The New Intimacy

Do you sneak snacks/drinks into the movie theater?

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Contributor: Bignuf Bignuf
We just saw Captain America and paid $12 each for tickets. However, I still love popcorn and chocolate covered almonds and a drink at the movies. I was about floored when I saw the "new" prices at our local theater....$8 for a "medium" (pretty tiny) popcorn!!! $6 for a SMALL box of candy and $6 for the same small bottle of water I just paid 88 cents for at the supermarket. I know that "movie stars" now have to get paid millions and millions, as do directors, and that is on top of insane production amounts for the movies themselves. I also understand it is the concessions that pay for the actual theater to stay open, but at what point is it simply insane pricing?

When IN the theater, we noticed everyone around was reaching into handbags and pockets to bring out the bottled water and snacks they brought in from outside. Almost NO ONE in that theater had purchased anything at the concession counter.

SO....do you bring your own snacks into the movie theater? Has your local theater ever made a point of telling you that you can't???

I have to wonder where this is all going.

Thanks.
08/24/2011
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Contributor: slynch slynch
We usually bring something in.

The theaters charge so much because the concessions is where they make their money. They don't get much of the ticket sales, most of it goes back to the movie studios.
08/24/2011
Contributor: GenderSexplorations GenderSexplorations
Messenger bag plus movie candy and a bag of popcorn from walmart and some sodas. If I had to buy snacks in the theater, I'd never have any movie snacks! Simply can't afford to drop *thinks* over twenty five dollars per person on a movie. I think if it was a choice between buy them there, have none, or see the movie when it comes onto dvd, I'd choose the dvd option.
08/24/2011
Contributor: meitman meitman
My wife has on occasion, but generally we don't sneak stuff in. Even if we do, I usually still have to buy a drink or something. I think the prices are getting ridiculous. We have a local movie theater that doesn't charge much for tickets to begin with, but they will do things every week like buy 1 ticket get 1 free (even on matinees) or bring your own bag night where they will fill any size bag with popcorn for free.I usually prefer to give them my money.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
We haven't been to a movie in years (mainly because there is nothing we want to pay that much money to see on the big screen), but when we did we always bought stuff there. I tried to convince him to let me sneak stuff in, but hubs says it ruins the experience.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Every theatre I've been to has said "no outside food or drink." But that doesn't stop us from getting a few 20 ounce bottles of soda and some snacks and putting them in the purse or something like that. I don't get to go to the movies very often, mostly because of money and I don't want to spend $30 a person for tickets and snacks.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Tori Rebel Tori Rebel
Nope. I don't go to the big AMC theater near us very often, but even there they're not making much at all off ticket sales and if everyone snuck in snacks, there simply wouldn't be a movie theater...they wouldn't be able to afford the building or their employees. We patronize a small family owned and operated drive-in theater more often that charges even less per ticket, and does allow outside food, but they have signs up that they pretty much break even on ticket sales as well and therefore need the income from concessions to stay afloat. I'd rather spend the extra money than lose something so rare near me (there is only 1 drive-in in my state, 2 hours away, we go to the one right over the border in NY state).
08/24/2011
Contributor: Starkiller87 Starkiller87
I used to work at a movie theater and concession. It was a mad house, but the theater also sold every food or drink or snack you can think of. The theater makes all its money on concession, they dont make money on ticket sales.
I always take my own food in, i cant afford it. Ocassionally ill buy some nachos but thats about it.
08/24/2011
Contributor: GravyCakes GravyCakes
i bring my own stuff, except the slushi, that i have to buy.
08/24/2011
Contributor: indiglo indiglo
If I want something to eat during the movie, I take my own stuff. When I was younger, my friends and I would go shopping for candy and junk food before we went to the movie. Sometimes I will get the popcorn there though - it's so buttery and salty and bad for you, it's delicious!

I'm not really into going to the movies though. I think it's far too expensive to just buy the tickets!
08/24/2011
Contributor: guard083 guard083
I usually bring my own, but I go to a family owned theater and always buy something inside because I feel bad
08/24/2011
Contributor: newfoundlust newfoundlust
Quote:
Originally posted by Bignuf
We just saw Captain America and paid $12 each for tickets. However, I still love popcorn and chocolate covered almonds and a drink at the movies. I was about floored when I saw the "new" prices at our local theater....$8 for a ... more
At the full price theaters yes. At the dollar theater no.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Petite Valentine Petite Valentine
I will usually give in and buy one bottled water (at the usury rate of $4.50 for a 16oz. bottle ) because I've known for years that movie theaters make little to nothing off of ticket sales. However, I either don't eat or bring my snacks from elsewhere. I'm more put off by how unhealthy movie snacks are than I am by the prices.
08/24/2011
Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
Sometimes. I am huge on candy and usually bring that but will buy a slushie. I';ll sometimes bring in my own Jamba or something. But most of the time, I don't munch at the theater.
08/24/2011
Contributor: RonLee RonLee
When I was young and nearly always broke, yes I snuck my own refreshments in. Now, I don't mind paying for the convenience of the concession stand.
08/24/2011
Contributor: ZenaidaMacroura ZenaidaMacroura
Yep, I sneak stuff in when I remember to do so. Having a large purse comes in handy. I just can't afford the ridiculous prices of food at the movies.
08/24/2011
Contributor: The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary The-IT-Guy-And-My-Secretary
Quote:
Originally posted by Bignuf
We just saw Captain America and paid $12 each for tickets. However, I still love popcorn and chocolate covered almonds and a drink at the movies. I was about floored when I saw the "new" prices at our local theater....$8 for a ... more
You would feel bad if it wasn't for the fact that they grossly overcharge on EVERYTHING they sell! I pay for the large drink for 5 dollars and then bring in my large flask filled with Crown Royal and treat the situation as If I was sitting at home in my own house. Plus that where I live I go to the movies at the drive in and fill my built in coolers with ice and coke and whiskey. That is the way to go!
08/24/2011
Contributor: null null
<.<
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Yes...I have a large bag that I normally carry drinks/snacks in, why wouldn't I bring them for the movies?
08/24/2011
Contributor: toxie m toxie m
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Every theatre I've been to has said "no outside food or drink." But that doesn't stop us from getting a few 20 ounce bottles of soda and some snacks and putting them in the purse or something like that. I don't get to go to ... more
Totally. All those snacks are way overpriced. I'll sometimes splurge on a popcorn just because that's not really something I can sneak in, but I always bring my own drinks and candies if I want any.
08/24/2011
Contributor: Ryuson Ryuson
(Review Program Mentor)
We always bring our own stuff; we're poor college kids and can't afford it! We go to the $2 movie theater because of that!
08/25/2011
Contributor: Peggi Peggi
I've always brought in my own foods from the outside world
08/25/2011
Contributor: caligaliber caligaliber
Quote:
Originally posted by meitman
My wife has on occasion, but generally we don't sneak stuff in. Even if we do, I usually still have to buy a drink or something. I think the prices are getting ridiculous. We have a local movie theater that doesn't charge much for tickets to ... more
If the theaters around here were like that then yes, I'd support that. Unfortunately all the cinemas around here are commercialized big places (Damn you Regal!) and I would rather wait for the dvd then pay for concessions. I sneak stuff in every time now because of the prices getting outrageous.
08/25/2011
Contributor: Shellz31 Shellz31
Sometimes yes. I don't like the cinema ripoff prices!

PS - Geez your cinema prices for the movie and snacks are up there near ours!
08/25/2011
Contributor: NaturalWoman NaturalWoman
I rarely go to the theater in general because it is so damn expensive when we do go though we always do a stop on the way to pick up snacks to bring in as the concession is such a rip off. All the same I really like popcorn at the movies and so figure if I am spending the money on the ticket I might as well spring for the popcorn as well!
08/25/2011
Contributor: Ms. Spice Ms. Spice
i think it's kind of rediculous to pay freakin' 10$ for a small container of popcorn so i'll sneak a candy bar and a small soda when i go. i know theatres have to make a profit but i still think it's crazy
08/25/2011
Contributor: mizzmilla mizzmilla
Definitely! Back when movie prices were four or five dollars I would buy things at the theater, but now that they're $10+ I just can't deal with paying more for snacks than the movie.
08/25/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
I will bring in some snacks for the kids, just because they are so expensive in the theater. In most of the other countries I have been it, you can bring in meals to eat while watching a movie. The theater does not care.
08/26/2011
Contributor: froggiemoma froggiemoma
yep, usually fill up a purse before going.
08/26/2011
Contributor: Yaoi Pervette (deleted) Yaoi Pervette (deleted)
I never used to do that. When I was sixteen, I went to see a movie for the first time with my boyfriend and his mom. When we pulled up in the theatre parking lot, she told me to open my purse. She stuffed a bag of Twizzlers in there, and then put a bag of Hershey's kisses in her own purse. It was sort of funny.

My mom told me she used to sneak stuff into the theatre even in the 70s. She told me she once snuck some cans of soda and White Castle hamburgers into a movie. She said she sprayed herself down with cologne to hide the hamburger smell!

I sometimes sneak a bottle of Diet Coke in. All of the theatres around here only have Pepsi products, and I don't like them. A lot of times, I still end up with a bucket of popcorn. I can't resist that stuff no matter how bad it is for me.
08/26/2011
Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
I rarely go to the movies and when I do I'm typically not interested in food; but up north (much easier to transport thing due to the need for every one to have heavy coats with plenty of compartments to smuggle things in) all my friends did and I just kind of joined in.
08/26/2011