Well, here’s a new one for ya… how about starting your day UNDER THE STARS at Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant?

Yep, the perpetual evening setting of Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant is now the latest breakfast stop at Disney’s  Hollywood Studios! This long-time, well-loved lunch and dinner spot is now offering a limited-run meal: guests can give breakfast a try at Sci-Fi Dine-In, currently available for booking from now until January 23, 2016 with seatings from 8:00 – 10:15 am. [EDITOR’S UDPATE: Please note that the trial run of breakfast at Sci-Fi Restaurant has ended, and at this point the option has not been renewed.]

Of course, this isn’t Sci-Fi’s first time serving up the most important meal of the day. For the past two years, it has played host to the Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast, a character meal held in conjunction with Star Wars Weekends. But Darth Vader and his Dark Side cronies stayed in a galaxy far, far away this go ‘round. The current breakfast offering is a non-character meal featuring pre-fixe selections.

Are you ready to check it out?

Then, here we go!

Atmosphere

At Sci-Fi, you step right in to go out, entering into a field filled with cars all positioned to enjoy an evening at a 1950s-style Drive-in Theater under eternally starry skies.

This is, of course, after you take a little walk through the “backstage” area once you’ve checked in. The posters along the wall give you some idea of what to expect when you enter the theater, featuring campy movie clips from the 50s, which you will soon see come to life on the huge movie screen in the dining area.

Most kids (and — it’s okay to admit it — most of us adults, too) are hooked from the moment they see their table, set in a vintage car facing the movie screen.

A few picnic tables tucked in back offer a different seating style. They are handicap accessible, as well as being a great place to sit for those with very little ones in need of high chairs. They also offer an advantage of being somewhat better lit than the car tables.

No matter where you sit, you have a fine view of the movie screen up front, rolling mostly vintage horror movie trailers (more comical than scary… nowadays, anyway) and concession commercials. Fans of the movie “Grease” may even catch a glimpse of the flipping hot dog from that moment when Danny Zuko cries “WHY–YYYY-YYYY-YYY… Sandy.” I can never manage a clear picture of the hot dog, what with all the somersaulting. Still, this will give you an idea of the screen…

Most guests have a chance to catch the full loop… and then some, since the whole thing only lasts around 40 minutes. Still, it’s a hoot, and adds to all the reasons why  Sci-Fi Dine-In is considered to offer the favorite restaurant atmosphere for many Disney diners. It just puts you in a good mood… and who doesn’t want to start the day that way?

Eats

Sci-Fi Dine-In is typically known for providing all-American eats ordered a la carte for lunch and dinner (think burgers, ribs, milkshakes, and the like). The new breakfast offering is a different deal. It’s a pre-fixe meal, and included for the price of $23.99 for adults and $12.99 for kids are a selection of breakfast pastries, and choice of appetizer, entree, and beverage (non-alcoholic). Let’s start with a look at the full menu.

Breakfast is also different because the entree selections step outside the norm with items like Sci-Fi Crab and Eggs, Macadamia-crusted Brioche French Toast, and Shrimp and Grits, among more traditional selections. (If you were one of the lucky folks who were able to attend the Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast, then the selections may look quite — okay, very — familiar to you… sans Blue Milk, of course.)

As promised, the meal started out with an array of Breakfast Pastries, which included a fairly standard assortment of croissants, mini double chocolate muffins, and orange-glazed cinnamon buns. Nothing special (the same variety you’ll typically find in the Grab-and-Go areas at Resorts), but still tasty.

Across the plate, though, the fresh, fluffy croissants were the best, but we found the muffins to be slightly stale. And the cinnamon buns could definitely use some more icing… but you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you 😉 ?

The appetizer is your choice of either a Fruit Cup or Yogurt Parfait with granola and berries. The Fruit Cup was a decent mix (grapes, blueberries, strawberries, pineapple, and cantaloupe), though it did have a lot of melon in it.

For our entree selections, we went with a traditional and a not-so-much. In fact, the traditional option is so very traditional, that it’s called… wait for it… the Traditional Breakfast. This platter is made up of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage links, and breakfast potatoes.

As the main dish, the eggs had a bit of that wet consistency (I prefer them on the dry side), but the best thing on the plate was absolutely the breakfast potatoes, complete with cheese and a bit of crispiness on top from the bake — I could’ve happily done with a whole plate of them and called it good! With the addition of the savory and salty sausage and bacon, the Traditional Breakfast lives up to its name: a basic assortment of breakfast favorites to start the day.

It’s a fine choice for those who are less tempted to start the day with something less… well, traditional. Such as our next selection, the Sci-Fi Crab and Eggs: tucked inside a puff pastry are eggs scrambled with crab, asparagus, and Gruyere cheese. It’s served with roasted tomatoes and avocado.

Before we dig in, you may want to know that the crab claw is –thankfully — shelled for you :).

Again, my egg preference is dryer, and these were quite moist, which unfortunately made the bottom of my puff pastry soggy. In addition to the crab claw, though, the eggs themselves are mixed with the crab (which, impressively, I could taste in almost every bite), chopped asparagus, and Gruyere cheese, which resulted in a terrific combination of flavors. The only thing to note is that I think it could’ve used a little more seasoning.

On the other hand, the avocado and tender and juicy roasted tomato were both very well-seasoned, and I enjoyed them more than I anticipated. The avocado garnishing the plate doesn’t look like much, but it’s delicious — very reminiscent of guacamole. Unexpected, but a great addition to the plate.

The Steak and Eggs — a huge hit during the Star Wars Galactic Dine-In, when it was served under the themed name of Kessel Run — also made a return. The photo below is from the Galactic Dine-In and not our recent meal. However, the dish still features the same components: Grilled Beef Tenderloin on an oven-roasted tomato served with a Bacon Cheddar Custard on baby spinach, and Cheesy Horseradish Potatoes.

And we’ve got one more for you… because what’s breakfast at Disney World without a Mickey Waffle? We’re pleased to report that this one was very fluffy, warm and perfectly cooked, served with a simple fruit cup of strawberries and banana.

Just look at that face, would ya?

And there you have it, my friends! Breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine-In is in the books!

Overall

As a reminder, breakfast at Sci-Fi is still considered a limited-run option, currently available for Advance Dining Reservations through January 23, 2016 via the Walt Disney World website or by calling (407) WDW-DINE. That said, we’ve seen this before. Breakfast at Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom was on a trial run for several months prior to becoming a regular meal option, and we’re anxious to learn whether this will become the case at Sci-Fi, too.

After all, it couldn’t be a bad thing to have another Table Service experience for breakfast at Hollywood Studios. Though there are plenty of Counter Service options (mostly of the grab-and-go variety), the only other regular Table Service breakfast option is the buffet at Hollywood & Vine featuring the Disney Junior characters. While I’m typically all for adults enjoying character meals, let’s face it — the Disney Junior characters have a very specific target audience… one that knows all the words to The Hot Dog Song by heart ;). There’s certainly nothing wrong with that; it’s just not intended for everybody. Breakfast at Sci-Fi, on the other hand, is not only a great option for adults, but also for older kids who are beyond the Jake and the Neverland Pirates stage, but still think it’s super cool to eat in a car. And, heck, who doesn’t?

If breakfast at Sci-Fi does become a regular offering (or if you get to enjoy it before the limited run ends), I must say that I think the value for the price is there: while I wasn’t particularly blown away by the offerings, they were still decent (though the Steak and Eggs has received some rave reviews), and this is a lot of food for the price. Add in the super fun atmosphere that’s always been the hallmark of dining at Sci-Fi, along with the wonderful service we enjoyed with this visit, and breakfast here can really become a great component of a morning trip to Hollywood Studios.

Do you think breakfast at Sci-Fi is a good value? Let us know in the comments below!

DFB Contributors to this story: Caitlin P., Wendy, AJ Wolfe