My party of 2 spent $35 on lunch at Sci-Fi Dine-In in Disney World, and it was totally worth it

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Hollywood Studios has been serving up a slice of Americana since 1991.

To dine at the restaurant, you need a park ticket, a park reservation, and a dining reservation. But the hassle of getting all of those things was worth it.

Like much of Hollywood Studios, the old-Hollywood theming is on full display at Sci-Fi Dine-In.

Outside, there's a large mural with adorable 1950s-style cars all lined up watching the latest flicks at the drive-in movie.

There's also a model car that's similar in style to the cars inside — though the cars in the restaurant are actually small tables where you can enjoy your meal.

After checking in at the host stand outside, our table was ready, and someone took us to our seats.

The walkway into the restaurant is small, though there are some display cases with sci-fi movie memorabilia.

After turning the corner into the dining room, I was surprised at how large the room felt. There were dozens of retro cars all lined up just like at a real drive-in.

The restaurant is very dark, which doesn't make for great photos or conversation. All you can really see is the twinkling sky-like ceiling over the big movie screen.

At the back of the restaurant is the kitchen, which is outfitted to look like a snack stand complete with a menu board.

If you don't like sitting at tables with other people, you may want to skip this restaurant. We had to share our car with another party.

Most of the tables are booth-style seating in the cars — although there are a few picnic-style tables in the back.

The car had three rows, and each row had a small ledge that was meant to act as a table. The ledge was backlit, but I wish it was a bit brighter.

We sat in the back row of a car, and the other family took up the front two rows. The employee who seated us told the family in front they picked up a few hitchhikers and had to be nice to us.

The family turned around and waved, but that was the extent of our interaction with them.

All of the cars face the front of the restaurant where there's a large movie screen.

Throughout the meal, we were able to watch clips from old monster movies, cute advertisements for the snack bar, and even a few clips of Walt Disney.

The volume for the movie was a little low for my taste — at some points, I couldn't hear the dialogue of the clips. But that wasn't a huge downfall for me since I was mainly there to eat.

Because it was so hot the day we dined at Sci-Fi, we skipped cocktails and milkshakes and ordered water to stay hydrated.

For food, we started with an order of onion rings ($11), which came with a horseradish dipping sauce.

I'm a big fan of the onion rings at 50's Prime Time Cafe at Hollywood Studios, so I was hoping these would be similar.

The onion rings here were battered in panko bread crumbs, making them super crispy. But the batter was just slightly too thick for my taste.

I also wasn't a fan of the sauce, which tasted more like ranch dressing than horseradish dip.

Overall, I wasn't super impressed with the onion rings. But I wouldn't pass them up if someone wanted to try them on a future trip to the restaurant.

When it came time to order entrées, we were split between the oven-roasted turkey sandwich ($18) and the feature-film burger ($22.50).

The type of burger and the toppings rotate, and the day we were at the restaurant, it didn't sound good to us. Instead, we opted for the turkey sandwich, and I'm so glad we did.

The menu states that the turkey is house-brined and herb-roasted, which is impressive in itself.

Along with the turkey, the sandwich has bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and a cilantro-avocado aioli, all on a multigrain croissant. It also comes with a side, and we went with fries.

When our waitress served us our sandwich, she was kind enough to bring an extra plate so we could share. She also brought out ketchup, ranch dressing, and honey mustard.

I was pleasantly surprised that the honey mustard wasn't the pre-packaged version that's served at most quick-service restaurants. It was a creamy, mayo-based spread, reminiscent of the fan-favorite variety that used to be served at Hollywood Studio's Backlot Express.

The croissant was soft but held up to all of the toppings.

The turkey was shaved thin, had plenty of flavor, and was still incredibly moist. It was piled on at least half an inch thick, which made the sandwich very filling.

All of the other ingredients made for a harmonious bite that exploded with salty, savory, and fresh flavors.

The cilantro-avocado aioli was a secondary star on the sandwich. It added a touch of brightness and creaminess that elevated the dish even more.

The accompanying fries were steak fries, which was a nice departure from the standard skinny fast-food style fries that are served around Disney World.

The dish is a fresh take on the typical deli-style croissant sandwich, but with more emphasis on flavor and overall construction. I'll definitely be returning just for this entrée.

After chowing down on onion rings, a massive turkey sandwich, and perfectly cooked fries, we were both so full that we skipped dessert.

Next time I dine here, I want to try the house-made Sci-Fi candy bar ($9), which has a cookies-and-cream mousse inside.

Sci-Fi Dine-In is also known for its milkshakes ($7), so I'd like to give those a try as well.

In total, we shared one appetizer and one entrée and spent around $35 after the tip. We were able to use our annual-pass discount to get 10% off of our total, which helped us save a few bucks.

Both the appetizer and the entrée were good, but I still like the onion rings at 50's Prime Time Cafe better.

Watching the large movie screen playing clips of monster movies and Walt Disney was a nice way to step away from the craziness of the parks and just relax.

After dining at every restaurant at Hollywood Studios, Sci-Fi Dine-In is easily one of the best. Our service was good and the food was prepared well.