This review reflects our experience in November of 2014.
Do you like B-Movies, old cars and eating in the dark? Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre is the the restaurant for you! Sci-Fi is located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and has been one of my favorite restaurants ever since I was a kid. Once you check in for your reservation you make your way into the parking lot and find your car. Once seated in your car you get to enjoy some clips of black and white b-movies and cartoons. The atmosphere alone is what makes this one of my favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World.
The car tables seat up to 6 adults, two per row. If you are traveling with a larger group they will try to place you in cars that are next to each other. One of our only complaints about this set up is the lighting to read the menu is pretty non-existent and the tables themselves are pretty small. There are also some picnic tables in the back by the kitchen.
Our last stop into Sci-Fi was November 2014. When we told our waiter of our vegan diet he went to grab a chef to speak with us. We were told that the Vegetable Burger on the menu can be made vegan with a Gardenburger® Malibu Burger instead of the black bean patty, we could also get pasta with vegetables and marinara sauce. Additionally they have milkshakes on the menu that can be made with vegan ice cream, the flavors they have are vanilla, chocolate and Oreo. We opted for Oreo Milkshakes and Vegetable Burgers.
Our milkshakes came out rather quickly, and with whipped cream on top. I asked the waiter if the whipped cream was vegan (assuming he had grabbed the wrong ones or just out of habit topped them that way) and he realized his mistake. A few minutes later our vegan Oreo milkshakes came out, we were really hesitant to drink them but they seemed to taste fine and my stomach never freaked out like dairy used to do to is so they were vegan. These shakes were absolutely delicious, they weren’t as thick as the shakes from 50’s Prime Time Cafe so you could actually drink them with a straw.
Our burgers came out and looked absolutely delicious. The Gardenburger® Malibu Burger patty is made of corn, carrots, onions, green pepper and whole grains. The Vegetable burger is topped with cucumber planks, grilled red onions, arugula, and a tomato jam. If you’ve read our blog before, you know we’re not huge fans of the Gardenburger® Malibu Burger patties but this was pretty tasty. The tomato jam was the real star on this burger, it had a strong flavor of sun-dried tomato and was spread all over the bun. The patty was pretty flavorless but the jam really helped. We also added mustard to the burgers because it was pretty dry without a condiment. I wasn’t a huge fan of the cucumber planks on it, they didn’t really add any flavor and just made the burger harder to eat. I would have preferred the cucumbers to be pickles.
We had sweet potato fries as our side, the other option is a cucumber salad (we did not ask if that was vegan). The fries were just okay, they were pretty crispy which we enjoyed but they were covered, and I mean covered, in cinnamon. I would have liked them more without all the sweetness that the cinnamon added. Cinnamon and ketchup don’t necessarily go together.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre will always be one of my favorite spots in Hollywood Studios. The food is always just okay in our opinion but the atmosphere always brings us back. This is a great place for families with kids to eat.
In May of 2014 Disney introduced a character breakfast featuring Star Wars characters. The ‘Star Wars Galactic Breakfast‘ at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre is for Star Wars Weekends in Hollywood studios. This happens from early May through mid June, the characters are only there during breakfast.
Would We Go Back?
Yes, the milkshakes were great and the film loop is fantastic. This has been my favorite place to eat in Disney World since I was a kid.
Price?
$$
We leave you with our favorite part of the film loop in Sci-Fi.
Corey & Melissa
