If you're pondering the same questions, I'm here to help. I tried out the VIP movies so you don't have to — and have some serious thoughts about if it's worth the hit to the wallet.
The atmosphere and vibe
Cineplex VIP lounge
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Starting strong with what I loved — the atmosphere. There's no doubt that the VIP experience is a lot nicer than your standard theatre. I went to Cineplex Marine Gateway in Vancouver, which has its own private section for us VIPs.
When you enter, there's an immaculate hallway with photos of old movies and actors, really beautiful light fixtures, and just a nice welcome into the section. There's a separate restaurant and bar area where you can have food and drinks before or after your movie.
The staff who worked in the VIP section were honestly amazing. So friendly, so helpful, and so attentive. A true 10/10 on service.
The theatre itself is your standard movie screen size, but the seats are much better. They’re bigger than a typical seat, very plush, and recline slightly. They also have a movable armrest so you can snuggle up for a date night!
Overall, the atmosphere was comfortable and elevated. The vibe was good. No notes.
The food and drinks
Delicious poutine, boozy milkshake, and popcorn at Cineplex VIP
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Now the reason we're all here… Food and drinks. The real advantages of the VIP experience over a regular movie are that you can 1) drink alcohol, and 2) order directly from your seat. So if either of those is a big draw for you, then I see why it's worth the extra expense.
There is a restaurant and bar outside the theatre, where you can eat or drink before and after the show. We were not able to get there early, so we went straight to the theatre and ordered from our seats. Servers are there to take your order and bring it back to where you're sitting. That was really cool, and the service was excellent.
The menu has everything you'd want, including full meal options (burgers, sandwiches, tacos), snacks and appetizers (fries, salads, wings), and classic movie food (popcorn, candy).
And the drinks... the drinks! So many great options for cocktails, including massive fishbowls, frozen and blended options, and all the classics. There was also a movie-themed custom cocktail, the “Everybody Wants This,” as a nod to The Devil Wears Prada. They also have beer, cider, and wine, so you can really get whatever you want.
I got the pulled pork poutine and a frozen PB&J hard milkshake. In hindsight, it's not the most cohesive flavour palette, but I love poutine, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a spiked milkshake.
They were both really yummy and had large portions. I also mooched popcorn from my sister, which was normal movie-theatre popcorn, but in a nicer bucket.
The cost...
Enjoying the VIP theatre
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Let's talk money.
I paid $27.75 for my ticket. There's both an online booking fee, but a Scene+ discount, so my all-in price was $30.19.
Interestingly, I've gone back to the website to check prices on different days, and it seems like booking on Monday through Wednesday (we went on a Thursday) was cheaper: $23.75. So, take note – the prices vary.
In terms of food, prices were better than I expected. They weren't marked up as wildly as I suspected. It's on par with going out to eat at a restaurant in Vancouver. For example, your handhelds like sandwiches and burgers ranged from $16 to $22, tacos were around $18, beers started at $7.50 and cocktails were around $15.
Popcorn was $13.25 after tax for a large with butter.
All in all my expenses were:
Ticket: $27.75
Poutine: $14.00
Boozy Milkshake: $15.50
TOTAL: $62.72 (includes tax)
Note that tips are not included in the above breakdown, and as this is a full-service experience, it is standard to account for them on your bill.
Are VIP movies worth it?
The aftermath of our VIP theatre experience
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I’ll summarize with my overall pros and cons of the experience, right down to the nitty-gritty details.
Things I liked about the VIP theatre:
- Comfortable, spacious seats.
- Friendly, helpful staff.
- The ability to order food and drinks from your seat (and drink alcohol in the theatre).
- Beautiful facilities.
- A well-rounded menu of tasty and reasonably-priced food and drinks.
Things I didn't like about the VIP theatre:
- There was no indication that the cutoff time for ordering food was the start time of the movie. Since we weren't able to make it that early, we were rushing to our seats to order something in time. I would have loved to know the ordering cut-off time, so I could plan to be there earlier!
- They don't clear your plates during the movie, so as not to disrupt it (which I totally get) but that means you're sitting with your dirty dishes right beside you. It’s kind of gross and means you can't actually use your armrest.
- I got a plastic fork with my poutine. Not a big deal overall, but it seems a bit odd considering the other dishes were all reusable options and this is VIP — so apparently, I'm expecting polished silverware now.
- It cost me more for popcorn and other snacks at the regular theatre because of the service tip.
- The seat reclined, but soooo slightly. Would have been nice to have a bigger recline. And, there was no footrest, which wasn't ideal.
- I learned from friends that each VIP theatre is different; some have footrests, are larger, or offer different facilities. While I'm sure it's a similar experience, it's worth noting.
With all this in mind, paying over $60 for this movie experience was not worth it, not for an average night out.
For a special date night when you want to splurge? Sure. For the weekly Tacos & Tequila Tuesday night special? Yeah, makes sense. If I really, really wanted to have a few drinks while watching a movie? Yep, I get it.
But for a normal movie hangout with friends, I'd rather sneak my snacks in my purse or buy popcorn for the regular price and enjoy my viewing from the standard seats.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
