HS-Dining

[Meka003]

Help

My ADR is coming up soon and I have no idea what to do for our HS day. It's me,DH, DD(9), DS(5). We did H&V 3 years ago and it was ok and the characters were great but my kids are older now so I dont think its worth the $. All the options look meh at HS, is there any close resort that would be worth taking a mid-day trip to for a relaxing lunch ?

My other concern is I know we will rope drop this park but Im not sure there will be enough to do until Star Wars fireworks ... so Im open to any plan recommendations for dining that include off property

Thanks !

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Sci-fi.
Or go to Beaches and Cream.
IMHO there's plenty do do plus Toy Story Land will be open so.... not sure why you would need other plans for the day.

 

[KenHutch]

Another vote for Sci-Fi, my favorite restaurant in Hollywood. Most kids I have seen love eating in the cars and the prices there are not to bad. I call it my favorite CS which is impersonating a TS.

 

[happymommy]

Sci Fi has sandwiches that, IMHO, are huge. I can't finish half of one, so I've split them sometimes. My family all loves going there, and in the summer the dark area feels so cool (I need a sweater there!).

True, the prices for many items are not much more at all than counter service. It's a nice cool break (and often times it's challenging to get an ADR there).

I have never had a good counter service meal at DHS, other than once a couple years ago we went to Pizza Planet (now Rizzo's), which was okay.

You can always take the boat to Epcot and grab something there if you want. Or the Boardwalk has that burger place (Big River?) which is easy to just walk in. Kinda meh for food if you ask me, but it's been years.

 

[sanapp]

HS is one place that really needs some work on TS dining options in my opinion. We typically do Sci Fi, but I agree that it is meh! My DD did love sitting in the cars though when she was little, so perhaps yours would too.

 

[Hopefully]

We love 50’scPTC. We enjoyed Sci Fi.
Big River Grille at the Boardwalk is not a burger place. It is a brew pub

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Another vote for Sci Fi and IMO you should have no problem spending a full day at HS.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Hollywood Brown Derby is our favorite restaurant in HS, and we also enjoy Mama Melrose. Neither have much little kid appeal, but the food and service are good (esp at Derby). If you could do a relaxing breakfast instead, the Bon Voyage Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno is fun for kids and the food is yummy. It's on the Boardwalk which is just a boat ride away from HS.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I'm not a fan of the quick service options at HS, so we did the Bon Voyage breakfast before going to the park. The food was delicious and both DS and DD enjoyed it. The breakfast was enough to hold us over until dinner at Sci Fi, which was also a neat experience for the kids. We ended up getting to HS by 11 am, stayed until after close and still missed several things we wanted to do. With a young boy and a girl, I imagine there will be plenty for you guys to do there. I might be wrong, but I figure it's mostly adults or those with teens that consider HS a half-day park because they probably skip most of the shows and characters. I kinda wish we would have planned for 1.5 days there so we could have seen/done everything.

 

[gharter]

We have enjoyed Sci-Fi for lunch. HAve also done Mama Melrose and were happy with the food. Brown Derby is our usual goto spot for the evening meal. Never had a bad meal there. Can be very noisy inside.
For QS, Backlot Express was better than other QS options there.

 

[goofygal531]

We always have lunch at Sci-Fi and pay out-of-pocket. It's never more than $60 for the four of us for burgers and shakes (kids usually get kids meals). I try to save my Disney Rewards $$$ for that so it feels like I'm not really paying for it.

When we're not dining at Sci-Fi we tend to dine at Backlot Express. It's nothing special just convenient and has something for everyone.

 

[crabbygal902]

Is Mama Melrose's still open? We love that place!

Sci-Fi is fun. Stick to the burgers, fries, and shakes and the food is good. Other than that, not so much.

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

We're giving Sci Fi a 2nd chance for Easter. The food was not great last time we went, but it's been several years. I enjoy 50's PT and love it, but going to venture to Sci Fi. We've also taken a short break and headed to Beaches and Cream for lunch and the Kitchen Sink.

 

[goofygal531]

Is Mama Melrose's still open? We love that place!

Sci-Fi is fun. Stick to the burgers, fries, and shakes and the food is good. Other than that, not so much.

Mama Melrose was actually pretty good this past August. We had the Pixar meal package. It was all perfect timing. Mama Melrose, Pixar Synphony, Star Wars Dessert Party. My family said it was the best time they every had in HS.

I read somewhere that the chef from D-Lux Burgers is now at Sci-Fi. So expect the burgers to improve. It's a fun place that my kids love. We go for the experience, not the food.

 

[JZCubed]

Help

My ADR is coming up soon and I have no idea what to do for our HS day. It's me,DH, DD(9), DS(5). We did H&V 3 years ago and it was ok and the characters were great but my kids are older now so I dont think its worth the $. All the options look meh at HS, is there any close resort that would be worth taking a mid-day trip to for a relaxing lunch ?

My other concern is I know we will rope drop this park but Im not sure there will be enough to do until Star Wars fireworks ... so Im open to any plan recommendations for dining that include off property

Thanks !

Choices Inside HS:
-- Sci-Fi is a 'must-do' if you've never been. Then you can decide if it's a 'one and done' or a 'must do'. While I find the food options to be quite limited, I think the 'wow-factor' makes this a must-try (at least once).
-- 50's Prime Time has pot roast, fried chicken, and/or meatloaf - all with mashed potatoes; salads too. The food is fine. The antics may entice you too. I find the formica motif is lost on children who have never seen a black & white TV (with knobs). Margarita's are top-notch (and available to-go, even if you dine someplace else).

Boardwalk:
-- Beaches & Cream is an option, but in great demand for a very small space.
-- ESPN has OK pub-grub - and lots-o-sports on TV's at every angle. The nachos are my 'guilty pleasure'.
-- Big River Grill does not take reservations and the food is fine.

Swan & Dolphin - if coming from HS, Swan & Dolphin are before the Boardwalk:
-- Fresh, we very much enjoy breakfast, but find food quality at lunch to be lacking.
-- Fountain - an excellent substitute if you want ice cream & burgers and get 'shut out' of Beaches & Cream.
-- Cabana Poolside Bar - you do not need a bathing suit to enjoy the upscale pool food (i.e., watermelon & crabmeat salad, etc.).

 

[Haley R]

We have enjoyed Sci-Fi for lunch. HAve also done Mama Melrose and were happy with the food. Brown Derby is our usual goto spot for the evening meal. Never had a bad meal there. Can be very noisy inside.
For QS, Backlot Express was better than other QS options there.

Thank you for mentioning Backlot Express. We are doing Epcot for rd and then will make our way over to HS sometime around 3 pm. We are using our TS meal at Teppan Edo for lunch so I needed a QS meal for dinner at HS. I think Backlot Express will work great for us.

 

[CynBeth]

50’s PTC!

 

[Meka003]

Thank you everyone for all the reviews !

We have never been to Sci-Fi , it sounds like it would be fun for the kids. I'm thinking we will go ahead and give it try

 

[reluctantredhead]

I agree with the suggestion of the Sci-Fi with one caveat, and I know it's weird, but it's worth mentioning just in case anyone reading has a similar sensitivity to mine...

We have only eaten there once, in the early 2000s, and the food was fine...but the flickering of the sci-fi reel that's on constant repeat there gave me one of the worst episodes of headache/nausea I've ever had. Again...I know it's weird, I know it won't apply to most people, but still...it's worth mentioning to spare someone with a similar sensitivity.

To be honest, HS is always our toughest park to find food at (and we're vegetarians, so that complicates things further). When we're there, we usually opt for Mama Melrose (I know a lot of people don't like it, but we have always had good meals there) or to walk/take the ferry to the Beach Club for Beaches & Cream. And back when Starring Rolls was open, it was our go-to option for brunch/lunch...but it's been tougher since that has closed.

I also totally get your concern about it not being an "all day" park. It isn't for us (though I know for many/most people it is), so we usually choose to either get there early, leave by 4ish, and go to Disney Springs that night, or use it as a sleep-in day and roll into HS at about noon. I will say that the one exception to that was back when they still had the Osbourne (sp?) Spectacle of Lights during the holidays. I sure do miss it!

 

[mydisneyanytime]

We aren't a fan of Sci-Fi- at all. There were 3 of us (2 kids and one adult) in October. They sat us in a car where only two of us could sit together. I should have asked for another table but didn't see any open when we walked in. The lighting is low and the food is just meh. This was our second time and we won't go back. Everyone should try it but if you are a party with an odd number make sure you ask for a table so that no one has to sit alone!!