To sneak snacks into the cinema

[rackhampearl]

I haven't been on MN in ages so don't know if this has been done recently. Just wondering if you think it's ok to take your own snacks to the cinema? I've never done it before but we are moving house next week so things are a little tight but I promised the girls a cinema trip during half term. Could do without the £10 for a popcorn and fruitshoot. They don't drink juice anyway so was thinking of taking their water bottles and stopping by the shop for a £1 bag of popcorn and some chocolate buttons, AIBU?

[44PumpLane]

To the poster surprised at the £5 price tag mentioned for a cinema ticket..... Vue do a £3.99 Monday. If you sign up to their email club you get a code and all Monday films are £3.99 when booked online, or £4.49 when booked at the cinema.

Plus Meercat movies 241 means tickets go from being £11 each to £11 for two.

Plus a lot of larger workplaces with employee benefits schemes will have cheap cinema tickets on the benefits portal (I get Vue tickets for £6:50 for an adult and odeon for £6:70ish).

Plus Tesco clubcard trade in, or there is a deal in Martin lewis' moneysavingexpert email this week for 5 odeon tickets for £20 (2 for a tenner).

So if you are a bit savvy and look out for offers it's fairly commonplace to find good cinema deals.

[Ski4130]

Chardonnay, OP was clearly asking about kids' snacks, not adults, I think we can all probably concede that we could last 2 hours without food.

[TuckersBadLuck]

Maybe if you live in the Outer Hebrides. Or the 80s.

I just happen to have a receipt in my wallet. Vue, Salford. £9.98 for two tickets to Paddington 2 on January 1st 2018.

And I stocked up in the Cadbury outlet shop beforehand.

[shetookshelter]

Surely these £5 tickets are only for kids films/students/OAPs/matinées or something like that? I just had a look at my local Vue online (SE England, not London) and two tickets to Black Panther at 8pm tonight would be £26.

[Dixiestampsagain]

I think it just depends where you live. Three of us saw Paddington 2 yesterday for £7.50 (£2.50 each). All films, including the latest ones, are £2.50 at our local cinema.

[TuckersBadLuck]

Black Panther, Vue Salford, tonight at 8pm. £5.74 a ticket.

[shetookshelter]

Yeah I just looked up Salford and found the same thing!

What a pisstake.

[strugglingtodomybest]

Just eat quietly, pretty please.

[shetookshelter]

If I'm paying 2.6 times the price as the mancs, I'm bloody well going to eat 2.6 as noisily.

[Badhairday1001]

You don't need to sneak it in. It's fine to take snacks.

[Bimbler]

Depends on the cinema. Some still don't allow it so sneaking is required.

[PoohBearsHole]

Our local cinema is between £2.50/4.00 for tickets family of four with snacks bought from their shop equates to £10-15 in total inc popcorn, maltesers, drinks etc each. It's independent and has made cibena more affordable locally. In this case I buy snacks there.

Cineworld? Let the dc loose in Waitrose to choose an abundance of snacks and it's still cheaper than the popcorn drink combo!

If tickets are £10 then they can afford to lose my snack money!!!!

[PuppyMonkey]

The cinemas round here (Notts/Derbyshire) very much frown on taking your own sweeties in, so yes we mostly do the sneaking in thing.

However, The one most local to us is a tiny, 100 yo Art Deco cinema which I always support by buying a bag of tuffees as it’s one of their best sources of extra income and we’re often the only people in there.

[Redpony1]

Black Panther, Vue Salford, tonight at 8pm. £5.74 a ticket

Black Panther, Cineworld in SW England, tonight at 8:15pm. £11.90 a ticket.

[TuckersBadLuck]

I enjoy Vue at Salford as well. Never particularly busy, shops to wander round if you're early, good parking and easy motorway access. My closest cinema is about 10 miles closer but I usually go to Salford.

[aRespectableBureaudeChange]

YANBU - go ahead - if they wanted us to buy them they'd price them slightly more sensibly.

They create an ever dwindling supply of people willing to buy with the ridiculous prices - even I have started buying ahead - and I was the last in my group of people too lazy/disorganised to plan ahead for a cinema trip.

[SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes]

Went to see Black Panther at Vue (Salford) last Saturday. Fantastic film. Would definitely go again.

[hazell42]

I take a cup of coffee in a travel mug from home and a bag of sweeties from the pound shop downstairs. I balance both on the counter while fishing out my Limitless card. I go to the pictures 3 times a week and not once has anyone ever given a monkeys. No sneaking necessary

[maddiemookins16mum]

It's 'part of the experience' in my opinion. We're off to see I Tonya next week and I'll have a large bag of Revels all to myself (plus a bottle of water).
There's something indulgent about sitting in the dark, engrossed in a film and quietly (of course) mumching my way through the coffee creams. I've never hidden them.
Nor do I purchase them at the cinema.

[GUMBYMUMBY]

I take sandwiches, chocolate and drinks... saves about £15 on overpriced junk

[Bekabeech]

I always do at our Odeon, and they sell hot drinks - so you can take those in too. There is a Costa in the reception area (not sure if they still do free coffee for the senior screen people), and I'm sure I could bring from home if I used my refillable cup.
No balloons though - I've never been sure why.

[NameChanger22]

I've been known to take pizza, vegetable pie, cheese and onion pie, toasted sandwiches and salad. We sit at the back so nobody notices we're eating meals in there.

I bought 1 popcorn and 1 drink recently from the cinema, it cost £10, never again.

I can't go a whole 2 hours without eating, oink.

[kierenthecommunity]

[AppleAndBlackberry]

I always assumed this was fine. I buy drinks and 6-pack popcorn from our local supermarket for £2.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Black panther tonight at 8:30 is £14 for an adult standard ticket at my odeon