H&V vs. Sci-Fi

[SemperFiWife]

Right now we have H&V booked but I've been trying to get reservations for the Sci-Fi restaurant. Anyone eaten at one or both want to tell me what you think? Also, I have only been to Disney a couple times so I'm new to everything. What is the fantastic show at H&V? Looks like we are booked for it but I'm not sure what it is exactly!

 

[hedberg1661]

H&V gets generally bad reviews from anyone who has gone there. Sci-Fi is a much better experience. If you can get an ADR there then go for it!

 

[rsagusti]

We've only eaten at the Sci-Fi for a special SWW breakfast, it was fantastic but not my favorite seating arrangement. We've eaten at H&V one time for DisJunior breakfast, it was fine. This trip (leaving tomorrow) we booked Minnies H&V holiday dinner with fantasmic. Fantasmic is our favorite show we love it and we love having the seating reservations for it. BUT we are sick of Mama Melrose so we decided to try the new H&V dinner menu. I've heard good things about it. not sure if Sci-Fi does the fantasmic package.

 

[GillianP1301]

Hands down Sci-Fi has better food of the two, IMO. I would only do H&V if you want to do an early pre-park opening ADR to help with getting to Jedi Training signup, or if you really want to meet the characters that are there or if you want the Fantasmic package (to get reserved/centre seating at Fantasmic without having to arrive super early). Although for the last one, I would opt for Mama Melrose or Brown Derby over H&V.

 

[Grumpy247365]

Sci-Fi is awesome. Food is really good, in my opinion. It's very hard to get an ADR for Sci-Fi, so if you see one out there, snatch it up.

 

[cassie58]

Definitely try to get Sci-Fi. It is like being at a Drive-In, and you sit in a "car"watching old Sci-fi clips, in the dark, under the "stars" - very cool atmosphere. I would only do H & V if you have characters you or kids want to see there, since food is not exciting. Brft and lunch have Disney Jr. gang, and dinner is Minnie's Seasonal Dinner - if this is what you have booked, if it is for the Christmas season, the costumes are great, and you get pic w/ Santa Goofy, and meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy.

Fantasmic! is the night show at HS, which is a great show in a stadium near Tower of Terror, that is shown once or twice a night most of the time. The meal you booked is a package that includes reserved seating in a certain section for the show that nt. You do not have to have that to get a seat, you will just have to line up early to get in the show, and will take any seats in the open sections. You can also try to get it as a 4th FP after you have used your first three. This also gives you an easier way to get in and get seats. Since you mentioned you are new to this, you will get three FP each day, and at HS they are tiered(as well as at Epcot) so you can pick one from Tier 1, and two from Tier 2. Fantasmic! Is in Tier 1, but you will not want to pick it as your 1st choice, as you will most likely want Toy Story Mania or Rock n Roll Coaster. Toy Story is fun for the whole family(again not sure if you have kids with you) and has long lines all day, so want to do it first thing at Rope Drop or FP it, or both to do it twice in our case cause we love it! Rock n a Roll a Coaster is a fast ride with loops in the dark, so not for everyone, so you will pick what is best for you. It also has a single rider line as another way to jump in line if only certain people want to do it, or if people don't mind riding by themselves, if you don't want to choose as your FP. In Tier 2 you can choose Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones show, Beauty and the Beast show, etc. I know that is a lot of info - hope it helps give you some ideas for planning!

 

[brockash]

Right now we have H&V booked but I've been trying to get reservations for the Sci-Fi restaurant. Anyone eaten at one or both want to tell me what you think? Also, I have only been to Disney a couple times so I'm new to everything. What is the fantastic show at H&V? Looks like we are booked for it but I'm not sure what it is exactly!

I'm assuming you're booked for the Fantasmic! package, which means you also get reserved seats for Fantasmic! later that night. - This is the only reason we eat at H&V. - The food is not good, sometimes it's worse than others, but we'd never eat there if not for the Fantasmic! package (Sci-fi doesn't offer it). If you're wanting to see Fantasmic!, then I'd probably keep the H&V, just because it saves you the headache from waiting in a big mess of a line and finding seats, however otherwise def. Sci-fi. Sci-fi is nothing all that spectacular, but it's a good amount better than H&V.

 

[mkla2015]

H&V is at the bottom of our list for Disney restaurants- we had breakfast there in 2014 and haven't been back since. Sci Fi definitely has better food of the two... the seating arrangement is strange but a cool experience.

 

[1983DisneyFanatic]

I guess I'm in the minority here, with my opinion of H&V. I enjoy it, for what it is. I have eaten dinner here twice. The first time (before characters were at dinner), I only booked it for the Fantasmic package and after reading the reviews, I was not looking forward to the meal. I was pleasantly surprised. We really enjoyed the food. The seafood mac & cheese, bbq meatballs, and Guinness stew were all great, as well as the dessert. It is a buffet, not a signature restaurant, so for what it is, it's very good. With the addition of characters and seasonal theming, it's a must for me. In December we did Minnie's Holiday Dine with Fantasmic and it was great. We also have it booked for our upcoming trip in October. I can't comment on Scifi as I have never been.

 

[Hopefully]

H & V is the ONLY restaurant in all of WDW that I will never return to. We were surrounded by dirty, unbused tables, our waitress was rude, the buffet was dirty, the hot food was not hot, the cold food was not cold and the Ladies Room was filthy. Never Again!!!

 

[SemperFiWife]

Definitely try to get Sci-Fi. It is like being at a Drive-In, and you sit in a "car"watching old Sci-fi clips, in the dark, under the "stars" - very cool atmosphere. I would only do H & V if you have characters you or kids want to see there, since food is not exciting. Brft and lunch have Disney Jr. gang, and dinner is Minnie's Seasonal Dinner - if this is what you have booked, if it is for the Christmas season, the costumes are great, and you get pic w/ Santa Goofy, and meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy.

Fantasmic! is the night show at HS, which is a great show in a stadium near Tower of Terror, that is shown once or twice a night most of the time. The meal you booked is a package that includes reserved seating in a certain section for the show that nt. You do not have to have that to get a seat, you will just have to line up early to get in the show, and will take any seats in the open sections. You can also try to get it as a 4th FP after you have used your first three. This also gives you an easier way to get in and get seats. Since you mentioned you are new to this, you will get three FP each day, and at HS they are tiered(as well as at Epcot) so you can pick one from Tier 1, and two from Tier 2. Fantasmic! Is in Tier 1, but you will not want to pick it as your 1st choice, as you will most likely want Toy Story Mania or Rock n Roll Coaster. Toy Story is fun for the whole family(again not sure if you have kids with you) and has long lines all day, so want to do it first thing at Rope Drop or FP it, or both to do it twice in our case cause we love it! Rock n a Roll a Coaster is a fast ride with loops in the dark, so not for everyone, so you will pick what is best for you. It also has a single rider line as another way to jump in line if only certain people want to do it, or if people don't mind riding by themselves, if you don't want to choose as your FP. In Tier 2 you can choose Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones show, Beauty and the Beast show, etc. I know that is a lot of info - hope it helps give you some ideas for planning!

Thus answered my questions, thank you!!