Table service at Hollywood Studios

[mamato3girls]

We have a trip planned for April 22-28th for myself, my husband, and our 3 girls (ages 5, 3, and 8 months). Right now I have reservations at Sci Fi at hollywood studios but is there a better table service restaurant there that we would enjoy more? Or is there a restaurant at one of the resorts we should maybe think about instead? The rest of the week we are doing

Monday-Akershus Storybook Lunch
Tuesday-Tusker House Lunch
Wednesday-Cinderella's Royal Table Dinner
Thursday-Right now Sci Fi
Friday-Crystal Palace

We are open to going to one of the other resorts and eating or I guess we could maybe do another table service meal at one of the other resorts another day too. Maybe a breakfast at Crystal Palace on Wednesday since our CRT reservation isn't until late in the evening.

 

[gojoe]

We love 50's Prime Time but the theme is lost on our girls. They love Sci-Fi so we're going to Sci-Fi. Food wise I think Prime Time is far better but despite what I've read we've not had a bad meal at Sci-Fi.
We've go to drive-in's in our area so our girls understand the theme and we've tried to watch a couple of old Sci-Fi moves with them but they don't get it. Have fun.

 

[JUSTAND]

I agree we lond 50s prime time too I personally prefer the food there to sci fi or if your family enjoy Italian food what about mamma Melrose

 

[mamato3girls]

I was just looking at Mama Melrose and actually just discovered the Fantasmic package. I want to make sure I understand it correctly though, maybe this should be in another place? But it looks like we can get a dinner reservation at any of the 3 restaurants that offer the fantasmic package. It seems that we would go to our reservation, eat and get some sort of voucher or something to have earlier/better seating for fantasmic? That is something we missed last year and I think we would enjoy it but am I understanding it correctly?

 

[Edgehopper]

I don't know what you're family's tastes are to say!

With girls ages 5, 3, and 8 months, you may want to do the 50s Prime Time Cafe instead. Sci-Fi shows campy old sci-fi trailers from the sorts of movies that ended up on Mystery Science Theater 3000--it can be a little scary for kids, and probably appeals more to boys than girls on average (but only you know what your girls would want). The food is more diner/drive-in style, with very good burgers and hot dogs.

50's PTC pretends to be a home restaurant with family--the waiter or waitress is your "cousin", your family will be called to your table as "the [last name] kids", etc. Depending on how active your waiter or waitress is, you'll have the fun of old fashioned table manners--I've seen moms and dads forced to stand with their nose against the wall for a few minutes for leaving elbows on the table, waiters making dads eat another bite of their vegetables before they can have dessert, and kids admonished to stop playing with their "walkie-talkies" at the table The food is home style American--meatloaf, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, etc. Both places have excellent milkshakes.

I always try to hit both restaurants on my trips, but I'm not as interested in the other options:

Mama Melrose's--decent Italian and pizza, no special entertainment.
Hollywood and Vine--Disney Channel character buffet, OK food quality. Only recommended if your kids particularly like those characters.
Brown Derby--fancy, high quality signature restaurant. Probably not a good idea for small children.

My personal recommendation would be 50's Prime Time unless your girls are really into the Disney Channel characters, in which case try Hollywood and Vine.

 

[Edgehopper]

I was just looking at Mama Melrose and actually just discovered the Fantasmic package. I want to make sure I understand it correctly though, maybe this should be in another place? But it looks like we can get a dinner reservation at any of the 3 restaurants that offer the fantasmic package. It seems that we would go to our reservation, eat and get some sort of voucher or something to have earlier/better seating for fantasmic? That is something we missed last year and I think we would enjoy it but am I understanding it correctly?

The Fantasmic package gets you guaranteed seating for Fantasmic, not necessarily better seating. You're going in late April, which is not a crowded time. It's worth it if you don't care which restaurant you go to, but I wouldn't avoid Sci-Fi or 50's PTC for Fantasmic seats while you're there. We did just fine in Fantasmic seating showing up a half hour early (which you'd pretty much have to do anyways) with no preferred seating in slightly more crowded mid-May.

 

[n2mm]

The 50s Prime Time is still a family favorite for us. We dine here about 12 times a year now. When we have a big group, it's always where everyone loves to eat. It is comfort food and a lively place. While we ate at SciFi many times, it really bugs us that it's so dark and cramped.

 

[disneychic2]

Another vote for 50s Prime Time. The darkness at SciFi might be a consideration if you needed to tend to the baby. Our food was not good there, but the milkshake was devine. I think the girls would enjoy the fun atmosphere of 50s PT. DH and I ate at Hollywood and Vine and enjoyed it very much, but since you are doing other character meals, you could skip the only average food and enjoy the yummy goodness of Prime Time Cafe. Good luck!

 

[mamato3girls]

50s prime time it is. My husband will be glad to have what he calls "normal" food. He thought a lot of our food last year was "too fancy".

 

[J-2]

You'll enjoy it! It's home-cooked food that is really good, plus the restaurant is fun!

 

[Albytaps]

Hmm it seems like you really wanted to change your ADR's since you did it so quickly. I was about to say to stick with the Sc-Fi unless you really don't think your family would like the theming. We love the theming at the Sci-Fi and although the food there might not be the best, it wasn't horrible.

We went to the 50's PT Cafe the last time because so many recommended it here and my family really didn't like it too much. The food was nothing special, and the most recommended food is the pot roast or meat loaf or those "home" type foods. Sorry but I don't like to eat home type food when I'm in a restaurant... I like restaurant food LOL

My kids didn't like the theming at the 50's PT Cafe and my wife didn't like her food or the theming. I guess the place wasn't meant for us... maybe when the kids are older, but not for young kids. What kid do you know that likes to be yelled at to eat their food or keep their elbows off the table? When I asked th kids if they want to go back one of my daughters immediately shouted "NO!"

I did enjoy the PB & Jelly milkshake I had. The chicken sandwich I had wasn't too great. Overall there was alot of uneaten food that was wasted.

I don't remember wasting food at the Sci-Fi... but I do remember how cool it was to sit in a car and eat dinner while at a drive-in movie theater. However, back then we only had 2 kids and they were fairly young at 3 & 2. The older one remembers it (she's 9 now) and is excited to go back.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Among the Table Service Restaurants in Hollywood Studios I have been to is 50's Prime Time Cafe and Hollywood Brown Derby.

However based on the ages of your 3 girls I would also recommend trying 50's Prime Time Cafe.

 

[melodyka]

We just came back from a trip with 3 girls, 6.5, 4.5 & just 2 years old. We had lunch at Hollywood & Vine, Play & Dine. For breakfast & lunch they have a dance party with characters from Disney Junior- Oso, June from Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, and Jake from the Neverland Pirates. It was great because the kids don't like to sit still anyway, so getting up to dance a few times, was quite fun for all. The food is a buffet with a nice variety for kids taste as well as adults.

ps. we also LOVED Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary which had Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, & Donald.

enjoy

 

[FairestOfThemAll]

Since you're willing to leave the park, I highly recommend both Big River Grille (@ Boardwalk) and Beaches and Cream (@ Beach Club). Neither one take reservations, but they both have fantastic food (and amazing desserts) and that whole area is fun to explore. To get to them from DHS, you can either walk along the river path or take the little ferry boat.

 

[gojoe]

Since you're willing to leave the park, I highly recommend both Big River Grille (@ Boardwalk) and Beaches and Cream (@ Beach Club). Neither one take reservations, but they both have fantastic food (and amazing desserts) and that whole area is fun to explore. To get to them from DHS, you can either walk along the river path or take the little ferry boat.

Let's not forget the Dolphin Fountain. It's right up there with Big River and Beaches & Cream