Dinner on HS day

[Calee]

Looking for some suggestions. We have an early lunch reservation (11:05) at Sci Fi on our HS day. We are not on any dining plan. We have not eaten anywhere else in HS as the QS get bad reviews!

We are staying for fantasmic. I am not opposed to leaving the park for dinner but would prefer to have quick service or would consider a (relatively speaking) inexpensive table service.

It's 2 adults and 3 kids, 6, 8 and 10. Is there a quick service in the park you like? Somewhere at a nearby resort?
Our resort (CBR) will be under Reno so not the best choice to return there to eat....

 

[Calee]

Also we have never explored other resorts except the MK ones. So I wouldn't mind heading over to the boardwalk resorts. But how easy is that?

 

[DisneyHardin]

We like to go to Cape May at The Beach Club on our HS day.

 

[Shanti]

Looking for some suggestions. We have an early lunch reservation (11:05) at Sci Fi on our HS day. We are not on any dining plan. We have not eaten anywhere else in HS as the QS get bad reviews!

We are staying for fantasmic. I am not opposed to leaving the park for dinner but would prefer to have quick service or would consider a (relatively speaking) inexpensive table service.

It's 2 adults and 3 kids, 6, 8 and 10. Is there a quick service in the park you like? Somewhere at a nearby resort?
Our resort (CBR) will be under Reno so not the best choice to return there to eat....

I recommend trying to get a dinner ressie for Sci Fi (use Touring Plans reservation finder & also watch for last-minute cancellations). It would take a long time to get to a resort restaurant from HS, eat, & return to HS. And HS has minimal counter service.

 

[jvalic33]

I typically do the dining plan but if I had to choose, I would grab a cheaper snack in the park for lunch and have a leisurely dinner at the Brown Derby if you can swing it. I don't recall Sci-Fi being cheap and the food is not such great quality although the milkshakes are really yummy. The burgers reminded me of cafeteria meat. Also, my 6 year olds at the time found the movies to be a bit creepy and even the older kids. Sometimes the old fashioned movies can be scarier than we remember (images of Boris Karloff still haunt me to this day...). The Brown Derby is one of the most amazing restaurants in the park and they have the Fantasmic package as well. I can still remember how much I loved the Crab Pocket. It's delectable yummy crab meat in like a flaky super thin crispy wonton like shell and while I think no one wants to share that app because it's so yummy, you could probably split an entree between a couple people and they do have kids meals that are always much higher quality for basically the same price than the cheaper park resturants. Also, it's just a great location and let's you out so close to the walk to Fantasmic.

If you did want to make it over to a hotel, the Beach Club has an all you can eat seafood buffet which some people really like (I haven't been there in a while) or you can grab a bite on the Boardwalk. The boats are pretty frequent and quick back and forth.

 

[Ladyandthepuppies]

Honestly I think the TS restaurants in Disney are great due to theming, but the food at most of the QS is awful. Especially since you're not on the dining plan, I would order some kind of protein a la carte from any QS (just so you feel like you're eating a "real" dinner) and then either pack snacks from home or spend the rest of my dinner $ on treats at the park.

 

[sharonabe]

We are staying for fantasmic. I am not opposed to leaving the park for dinner but would prefer to have quick service or would consider a (relatively speaking) inexpensive table service.

We've eaten at just about all the QS at HS and don't understand the "hate" they get. We've had good food at all of them. The new tex-mex stuff at Fairfax Fare was really good this past Nov. Many people have come back and said ABC Commissaries new dinner menu is also very good. I say choose the one that has the most appealing food to your family and try it.

 

[Calee]

I recommend trying to get a dinner ressie for Sci Fi (use Touring Plans reservation finder & also watch for last-minute cancellations). It would take a long time to get to a resort restaurant from HS, eat, & return to HS. And HS has minimal counter service.

We are already eating lunch at sci-fi! We ate here on our last trip fall 2016 and it's one of the table.service my entire family has requested again!

 

[Calee]

We've eaten at just about all the QS at HS and don't understand the "hate" they get. We've had good food at all of them. The new tex-mex stuff at Fairfax Fare was really good this past Nov. Many people have come back and said ABC Commissaries new dinner menu is also very good. I say choose the one that has the most appealing food to your family and try it.

I don't think Fairfax was on my radar for our last trip so I'll have to check out that menu! I think ABC has changed its menu too so maybe one of these will work!

 

[jvalic33]

Sorry I didn't mean to rain on your Sci-Fi meal....my boys are scared of Scooby Doo and my daughters have to put lights on for them when they go upstairs at night . There is the new Pizza Rizzo..have you checked out reviews there and is it easy to just get a slice or two? That is also supposed to have a really cool area to eat upstairs if your kids are muppets fans.

 

[Calee]

Sorry I didn't mean to rain on your Sci-Fi meal....my boys are scared of Scooby Doo and my daughters have to put lights on for them when they go upstairs at night . There is the new Pizza Rizzo..have you checked out reviews there and is it easy to just get a slice or two? That is also supposed to have a really cool area to eat upstairs if your kids are muppets fans.

I saw that!! I saw someone say that they tried to go at dinnertime though and it was closed. I wonder if that was a fluke or if it closes early regularly....

 

[Shanti]

We are already eating lunch at sci-fi! We ate here on our last trip fall 2016 and it's one of the table.service my entire family has requested again!

I just meant Sci Fi dinner instead of lunch.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would take a look at the DHS QS menus and make your choice from there. We've never had a bad meal at any of the QS there. It's not stellar food, but it isn't horrible. Unless you want to take a lot of time out of your DHS evening, I wouldn't go to any of the EP resorts to eat.

 

[NYCgrrl]

ABC Commissary was enjoyed by the man and DGD who was 12 y/o last trip. I just sat at the table with them since I wasn't hungry. It's a hybrid QS where you stand in line and order your food and then it's brought to your table by staff.

One ordered a roast chicken and rib meal and the other, the salmon. They both preferred the chicky over the ribs (DGD likes dry rub over a wet sauce) and ate all the salmon dish even though the dish came w/ couscous instead of rice.
Other possibilities are Rosie's All American Cafe where you can get the ubiquitous chicken nuggets and a better than average park burger (real lettuce and tomato slices) or Catalina Eddie's that makes a QS version of Caesar salad with or w/o chicken added. Seating for Rosie's and CE are in the same locale so it's easy to order from either place and consume in one place.

No idea what time the Fantasmic show is or what time you want to eat dinner but it's not that difficult transport or time wise to get to the Broadwalk from HS where you could eat at Cafe May for seafood buffet. Never eaten there but many rave over their all you care to eat crab legs.

HTH!

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We’ve had good QS at Rosie’s.

 

[KenHutch]

For CS we like Backlot Express in Hollywood. The Dark Side Chicken and Waffles is a favorite. I often refer to Sci Fi (one of my favorites) as a CS impersonating a TS. If you stick to the burgers and fries it is very reasonable for Disney.

 

[loves to dive]

The walk to the resorts from HS is about 20 min, the boat is the same if you catch it right when it arrives. Swan/Dolphin is the close to HS, tail end of BW is closer but the food choices might be a tad further than Swan/Dolphin. The boat stops Swan/Dolphin, YC/BC then BW so riding the boat if going to BW will take longer. We love the soda shop at Dolphin. It's less expensive than Beaches and Cream, no ADRs required and the food is good. We are big fans of the HBD outside lounge but you would have to look at the menu to see if there is anything for the kids. No ADRs required and I'm not sure how late it is open. Another option, expensive but an option, is to get food at Fantasmic.

 

[chris benton]

Here's what I'd consider:
The Fountain at Dolphin, then walk over to the Boardwalk for Ample Hills Ice Cream. (Even tho the fountain has all kinds of Ice cream stuff. I'm not saying The Fountain's Ice cream is bad, either. Ample Hills is what you waste calories on if you're gonna eat ice cream.) Then catch the boat back to HS from the Boardwalk.

Picabu at Dolphin too. Picabu is a little more cafeteria-ish, and it's not themed at ALL, but it's decent, and their "family meals" are priced right.

You might also want to look into special food night at Dolphin's Cabana. They have bbq night, maybe some others.
Swan has a decently priced character meal at Garden Grove.

Worth checking. They are close, and you can check out Swolphin, and Boardwalk pretty easily.

 

[CynBeth]

I would do 50’s PTC.

 

[mamamelody2]

DH and I actually enjoyed ABC Commissary. I had the salmon and it was very good.
Otherwise, you could consider 50s Prime Time Cafe. Get 2 or 3 meals and split them. They are huge. Especially the fried chicken, or the Mom's Favorites sampler.