Monday, January 6, 2014

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant - Hollywood Studios

On Saturday, we dined at Disney's Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Hollywood Studios.  Even with reservations, we waited about 30 minutes to be seated.  They always seem to be running behind. 


My favorite part of this dining experience is the atmosphere of the restaurant.  I love dining in the classic cars, and watching the old sci-fi movie clips.


Every time we have dined at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater since my celiac diagnosis, I have ordered the chicken wings with honey-chipotle barbecue sauce.  I rarely will pass up the chance to eat gluten free wings.  I enjoyed them, but I prefer the wings I had with a habanero-brown sugar glaze from Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort.  


I like to order a side of french fries to go with my wings.  They are a thick cut fry, something you don't see often at Disney.  They were cooked perfectly, and made in a dedicated fryer.  


For dessert, I had an OMG...It's Gluten Free Brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and strawberries.  Chef Albert mentioned that he could make me a Hot Fudge Sundae, but I have a hard time passing up these brownies.


The main reason we were at Hollywood Studios on Saturday was to see The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  We always go to see them the first and last weekend they are displayed, and usually a couple of times in between.  


I hope they don't become a thing of the past with all the rumored changes to Hollywood Studios.  Going to see the Osborne Lights is one of our favorite Christmas traditions. 


January 6, 2015 Update

 

On Sunday, we dined at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater on the last night of the Osborne Lights.  Our reservation was for 4:00, but we were seated right away when we arrived at 3:30.


I was really excited to see their new gluten free menu, and our server told us that they also have other special diets menus, including dairy free, egg free, and nut free.  


For an entree, I ordered the Salmon BLT served on an Udi's gluten-free flatbread with arugula, tomatoes, and bacon, with a side of french fries.  It was very difficult to take a picture of because the restaurant is so dark.  I am presuming that the "flatbread" is an Udi's pizza crust folded in half, which gives you an idea of how big this sandwich was.  I thought my salmon was cooked well, and there was plenty of it.  Overall, I enjoyed this sandwich and my fries, and would consider ordering it again.  


For dessert, I wanted to try a milkshake, and asked if they could use both vanilla and chocolate ice cream in mine.  We all agreed that we like the milkshakes better at The Plaza in the Magic Kingdom.  My milkshake was so thick, I couldn't even use the straw that came with it.  I would definitely prefer a little less ice cream and more milk.  


My daughters love OMG...It's Gluten Free Brownies so much, they ordered the Brownie a la Mode from the gluten free menu for dessert.  


Our girls loved their chicken pasta, and my husband enjoyed his reuben, both of which are available in a gluten free version.  I considered ordering the pasta dish my daughters ate, but I am not a fan of Tinkyada gluten free pasta, so I went with the sandwich instead.  


Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Gluten Free Menu

Non-Alcoholic Specialties
  • Chocolate or vanilla milk shakes
Appetizers
  • Chicken wings with honey-chipotle barbecue sauce, blue cheese dressing, and celery sticks
  • Spinach and artichoke dip with corn tortilla chips
  • Sci-Fi Salad - mixed greens, dried cranberries, Granny Smith apples, blue cheese crumbles, and sunflower seeds with a balsamic vinaigrette
Entrees
  • Flame-broiled New York strip steak topped with blue cheese butter, and served with garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
  • Shrimp or chicken pasta - Tinkyada gluten free penne with garlic, basil, cream, fresh tomatoes, and Parmesan
  • The Reuben - corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss, and thousand island dressing on Udi's gluten-free flatbread, served with a pickle spear, and choice of cucumber salad or french fries
  • Build-your-own Angus chuck burger - flame-broiled beef patty with cheddar or swiss, crispy bacon, and tomatoes on a Local Oven gluten free bun, with a choice of cucumber salad or french fries.  Make it your own with toppings of sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, and sauerkraut.  
  • The Famous All-American Picnic Burger - flame-broiled Angus burger patty topped with a grilled hot dog, sauerkraut, and sauteed onions on a Local Oven gluten free bun, crowned with a pickle spear, with a choice of cucumber salad or french fries
  • Salmon or Chicken BLT served on an Udi's gluten-free flatbread with arugula, vine-ripened tomatoes, bacon, red onion, and chile-chive aioli, served with a choice of cucumber salad or french fries
  • House-smoked St. Louis-style pork ribs lightly brushed with barbecue sauce, served with baked beans and coleslaw
Desserts
  • Hot fudge sundae with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and a cherry
  • OMG Gluten-Free Brownie a la Mode - warmed brownie topped with vanilla bean ice cream
  • Fresh fruit salad
Kids Meals (for guests ages 9 and under)
  • Appetizers - garden salad; celery and carrot sticks with ranch dressing
  • Mickey Check Meals (served with a choice of lowfat milk or a small Dasani water) - grilled chicken breast with mashed potatoes, greens beans, carrots, and sliced apples; grilled salmon with mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and sliced apples 
  • Choose 1 beverage (lowfat milk, Dasani water, apple juice), one entree (chicken tenders, Amy's macaroni & cheese, cheese burger on a Local Oven bun), and one dessert (fruit salad, ice cream sundae, sliced apples) 


After dinner, we headed to the Streets of America to view the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights there for maybe the last time.  I had a great talk with a cast member, who told me some interesting information about the possible future of Hollywood Studios:

  • There is talk that Hollywood Studios might be renamed Disney Hollywood Adventure, a name to match Disney California Adventure at Disneyland.  Both parks have a very similar looking entrance.  The huge Sorcerer Mickey hat, which is being removed this week, will no longer be the symbol of the park.  It will go back to being the Earful Tower, the water tower with Mickey ears at Hollywood Studios.   
  • I thought Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular was closing to make way for Star Wars additions to the park, but I was told that they will be building an Indiana Jones Adventure ride, like the one in Disneyland.  That was one of my favorite rides out in California, so I hope that piece of information turns out to be true.  
  • The Backlot Express, one of my favorite quick service restaurants at Hollywood Studios is getting a Star Wars makeover to look like a restaurant in the first movie.  
  • The Studio Backlot Tour is already closed, as will Lights, Motors, Action Extreme Stunt Show, and the Streets of America to make way for a Pixar/Cars Land.  
  • Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the Osborne Lights, but they will have to be relocated because of the closure of the Streets of America.  I was told that they will definitely not disappear from Hollywood Studios, and that there is a possibility we might be seeing them all over the park.  
  • The final tidbit of information I learned from the cast member I spoke to is that they will be expanding Star Tours.   

It will be interesting to see which of these rumors prove to be true in the upcoming years.  The American Idol Experience and the Legend of Jack Sparrow are already closed at Hollywood Studios.

You can view the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater's menu, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater?  


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