Sci-Fi Dine-in v. 50s Prime Time Cafe

[anotherdisneygal]

I'm trying to decide which one to go to for lunch - we have a two year old and a five year old if that makes a difference.

So... what to do?

Also, the evening that we go to DHS we are going to the Spirit of Aloha Dinner at the Poly, so that is impacting my decision...

Thanks for the help!

 

[Nadjalu]

Personally I think they are both restaurants that you should visit at least once. We have only done Sci Fi so far, next trip will be 50's PT.

I can say that most people recommend 50's over Sci Fi, as I have heard the food is better. BUT the food at Sci Fi wasn't bad when we ate there. It was "normal" not great but good.

So I would say pick what menu sounds better for you the first time and do that, then the next trip do the other.

 

[newrygirl]

we have been to both many times, I love the food at both places, my kids like 50s better but then they are older 13 and 17 and get the humor of the servers, that said personally at the ages your kids are I really think they would enjoy the atmosphere of sci-fi alot more than 50s, kids think it is really cool to sit in the cars and watch the big screen, if I was you I would do sci-fi, your kids will love it.

 

[Minniemama350]

PIcking for the kids? Sci Fi. Picking for you? 50' cafe(not because of the food, but the humor as stated before). Sci Fi is great when you need a break also, like when you want your snowflakes to chill-out.(Kids tend to just watch the drive-in movie!)You really can't go wrong. We love them both!

 

[shawnh199]

We ate at both on our trip in December. We have 2 girls ages 2.5 and 6. They enjoyed both. They liked watching the movies at Sci-fi, but IMO, the food was not as good. They enjoyed 50's Prime Time as well. My DD2.5 had fun playing peek-a-boo with a friendly waitress that was cleaning up a nearby area (we had a late dinner there) and my DD6 loved watching her Daddy get in trouble by the waitress. FYI - they don't pick on the younger kids there, mainly just the adults. The fried chicken at 50's was awesome. My DH also enjoyed the pot roast. The kids had mac and cheese with chicken noodle soup.

At Sci-fi, I had the ribs (not bad), DH had the mushroom burger (said he liked it) and the girls had hot dogs.

Look over the menus to make sure there is something that each of your kids will like. From there, it just depends on what you think your family will enjoy more.

Have a great trip.

 

[SuzieN]

We usually eat at both - they are both favorites of ours!! I would skip the Luau (IMO, NOT worth 2 credits) and eat at both. My kids would also be hard pressed to pick one over the other.

 

[bleeps]

There are some drawbacks, IMHO, to Sci-Fi when you've got young kids.

The restaurant is incredibly dark. So dark that it is hard to read a menu or see your food clearly. This can be extra challenging when you've got little ones.

Also, the cars (which are the draw) only seat 2 people per-seat, and of course the seats are all facing forward. This means that you will sit with one child in one row and your spouse will sit in another row with the other child (unless you request to sit at the tables in the back, and forego the cars). Even with having an 11-year-old, this is weird/uncomfortable for me (DH and DS sit together in one row and I sit by myself behind them -- yuck!).

And depending on how sensitive your older child is, the movie clips they show could be an issue. We first took DS when he was 6 and he was utterly traumatized by the experience because he was SO sensitive to the images (to him they weren't silly, they were scary). Took us years to get him to try it again, and during that time he'd complain about how horrible that first experience was!

So, yeah, if it were me I'd go for 50s Prime Time! (Plus we think their food is better!)

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I'd go to Sci-Fi Dine-in, but then that's because I don't like the concept of being scolded while I eat.

 

[Mamu]

I think Sci-Fi for younger children. But I do enjoy "50".

 

[lily23]

sci-fi is great for lunch not so much dinner great burgers and shakes,onion rings too, 50's seem to have dinner food fried chicken,pot roast,comfort food very filling.

 

[WAHMto5]

W ehave been to both and my kids prefer Sci-fi much more. They look forward to it every trip

 

[Nichellebelle]

Hi! I have never been to 50's Primetime but Sci-Fi is decent. The burger was okay and the onion rings were really good. The shake was just okay to me. The atmosphere was really cool!

 

[lasob]

My vote would be for Sci-fi. The food is decent. We have brought every guest who joined us over the years and they all thought the place was great.
We have been to Prime Time twice and didn't care for the food or the act either time. My daughter is a Mac and cheese lover and hated theirs.

 

[java]

Sci Fi is on my kids MUST DO list. So that's the one we go to. We varied one year and they were not fond of 50's- so Sci Fi it will continue to be.

 

[Aristocath]

This trip we are going to Sci-Fi for the first time. My kids have no interest in ever going back to 50s Prime Time because of "the evil waitress" as she will forever be known. My kids were 3, 6, and 8 at the time and she terrified them! We thought it would be an enjoyable meal but the humor was pushed too far, IMO. So I always warn people with young children to prepare them!

 

[Chelley00]

DD hated the clips at Sci Fi, and started crying after the waitress at 50's gave her the list of rules She'd say neither!

The food was much better at 50's, although Sci Fi wasn't horrible.

 

[angelmav]

If your going for lunch, I would be inclined to pay OOP for sci-fi (unless your on the DXDDP), its mostly counter service food (burgers etc) but in a really cool atmosphere (also costs much less than many other TS places for lunch). We went to 50's last summer and didnt really enjoy it. Our server didnt get into character and without that, its fairly lackluster on the food dept. Would have loved it if they had been more interactive though as we saw some of the other servers, but at Sci-fi you get the experience every time. Neither one will wow you with a meal though.

 

[aalupo]

Our last trip we went to the sci fi and loved it. The kids enjoyed it as well. the kids loved the shakes.

 

[burt]

Can you squeeze 3 kids in a row of seats, there will be 7 of us on our august trip and we are thnking of booking Sci Fi , but if we cant get 7 in the car we will probably give it a miss.

 

[LilGMom]

Sci-Fi is a must do on each of our trips. Our kids (8 & 4) love the clips and now that the oldest is 8 we allow the boys to sit in a seat together with DH & I directly behind them. The clips are so cheesey that they really aren't scarey (we took our oldest for the first time when he was under 2) and they love the Tom & Jerry clips. DH & I also used to point out some of the cheesey things to the kids, like the strings holding up the giant spider monster. The food is always good and the service has always been great.

50s.... not so much. Two out of three times our entire dining experience was bad so we won't go back. And depending on if you get a CM that gives you the "50s experience" it might not be any different than dining at any other TS restaurant.

I think both are worth doing at least once because everyone has a different experience. Check out the menu for each and decide based on that, the overall experience can vary greatly from CM to CM.