Enjoying 50s flavor at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
Allison FlynnMay 2, 2017
Long gone may be the days of drive-in movie theaters, but you can still experience the fad from the 50s at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios.Entering the dining area of the restaurant truly feels like you've been transported back in time. Car-shaped booths facing a movie screen are surrounded by a twilight setting with mountains in the distance.My family was lucky enough to score a car pretty near to the screen, which was showing scenes from classic sci-fi movies of the time. I was a little nervous that those scenes might scare my three year old, but luckily he was enthralled by the cool booth to pay very little attention to the show.The regular car-shaped booths seat two to a bench seat, so if your family likes to chat during a meal, you'll find it a little hard to do here. I enjoyed it because I sat with my older son, and it was nice to just spend a little time with him.Each table area has a small lighted area so you can see your food. Overall, the restaurant is dim since it is supposed to evoke the feeling of watching a movie at night. If not being able to see very well around you bothers you, then you can do what I did – I turned on the flashlight on my cell phone to read the menu!Sci-Fi Dine-In features a variety of American foods – from burgers and fries to pasta and steak. Prices for entrees range from $14 to $32, so it is a meal you'll want to budget for if you aren't using a Disney Dining Plan. We were on the plan (and in case you're wondering, it's one table service credit per person), so my husband and I both opted for the Flame-Broiled New York Strip Steak. It was topped with a garlic-herb butter and cheesy-horseradish potatoes. It was delicious, and I ate as much of it as I could while trying to save room for dessert.And dessert … oh my. The desserts at Sci-Fi may have been my favorite of this vacation. My oldest son and I decided to get two things since we were sitting side by side and could share. While he went for the Warm Glazed Doughnut, I opted for the Housemade Sci-Fi Candy Bar.The doughnut wasn't just a plain old doughnut. Oh, no. It was topped with warm cinnamon apples and vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. It was seriously the best doughnut I've ever tasted.
Long gone may be the days of drive-in movie theaters, but you can still experience the fad from the 50s at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios.Entering the dining area of the restaurant truly feels like you've been transported back in time. Car-shaped booths facing a movie screen are surrounded by a twilight setting with mountains in the distance.My family was lucky enough to score a car pretty near to the screen, which was showing scenes from classic sci-fi movies of the time. I was a little nervous that those scenes might scare my three year old, but luckily he was enthralled by the cool booth to pay very little attention to the show.The regular car-shaped booths seat two to a bench seat, so if your family likes to chat during a meal, you'll find it a little hard to do here. I enjoyed it because I sat with my older son, and it was nice to just spend a little time with him.Each table area has a small lighted area so you can see your food. Overall, the restaurant is dim since it is supposed to evoke the feeling of watching a movie at night. If not being able to see very well around you bothers you, then you can do what I did – I turned on the flashlight on my cell phone to read the menu!Sci-Fi Dine-In features a variety of American foods – from burgers and fries to pasta and steak. Prices for entrees range from $14 to $32, so it is a meal you'll want to budget for if you aren't using a Disney Dining Plan. We were on the plan (and in case you're wondering, it's one table service credit per person), so my husband and I both opted for the Flame-Broiled New York Strip Steak. It was topped with a garlic-herb butter and cheesy-horseradish potatoes. It was delicious, and I ate as much of it as I could while trying to save room for dessert.And dessert … oh my. The desserts at Sci-Fi may have been my favorite of this vacation. My oldest son and I decided to get two things since we were sitting side by side and could share. While he went for the Warm Glazed Doughnut, I opted for the Housemade Sci-Fi Candy Bar.The doughnut wasn't just a plain old doughnut. Oh, no. It was topped with warm cinnamon apples and vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce. It was seriously the best doughnut I've ever tasted.
But for me, the candy bar was hands-down my favorite. It kind of reminded me of a Kit-Kat bar – with layers of sponge cake and this crispy "pearls" and then covered in chocolate. But it was super, super sweet – so just a few bites would do.We all really enjoyed the blast from the past for our lunch during our day at Hollywood Studios, and the food fueled us up for the adventures of the rest of the day. We may have entered feeling like creatures from the black lagoon, but I left feeling like the 50 foot woman.If you'd like to learn more about dining options at Hollywood Studios, or discuss your vacation plans, contact me at allisonf@wishesfamilytravel.com or visit my Facebook page here.