Sci Fi Dine In worth it?

Walt Disney World Dining
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We are traveling during free dining and have all our TS accounted for, but I’m thinking about adding in an OOP lunch at the Sci Fi Dine In in HS.

Questions:

  1. Is it good food or just worth it for the atmosphere?
  2. Will having 5 people (it looks like the cars seat 4) make it less fun?
  3. Should I just do Backlot Express or ABC Commissary and call it a day? :stuck_out_tongue:

Thanks in advance!

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  1. Food is good. Basic burgers and such, but it’s good stuff.
  2. Someone will have to sit in the way back alone, most likely, unless any of the people are small children who may fit three across
  3. I generally really dislike QS in HS, so I would not recommend this.
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We went on our last trip and I loved it! I just asked my 18yo if he wanted to do it again when we go in January, and we agreed probably not, just to experience other places, and he also remembers not being impressed with his burger (although I had no complaints about mine). But I definitely think it is worth doing at least once just for the experience. :slight_smile:

As @OBNurseNH says, someone will likely have to sit alone given a party of 5, so that is a downside. Maybe put the loner in the middle seat (the cars have 3 rows of bench seats) so they can talk to both the 2 in front and the 2 in back. The seats are a little bit cramped as I recall, so it might be a bonus for the person who gets the whole seat to themself! :wink:

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My kids loved eating in a car! It’s not that expensive. Not much more than QS. Food is decent especially the burgers.

Book your ADR as this oddly books up fast.

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This is one of the few places I avoid. The idea seems fun, but IMHO it’s poorly executed. The food is bland. No better than any snack cart but at TS prices. The theme is a “drive-in”, but it’s just dark with a screen that plays the same few clips over & over. You will see the whole movie reel multiple times during your meal. Also, in my experience, the place smells bad – like mildewed mop water.

The cars have three rows with each row seating two. With five people you should have a car to yourselves.

If I were going to OOP lunch with a theme for the same price I’d go to 50’s Prime Time Café.

I’m not a fan of much of the food in HS. I usually just get a big turkey leg that fills me and snack throughout my HS days. (Maybe SWGE will bring better food to this park)

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  1. I wasn’t overly impressed with the food but all of my kids put it in their top 3 eating spots. My parents also loved the atmosphere as it was all very nostalgic for them and their younger days spent at the drive-in. :slight_smile:
  2. We had 8 in our car. My three older kids in the front, my DH and I in the middle and my parents in the back. We had my youngest in a high chair alongside the middle row. It did feel a bit cramped. We needed the space between the bench seats and the table to be a bit wider (and we aren’t particularly large folks).
  3. I have only eaten at The Commissary for EMM and it was decent. But I can’t speak to the regular menu quality for these places. All of what I’ve heard makes me keen to avoid them.
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What do they do with solo diners? Do we get to sit in a car?

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This is the main reason I am wanting to go there–it seems like a fun experience to have, and I know we will be eating burgers in HS no matter where we go. :wink:

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Yes. I was solo in Feb. when I went there, so I was a “hitchhiker” in the car.

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You are so right! I had to wait weeks on the reservation finder (and me, impatiently checking every day) until I got a decent lunch spot for the day I needed.

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Thanks for giving me some insight into how everyone will fit. I think my husband would probably prefer a row to himself if someone has to make the “sacrifice”–lol. My youngest could squeeze in, but I personally hate trying to eat left handed and cramped three into a regular restaurant booth, so I don’t think I will want to be hot and tired at Disney and trying to wedge her between us.

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II waffled between these two for a while! Ultimately, I thought the burger and fries/drive in theme might be more fun, but I agree that it is a challenge to find good eating in HS. One of my alternate TP has us parkhopping just so we can eat somewhere–anywhere–else!

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  1. the food is okay and certainly welcome after a long morning in the parks when a break is needed. burgers (even vegetarian) and fries or onion rings were our party’s top choices. everything hit the spot. i’ve read good things about the shakes but didn’t partake.

  2. we had three people: two in the front of a car and one in the seat behind. it was a little odd but, honestly, for us, it was a nice quiet break. we didn’t have kids so that certainly made the separation easier.

  3. the experience was nice to see and it appealed to my older mom who grew up with drive-ins. i booked it specifically for her. i wouldn’t go back but like many things at wdw it was fun to try something new and see one more part of the parks!

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yeah, that makes it a “hard pass” for me. Eating alone, I’m cool with…eating alone and then being grouped with another party? That I don’t like. There’s the awkward “should I talk to them?” experience which I rather not have during a meal.

If you’re with your own group though, I imagine it’s much better.

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That’s what I’m thinking–trying something new. I’ve had reservations there every trip but never ended up going. This time, I think it would be fun to finally check it out and have that experience!

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I think you would likely share a car but have your own row in the car. So it would be like sitting by yourself. It is the type of place that between the dark and movie clips, you don’t end up chatting. If you would like a break from talking to the people you are traveling with it may be just a place to go!

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I didn’t feel awkward at all. We weren’t seated at the same time, so I didn’t feel the need to talk to the two other parties of two. Plus, we were all facing the same direction, which doesn’t lend itself to talking anyway. It’s dark and mostly quiet in there, except for the movie clips. It was a great place to relax and chill out, and was the easiest place for me to eat alone.

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Sci-Fi is my DD’s request each and every trip, she loves the atmosphere and the food (she’s 10). It is a really cool restaurant and I thought the food was good. It’s affordable too, which makes it a good option for paying OOP. I totally vote for it!

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I think it’s a good meal to pay for out of pocket. My DS requests we eat there on every visit. The food is good if you stick with the basics–burgers and shakes. I wouldn’t order the steak there.

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This is the beauty of Sci-Fi, there is no talking! It is dark, quiet…and the people you might share a car with, you never face them so no need to speak. Sci Fi is a must do for us, I always sit right behind my kids (alone, if my husband is not on the trip), and love the break away from the FL sun. When I went with 2 friends in December, I took the middle seat and let them sit together in front, and it was just fine. Seriously, it is not a place that conversation is common, everyone sits quietly and enjoys the cheesy movie clips. It is the BEST lunch break ever in my eyes.

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