State of dining at the Studios

	Print this article
	Email to a friend
	Discuss

Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Matt Hochberg

Once a year the President of the United States makes a State of the Union address and Governors make State of the State addresses to give their constituents a summary of what’s going on and I’ve decided to give my opinion of the state of something we all hold near and dear to ourselves, dining in the Studios.  It’s something I like to do on a personal level when evaluating how the sit down meals at the Studios are in my head, but now I have a medium of conveying this informal survey to my constituents, which are you, the readers.

Dining at the Disney-MGM Studios over the last 360 days or so has maintained the status quo.  Since the inception of the Playhouse Disney meal at Hollywood & Vine, nothing major has changed in the dining experience for the guest.  Therefore my fellow Disney-MGM Studio fans, let me share with you how each of the restaurants are doing.

The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant continues to be the only two table service credit meal on the Disney Dining Plan. It also is the most expensive restaurant for those using the Fantasmic! Dinner Package although does it deserve the price? Overall the food here is good, although limited in terms of its menu selection.  The Brown Derby has moved from a practical meal to somewhere to go either for a special occasion or if everywhere else is booked and you must eat at a table service restaurant.  The service is top notch and atmosphere really makes you feel out of place for wearing shorts and a t-shirt because there is that aura of Hollywood glitz in there that makes you want to come in with nothing less than a jacket and tie. Overall rating: C

The 50’s Prime Time Café is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, restaurant at the Studios.  It balances slightly above average food with excellent entertainment.  The Prime Time is slated for a short closure in early 2008 for what is likely just sprucing up the area as well as the staff.  Really, the only complaint to be had for me is your level of entertainment is dependent on who your server is, as some Cast Members are clearly more entertaining than others.  The good news is even if you don’t have the most engaging Cast Member to serve you, you will see and hear the other great Cast Members around your table.  Overall rating: B

Going down Vine Street we get to Hollywood & Vine, the best value at the Studios for what you pay.  If you’re looking to get the most out of your dollar, this is the place for you.  Hollywood & Vine currently has the Playhouse Disney character breakfast and lunch, followed by a dinner meal with no characters.  The Playhouse Disney meal is fun and filled with a lot more than just the usual napkin twirling.  Anyone with a preschooler will love the meal here. For dinner, it’s hard to beat the wide selection of food coupled with the low price tag.  Overall rating: B-

Another popular restaurant at the Studios is the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.  This restaurant, although popular, is a real sore thumb for this restaurant evaluation.  People enjoy it, but not for the food here.  Clearly the entertainment value is top notch and kids really love the theming.  The real issue is the fact that the food is below average, small and expensive.  It’s hard to justify the cost for the sake of good theming and it’s why I never recommend the Sci-Fi.  Overall rating: C-

Rounding out the table service meals at the Studios is Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.  Like Hollywood & Vine, it’s a “soft spoken” establishment that offers above average food for a great price.  Mama Melrose’s Californian take on Italian food usually sits well with most guests and has some terrific appetizers.  This is the kind of restaurant where it’s best to sample a little of everything so groups should share their entrees rather than order one for everyone.  It’s become far more popular than it has been in the past, although it’s remote location in the back of the park, tucked away on a path that not many guests go down still makes it a good bet for a last minute reservation.  Overall rating: B-

Although I’m pleased with table service restaurants at the Disney-MGM Studios, there is still room for improvement.  I think the Studios is number two in terms of table service meals at the parks, behind Epcot but ahead of Animal Kingdom and the Magic Kingdom.  With the continuing growth of the park and constant addition of characters to the park’s lineup, there is real potential for improvement and I hope sometime soon to start hearing rumors of an addition of a new table service meal at the Studios.