Sci-Fi Dining
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (122453)
Gainesville, Florida
January 18, 2025 8:15am CST
Each year when the family vacations at Disney World for the Christmas/New Years holidays, we like to make dinner reservations at the various themed restaurants on the theme park properties. The entire Disney World complex probably has a hundred or more dining options spread out among its theme parks, water parks, shopping districts and resort hotels, so there is always something new to choose from when visiting.
On our most recent Disney adventure, we made reservations to have dinner at a restaurant at Hollywood Studios called Sci-Fi Dine In Theater. The restaurant is themed like a 1950's drive-in movie theater, and your "table" is shaped like a 50's style convertible car. All the cars face the front of the theater where a large movie screen plays trailers from dozens of 1950's science fiction/horror movies. You watch the movie trailers as you dine. The theater is dimly lit to give the ambiance of actually being at an old outdoor drive-in movie theater. Disney thought of everything to make it as realistic as possible, including speakers on poles at the site of each "car" just like you would have had at the old drive-in theaters back in the day.
The food was pretty good too, although it was a limited menu of 4 or 5 different kinds of hamburgers, along with a side of fries. For drinks, they offered classic sodas or milkshakes.
I enjoyed it because it was such a different dining experience than usual, and it brought back memories of going to the drive-in movie theaters with my parents as a child. My kids loved it because they have never experienced a drive-in movie theater before.
Do you have nostalgic memories of drive-in movie theaters? I used to love going to them as a child. I always loved seeing in movies (the movie Grease comes to mind) how the teens would all hang out at the drive-ins with their dates and friends. By the time I was a teenager and started dating, drive-ins were a thing of the past and we took dates to regular movie theaters.
10 people like this
8 responses
@Juliaacv (52017)
• Canada
18 Jan
The drive-in was open outside of the city that I attended school until I was in my early 20's.
I went there as a high school student on a couple of dates, and more than a couple of dates after I started dating my hubby.
I love the idea of the place that you dined at, it must have been alot of fun, it looks so great.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
One of the things I really wished I could have experienced was taking a date to a drive-in as a teenager. I think that would have been lots of fun! But those days are long gone, unfortunately. I'm happy for you that you at least got to experience it!
I thought it was such a unique idea for Disney to come up with a dine-in movie experience. A very simple concept, yet brilliant.
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@Juliaacv (52017)
• Canada
18 Jan
@moffittjc It was alot of fun going on a date to the drive in, nothing serious, and I was a happy go lucky teenager and didn't want/need any serious relationships. I was just lucky that my Dad finally allowed me to date when I turned 17.
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
@Juliaacv I'm sure it was a really fun time for you. Was it just you and your date, or did you go with a group of friends?
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@wolfgirl569 (110541)
• Marion, Ohio
18 Jan
I remember going as a teenager even. I think there is still one near Kenton Ohio if it hasn't closed the last few years
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@wolfgirl569 (110541)
• Marion, Ohio
18 Jan
@moffittjc That one was. We never went to it
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
I think it's really cool that a few drive-in theaters have remained open. They are definitely a relic of the past, but I know there is still enough people with nostalgic memories of them that they at least have enough business to stay open in some areas.
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
@wolfgirl569 Wouldn't it be fun to go see a movie there, even if only once just for nostalgic reasons?
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@snowy22315 (184351)
• United States
18 Jan
I sure do. We went alot in the summer. Our area here has a drive in movie about 35 minutes from here. It's a hoot
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
I heard that there is a drive-in theater still operating in a town about 45 minutes south of where I live. One of these days, I may try to take my girlfriend on a date there. I'm sure it will be so much fun and bring back so many memories. Except now, instead of listening to the sound through speakers on a pole, you just tune in on your radio and listen that way.
In Florida, spring and fall were the best times to go to drive-ins, because our summers are too hot and humid (and rainy) to make the experience enjoyable.
@JESSY3236 (20176)
• United States
21 Jan
My boyfriend would love this theater. He loves dine-in theaters.
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
21 Jan
I loved the whole theme and the ambiance of the place. It really made it feel like we were at a drive-in movie theater!
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jan
There are still a few around in the United States, and they somehow are staying in business. Must be a lot of older folks who are feeling nostalgic for those old drive-in theaters. Plus, it's a novelty for the younger generation, the teens and young adults of today's generation will check them out to see how it was in the "olden days."
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Jan
@JudyEv I know a lot of our small towns and cities will operate open-air theaters during the summer months, usually on Friday evenings. It's always a nice way to bring the community together.
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@JudyEv (344799)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jan
@moffittjc I only know of two in our state. We have a very few open-air theatres too. I think they only operate during summer. You sit in deck-chairs.
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@porwest (95309)
• United States
18 Jan
I do remember drive-in theaters. They are a thing of the past mostly, of course. Incidentally, we have a drive in theater right here in town that operates during the summer. I've been here ten years and have never gone to it. Might be an interesting date night. As for the Disney themed restaurant, sounds neat.
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Jan
It's good to see that there are a few "stragglers" still left in operation. It would be a fun date night, although probably once would be about it for me before the novelty wore off. I think we have one still operating about 45 minutes south of where I live.
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@moffittjc (122453)
• Gainesville, Florida
25 Jan
@porwest I'm sure many of these drive-ins that still exist are a labor of love. I know the one closest to me also serves as a flea market/swap shop during the day, and then a drive-in theater at night. I'm sure the flea market revenue probably offsets the drive-in losses.
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@porwest (95309)
• United States
21 Jan
@moffittjc Hanging by a thread, I would suspect. Although, this drive in has been around for decades. It's either making a decent profit or it's a labor of love by someone who can afford to eat the difference. lol
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