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102-465: The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant is a theme restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios , one of the four main theme parks at Walt Disney World . Established in May 1991, the restaurant is modeled after a 1950s drive-in theater . Walt Disney Imagineering designed the booths to resemble convertibles of the period, and some servers act as carhops while wearing roller skates. While eating, guests watch

204-524: A Taylor, Michigan Drive in called Ecorse Drive-In. On July 16, 1980, a freak derecho storm with 150 mph straight-line winds swept the Drive-In away leaving only the "now-showing" sign with the letters "Now Playing Gone with the Wind". The screen was rebuilt, but the business never recovered; by 1989, it was sold and now is the site of a Kroger grocery store. Beginning in the late 1970s and extending through

306-532: A box office , and guests can walk from there along a tall fence to the dining room, where they sit at formica countertops in booths made to look like convertibles from the 1940s and 1950s. These booths were designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and are made of fiberglass with much chrome plating . The cars have whitewall tires , and speakers are mounted on poles next to each car. The license plates are dated from 1955, and each convertible seats four people, although these mock vehicles were initially six-seaters when

408-407: A "prison hospital" or "medical prison" (mental institution) theme, where guests were handcuffed and led to "cells" to eat. Various "shows" were put on by costumed staff to scare guests. It closed on May 31, 2018. Perhaps the most infamous modern theme restaurant is Cross Cafe , originally named Hitler's Cross, outside Mumbai , India . Opened in 2006, it included a swastika on its sign, which it

510-461: A 40 by 50 ft (12 by 15 m) screen. He advertised his drive-in theater with the slogan, "The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are." The first film shown was the Adolphe Menjou film Wives Beware . Failing to make a profit, Hollingshead sold the theater after three years to a Union, New Jersey , theater owner who moved the infrastructure to that city, but

612-458: A full-service restaurant with seating on the roof and a trolley system to take children and adults to a playground and a large indoor theater for bad weather or for those who wanted to watch in air-conditioned comfort. The largest in the world was Loew's Open Air in Lynn, Massachusetts which could hold 5,000 cars. Several factors contributed to the decline of the drive-in movie industry. Beginning in

714-659: A large projection screen displaying clips of 1950s and 1960s films as Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster , Plan 9 from Outer Space , and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman . The restaurant serves traditional cuisine of the United States . Popcorn functions as a complimentary hors d'oeuvre . Initially, the menu listed items with themed names, such as "Tossed in Space" ( garden salad ), "The Cheesecake that Ate New York", and "Attack of

816-628: A location outside Walt Disney World in Florida in 1983. Now their "castles" are found across the United States and Canada. The original Hard Rock Cafe was founded in 1971 in London. In 1979, following the donation of guitars by Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend , the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia. Today, this pioneering theme restaurant chain has some 185 locations in 74 countries. Following Hard Rock Cafe's successful theme of exhibiting music memorabilia, Planet Hollywood extended

918-535: A loop that lasts 47 minutes. The film clips are taken from such films as The Blob , Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster , Teenagers from Outer Space , The Amazing Colossal Man , Plan 9 from Outer Space , Invasion of the Saucer Men , and Cat-Women of the Moon . The original Attack of the 50 Foot Woman trailer is also included. The clips are shown on a large projection screen. During Star Wars Weekends ,

1020-592: A loop, the EGV Drive-in Cafe shows entire short films . In 2014, NBCUniversal opened Universal Orlando 's first prime-value hotel, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort, which houses the Bayliner Diner, a restaurant that borrows its premise from the Sci-Fi Dine-In. Both restaurants play old film footage on a loop. The Sci-Fi Dine-In has received mixed reviews. Jack Hayes of Nation's Restaurant News calls

1122-482: A relatively short period of time, in part by selling merchandise. Irish pubs and other similar ethnic restaurants that originated in a particular country but are now found around the world are considered theme restaurants by some, as they use theming to re-create an "authentic" experience. Modern restaurants date back to eighteenth century France. By the early nineteenth century, they had been introduced in America. In

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1224-401: A screen to trees in his backyard, he set a 1928 Kodak projector on the hood of his car and put a radio behind the screen, testing different sound levels with his car windows down and up. Blocks under vehicles in the driveway enabled him to determine the size and spacing of ramps so all automobiles could view the screen. Hollingshead applied for a patent of his invention on August 6, 1932, and he

1326-409: A small petting zoo or cage of monkeys, personal appearances by actors to open their movies, or musical groups to play before the show. Some drive-ins held Sunday religious services or charged a flat price per car on slow nights like Wednesdays or Sundays. On "buck" or "bargain" nights during the 1950s and 1960s, the admission price was one dollar per car; during the 1970s and '80s, bargain night admission

1428-593: A special breakfast is offered called the Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast, during which guests can interact with Star Wars characters and watch clips from the Star Wars films. Film props and vintage horror and science fiction movie posters can be found on the outside perimeter of the themed restaurant, including many props used in Disney's The Rocketeer , which premiered about three months after

1530-513: A steel truss structure with a complex finish. Originally, the movie's sound was provided by speakers on the screen and later by individual speakers hung from the window of each car, which was attached to a small pole by a wire. These speaker systems were superseded by the more practical method of microbroadcasting the soundtrack to car radios. This also has the advantage of the film soundtrack to be heard in stereo on car stereo systems, which are typically of much higher quality and fidelity than

1632-419: Is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen , a projection booth , a concession stand , and a large parking area for automobiles . Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars. Some drive-ins have small playgrounds for children and a few picnic tables or benches. The screen can be as simple as a painted white wall, or it can be

1734-409: Is the facade of a snack counter at the back of the room, behind which is the kitchen. The upper walls of the dining room display a cyclorama of Southern California as seen over a fence. While eating at the Sci-Fi Dine-In, guests watch film clips from 1950s and 1960s science fiction films , B horror films , monster movies , pseudo-documentaries , bizarre newsreels, and animated cartoons, all on

1836-412: Is the last drive-in theater in the state of South Australia (since February 2022). Due to the opal miners often carrying explosives in their vehicles, the drive-in has a ban on bringing explosives onto the site. On 15 November 2023, winds reaching almost 120 kilometres per hour (75 mph) destroyed the screen, resulting in the drive-in's closure, but local volunteers hope they will be able to rebuild

1938-555: The Winston-Salem Journal wrote that the food is more expensive than it is worth, specifically calling the restaurant's roast beef sandwich both delicious and a ripoff. In their book Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando , Susan Shumaker and Than Saffel call the Sci-Fi Dine-In "the wackiest dining experience in any Disney park". The Sci-Fi Dine-In, located on Commissary Lane across from Star Tours and adjacent to ABC Commissary , opened on April 20, 1991 as one of

2040-518: The COVID-19 pandemic , drive-in theaters reported an unexpected surge in attendance in several U.S. states, as unlike with indoor theaters unable to operate because of bans on mass gatherings , these were allowed to operate, with such events as graduations, because people are automatically separated from each other by their cars, and usually enough space remains to walk around and still practice proper physical distancing . The largest drive-in theater in

2142-518: The Lunar in Dandenong South , is set to close in the second half of 2023. The world's most remote drive-in may be at Coober Pedy , South Australia. It opened in 1965, but became less popular after 1980 with the arrival of television in the town, and ceased regular operation in 1984. It was reopened in 1996, and has been operated by volunteers since 2000. It is still in operation as of May 2023 , and

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2244-527: The fast food restaurants in the park. A reviewer for the United Kingdom's The Sentinel also writes positively of the Sci-Fi Dine-In's milkshakes, and argues that, "if you chose to treat yourself to a good lunch in one of the Disney parks, then this is the one". Positive reviews of the Sci-Fi Dine-In have indicated diverse reasons for appreciating the restaurant. In Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando , Susan Shumaker and Than Saffel write that

2346-508: The 15 drive-in movie theaters open in the United States were operated by Philip Smith , who promoted a family-friendly environment by allowing children to enter free and built playgrounds. After 1945, rising car ownership and suburban and rural population led to a boom in drive-in theaters, with hundreds being opened each year. More couples were reunited and having children, resulting in the Baby Boom , and more cars were being purchased following

2448-659: The 1950s and 1960s. The Hoyts Skyline in Melbourne was the country's first drive-in cinema, opening in 1954 with the film On the Riviera . The drive-in was successful, and four more opened within the year, including Mainline Drive-In in Gepps Cross, South Australia . The number of drive-ins increased across the country in the ensuing years. As these drive-ins were based on the American trend, many served American-style food at snack bars. At

2550-621: The 1950s to enjoy the restaurant for its nostalgia value. Paul Schultz of the Daily News writes, "Anyone who is a fan of trashy sci-fi movies of the 1950s should check [the Sci-Fi Dine-In] out". In his book Sci-Fi Movie Freak , Robert Ring calls the Sci-Fi Dine-In film clips "hokey", while David Steele of The Rotarian calls them "classically awful", and Rick Ramseyer of Restaurant Business Magazine calls them "campy". Theme restaurant Most restaurants have an inherent “theme” based on

2652-438: The 1970s, several venues switched from showing family-friendly fare to R-rated and X-rated films as a way to offset declining patronage and revenue, while other venues that still catered to families, began to show R-rated or pornographic movies in late-night time slots to bring in extra income. This allowed censored materials to be viewed by a wider audience, including those for whom viewing was still illegal in some states, and it

2754-448: The EGV Drive-in Cafe in Bangkok , explicitly modeling the restaurant after the Sci-Fi Dine-In. Wichai Poolwaraluk, the company's executive president and chief executive officer, visited the Sci-Fi Dine-In in 2000, and was inspired to open a similar restaurant. He said that, while he was eating at the Sci-Fi Dine-In, the other guests seemed more interested in their food than in the film clips on

2856-685: The Killer Club Sandwich", "Beach Party Panic" ( fish fillet ), "Saucer Sightings" ( rib eye steak ), "Terror of the Tides" (broiled fish), and "Journey to the Center of the Pasta" (vegetable lasagne), but these have since been replaced with more descriptive names. A popcorn bisque was once on the menu, but it was removed due to poor reception. In 2003, EGV Entertainment , a movie theater operator in Thailand , opened

2958-410: The Killer Club Sandwich", but these playful names were later altered so that they now describe the dishes in a more standard and straightforward manner. In 1991, the Sci-Fi Dine-In opened along with nineteen other new Walt Disney World attractions marking the complex's twentieth anniversary. By the following year, the Sci-Fi Dine-In was serving upwards of 2,200 people daily during peak periods, making it

3060-627: The Ottawa residents. This new drive-in image is not just in Ottawa. According to CTV, there are also drive-ins in Ontario and other provinces that are expanding their entertainment hosting activities including live concerts while keeping the main core, i.e., to keep family movie experience. In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, some of the drive-ins host community activities that also include religious events. The drive-in theater also became popular in Australia during

3162-473: The Sci-Fi Dine-In "wacky" and "on the cutting edge of sheer dining fun". In USA Today ' s list of the sixteen best restaurants in American amusement parks, the Sci-Fi Dine-In ranks fifteenth. Samuel Muston of The Independent writes that the Sci-Fi Dine-In is "memorable in the best way". In the Evansville Courier & Press , Pete DiPrimio writes that the Sci-Fi Dine-In ranks among the most unusual of

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3264-486: The Sci-Fi Dine-In sometimes cater for special requests in advance. The cookbook Delicious Disney Just for Kids contains a recipe for the BLT soup served at the Sci-Fi Dine-In. Items in the restaurant's menu used to have themed names, such as "The Galactic Grill" (triple-decker grilled cheese sandwich), "Beast from 1,000 Islands" ( Reuben sandwich ), "Tossed in Space" ( garden salad ), "The Cheesecake that Ate New York", "Attack of

3366-484: The Sci-Fi Dine-In to Epcot 's Coral Reef Restaurant , writing that both restaurants "are great settings" where "eating is awful". Sehlinger and Testa consider the prices too high, and the food too simple, although they praise the Reuben sandwich and the ribs. Schultz writes that the food is simple and that some of the beers are decent. The book DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Walt Disney World Resort & Orlando also states that

3468-618: The South and the West Coast (at the industry's height, about 25% of the nation's movie screens were at drive-ins). A figure of 348 operating drive-ins was published for the United States in March 2014. In the fall of 2014, retro-themed burger chain Johnny Rockets announced that it would team up with USA Drive-Ins to open 200 drive-ins by 2018, serving Johnny Rocket's food at the concession stands, but

3570-515: The TV at home, the new drive-in theater does not have to depend on darkness. One of such newly designed drive-in theaters is LoCo Drive-In by Whitener Company and London Entertainment LLC. The drive-in will also be used for other social activities including car shows and other events. Another example of modern-day drive-in theater is the Drive-In Experience Ottawa that opened in 2020. Currently,

3672-512: The United States such as Applebee's and Bennigan's , despite having distinct and consistent styles, are not usually considered theme restaurants, since they attract patrons primarily with the food they serve. While food is usually less important than experience, some theme restaurants use food to reinforce their themes. For example, restaurants themed to 1950s America frequently have jukeboxes from that era, but some also limit their menus to hamburgers and french fries, as would have been common at

3774-420: The advent of cable television and video cassette recorder (VCR), then with the arrival of DVD and streaming systems, families were able to enjoy movies in the comfort of their homes. The new entertainment technology increased the options and the movie watching experience. While exploitation films had been a drive-in staple since the 1950s, helped by relatively limited oversight compared to downtown theaters, by

3876-460: The basic small mono speakers used in the old systems. A partial drive-in theater—Theatre de Guadalupe—was opened in Las Cruces, New Mexico on April 23, 1915: Seven hundred people may be comfortably seated in the auditorium. Automobile entrances and places for 40 or more cars within the theater grounds and in-line position to see the pictures and witness all performances on the stage is a feature of

3978-809: The best-known "guerrilla" drive-ins include the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In in Santa Cruz, California , North Bay Mobile Drive-In in Novato, California , MobMov in San Francisco, California and Hollywood , and more recently the Guerilla Drive-In Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia . A similar, more recent concept is the "boutique" drive-in, which caters to a smaller audience, generally 30 to 50 vehicles (with some also offering seats in front of

4080-604: The booth must be retrofitted with special glass, more vents, and stronger air conditioning, as well as heat in northern climates. With installation of Jumbotrons or similar digital display equipment in drive-in theatres, restrictions of the projector booth can be avoided; that is, no projector is needed. The move to digital conversion took its toll on the industry; by October 2019, figures for operating drive-in theaters rose to 305 because of increased numbers of smaller 'boutique' operations that had never used traditional projectors, while several older drive-ins have closed. During

4182-457: The company has two locations in the Ottawa area. Apart from movie-nights, the drive-in also hosts live entertainment such as “comedy nights” and concerts as well events including graduations and weddings through site rental. It provides screen, wireless in-car FM transmission and stage facilities for the events. According to the company, such a community approach will keep the drive-in experience into

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4284-1073: The concept caught on nationwide. The April 15, 1934, opening of Shankweiler's Auto Park in Orefield, Pennsylvania , was followed by Galveston 's Drive-In Short Reel Theater (July 5, 1934), the Pico Drive-In Theater at Pico and Westwood boulevards in Los Angeles (September 9, 1934) and the Weymouth Drive-In Theatre in Weymouth, Massachusetts (May 6, 1936). In 1937, three more opened in Ohio, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, with another 12 during 1938 and 1939 in California, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Texas and Virginia. Early drive-in theaters had to deal with sound issues. The original Hollingshead drive-in had speakers installed on

4386-541: The concept to movies in the 1990s, while adding celebrity endorsements and appearances at the restaurants. Steven Schussler came up with the idea for Rainforest Cafe , and actually turned his house into a model jungle to attract investors, before opening the first location in the Mall of America in 1994. Dozens of locations around the world quickly followed, and many new theme restaurant chains opened in hopes of copying Rainforest Cafe's success. The first 1950's themed restaurant

4488-569: The desire by the average American to travel the Pacific. Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt opened Don the Beachcomber , generally recognized as the first tiki bar , in Los Angeles in the 1930s. Along with a neighbor, he collected old fishing nets, driftwood, and other ephemera from local beaches, and added bamboo and masks to theme his restaurant and evoke the South Pacific and Polynesian culture . Around

4590-667: The drive-ins were located. In Michigan, former drive-in properties have become industrial parks, shopping centers, indoor theaters, and even churches (as with the Former Woodland Drive-In in Grand Rapids, MI). In Philadelphia, the South City Drive-In became the location of the original Spectrum in the late 1960s, with a small portion of its old property line extending into what would become the (now-demolished) Veterans Stadium complex. (Today, that small portion, combined with

4692-456: The early 2000s. In the second half of the 2000s, drive-ins had another decline because of the oil crisis and a worsening economy. Reduced use of automobiles and more people moving out of suburban and rural areas during the 2010s have also put the drive-in's future at risk, with numbers again on the decline. By 2013, drive-ins comprised only 1.5% of total movie screens in the United States, with 389 theaters in operation nationwide, mostly located in

4794-414: The end of wartime fuel rationing. By 1951, the number of drive-in movie theaters in the United States had increased from its 1947 total of 155 to 4,151. The drive-in's peak popularity came in the late 1950s and early 1960s, particularly in rural areas, with over 4,000 drive-ins spread across the United States in 1958. They were a cheaper alternative to in-door cinema theaters because not only did they save

4896-423: The expense of operating a drive-in theater business. As many of the drive-in theaters were set up in the outskirts, the expansion of towns was making the maintenance of large property more difficult and costly. Many former drive-in movie sites remain, with several re-purposed as storage or flea market sites, often after residential housing or other higher-value uses came to rural or sparsely populated areas where

4998-503: The finances (beginning at $ 70,000 per screen) needed to convert to digital projection. The low volume of ticket sales from the lack of multiple showings also makes justifying the cost of installing digital projection hard for many drive-ins. Conversion of the projection booth to digital is more complex for drive-in theaters. The projector needs a more powerful bulb due to increased screen size and light pollution. In addition, digital projection equipment may require an Internet connection, and

5100-587: The first Chuck E. Cheese's , opened in San Jose, California in 1977. The restaurant featured animatronic animals that Bushnell claims were inspired by the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. The North American theme restaurant chain Medieval Times was actually started on the small island of Mallorca, Spain in the 1970s. Jose Montaner put on his dinner show for years before attracting enough investors to open

5202-585: The food is more expensive than it is worth. Ed Bumgardner of the Winston-Salem Journal shared this opinion as well, specifically singling out the restaurant's roast beef sandwich as a ripoff, despite calling it delicious. Peggy Katalinich of the Tampa Bay Times writes that, although the food is mediocre, "Who cares? Food is besides the point". She goes on to argue that the prices are low, particularly for sandwiches. In Frommer's Walt Disney World and Orlando 2012 , Laura Lea Miller expresses disappointment that

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5304-509: The food they served. This theming was largely a response to the growing usage of the automobile, as the buildings themselves became advertisements aimed at passing motorists. Beginning in the 1920s, a number of novelty architecture buildings were constructed in and around Hollywood, including the famous Brown Derby restaurants and Bulldog Cafe. Restaurants such as Clifton's Cafeteria also started playing with grand decorations based on non-traditional "kitschy" themes, and movies helped fuel

5406-504: The future. Ottawa Business Journal also wrote that local business communities and organizations can host their own private movie nights or shows. The drive-in can also be utilized for yoga activities and fitness training. The director of the company claims that the Drive-In Experience Ottawa’s goal is to provide opportunities for communities to reconnect while striving to host large weekly events and entertainment programs for

5508-433: The gas of driving out to the city and then back home, but the cost of building and maintaining a drive-in theater was cheaper than that of an indoor theater, resulting in the lower overall cost of attendance. Among its advantages was the fact that older adults with children could take care of their infant while watching a movie. At the same time, youth found drive-ins ideal for a first date. Unlike indoor cinema theaters, there

5610-604: The height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, around 330 drive-in theaters were operating in Australia before quickly dropping off. As of May 2023 , there were only 12 drive-ins in regular operation, with three more which sometimes opened for film screenings. Gepps Cross Drive-In closed at the end of February 2022, with the lengthy COVID-19 pandemic finally putting an end to its viability. As of May 2023 , only 12 drive-in cinemas operate regularly, while an additional three sometimes open to screen films. Melbourne 's largest drive-in,

5712-495: The land with windows facing the screens so that viewers could watch the films from their beds. During the 1950s, the greater privacy afforded to patrons gave drive-ins a reputation as immoral, and they were labeled "passion pits" in the media. The 1978 movie Grease portrays the local drive-in as a preferred spot for trysts. This indicates that the drive-in theater experience was a part of North American pop culture during this time, coupled with people's love for cars and movies. It

5814-582: The late 1800s, restaurants began using theming to differentiate themselves from increasing competition. In the 1890s, at least three different elaborately themed nightclubs were operating in Paris, using themes of death , hell , and heaven . Similar restaurants soon opened in New York City. In the early twentieth century, so-called “programmatic” or “mimetic” style structures became popular for restaurants, including buildings shaped like vehicles, animals, and even

5916-475: The late 1960s, drive-in attendance began to decline as the result of improvements and changes to home entertainment, from color television and cable TV to VCRs and video rental in the early 1980s. Additionally, the 1970s energy crisis led to the widespread adoption of daylight saving time (which caused drive-in movies to start an hour later) and lower use of automobiles, making it increasingly difficult for drive-ins to remain profitable. Mainly following

6018-691: The many parks built across the United States and around the world following Disneyland's success. As theming became more popular, the word was applied to other types of attractions, including "theme restaurant" and "themed hotels." David Tallichet took inspiration from Disneyland when he opened his first theme restaurant The Reef in Long Beach, California. His company went on to open dozens of restaurants, with themes ranging from New England fishing villages and French farmhouses to aviation and World War II . Another fan of Disneyland, Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell , integrated food, entertainment, and an arcade into

6120-418: The menu no longer contains the playful item names it once did. She writes positively of the atmosphere, but considers the food mediocre. In the book Walt Disney World Resort: Also Includes Seaworld and Central Florida , Corey Sandler writes that the Sci-Fi Dine-In is "a must-see eatery... for adults and adventurous kids" and that "the food is appropriate for a drive-in theater—very ordinary, but that's not really

6222-434: The mid-1990s, those drive-ins still operating acquired a quasi-novelty status, catering to the wave of "boomer nostalgia " and loyal patrons. This "retro" appeal eventually led to a revival of sorts by the end of the 1990s. This resurgence of the drive-in industry led to the inception of the "do-it-yourself" drive-in beginning in 2001, which used contemporary tools such as LCD projectors and micro radio transmitters. The first

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6324-558: The new experience in drive-in cinemas is gaining popularity not just in North America but in other countries as well. After decades of inactivity drive-in theaters are slowly becoming part of the outdoor movie experience. One of the countries where drive-in theaters is returning is the United Kingdom . There are also new drive-in theaters that have opened recently in North America that intend on staying in business and expanding. Some of

6426-566: The option to eat classic movie refreshments such as popcorn, or even native Greek snacks such as grilled calamari and souvlaki . In 2020, Iran showed its first drive-in film, Exodus , during the COVID-19 pandemic . However the country previously operated one before 1979. The first drive-in theatre in Europe opened in Rome in 1954. The Philippines' shopping mall chain SM Supermalls opened

6528-466: The origin or type of cuisine served. Many restaurants have a distinct style of decor, and create a specific ambiance for the comfort of their clientele. Some have a unique location or are housed in a unique building. But not all restaurants are considered theme restaurants. Diners choose restaurants first and foremost based on type of food. Conversely, theme restaurants attract customers primarily by promising unique experiences. Popular chain restaurants in

6630-484: The original Spectrum location, is part of Xfinity Live! Philadelphia ). Another example of a drive in-turned-flea market is Spotlight 88 in North Sewickley Township, Pennsylvania , which ended business as a drive-in after an F3 tornado destroyed much of the property on May 31, 1985 . As a joke, after the tornado hit, the owners put up the "now-showing" sign Gone with the Wind . It was most likely copied from

6732-458: The owners believe that the drive-in theatre will renew the outdoor experience in the long run. Some are also projected to open in the coming years with newer designs using electronic screen system to stream the film, improving the set up, as well as concession and public facilities. In the past drive-in theaters were operating in the evening to provide clear picture. But with the new design, moviegoers can go to drive-in theaters at anytime. Just like

6834-444: The park's most popular restaurant. Thai movie theater operator EGV Entertainment opened the EGV Drive-in Cafe in Bangkok in 2003, in a very similar style to the Sci-Fi Dine-In. The Sci-Fi Dine-In has received mixed reviews. USA Today ' s list of the best restaurants in American amusement parks ranks the Sci-Fi Dine-In fifteenth, but many reviewers rate it more highly for its atmosphere than for its cuisine. Ed Bumgardner of

6936-470: The parks at the time. Nonetheless, Minnie Mouse character meals held at Hollywood & Vine were discontinued that year, and Robert Johnson of the Orlando Sentinel partially attributed this cancellation to competition from the Sci-Fi Dine-In, which he said "almost always has a line of customers waiting". The Sci-Fi Dine-In is modeled after a 1950s drive-in theater . The entrance is made to look like

7038-563: The place that will please car owners. The first movie shown by the Theatre de Guadalupe was Bags of Gold , produced by Siegmund Lubin . Theatre de Guadalupe was soon renamed De Lux Theater before closing in July 1916. In 1921, a drive-in was opened by Claude V. Caver in Comanche, Texas. Caver obtained a permit from the city to project films downtown. With cars parked bumper-to-bumper, patrons witnessed

7140-402: The plan never came to fruition, as did a proposed "Project Drive-In" scheme by Honda, which would have donated digital projectors. By 2018, less than 300 drive-in theaters were reported to operate worldwide, with only a handful outside North America. The ongoing conversion of film distribution from celluloid to digital also puts additional pressure on drive-in theaters. Most small drive-ins lack

7242-438: The popularity of nostalgia by using theming to immerse guests in their favorite programs and movies. Many theme restaurants create environments that are considered exotic because they are largely inaccessible to much of the public (such as rainforests and remote tropical islands), or no longer exist (because they are set in a past time period). However, some use subjects that are supernatural or taboo, and thus controversial. From

7344-499: The property, and operate the theater as a nonprofit venture specializing in family-friendly films. Hull's continues to be the nation's only nonprofit drive-in. By 2006, around 500 drive-in theaters were open in the United States, counting regularly operating venues (about 400) and those that held showings sporadically, usually during summertime, the highest number since the mid-1970s. The industry also rebounded in Canada and Australia during

7446-507: The reason you came". Some food items at the Sci-Fi Dine-In have been received favorably by reviewers. Rona Gindin and Jennifer Greenhill-Taylor write highly of the restaurant's hot-fudge sundaes in Fodor's 2012 Walt Disney World . In Plan Your Walt Disney World Vacation in No Time , Douglas Ingersoll writes very positively of the milkshakes, and argues that the sandwiches and burgers are better than at

7548-415: The restaurant first opened. There are six picnic tables near the back of the room that are only used when the rest of the restaurant is full and there are guests who are willing to forego the experience of sitting in the cars. All guests who make reservations are seated in the cars, although this was not the case the year the restaurant first opened. The restaurant has a total seating capacity of 260. Some of

7650-404: The restaurant has "the wackiest dining experience in any Disney park". Shumaker and Saffel contend that the Sci-Fi Dine-In provides a reasonable compromise when vegetarians and non-vegetarians are looking to eat together, and that it is also suitable for both large and small families with young children. The restaurant tends to be popular with children, and it is common for people who lived through

7752-513: The restaurant opened. At the Sci-Fi Dine-In, lunch guests stay for an average of fifty minutes and dinner guests for an average of just longer than an hour, with lunch and dinner guests being served their food on average five and ten minutes after ordering respectively. The restaurant participates in the Disney Dining Plan . Meals are served starting at 10:30 a.m. on Sundays and Wednesdays, and starting at 11:00 a.m. every other day of

7854-493: The restaurants at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2015 , Bob Sehlinger and Len Testa call the Sci-Fi Dine-In the most entertaining restaurant in Walt Disney World, writing that "everyone gets a kick out of this unusual dining room". Multiple reviewers have called the Sci-Fi Dine-In more notable for being an attraction than a food destination. One reviewer from The Guardian compares

7956-581: The same time, another archetypal bar, Trader Vic's , was created by Victor Bergeron in Oakland, California. Tiki culture became very popular in 1950s America, and Polynesian themed restaurants had spread to London by the early 1960s, and further into Europe and Asia by the 1970s. Though not the first theme park , the opening of Disneyland in 1955 popularized the idea of an amusement park combining multiple named areas (“lands”) with different themes. The term "theme park" came into use circa 1960, likely to describe

8058-730: The screen and re-open the drive-in. There have been a few drive-in theaters in Finland, one of the first at the Keimola Motor Stadium in the late 1960s, while the latest in Kaarina in 2017, and in Turku and Vantaa in 2020. Germany's first drive-in theater, the Gravenbruch, opened in April 1960 in a suburb of Frankfurt with a screening of The King and I . The only other drive-ins in Europe at

8160-499: The screen). At the same time, food trucks are often used as concession stands. However, unlike the "guerrilla" format, this type of drive-in also generally presents mainstream fare, current releases, and popular classics. A key feature of this format is the focus on the "vintage" aesthetics of the drive-in. Faced with the closure of Hull's Drive-In in Lexington, Virginia in 1999, the nonprofit group Hull's Angels formed to raise funds, buy

8262-472: The screen, and he therefore considered the Sci-Fi Dine-In more of a restaurant than a theater, with the film reel simply being a gimmick. Appealing to EGV's identity as a movie theater operator, Poolwaraluk said that the EGV Drive-in Cafe "can probably do a better job blending the cinema and the food together and also concentrate on both of them". Like the Sci-Fi Dine-In, the EGV Drive-in Cafe features classic cars for seating, but, instead of showing film clips on

8364-688: The screening of silent films from their vehicles. In the 1920s " outdoor movies " became a popular summer entertainment, but relatively few "drive-in" experiments were made due to logistical difficulties. The drive-in theater was patented in Camden, New Jersey , by chemical company magnate Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. , whose family owned and operated the R.M. Hollingshead Corporation chemical plant in Camden. In 1932, Hollingshead conducted outdoor theater tests in his driveway at 212 Thomas Avenue in Riverton. After nailing

8466-401: The servers at the Sci-Fi Dine-In wear roller skates, acting as carhops , while others improvise characters such as a police officer ostensibly in search of people who have sneaked into the theater without paying. The dining room is dark and air-conditioned, and measures 8,400 square feet (780 m). The ceiling simulates a night sky replete with twinkling stars made from optical fibers . There

8568-434: The shows. A combination of these factors was creating difficulties for the drive-ins to compete with the growing indoor cinemas. The runaway inflation and real estate interest rate hikes in the late 1970s and early 1980s made the large tracts of land used by drive-ins increasingly expensive and thus far too valuable for continued use as drive-ins. Many drive-ins operated solely on weekends, while some were open only during

8670-604: The spring and summer months; drive-ins were also frequently subject to poor attendance or cancellations due to adverse weather. By the late 1980s, the total number of drive-ins still operating in the United States and Canada fell to less than two hundred. In addition to the large amount of land drive-in theaters occupy, older drive-ins were now showing their age and many required improvements or replacement of their infrastructure ; many owners were not willing to make further investment in repairs and improvements and growing land prices were also making it difficult to invest in and maintain

8772-526: The time were in Rome, Italy and Madrid , Spain. In 1919, Athens, Greece opened their first outdoor theater that eventually led to the popularity of drive-in theaters in the 1970s. Three years before then, two men displayed a short silent film on a wall of the city. Greece's first drive-in theater began construction in 1960 near Varibobi , a suburb of Athens , and was planned to open in August 1961. Viewers today have

8874-464: The time. The food at theme restaurants is often common in order to have broad appeal, but may be given colorful names to further the theme. For example, the Planet Hollywood in London offers specialty cocktails named after movies. In some cases, customers may visit a theme restaurant only to shop or be entertained, without intending to eat. Theme restaurants have the potential for high profits in

8976-482: The tower itself, which caused a sound delay affecting patrons at the rear of the drive-in's field. In 1935, the Pico Drive-in Theater attempted to solve this problem by having a row of speakers in front of the cars. In 1941, RCA introduced in-car speakers with individual volume controls which solved the noise pollution issue and provided satisfactory sound to drive-in patrons. Just before World War II , 9 of

9078-411: The twenty new attractions opened at Walt Disney World to mark the complex's twentieth anniversary. The restaurant was created with a strong emphasis on theme, in emulation of the 50's Prime Time Café , which had opened two years prior. Disney hoped that the focus on theme would bring the Sci-Fi Dine-In the level of success that had been garnered by the 50's Prime Time Café. Within five weeks of opening, it

9180-640: The very beginning, restaurants in Paris, New York and San Francisco attracted bohemian artists and writers with themes including assassination, imprisonment, death, and hell. More recently, the Modern Toilet Restaurant chain in Asia, and the similar but short-lived Magic Restroom Café in California offered diners the opportunity not only to sit on toilets while dining, but to also be served dishes in miniature toilet bowls. The Alcatraz E.R. restaurant in Japan used

9282-872: The week. The restaurant closes each day at the same time that the park does, which is in the late evening. The menu is the same all day, without a distinction between lunch and dinner. A full bar service is available, and there is also a limited wine selection. Food selection at the restaurant comes from the traditional cuisine of the United States . Popcorn used to be served as a free hors d'oeuvre . Other food items include milkshakes, hot fudge sundaes , seafood salad, turkey sloppy joes , fried pickles , St. Louis-style barbecue ribs, beef-and-blue-cheese salads, sautéed shrimp with farfalle , French fries, cucumber salads, Buffalo wings, Boca Burgers , Tofutti , and steaks. Drinks include souvenir phosphorescent ice cubes. The desserts are served in larger portions than are customary elsewhere. There are vegetarian options . The chefs at

9384-478: The world, the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop (opened 1963), doubles as the world's largest daily flea market. There is a renewed interest in drive-in theaters among North American moviegoers. This trend was more apparent in 2020 through 2022. In 2020 Drive-in theaters in North America accounted for 85 to 95 percent of the box office revenue according to a 2021 article from CNN . The article also claims that

9486-707: Was Cafe 50's created by Craig Martin. In 1983 he opened Cafe 50's in Venice Beach, then Sherman Oaks, Hermosa Beach and lastly West LA, which is still open. California But by the late 1990s, dozens of theme restaurants closed, including entire chains, as the market became saturated and the novelty wore off. Today, though smaller than at its peak, the industry has rebounded, in part as Millennials turn to themed restaurants for dining entertainment. The popularity of social media platforms like Instagram has pushed restaurants to theme their physical spaces to inspire photographers. Temporary pop-up restaurants and bars are capitalizing on

9588-452: Was also popular among young people to meet up and have sex, smoke marijuana and drink alcohol. It was appealing to young people as it allowed them to express freedom and liberty they would otherwise lack at home. At their height, some drive-ins used attention-grabbing gimmicks to boost attendance. They ranged from drawings for prizes and free admission, small airplane runways, helicopter or hot air balloon rides, unusual attractions such as

9690-452: Was also reliant upon varying local ordinances controlling such material. It also required a relatively remote location away from the heavier populated areas of towns and cities. By the late 1970s, many drive-in theaters were showing mainly B movies , older second-run films and low-rated films from the movie industry. While movie rental fees were increasing, the film industry was also expecting drive-in theaters to maintain prolonged time to run

9792-578: Was an air of informality that was appealing to people of all ages, but specifically to families. The drive-in's success was rooted in its reputation of being a family-friendly place. Parents were able to bring their children to the theater, often in pajamas, without worrying about bothering other movie-goers and were also able to spend time together without paying the expenses of babysitters. Drive-ins catered to their known audience, offering luxuries such as bottle warmers and diaper vending machines, and later miniature golf courses, swimming pools, and even motels on

9894-419: Was considered at the time to be in keeping with the science fiction theme because the technology had been developed shortly prior. In 2003, there were twenty character meals offered at Walt Disney World, during which actors portraying various Disney characters would interact with guests while they ate at the parks' restaurants, and Disney was in the process of increasing the presence of costumed characters in

9996-551: Was generally five dollars. As revenue was more limited than regular theaters since showings could only begin at twilight, there were abortive attempts to create suitable conditions for daylight viewing, such as large tent structures, but nothing viable was developed. One of the largest drive-in theaters was the Johnny All-Weather Drive-In in Copiague, New York . Covering over 29 acres, it could park 2,500 vehicles. It had

10098-550: Was given U.S. patent 1,909,537 on May 16, 1933. Hollingshead's drive-in opened in New Jersey on June 6, 1933, at 2901 Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Pennsauken Township , a short distance from Cooper River Park where the first commercial airport to serve Philadelphia was located – Central Airport. Rosemont Avenue now runs through where the theater was and is currently the site of Zinman Furs. It offered 400 slots and

10200-421: Was quickly forced to remove. The owner was seemingly unaware of The Holocaust , and claimed only to have wanted a "catchy name." Still, the original restaurant had very little theming beyond the name and logo, apparently limited to a large portrait of Adolf Hitler , and in its current form it would not be considered a theme restaurant. Drive-in theater A drive-in theater/theatre or drive-in cinema

10302-414: Was serving between 1,500 and 2,000 meals on a daily basis, just as the 50's Prime Time Café was doing. A year after opening, the Sci-Fi Dine-In had become the most popular restaurant in the park, serving more than 2,200 people per day at peak periods. Starting from its earliest days, the restaurant equipped its servers with point of sale mobile devices that relayed orders to a printer in the kitchen, which

10404-752: Was the Liberation Drive-In in Oakland, California , which sought to reclaim under-used urban spaces such as vacant parking lots in the downtown area. The following years have had a rise of the "guerrilla drive-in" movement, in which groups of dedicated individuals orchestrate similar outdoor film and video screenings. Showings are often organized online, and participants meet at specified locations to watch films projected on bridge pillars or warehouses. The content featured at these screenings has frequently been independent or experimental films, cult movies, or otherwise alternative programming. Aside from Oakland's Liberation,

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