Cineplex upcoming June 1st Changes

[bubbabyte]

So i was at the theatre yesterday with my wife and kids and noticed that first of all they had raised the prices of most of the combos at the concession, 2 reg popcorn 2 reg drinks with 1 candy was like $25.99, which i usually end up upsizing because of the free refills. I was then warned by the cashier that as of June 1st cineplex is no longer offering refills on any concessions.
I think this is a horrible idea, and i will absolutely stay away from cineplex because of this. They can kick and scream all they want about the movie business being hurt because of pirating etc.. yet new records seem to be made every other month when it comes to sales, and the prices for their concessions is absolutely absurd. It's popcorn and fountain pop, that's it, and if they can't offer a refill on something you paid a VERY high price for to begin with i will no longer go there.

Now i know this won't affect most people, singles or couples that go to the movies, but when you are taking a family to see a movie that will cost roughly $75 in admission and food, then a refill on some drinks and popcorn is a huge issue.

Not sure if you guys knew about this change or cared, but it certainly changed my thoughts about going to movies with my family after june 1st.

Can anyone confirm if this is nationwide and not just the niagara region, also, does anyone know if Empire offers refills with their concessions?

[lizamarie]

thats why I bring my own drink/snack---way way overpriced

[lovelikewinter3]

Agreed, going to see the movies is already expensive, so if I'm going to pay extra for the largest size, I'm going to expect a refill. I only get one refill on the pop, and that's it. I'll still visit Cineplex, because I like their rewards, but I definitely won't be buying concessions as much as I did (which wasn't much anyways).

[smileyKT]

I know at some cineplex in Toronto, the no refills have already started

[slayer_glade]

... just don't buy the food/drinks?

That's what we do. I'll buy snacks and bring those in. If we are not in the mood for a treat, then we don't bring anything. It's not an obligation.

I'd rather spend $5 on a movie and $2 on snacks versus $10-12 on popcorn and soda.

[bubbabyte]

I know at some cineplex in Toronto, the no refills have already started

That's horrible.

I know it won't affect everyone, but it's sooooo overpriced to begin with. It's like if you go to a restaurant like the keg or something and you get a pop, it's overpriced for a simple class of coke, but you at least know you can get a refill if needed so the price is a little justified. I'm not even saying that i ALWAYS got a refill, but it was nice to know i had the option if i'm paying so much for food.

[glowworm2k]

I don't think the theatres around here offer free refills... I have never seen it advertized. When I used to live in Bell-vegas well over a decade ago (as opposed to las Vanier), the cineplex offered a free refill on popcorn. I would always go to the movies with a few friends. We would arrive a bit early, buy ONE jumbo bag of popcorn (with free refills) for us and go into the theatre. We always brought two ziplock jumbo freezer bags with us, so once we sat down, we would dump the popcorn into the ziplocks, go back and get a refill, repeat, and get a third refill before the movie even started so that we all got a jumbo bag of popcorn, even though we only paid for one. Heck, we were greedy enough that we'd get another refill "for the road" to eat at home! (Yes, probably "abusing the system" a bit, but the only way movie snacks were affordable for poor rural kids!) I always figured that this was why I never saw refills advertised in theatres in the Ottawa area... just too many people like us who abused the system. LOL, we never bought drinks at the theatre because, naughty teens that we were, we had also usually smuggled in a beer or two apiece

Now, I just buy the movie combos at Costco because they give you 2 drinks, 2 popcorns and 2 tickets for the same price as 2 regular adult tickets! I think they also offer deals for family passes, so if you're a costco member, you may want to check it out to help you keep costs down for your family nights out.

[bubbabyte]

I don't think the theatres around here offer free refills... I have never seen it advertized. When I used to live in Bell-vegas well over a decade ago (as opposed to las Vanier), the cineplex offered a free refill on popcorn. I would always go to the movies with a few friends. We would arrive a bit early, buy ONE jumbo bag of popcorn (with free refills) for us and go into the theatre. We always brought two ziplock jumbo freezer bags with us, so once we sat down, we would dump the popcorn into the ziplocks, go back and get a refill, repeat, and get a third refill before the movie even started so that we all got a jumbo bag of popcorn, even though we only paid for one. Heck, we were greedy enough that we'd get another refill "for the road" to eat at home! (Yes, probably "abusing the system" a bit, but the only way movie snacks were affordable for poor rural kids!) I always figured that this was why I never saw refills advertised in theatres in the Ottawa area... just too many people like us who abused the system. LOL, we never bought drinks at the theatre because, naughty teens that we were, we had also usually smuggled in a beer or two apiece

Now, I just buy the movie combos at Costco because they give you 2 drinks, 2 popcorns and 2 tickets for the same price as 2 regular adult tickets! I think they also offer deals for family passes, so if you're a costco member, you may want to check it out to help you keep costs down for your family nights out.

I mean i've done this on occasion too, but when you put it into facts, as to how much it actually costs them for a large bag of popcorn as opposed to the $7 for the large they charge you, i think there is a MASSIVE gap, and they have more than enough room for some people to get 3 refills if needed and still would not lose a cent. IT's just greed is what it all comes down to.

[sunshine6100]

Trips to the movies are insane!
I always use passes and whatever coupons are out.
I never go to 3D movies so I don't have to pay the premium; my son doesn't even keep the glasses on anyway!

And I save up my Scene points too.

And YUP. The one time I bought the larger size I went to get a refill and it was a no-go

Can someone tell me more about the Costco combo?
Is it like something you can give as a gift?
Do you get Scene points at all?

[slayer_glade]

2 admissions, 1 popcorn, 2 drinks. Good price, I think around $25. They have a similar one for kids and so on. Don't know about scene points.

Honestly, I just go on cheapie Tuesday. Same for guzzo, only Tues + Wed.

Though those certificates make for a special treat. Especially on the rare occasion we go on the weekend.

And yes, you can gift them. Like the ones you get from them directly.

The info is on Costco.ca too.

[thriftygranny]

I think you can even buy the Costco packages on line now, which is great. The only set back is that it can take up to 2-3 hours so you won't be getting them at the last minute. Not sure why it takes them so long to e-mail the confirmation.Maybe it is just a glitch that they are working out. If you don't have a costco membership ask a friend that does to buy you a Costco gift card , they should let you use a gift card without a membership in the store. Also if you live in Alberta you can get these ticket packages at Servus Credit Union and at Alberta Motor Association if you are a member.

Regarding the refills,am I the only one that thinks that this is a massive amount of pop to drink in 2 hours, let alone refill it. It isn't even a concern for our family, my kids/grandchildren would not be allowed to have that much pop and my husband and I don't feel we need to gorge at the movies.this is why we are raising overweight sluggish couch potatoes, they might burn the sugar off when they are young but it's not a habit I want my kids to have.

[glamorousgirl]

I bring my own stuff. But mainly because I don't drink pop and don't like Dasani, and I don't like popcorn so what's left. I bring my own refillable bottle from home and some snacks. I bet a lot more people than you would think do this.

[AmandaPantz]

Hey, I bring in cans of zevia and smarties! XD

[MrsSunshine]

when hubby takes kids he takes them ONLY on cheap nights. and they either always stop at the $store and grab snacks, I feed them before they leave and send small snacks. OR he takes them out after for apps.

[GracieAnne]

Maybe it was just my family, whenever we would do a movie night, we'd never ever buy their overpriced food.

Instead, we always would stop at Tim's after the movie for hot chocolate or ice caps, depending on the season. (Maybe a box of timbits or donuts too.