I need the best TS in DHS? Any opinions?

[dchronister]

We have never eaten at a TS in DHS, we have had all the CS, and were not impressed at all by any of it, so I'm really scared to book at TS, I've never really heard any rave revues from any of the TS restuarants. Should we give it a try or just go ahead and book Shulas or Yachtsmans, maybe Cape May, I know those are good, but then you have to travel outside the park and back, just to eat. So, somebody give me some encouragement to try somewhere. We like steak, chicken, ordinary food, we are not big on oriental or burgers. Thanks

 

[BUTTERHEAD1]

I have eaten at all of the HS restaurants several times each. Iny opinion I don't think any of them are great. I am sure there will be people who disagree. Mama Melrose is so hit or miss and the service is lacking. Hollywood and Vine is a buffet that is ok. 50's Primetime can be fun if you get the right server, food there is so so but the desserts are pretty good. Brown Derby is the signature restaurant and in my opinion it really isn't worth the money. I enjoyed their Cobb salad and the service was good but on my three visits to this place the food went from pretty good to not so good to very bad. I haven't been back in three years and have no plans to do so. So in a nutshell if i have to eat in the park I would choose 50's Primetime or Mama Melrose but would much rather eat at Yachtsman.

 

[lcj19]

We really enjoy 50's Primetime...I have never been disappointed in the pot roast. IMO it is the best in park option.

 

[Princess Me]

We ate lunch at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater & dinner at the The Hollywood Brown Derby while at DHS last March. We didn't love either one. Sci-fi we went to mainly to please our 10 year old niece. She did love the atmostphere, the car tables, and the "normal" food. The food was nothing special, the same burger, fries, and shake you can get at most diners.
The Brown Derby was okay. We had eaten there several years before on a previous trip & I think it was better then. This time it was definitely better food than Sci-fi, but I don't think its worth being called a signature restaurant.
I have no idea what we are going to eat at DHS on our next trip. I am already looking at menus & having a hard time finding someplace that will please everyone. Maybe we will try your suggestion & eat outside the park.

Good luck with your restaurant search

 

[goofy4prez]

Eating at DHS for either CS or for TS has to be the biggest letdown in all of WDW; there is just no really good restaurant in this park. 50's is ok and IMHO is the best of the bunch, Sci-Fi is fun for the first time, Mama Melrose I did not like at all, Brown Derby was ok, but certainly not worth signature status,and I can't comment on Hollywood & Vine since I have not been there and was not brave enough to try it.

I know it's an inconvenience, but I would take the boat over to the boardwalk area and get my meal there. The choices are just so much better there with Shula's, Yachtsman, Cape May, and even the Captains Grill, which was a very pleasant surprise for me.

 

[ChipnDaleRule]

We have eaten at Si-Fi Dine-In. This is always our 1st TS restaurant of our vacation.We love it because its, cool, quiet and quirky. Although its pretty much a burger joint, what it serves up is IMO great, and the milkshakes are probably the best in Disney, again IMO. The only negative we have found is the service can be a bit slow.

50s Prime Time Diner. We have always had great fun here, maybe we've just been lucky with the servers but this is an experience that every Disney child should endureThe food is exactly what it says, "Food that mom used to make".Its not fancy, its good wholesome fare,fried chicken and the pot roast are my favourites. Check out the smores dessert too

Brown Derby. I love this place, it holds so many memories for me, this is where i had my first Signature meal back in 1991 with my parents. Although its a sig its not too fancy, the surroundings are very engaging, it has an open airy feel to it with lots of hustle and bustle.I think it captures perfectly the feel that the real BD would have had in Hollywood back in the golden age of movies. Also if you have children with you, ask the server if they can receive a phone call from Mickey, its so cool:good vibes

Its great to get peoples opinion, but thats all it is.Only you know what sort of food and dining experience you are after.

 

[shannonstar]

The only two my family will go to are H&V and Mama Melrose. H&V for breakfast only though. And Mama Melrose is just okay.
I would really recommend leaving if you can and going to Beaches & Cream. It's well worth the deviation.

 

[kganous]

Our family loves the Brown Derby (my eleven year old loves it). We usually go every trip. It's cool/relaxing and our servers have always been awesome. It's not to fancy to feel comforatable with small children. We also like 50's Primetime but again we have always had wonderful service.

 

[Hopefully]

What does "best" mean to you? Best food? Best theme? Best entertainment? Best atmosphere?
We like the 50's Prime Time Cafe very much. It is down home, not fancy food in a fun atmosphere. We go to lunch on our DHS days. I would highly recommend it, if the theme and the menu appeal to your family.
There is nothing at DHS similar to Shula's. If that is what you are seeking, then I suggest you go to Shula's.
If good food in a fun atmosphere, that is convenient to your day is what you consisder best, I think 50's will fit the bill.
Have Fun

 

[jedi jen]

We like Brown Derby. We go every trip. I would do that instead of leaving, to save time and energy.

 

[Kay1]

If you've never been to Sci-Fi, check their menu and see if there's anything you like. As PP said, it's fun the first time you try it.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[catheren]

Just my opinion, but I don't care for any of the TS at DHS. Many years ago the BD was great but has gone downhill - fast. Rather go to the BW's FF for dinner. If you are looking for lunch, then CG at the YC. BRG at the BW is great for a "pub" lunch, and sit outside and "people watch"

 

[Herbie]

I love the "setting" for 50's pt, but every time we go, its a disaster. I would try the sci fi, or like many others have said, run over to one of the hotels.

 

[Evasmommy]

We've eaten twice at DHS for a TS. The first was a lunch buffet at Hollywood and Vine. Great for the kids who were 4 and 5 at the time but food was just ok. We wouldn't do it again. The next time we ate at 50's Prime Time. What an experience if you have the sense of humor and time. It took us 2 hours there but not because of wait really, more because of the "show". Watching others get in trouble was even more fun than when it happened to us. As far as going outside the park-it takes a little bit of time and the shows at DHS are on a schedule. If you spend too much time at a meal outside the park you may miss some of the shows. We stayed at BC last time and loved the food at Cape May but the price has gone up. Captain's Grill was pretty good. I think Yachtsman is a 2 TS if you are on the meal plan. The Big River Grille at Boarwalk is pretty good but they don't offer reservations through Disney. Like others have said....take in all the advice but realize that we are all different and above all else...have a great time!

 

[WillieBearsMom]

We like 50's Prime Time and think their food is really good. We go to Hollywood and Vine only for the character breakfast, but the food is okay breakfast food. Sci-Fi is fine if you want a burger and shake. I got the shrimp pasta stuff at Sci-Fi one time and it was inedible.

 

[hooch11bear]

I know everybody's opinion is different, but we love the BD. Our meal there in August was one of our best meals. We try to get reservations here every trip. I have to say that since we have been going to Disney, this was our best meal at the BD compared to previous years. We have eaten at Sci-Fi, and it was just ok. The atmosphere is amazing, but the food was nothing special. It was pretty funny because when my husband asked our server what he suggested to eat, he said the Brown Derby!! My brother and sister-in-law ate at Mama Melrose last year, and they really liked it. I don't think I would leave the park though to get something to eat. Take a look at the menus and see what appeals to your family and give it a try!! Have fun!

 

[Pakey]

While Brown Derby is not a great value for using 2 credits on the dining plan, I think it's a nice enough place to eat if you are paying OOP. Does it compare to dinner at the Swan/Dolphin upscale restaurants? No. When we are adults only, we would head to Swan/Dolphin for dinner but if we are dining as a family, HBD has always been a nice meal for us. We enjoy it more than Yachtsman's, Cape May, Kouzzina, Big River, Beaches and Cream, etc.

 

[danceteachermom]

I would say Brown Derby...but get their signature dishes likes the Cobb Salad. It is delicious. I like 50's but not as much as Brown Derby.

I have eaten at Hollywood and Vine & thought it OK. Mama Melroses is far worse than any chain Italian restaurant I have eaten at...not even close to Olive Garden type quality but more expensive.

Sci-Fi is good for sandwhiches and burgers.

I agree with many posters that the selections at DHS are not that great in comparison to other parks. The Coronado is close by and I like the Pepper Market and their TS place too (can't remember the name). We ate there last spring and they had yummy bread, tasty salad, and very fresh tasting and delicious shrimp tacos. We liked our entire meal. I think my DH had the Kobe beef dish...he liked it very much.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

We think Hollywood Brown Derby is the 2nd best WDW restaurant inside a theme park. Only Le Bistro is better. IMO, it's definitely better than Cape May Cafe. If I was leaving the park for the evening, I may choose Shula's. I would eat at HBD, if I planned to continue touring.

 

[iloveeeyore]

For us, HS is kind of a 3/4 day park, so we don't mind escaping for a few hours to get a nice meal. We enjoyed Flying Fish at the Boardwalk, and we're going to try Yachtsman this trip on our HS day.

If you think you will be really pressed for time and really prefer NOT to leave the park, I guess BD would have the best food. We had lunch with an imagineer there a few years ago, so we had the opportunity to try many of their "signature" dishes, many of which we did not particularly care for. I thought the Cobb Salad and the Grapefruit cake were just ok, I don't get the big fuss. Our entrees weren't blow-us-away great, either. My DS, who is not too picky, couldn't find a single thing he enjoyed out of the 4 entrees we ordered. The fish that I had was very good, and DH had filet, which was perfectly prepared, but nothing really special. We were thinking about giving it another try this trip, but DS said "please, no."

We enjoyed our meal at 50's Prime Time last summer. The food was very good, though none of it was stuff I would normally go to a restaurant for, like fried chicken, meatloaf, and pot roast. I make my own awesome meatloaf and pot roast, and I don't eat fried chicken, except at HDDR. If you like those things, their version is very good. Our server wasn't too much fun, so we didn't get yelled at or any great laughs, either. I would have preferred Flying Fish.

We have not been to Mama Melrose since the year the park opened and it was MGM, so I can't comment on that one, except that I know reviews are mixed. We aren't interested in the Sci-Fi atmosphere. We like to sit across from each other at dinner, not side-by-side watching movies and the back of peoples heads. That's just us.