Taking your own food/drink to cinema

Has anyone done this? The last couple of times I've paid £5.80 for a huge container of popcorn and huge coke but wonder about sneaking in food/drink.

Thing is, can they stop you or kick you out for doing that?

Interested to know if anyone has any stories related to doing this...
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Comments

  • blue_monkey_2
    blue_monkey_2 Posts: 11,435 Forumite
    It depends on where you go. On Saturday we went to a small local one and walked with the the kids own little bags of sweets, I also had a bag with some biscuits in. But I went to Cineworld and they check your bags and if you have stuff in them they take your bags away. I've seen this happen a few times where people get their bags taken. I refused to let mine be searched but they have signs everywhere

    Tip: Big inside pockets. They cannot search you in person as you could claim they touched you. Put what you need in the inside pockets and keep your coat closed until you get in. ;)
  • I always take my own food and drink, but stash it in OHs pockets and in my bag. I also try and think twice about worrying about food and drink as it's only for a couple of hours, but somehow the cinema just isn't the same without some snacks.

    I go to Vue and Odeon.
  • all the time!

    wdnt pay their prices

    usually everyone has a fruit shoot on their person and i have the sweets/snax in my bag and pockets

    tis expensive enough these days just paying for the film

    we never get searched;)
    Time is the best teacher
    Shame it kills all the students
    :p
    *******************************************************************************************
  • geordie_joe
    geordie_joe Posts: 9,112
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    I was born in 1959 and remember my dad taking me to the cinema every saturday from when I was very young.

    Every week my mum gave me money and told me to get what I wanted at the sweet shop on the way, as I was NOT getting anything once I was inside the cinema.

    To this day I have never bought anything inside a cinema. I always take in what i want to eat or drink. My three grown up kids do the same with their kids.

    I've never been stopped, or had a problem with taking my own "food and drink" into a cinema, although I haven't been to one for three years.

    Even if the management didn't like it, I'd rather face them than run the risk of my mother digging her way out of her grave and grabbing me by the shoulder and shouting "What have I told you about buying stuff in the cinema".
  • blue_monkey_2
    blue_monkey_2 Posts: 11,435 Forumite
    The little one I have found charges £1.50 for kids and free adults on a Saturday morning. It is great. We have not been to the cinema in 3 years because my son is AS and he usually wants to leave and starts kicking off, but as it is kids club no-one minds as other kids are usually making a noise and it is just wonderful for us. This week we paid a whopping £7.40 for admission for 2 kids, 2 adults, 2 drinks and 2 boxes of popcorn!! We saw Bedtime Stories and the week before Madagascar 2. This is our little Saturday treat now and it gets my son used to the cinema, I could not take him on my own, he needs to have and supervision so it is great that should we have to take him out I've not been charged £6 for getting him in!

    Some of the smaller cinemas might not be all flashing lights and whistles but they show the same films for great value. There are signs saying 'no food' but they never seem to check.
  • linni
    linni Posts: 1,480
    First Post First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    We do it all the time.. Their prices are horrendous. We just take a small rucksack or large pockets and just wait till the lights go out!!
  • moneypooh
    moneypooh Posts: 2,217
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Forumite
    If your cinema is in town, just pop into a food store beforehand and buy a few items (only if you need them first), put your stash in with it and they can't say a thing! They can't take your shopping away :) Walking in with a McDonalds might be a bit obvious though :rotfl:
  • onetomany
    onetomany Posts: 2,170 Forumite
    The little one I have found charges £1.50 for kids and free adults on a Saturday morning. It is great. We have not been to the cinema in 3 years because my son is AS and he usually wants to leave and starts kicking off, but as it is kids club no-one minds as other kids are usually making a noise and it is just wonderful for us. This week we paid a whopping £7.40 for admission for 2 kids, 2 adults, 2 drinks and 2 boxes of popcorn!! We saw Bedtime Stories and the week before Madagascar 2. This is our little Saturday treat now and it gets my son used to the cinema, I could not take him on my own, he needs to have and supervision so it is great that should we have to take him out I've not been charged £6 for getting him in!

    Some of the smaller cinemas might not be all flashing lights and whistles but they show the same films for great value. There are signs saying 'no food' but they never seem to check.
    do you know hun you can get a cea card hun if you are on dla? it entails whoever takes the named person to the cinema free entry, i use it for my son and yes we take our own sweets in [url]https://www.ceacard.co.uk:j[/url]
  • Cineworld near me ban hot food, but don't care if you have a packet of sweets or can of coke with you :)
  • I always do - I was amazed to see that a drink and popcorn 'deal' costs over £6 at my local cinema. Once the lights are out noone is going to come and apprehend you for eating smuggled in goods. Just keep them in your bag on the way in and don't declare your money saving expertise to all and sundry!

    It is completely unacceptable for people to search your bags for food and drink - as far as they are concerned you could have been carrying it around in there for ages and they can't prove otherwise, can they?!
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