To think the cinema is a day to day event

[Soboystake]

Not an experience or day out

Definitely a treat these days. Not just the extortionate price but tbh the film has to be some sort of visual spectacle that can only be appreciated on the big screen, otherwise I’ll wait till it comes on Prime/Netflix/Disney etc.

Nope. The cost of tickets, although the food and drink is optional. I wouldn't see it as a need. But a want, therefore a luxury.

depends on ticket costs and one’s income: where I am ticket costs are high.

used to go to the cinema loads in my teens and early 20s, loved it and have good memories.

It's £6 a ticket at our local cinema so works about £30 for a family of 4 as we take food and drinks in from B&M or somewhere! When I think of a proper day out, I think more of a farm park etc. which would be £10-15 per person and more of an all day thing with more money spent on food and drink.

We went last week, 2 adults cost £27 for tickets alone which is extortionate. We took our own bottles of water and a bag of treats. Definitely not day to day.

Really depends on the situation. It costs between 5 and 9 euros at our local which is 5 minutes walk away. We often go at the last minute or I go on my own. They don't have snacks which is perfect for me!

Considering it’s the best part of £50 for 2-3 hours out as a family, it’s definitely not a regular occurrence.

We do the family matinees for £2.50 a person on Saturday mornings. Older films but it’s the experience that matters.

Dh and I used to go regularly, grab dinner out and then on to a movie. Now we only go to take DC so yeah it’s a treat because we don’t do it often. It’s not an affordability thing for us tbh but for DC it’s quite exciting.

I go about twice a month. It's hard to find the time.

My local is Odeon so the 2 for £10 offer is pretty good, I think it was £6.85 per adult for a recliner seat last week so not too expensive. Snacks from the shop.

It's a day in the holidays for my family as it might be the only thing the kids do that day but it's not an experience but neither is it day to day.

I'd more call it an indulgence. We only have expensive cinemas & we just don't see the value. Most movies are on streaming within a couple of months anyway.

We'd rather spend the time & money on a non screen based activity with DC - or a free one like the park (year round activity here)!

Our local Odeon tickets are £12.99 each (£9.49 for a child) or £17.99 each for a recliner seat! There are very few films that I’d pay that for.

Meerkat movies is what we have been doing for yrs. I buy a one day insurance from them at a cost of no more than a fiver, & get a 241 pass for a yr, absolute bargain. 2tickets for 6.99

£70 for tickets 2 adults and £2 children at our local cinema for a new release.

No way can I justify that spend day to day - It's an evening out.

OP you must be rolling in it.

Blimey. Where do you live?? 1995?

Ours is £14.50 for an adult and £9.99 for children!!

It's more of an activity similar to a meal out / bowling etc

However, it completely depends as cinema is quite cheap if you have a blue light card and take own snacks - but the time and travel makes it not a day to day thing IYSWIM

Meal out for 4 people will come to £120 approx, even a Nando's comes into the £80's. Meals out used to be a weekly thing for us, but now more of a monthly thing. I found post covid quality and portion size has really dropped

The best value activity I think is bowling, it's really cheap.

I haven't been for years (i have a toddler). So I count it as a special outing!

Ours are £14 each!

DD6 and I go to the theatre more often than the cinema. Granted tickets are a bit more expensive (we generally pay around 20 quid a ticket in our local venue), but it's a better experience. We go a couple of times a year.

There are very few films that are worth seeing in the cinema. For kids films it's even worse. I took her to Wonka and that wasn't great...

Last ones I saw with DH was Dune 2 and before that Barbie with friends.

Tickets at our local Vue are only £4.99 so it's not expensive for us, but it's a 40 minute drive from ours so it does take up a good half a day if we want to go.

I wouldn't call it an experience as such but I often can't be arsed with the journey.

I have found the following activities shockingly expensive:

Swimming at leisure centre- horrific experience in general and really pricey

Skiing - that is an expensive day out and I really want to learn to ski pre holiday

Go karting - could not believe the cost of this one 130 for a family of 4 for an hour

The zoo

Rock climbing

What are really fun and good value:
Pottery painting
Go ape type activities
Cheshire ice cream farm for little ones
Bowling - cheap and cheerful £6 2 games for 4

I have Odeon Limitless and it's cost £110 for the year since the pandemic so it's regular for us. We went yesterday.

If I were paying £45 for a family of 4 - not so much.

I hate going to the cinema. As it’s a U film of only 100 mins, happen to sit in the same row or behind a kid who goes to the toilet three times.

Then in every film showing, get people who can’t get off their phones. Their screens glow and distracting. Or get people who constantly talk.

Then the smell of popcorn makes me feel sick.

I love watching films but watch them on Sky, Netflix or a DVD bought at a charity shop

I have two local cinemas a 15m drive away. One is a big cineworld where standard adult tickets are £13.50, so for two adults and two teens it's £54 for us to go plus another £20 on drinks & popcorn. No we don't 'need' to eat and drink but it is nice to do and part of it being an experience.

The other is a wonderful independent which used to be £5 an adult but is now £11. Similar food & drink prices. They have all the block busters plus lots of live and recorded Royal Opera, National Ballet and National Theatre screenings, midweek midday baby screenings of blockbusters, weekend kids club, a large foreign language programme, and £3 mystery screenings.

We almost always choose the independent but it's still an expensive activity for all of us to go. I think that for the majority of people, cinema is not a day to day thing and most definitely a day out and an experience.

Definitely not an "everyday" thing here.

Nearest cinema - 30 minute drive + car parking (or the park and ride if during the day...last bus is at 8.30) + cost of tickets = a very expensive event.

I mean it doesn’t take a full day so I wouldn’t describe it as a day out but it’s definitely a treat. Not something we do regularly.