Do you sneak food into the theater?

[DisMom829]

I have once or twice. It was the summer lunch time matinee, I left work to meet the DH and kids and I would grab a corn dog & fries from our favorite restaurant, but I don't sneak it in. I just carried it in. Our concession stand only sells candy and popcorn, sodas. We do purchase the refill cups & popcorn buckets every January. Refills on the popcorn/soda are now $2.75 ea. I've never noticed a "no outside food" sign, but I'll be looking for it next time we go.

We go about twice a month, out theater is locally owned and operated also. They hire local kids from the HS to work the ticket booth and concession stand. The ticket prices aren't bad, $5 reg, $7.50 3D movies. We live in a relatively small town, so we want to keep the theater open. Otherwise, we have to drive 30-40 minutes to see a movie.

 

[brooke789]

I've almost never bought anything! I do bring things they don't sell. Usually fruit snacks or protein bars.

 

[SandiR]

We rarely go to the movies, but if we do, we always sneak in water bottles and either also sneak in snacks or splurge on a bucket of popcorn. If I always had to buy drinks and snacks in addition to the $50+ it costs for a family of four to go to the movies around here, I would never go.

 

[honeybunches]

No. My daughter or son would totally out me if I tried! I am going to do the paper bag thing, though. When we went to see Inside Out, the movie employee was a former student. I bought one of those HUGE popcorn tubs to help him out, so refills are only $4 all year long. It's just hard to share because it's seriously ginormous. Don't mind buying the kids their own drinks, because I usually need my own caffeine just to stay awake in the dark, quiet theater!

 

[minnie mum]

No.

 

[Dancind]

I did last time we went, but kind of by mistake. We have new local theater that has recliners and reserved seats, love it. But I mistakenly thought they also had free popcorn. So I figured they wouldn't mind if I brought my own bag of organic popcorn, popped in coconut oil with real butter, since theirs would make me kind of ill. Turns out, only refills are free. Nobody noticed my bag but I won't do that again. No popcorn for me.

 

[soccerdad72]

Just peanuts.

 

[Sabeking]

I buy the popcorn there and bring my own water.

We used to have the coolest movie theatre here. It was fairly old and went out of business so someone rented it out and showed classics or movies that had been out for a bit. They served homemade cookies, pastries, lattes, beer, wine, etc...it was awesome. When lease came up recently the owner decided to not renew. He sold it to Harris Teeter that relocated from .5 mile away.

 

[descovy]

No. Somehow I survive without eating for 2 hours.

I'm not the kind that needs a snack constantly. So I eat before or after.

 

[Jaime4004]

We always buy a popcorn to share. Movie theatre popcorn, yum. (And to the PP that brings in salt packets, I do the same, who wants salt only at the very top?! ) Sometimes I buy a drink, sometimes I sneak water in. Will often sneak candy in. Definitely not a blip on my moral radar. I won't buy $5 boxes of candy even when I don't bring in food, so they are not losing anything either way as far as i'm concerned...

 

[Art 1]

No. It's easier to buy it there.

 

[sersee05]

No. Then again, my theater charges only $5 for a ticket, so I don't feel bad about getting a large popcorn and large drink for us to share.

I wouldn't feel bad at $5 a ticket either...thats a great price.
My tickets were $11 for the adults and $9 for a child. That's not 3d. Then the popcorn and sodas were outrageous. Going to the movies is a special occasion for us because we don't go too often . I've gone twice this summer and that's more than I did the whole year last year.

It shows how long it's been because I was shocked at the snack prices.

 

[bbak30]

Yes, all the time. But I don't ever see anything posted about no outside food or drink allowed. We bring some candy and maybe juice for the kids. But we always purchase popcorn and maybe a drink!

 

[anniemae]

Yup, we do all the time. I eat gluten free, so I bring my own snacks. For my kids I bring healthier snacks than they sell at the concession stand. Our theater does not mind outside food, as I said on the other movie snack thread, our theater is in the mall so everyone walks in with Dunkin Donuts coffee cups, Paneara bags full of food, McDonalds bags and huge cups of soda, individual pizzas etc. Nobody says a thing and there is no sign saying not to bring in food. There is also a kiosk in the middle of the mall that advertises "get your movie candy and snacks here!" They sell candy, doritos, chips, nuts (oh no!), beef jerky, bottles of soda and water etc.

There is also a Five Below store across from the theater and there are always kids in there stocking up on candy for the movies.

 

[Colleen27]

I'l be honest - I sometimes do when we go to the big chain theatre. I'm picky about sweets and wouldn't buy the candy they sell anyway, especially at $5/box, but that doesn't make it any less against the rules. When we go to the local theatre, which does have the candy I like (and more reasonable prices), I don't bring it. I buy it there if I'm in a candy mood.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

We always have brought in candy and drinks and purchased popcorn at the theater, but we recently moved to a new part of the country that has many more of the theaters with reserved seating and full, restaurant quality meal service, and we have not needed or wanted to bring in our own food since we can get a great meal at the theater. Interestingly, the prices for "real food" at the upscale theaters are significantly more reasonable than the prices for snack foods at the theaters we used to frequent before we moved, so we get better food for a better price.

 

[Gracie09]

just peanuts

 

[momofboyz3]

We bring in our candy. But, we buy our popcorn & drinks

 

[Bluestars]

A couple of times when my kids were younger, I brought candy with me into the theater for them. Most of the time if they wanted candy, we would just buy it at the theater. We always purchase popcorn and drinks though. I have never watched a movie in a theater without popcorn.

 

[Yzerbear19]

Like others have said, my sister and I usually only bring in our own candy because it's either really expensive or not sold there. We always buy drinks and popcorn.

When we bring my nieces we bring in special cups for them to put their drinks in. It seems that the ones from the theater always spill, they take off the lids, etc. So we buy a large drink that has free refills and split it between the two girls. And the water cups from the theater are a joke, so it helps to have our own cups for the girls when they want water instead of fruit punch.

And we will bring in little popcorn/treat bags to put their popcorn in. If they have the bucket it seems that it always ends up on the floor. We will also sometimes bring in fruit snacks for them because they aren't sold at the theater and they want those more than candy.

At the theater we go to the most my sister is a member of the theater's reward program so we do also get discounts on the popcorn and drinks. And the points earned for purchasing those items and tickets can be used towards discounts at the concession stand or if you earn enough even a free ticket.