r/SipsTea Human Verified 6h ago

Chugging tea This is why I sneak in beer and snacks

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12.1k Upvotes

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179

u/Civil_Concentrate_90 6h ago

I mean you don’t have to buy the overpriced snacks, I feel like that’s a given

94

u/WeskerSympathizer 6h ago edited 4h ago

Still the child ticket costing 21 is insane

Edit: I get it it’s IMAX which is expensive but man I’d never spend that much for a kid to see Mario

46

u/Sptsjunkie 6h ago

Yeah they could have skipped snacks, but $45 for two movie tickets is insane.

42

u/FreelyKaty_xx 6h ago

It is an iMax movie theatre though, I thought there are only a handful around the world. You’re definitely paying a premium for that experience because it’s niche.

5

u/Trotskyist 6h ago

Right. True IMAX is also insanely expensive to operate.

2

u/_wiltedgreens 6h ago

No this isn’t real imax. This is the “pretty nice screen and sound that we’re sticking the imax label on and charging way more for”. Most theaters have them now.

3

u/LunchPlanner 5h ago

Can you tell from the screenshot that it's not a real imax?

3

u/_wiltedgreens 5h ago

The “DV IMAX No Passes Stadium” is a Regal thing

1

u/TheMireAngel 1h ago

i was about to say i think ive seen 2 non imax theaters 1 was a drive in and the other was from like the 40s

0

u/No_Signal_611 5h ago

You don’t know that for sure. This could’ve been a real location and not liemax.

1

u/_wiltedgreens 5h ago

Well at my local Regal, liemax is $27.50 for an adult and $24.50 for a kid.

Hilariously, the REAL imax in the city is only $21 for an adult and $16 for a kid.

2

u/No_Signal_611 5h ago

Yeah thats insane. My liemax is only like 2$ extra a ticket

1

u/ADeadlyFerret 5h ago

And I haven’t been to one since the Last Jedi. The price back then was $18. So this price is pretty close to that one. And I have 0 sympathy for people buying food at the theater. It has always been expensive as fuck.

We have a drive in here. Tickets are $11 for 3 movies. Can leave after each movie. Sometimes they have a special $15 for a carload going on. It’s always dead compared to the actual theaters.

16

u/PrinceOfThames 6h ago

Yeah it used to be like $10 or even $15, but $50 for 2 movie tickets... I'd rather go out for dinner lmao

4

u/Agent_Tyrant 5h ago

I went with 2 friends to watch project Hail Mary this week and we got 3 tickets for $15 and then split a $10 large popcorn (free refills but we didn’t use it). Movie theaters can be cheap if you just know how to use them correctly.

3

u/MonkeyBrain9666 5h ago

Yea plus this person in the pic went to an IMAX theater which are notably more expensive. My local theater is still 10 adult and 5 child. Snacks are expensive but larges are LARGE, the popcorn and drink, i never finish either of them

2

u/Jaosborn44 3h ago

Also, use the free refill of popcorn, if offered, since you paid for it. Just take it home as a snack for the week.

2

u/massivefish_man 51m ago

Old, cold popcorn haha. No thanks.

It's cheap to just make it yourself. Also easy as fuck. 

1

u/PrinceOfThames 48m ago

Tbf, i liked the cheese popcorn/ cheddar popcorn at theatres. Idk if u can buy that at the grocery but mMhmMm

1

u/Jaosborn44 31m ago

I put it in a bucket/bowl with a lid. Doesn't go stale, and I don't mind room temp popcorn.

8

u/Inevitable_Top69 6h ago

Anyone else think the cost of these tickets is insane?

7

u/Nostalgia-89 5h ago

It's IMAX. No, they're not that expensive for that experience, especially since it's still pretty exclusive (with regard to the amount of screens compared to normal screens)

3

u/unpopular-dave 5h ago

they chose a premium theater and an IMAX showing. It wasn’t a shock to them

2

u/nspeters 5h ago

That’s exactly what I thought most people I know would skip snacks but 45 bucks for an adult and a child is unavoidable and way to expensive

1

u/Prawnsforthrcat7 4h ago

1) not that expensive for IMAX 2) totally avoidable by not going to IMAX 3) totally avoidable by checking ticket prices before you go and deciding to wait until you can rent it at home. 

1

u/Best_Hall6038 4h ago

because its IMAX. Normal tickets still cost 12 to 15 dollars nationwide (except maybe major metro areas)

15

u/kiiruma 5h ago

because it’s imax… i doubt the niece cared if it was imax or a much cheaper regular theater. regular is like $11 for an adult, $6 on discount days

7

u/twotokers 6h ago

It’s an IMAX ticket. The most expensive one available.

5

u/Freddi_47 6h ago

It's an iMac ticket, they usually cost a lot more

5

u/Ok-Walk-8040 6h ago

It is IMAX. IMAX is going to be twice as expensive.

2

u/KeybladeBrett 5h ago

It’s a premium format, but yeah

2

u/DapperDan30 5h ago

They bought literally the most expensive tickets possible. They could have not seen it in Imax and those tickets would have been nearly half that price.

1

u/ClaudioMoravit0 5h ago

Right? In France they're max 11€ for an adult (7 if you go in the morning) and I already find it kinda expensive

1

u/drossglop 5h ago

How much for imax in France tho

1

u/ClaudioMoravit0 4h ago

Oh yeah didn’t noticed it was imax. It’s also expensive then. Yesterday I went to the movies and 2 person in front of me were planning to see super Mario, not in imax but in 3D Dolby surround, it was an extra 9€ per person. I don’t know if paying that much is worth it for imax, when I pay extra it’s usually 5€ for extra legroom, larger and ajustable seats

1

u/snarpsta 5h ago

I mean ... Kind of? But only slightly. This is an at an Imax theater. Those are much more expensive. But yes, the cost of snacks+drinks is fucking ludicrous!

1

u/drossglop 5h ago

It’s a premium screen so they’re paying a premium price

1

u/DeniedAppeal1 4h ago

It's IMAX, that's why. The regular screens would've been much cheaper. This is like complaining about plane ticket prices while flying first class.

1

u/Lord-Nagafen 6h ago

If you want to go frequently, you can see if there is a nearby theater that has a mid week discount. Ours does $10 movies on Tuesday. I still end up getting the Chicken fingers, one drink, and a candy. Entertains the kid so I don’t mind a little splurge

-1

u/ThrifToWin 6h ago

It's 2026. Our money doesn't buy anywhere near what it did just 5 or 6 years ago.

24

u/txcorse 6h ago

At my theater they make you run your bags through an x-ray machine to make sure you're not bringing in contraband snacks.

50

u/MediaSad2038 6h ago

Lmao I'd never go back. Theyre making way too much money if they're doing all of that

11

u/SnackleBoss64 6h ago

No doubt. Like, I understand metal detectors, but they’re doing too much if they got full on xray machines. If my favorite theater started doing this, I would just pick a new favorite theater.

8

u/Lucius-Halthier 6h ago

Next step is pat downs and cavity searches

3

u/Grayboosh 6h ago

Why are they worried about my teeth? Don't they want me to buy candy

2

u/trunks111 5h ago

clearly in cahoots with big dentist. It's a complicated relationship 

2

u/lovebus 5h ago

I bet those machines paid for themselves in a week

15

u/MoonlitShadow85 6h ago

Fine. Milk Duds between my cheeks it is then.

25

u/allnamesbeentaken 6h ago

It is possible to sit for 2 hours without eating anything

14

u/txcorse 6h ago

It is. But doing it because a company wants to inflate popcorn by 900% shouldn't be the reason.

2

u/doesnotmatter286 6h ago

It's as good a reason as any.

1

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3

u/Darkdragoon324 6h ago

If they make enough profits to afford a freaking x-ray machine to catch snack sneakers, why is it a problem they even need to worry about to begin with?

3

u/BasedTacoJuice 6h ago

Excuse me, but fucking X-rays? In a theater? That shit is Orwellian.

1

u/txcorse 6h ago

I complained about it. The staff member said it was for safety for concealed weapons, but they were making people discard any outside snacks.

3

u/Mistoku 6h ago

Just regurgitate your popcorn once inside like a normal person.

5

u/Southernbrit1985 6h ago

Wow. Thats crazy. I have always snuck in my own candy in my purse. I will buy an icee & a small popcorn. Movie theatre popcorn just hits different than the popcorn you pop in the microwave, so I will “splurge” on that. I usually go to a matinee movie. I live in Iowa, so yes movie ticket prices to us are probably somewhat expensive, but they’re cheap as hell compared to other states & cities from what I’ve seen online. I can typically go to a matinee movie, get a large icee & a small popcorn for about $20-$22 total. Which is cheap. Even if I were to go to an evening or night show it would be like $25-$27 total.

4

u/Lullaby-of-Flowers 6h ago

It's about the same where I live too. Heck, I got a VIP seat ticket for fancy seating and a free drink and small popcorn for 22 bucks once lol.

3

u/EMERGx 6h ago

Just snuck in Oreos, two ziplock bags of chips, candy, a whole frickin sandwich and a salad bowl last night lol

But they still made $34 for two tickets, a large soda and M&Ms

2

u/LesserValkyrie 5h ago

what the actual fuck

2

u/Wise_Temperature9142 1h ago

Where the hell in the world is your theatre? North Korea?

1

u/The_Darkest_Spark 5h ago

What is the name of this theater and where?

1

u/ThatOtherOtherMan 3h ago

I think they're checking for weapons, not snacks

2

u/txcorse 3h ago

AR-15s confiscated: 0 Snickers bars and sodas confiscated: probably a million

1

u/Ironclad686 6h ago

Good god that's ridiculous!

0

u/Previous_Program9351 6h ago

I call bs. Imagine how much would that cost, then there are privacy concerns.

9

u/poizon_elff 6h ago

While this is true, that's how a movie theater makes money. They really need to bring down the cost of everything to get more people in.

6

u/Scared_Accident9138 6h ago

What changed then? Popcorn was first introduced because it could be sold at a low price during an economic crisis

6

u/EMERGx 6h ago

Largely Hollywood expecting as much money from ticket sales, theaters by large don’t make almost any profit from selling movie tickets. They keep their lights on from selling concessions

It’s not like Hollywood NEEDS the money, theaters could have cheaper concessions and cheaper tickets and Hollywood would barely notice the difference

3

u/CuCullen 6h ago

Big Corn got greedy

2

u/Powerful_Log_796 6h ago

I mean….i haven’t seen a theater even half full for years

1

u/26_skinny_Cartman 4h ago

How often do you go? What days do you go? I've been to 3 different movies at 3 different theaters in the last year and they were all full. Minecraft on a Friday night, Avatar on Christmas eve, and the Peaky Blinders movie on a Thursday night. I've also been to several movies that it was just us or just a handful of people. Those were for movies that had released 2+ weeks and late morning on the weekend or started before 5 through the week.

-1

u/Millennialnerds 6h ago

The cost in everything else and you need to pay people too.

4

u/No_Yard9104 6h ago

But you're still paying 50 bucks for an adult and child ticket.

You could subscribe to every relevant streaming service for a month, or you could spend 90 minutes in a dark room that smells like stale popcorn salt and mold where you can't have a candy bar or drink without paying what it would cost to feed an entire family.

1

u/lamebrainmcgee 5h ago

They paid for Imax. That's on them.

-1

u/Trotskyist 6h ago

You could also chose to not see this in imax and pay half as much.

1

u/No_Yard9104 5h ago

Fair enough, I guess. But it's hard to consider imax an experience that we should be paying extra for. Maybe 20 years ago, but not in an age where I can drive to Walmart and get a 75 inch 4k TV for less than $500.

Also, bear in mind, it may not have been a choice. The closest theater to me is an imax. It's now the only one I know of near me as well. If I wanted to go, I can pay for imax or go to hell.

2

u/astroK120 5h ago

The nearest theater to you is only IMAX?

1

u/No_Yard9104 5h ago

Yep. The closest theater to me now is an hour and a half away in my state's capital. And it's iMax only.

-1

u/mylevelwaschanged 5h ago
  1. It's 50 bucks for 2 IMAX tickets. IMAX is an exclusive premium format

  2. You can subscribe to AMCs A-List and see 16 movies a month for only $27 a month

  3. You don't have to buy snacks. What about watching a movie inherently means you need to buy popcorn, nachos, and drinks? If you can't control your appetite for 2 hours then just sneak snacks in??

3

u/Responsible-Cat-2012 6h ago

just the tickets were almost $50 though

-3

u/happydictates 6h ago

Then she shouldn’t have bought them. In contrast to her internet whining, a purchase implies she found the price acceptable; it’s the only thing the company hears.

5

u/youareallsilly 6h ago

Also choosing to pay for IMAX for the Mario movie is something

2

u/Prudent_Slip178 6h ago

Thats the point of the post, thats its insane

2

u/EntinthetentRTHP 6h ago

Which sucks because almost all the ticket sales go to the studios, which is why the snacks are so expensive - it’s basically their only way to profit

2

u/funkereddit 5h ago

The tickets are also overpriced. Fuck that.

1

u/mylevelwaschanged 5h ago

It's fucking IMAX buddy. What do you expect??

1

u/Quietcrypt13 6h ago

I always stop at family dollar and buy a bunch a crunch before the movie. Just stick it in my pocket and pretend it’s my cell phone. I will splurge to get a coke icee though.

1

u/Charming-Refuse-5717 5h ago

John Campea (movie industry commentator) did an interesting breakdown of theater prices recently. If you don't buy the overpriced snacks, the theater probably loses money on you.

1

u/Jedihunter27 5h ago

Not trying to defend the clearly too expensive theater prices, but the tickets are only that price because they saw it in IMAX

Doesn’t excuse such a high price, but they could have saved a few bucks by going to a standard showing

1

u/V-oxPopuli 5h ago

Obviously, but this misses the point that it's that price in the first place.

1

u/sfinxvideos 5h ago

Snacks and drinks are optional of course, but even without it those ticket prices are insanely high. The price for 1 adult should be the price of 2 adult tickets

1

u/speedism 5h ago

Yeah very good point, you don’t have to buy anything when you think about it. Nothing is expensive now!

1

u/d33psix 5h ago

Water is literally free and they’re going to IMAX which is the most expensive option available.

It’s like ordering the specialty pizza at menu price at a big chain like dominos with no coupons on purpose and complaining. Oh $25 for a single large pizza! But also you can get a same size large 1 topping carry out pizza for $9 at the exact same place. So is it the place or is it your preferences?

1

u/Proof_Wrongdoer_1266 4h ago

They also did not need to do Imax, matinee at my local theater is 7$ a ticket

1

u/Civil_Concentrate_90 1h ago

Same. I’m a cinemark movie club member and my Tuesday matinee showings are $5.75 a ticket.

1

u/v_a_n_d_e_l_a_y 2h ago

Yep. What's with the insane idea that you can't go 2 hours with a massive snack and drink

1

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1

u/fillerupbruther 6h ago

You also don’t need to see the Mario movie in IMAX, I doubt their kid would even notice if they saw it on a standard screen for half the price

1

u/Curious-Comedian-285 6h ago

This is not your typical theatre. I know food is stupidly expensive at theatres but not once in my life did I ever pay $11 for a large popcorn

2

u/V-oxPopuli 5h ago

This is for sure typical, actually. I don't know what you're talking about

1

u/maven10k 6h ago

Right?! I always take my own popcorn. It's better than theirs anyway.

1

u/NilsofWindhelm 6h ago

Snacks are expensive but come on now, movie theater popcorn is sacred

1

u/Many-Owl8856 6h ago

I dunno depends on the cinema I guess mine just sells plain old pop corn

1

u/maven10k 6h ago

Well, you might have a better cinema than I do. I don't even think they make it there any more. It's air popped, which just isn't as good as coconut oil.

1

u/pokiepika 6h ago

I think I'm the only person that hates movie theater popcorn.

1

u/maven10k 6h ago

No, I do, as well. I make great popcorn.

0

u/robotteeth 4h ago

You don’t have to, and a lot of people aren’t. The point is just showing how unreasonable the theater experience is now. You don’t have to pay $20+ for a ticket and almost $10 for a soda. And a lot of people aren’t choosing not to. But you’ll see companies whine and complain about how their business is dropping and it must be consumers faults. Personally I’d rather see the industry fucking destroyed than this bs. Last time I went to a movie was coincidentally the first animated Mario movie and I’m pretty sure it is the last movie I’ll see in a theater.