classmates during a Grad Nite stay a couple of years ago (my first and only time) and I did enjoy it. I especially liked the little touches, for instance the fact that the podium host/ess showed you to your table on roller skates. It's a fun experience with great service - just don't expect a gourmet meal. (In fact, I think of it as an ESPN Club-type restaurant).

Chris

Our least favorite restaurant (aside from Le Celier). WAY overpriced. We didn't care for it at all. Mamma Melrose is the best restaurant at the new HS, IMHO.

Any thoughts/reviews into the Hollywood Studios Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater?
Never been there but I can tell you that the comments above have pretty much been the sentiment about this place over the years. It just seems like it lacks in the actual food quality but desserts and the like are very good.
Feel free to take a look at the MP User Reviews (http://www.mouseplanet.com/cgi/reviews/do/display.cgi?product-sku=wdwdmgmscifidinein) for more details.

As a child I remember eating here and the food being better than it was on my last trip in June. I did enjoy the spinach dip however. And my younger brothers (12y twins) just adored getting to eat in the cars and watch the movie clips. It is certainly not the best gourmet dining experience, but it is fun and not bad for a lunch to try it out, particuarly with kids. Plus its nice and dark and cool.

I'm going back this May to bring my Disney-newbie boyfriend. He's really into sci-fi, and I think he'll appreciate the theming. I had a conversation with his boss the other day where I mentioned I made reservations to several restaurants and immediately he told me "I hope you made reservations to Sci-Fi" to which I replied "Yes... But the food is horrible" to which he said "Oh yeah,TERRIBLE! ...But you have to go!".

And if it says anything about the place, back at the end of 2006 when I went, my family didn't even need a reservation to get seated right away.

The one vegetarian option on the menu was a mango tofu... Yuck. I'll stick to onion rings, thanks.

sounds like a highchair is out of the question..............:confused:

You could still use a high chair. They would probably seat you at one of the 'normal' non car tables or they might put it at the side of the car that is open (there is only one side that is closed in all the way).

This is one of those places that I wanted to check out last time, but I wasn't able to do so :crying:
So, I may have to give it a shot next time around.

It's kind of a loaded question, and this is why: The food isn't great. If you're looking for a basic burger and fries, a great shake, then it's adequate.

I agree! Decent food, really neat atmosphere.


I think it's a cool place to try at least once, and in DHS, which doesn't have a ton of great eateries, I think it's fun.

Well summarized. DHS is not known for its eateries, and the Sci-Fi is definitely a place you should experience at least once. Especially if you have kids.

I found it moderately-priced. I had a burger and fries (lunch, not dinner) and I think it was like 12 bucks. And yes the burger was noticeably better than the ones you get at the counter service restaurants.

We're firmly in the "love it!" crowd -- eat there every trip. Granted it is mostly for the atmosphere, but everyone in the family can get something they like to eat there (I actually really liked the mango tofu last summer!).

It's the Hillary Clinton of restaurants: you either love it or hate it. I love it (the restaurant, not Clinton)! I think the food is excellent and the ambiance is unbeatable. It's such a fun experience, especially for kids, and especially for kids who have never been to a drive in theater. A visit to WDW resorts would not be complete for me without a visit to Sci-Fi Drive-in! Just my 2 cents, both on dining and politics.

HOWEVER, we really enjoyed it. The ambience is the real draw here, and it is certainly a fun place.
I think it's a cool place to try at least once, and in DHS, which doesn't have a ton of great eateries, I think it's fun.

Oh you two - you're messing up my 'finally finished' plans with these kinds of comments... :D What movies do they play?

Oh you two - you're messing up my 'finally finished' plans with these kinds of comments... :D What movies do they play?

I don't think they play any full movies, just trailers for old (50's and 60's) cheesy horror movies. I thought that part of the experience was great, just the food was blah.

the "movies" are a collection of old B-movie horror and science-fiction trailers, old movie theatre intros and concession ads (buy your drinks and popcorn variety), movie newsreel clips, and sci-fi themed cartoons.

I love the atmosphere here. The sci fi movie clips are hilarious and the drive in theater aspect is a lot of fun. Go for lunch when it is cheaper and they have burgers. I went for dinner a couple times, and the food was awful for the price. There wasn't anything on the menu I particularly liked so I ended up getting a chicken sandwich which was mediocre. And expensive. But the burgers are decent so definitely go at lunch time.

Totally worth one visit - and only one. Definately for lunch - don't waste a dinner on it (especially at a park where Prime Time Diner, Mama Melroses and Brown Derby all offer a much better meal).

The ambience is fun - especially for kids in the 5 to 10 years range. They'll love eating in a "car", and the outdoor drive in theatre feel is cool. But the knocks on the place are well documented:

1. Very overpriced

2. The menu is extremely limited (and not what you would expect at all for "drive in" food ... for instance, burgers aren't even on the menu - you have to ask for them. The menu is loaded with stuff like grilled chicken, etc)

3. The food is average at best

4. The "loop" of 50's sci-fi films is short and repetative ... I watched the same clips three or four times through in one meal. And when we came back the next year, it was the same clips.

It's a cute idea and fun for a single visit, but for a Disney joint, it's not nearly as good as it should be.

One personal knock I have on it is that if you hit it in the middle of a hot summer afternoon, it's almost impossible to stay awake inside. It's cool and dark and you just kind of drift off. Walking back outside into 100 degree heat is almost painful.

Oh you two - you're messing up my 'finally finished' plans with these kinds of comments... :D What movies do they play?


Oh, Scoobydooby, if you've never been there, you must do it! I think you'll love it. Go there for lunch; you probably won't eat as much, and as such, will not be as affected by the prices (which I don't think are too out of line with Disney prices). It's cool and inviting and fun and different; an experience not to be missed, I'm telling you. As I said before, a visit to WDW would not be complete for me without going to Sci-fi!

... for instance, burgers aren't even on the menu - you have to ask for them.

I wonder, would the price of burgers be the same at dinner time? At lunch time it's $12.

As most of you probably have figured out by now...My first trip to WDW is coming up in just a few weeks.

I thought I had my meal resies all figured out...and then the food network ran a WDW food special (I think it was filmed a few years ago). My DS (14) saw it and was thrilled with the footage of the Sci-Fi! Great. I hadn't worked it into our plans...

So...we re-discussed our plans, dropped our dinner reservations for tony's at MK and picked up lunch reservations at the Sci-fi. We will have lunch at the Sci-fi and dinner at the 50's Prime Time. Two main meals in one day...almost sounds like too much. But I will totally enjoy the dark cool atmosphere in the middle of the day in August.

I was torn to begin with on choosing this place. Primarily because of the reviews on the food. But I had never considered it for lunch. And I agree with the comment that kids who have never been to a drive in will love the idea. I guess between lunch and dinner, I'll be reliving MY childhood...but isn't that the magic of disney in the first place?!?:D

Good choice! My family absolutely loves both Sci-Fi and 50's Prime Time! They are both such fun restaurants with excellent atmosphere. I know a lot of people complain about the food at Sci-Fi but we all had reubens or ribs and everyone really liked their meals. Hope you enjoy it!