The highly-themed Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant has added some new items to the menu, which is as good of a reason as any to make a long-overdue return for a review. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as a review of the new appetizer and entree dishes. Let’s drive on in to try the new offerings (and please remember to turn off your headlights).
Theming: A Hidden Gem of MGM Nostalgia
Located near the corner of Commissary Lane and Grand Avenue, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant has seen a lot of change around it in the past decade, but very little change inside. The restaurant remains a highly-themed place to eat and offers a bit of nostalgia to guests who have visited the theme parks for decades. In fact, it’s one of the few places left at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that reminds you of the “backlot” theme of the park – something that is nearly a distant memory at this point.
The exterior really isn’t much to write home about with the nearby BaseLine Tap House and ABC Commissary taking up much of the themed visual space. That said, if the signage is any indication, you’re going to have a fun time once you get inside! The sign contains a lot of the whimsy that was indicative of the early 90s when the restaurant opened, complete with a UFO perched on top. On the ground, a photo op with a 1950s-era car previews what you can expect from your dining experience.
Actually, if we take a step back, it is fitting that it looks like we’re about to dine in a soundstage because the theme of the restaurant isn’t a drive-in movie at all, but rather a set of a drive-in movie.
After walking under an old-timey marquee that invites you to “see movies and eat in your car”, you’re immediately transported to the backside of a large drive-in movie screen to complete your check-in process. It actually looks like you’ve walked into an area that you’re not allowed to be in. Very rarely do we get to see the behind-the-scenes of themed sets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios anymore. The park has left behind the theme of taking you behind the movies and advanced the theme of putting you in the movies.
As you can see in the photo below, you have walked onto a movie set that you’ll soon find out resembles a 1950s drive-in movie. For the majority of your meal, you’ll forget the theme of dining on a movie set and instead be effectively immersed in the 1950s drive-in. That said, take a minute to appreciate what the designers of the restaurant set out to accomplish for a few minutes as you walk back to your table.
Once you’re checked in, a Cast Member will walk you to your table car automo-booth. The theming here is excellent, perhaps some of the best of any Walt Disney World restaurant, or maybe that’s just the nostalgia talking. As you’re walking to your table, you walk along the backstage hallway for the drive-in set, complete with little trinkets and posters. The unfinished look of the plywood and 2×4’s is exactly what you’d expect to find on the non-camera side of the movie set, and that’s exactly what is delivered.
Stepping onto the movie set now, here’s a look at the dining area. We can see that the hallway that we walked down is now a tall perimeter fence, and scenic paintings and lighting that we previously didn’t notice attempts to add some depth.
In terms of logistics, the space is filled with mostly 6-seater cars, with 2 guests per row. Some cars have been converted to tables that can accommodate 8 guests in a more traditional seating arrangement. Here’s a look around the dining area, which is a single, large room meant to resemble an outdoor drive-in theater just after sunset.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Review: New Menu Items (Fall 2024)
Three new menu items debuted this month at Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant, one appetizer, and two entrees. We tried all three new menu items during our recent visit – here’s a look!
Mini Corn Dogs | $13
Fried Mini Corn Dogs served with your choice of Dipping Sauces
The mini corn dogs are new to the menu and offer a great shareable option. There were 14 mini corn dogs in our basket, which is plenty to split between the table. In terms of the “your choice of Dipping Sauces” part of the menu item description, there isn’t a curated list to pick from. The list of dipping sauces is the standard lineup from the restaurant such as honey mustard, ranch, etc, but there is a Sci-Fi Sauce that is pretty good, so we ordered that along with honey mustard.
I’m not going to describe the flavor of honey mustard, but I will spend some time on the Sci-Fi sauce, which was actually quite good. It’s a combination of mayo, spicy Thai chili, and horseradish that doesn’t allow any single ingredient to steal the show. It’s really well balanced and went nicely with the extremely dippable mini corn dogs. We even kept some of the leftover to dip our fries during the entree portion of our meal.
I thought that the mini corn dogs were acceptable, but not exceptional. They are lightly battered and ours were lightly cooked as well. Don’t expect a thick shell of batter like you might find with a traditional corn dog. The flavor was also acceptable, with the batter offering a county-fair traditional flavor. Where this dish wins is in the quantity. Fourteen mini corn dogs are more than enough to get your meal started, even if the offering itself wasn’t a standout.
Beamed-up Burger | $23
Two-pressed Signature-blend Patties, American Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Jalapeño-Bourbon-Bacon Jam, and House-made Burger Sauce served on a Brioche Bun
Sci-Fi Dine-In is known for its burgers, and while the introduction of other food items have been polarizing over the years, you really can’t go wrong with a burger. We’ve seen some opinions that Sci-Fi has the best burgers at Walt Disney World, and while I think that it’s a solid burger joint, I would say that there are a couple of other burgers on property that would be more deserving of the single-dish crown, namely the Stack Burger at Steakhouse 71. We’re getting distracted, back to the task at hand.
The Beamed-Up Burger is a solid addition to Sci-Fi’s lineup, but it wasn’t necessarily a standout dish or something that would make me want to book a return visit right away. That is to say, it’s a good execution of a stack burger, but not a signature burger. As you can see in the photo below, there is enough going on here to ensure that the Beamed-Up Burger isn’t basic, but I was hoping for a bit more bite out of the Jalapeño-Bourbon-Bacon Jam. Honestly, there was no kick to the jam, and I think that the flavor that was present was more easily attributed to the generically-named “house-made burger sauce”.
Don’t get me wrong, there wasn’t anything bad about the burger, it just lacked a bit of personality that is usually required when considering all of the burger options not only at Sci-Fi, but at Walt Disney World as a whole. We visited on the first day that the burger was offered on the menu, so future adjustments are not out of the question. If I was offering feedback, I’d let the chef get a bit more creative with the flavors here, especially when a “Classic American Burger” exists on the menu for less adventurous eaters.
Prime Rib Sandwich | $24
Toasted Hoagie Roll filled with Shaved Prime Rib, Provolone, House-made Giardiniera, and a side of Au Jus
Sci-Fi Dine-In conventional wisdom says “steer clear of anything that isn’t a burger, shake, or dessert”. While we’ve heeded those calls for years, a new menu item is a new menu item, and we had to give it a try. What a wonderful decision that turned out to be!
The new Prime Rib Sandwich was delicious and something that we absolutely would order again on a return visit. Anytime a sandwich is served with a dipping side, I always get a little worried that the base offering is going to be dry. Even today, under the bright, revealing lights of our UFO umbrella over our picnic table, I worried that the shaved prime rib was going to need all of the au jus and then some. In fact, before I even took my first bite, I thought to myself that the portion of the au jus was a bit underwhelming.
I am very pleased to report that the sandwich, as presented, didn’t even need the au jus. The meat was perfectly soft and moist, and even the crunchy toasted hoagie roll barely kept its structure long enough for a bite because of how soaked it was. The house-made Giardiniera was pretty well executed, and paired nicely with the rest of the sandwich. Honestly, the Prime Rib Sandwich is a solid offering that I can recommend for someone searching for something different than a burger.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Closing Thoughts
That wraps up our review of what’s new at Sci-Fi Dine-In. We’ll close with some overarching thoughts on whether or not you should add Sci-Fi Dine-In to your dining shortlist on your next visit.
If you already read too many words, and don’t want to keep reading, the bottom line is that Sci-Fi Dine-In should be on everyone’s shortlist. The restaurant is cool for all ages. When we visited most recently, we sat at the picnic tables in the back of the restaurant. From that vantage point, you get to see all of the restaurant and make some observations between bites. The first observation was not something you could see, but rather something that you didn’t hear – too much noise. Simply put, diners were either eating or watching the drive-in “movie”. Either we dined at the exact same time as 50 of the most well-behaved children at Walt Disney World did, or they were equally (silently) captivated by what was on the drive-in screen.
Another observation wasn’t made from the back of the restaurant, but rather from the walkways outside as we left after our meal. There are a few restaurants on Walt Disney World property that do a wonderful job of taking you out of a theme park, momentarily, and putting you into an entirely different place. The most effective comparison to Sci-Fi Dine-In is Space 200 Restaurant at EPCOT. For the hour or two that you spend dining in the restaurant, it is entirely possible that you get swept away in the theming and your mind and senses are completely convinced that you are somewhere other than one of the busiest theme parks in the entire world. Walking out of Sci-Fi Dine-In, we felt that same feeling as we get visiting Space 220 Restaurant. It’s hard to explain, but you feel leave the theme park behind to travel somewhere else for a couple of hours before being quickly reminded that you actually are in a theme park once you walk out. There’s something magical about that, and it’s worth noting.
Wrapping things up, even if these new menu items didn’t spark your interest, the menu has plenty to choose from, and Sci-Fi Dine-In is worth the visit…every time.
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!
