Downtown Disney AMC Dine-in Theatre

[Keith]

Very brief report on the AMC Dine in Theatre at downtown disney.

Some time ago the AMC cinema at Downtown disney was a nice, normal, albeit modernly boring, cinema.

24 screens of mainly digital goodness, hotdogs/popcorn and well you get the idea.

A year or so ago now, parts began to be closed off and adverts started appearing for fork&screen, or Dine-in Theatre.

When it reopened, annoyingly, the entrance next to planet hollywood became only for dine-in movies :/ you couldn't go through for the normal movies. For normal movies, you have to walk all the way to the back entrance by cirque. Annoying!

The idea is that you can have food and drink brought to your seat at any time during the movie. Simple enough, but I wondered how it would work :/ it had to be light to be able to see the food, and what about all the interruptions from servers buzzing back and forth. Then there was the noise, surely people would be talking, eating, clinking knives/forks and so on. hmmmm.

Anyway, one rainy day in May we happened to be in DTD without having eaten first and decided on a movie. Unfortunately the only one starting soon was "the dictator" in the dine-in side of the AMC. Well, since we were just using the cinema as an expensive umbrella anyway and didn't expect much from the movie, we thought we'd give it a shot.

The ticket process is easy and less crowded than the normal side and the first interesting thing is that all the seats are chosen. Makes sense I guess but the other thing to note is that there seems to be a lot fewer seats and theyre all massive! Seriously massive, comfortable and all round better than the other side of the cinema!

The other immediate difference is that there's a table in front of you, a lot like the sci-fi Diner at hollywood studios except more space! its carefully lit and was better than I expected it to be.

There's also a beer/wine list and a food menu. Options include chicken wings, chicken tenders, salads, potato skins and some great desserts! All in all, the type of food you'd expect to see at planet hollywood albeit less choice. The prices are all around the $10-$15 (could've been worse!) http://dinein.amctheatres.com/menu

At this point, before the movie even started, a server came round to explain how it was all done and ask us for an initial order. Very quickly our drinks and appetizers arrived and if we needed anything else we just had to press the button on our table.

Must say, it was great to be able to have a wine/beer or three, especially in preparation for a movie like the dictator.

The starters were great too! hot and tasty. Much better than I expected for cinema food.

Pretty soon we pressed the button and a server, all dressed in black, arrived to take the next order. They were very careful to speak quietly and not to get in the way of other peoples viewing.

At this point, the cinema was still a little too light for my liking. As the movie started to play, the lights were dimmed further and although it was just light enough to eat by the lights on the table, it wasn't distracting at all!

About 30mins before the end, the check silently arrived which we paid by card. All very quiet and unobtrusive.

Overall it was a very positive experience! Normally I'm ok with a hotdog and a coke, but for times when I'd fancy something more to eat, I'd certainly go back.

It's a couple more dollars each per ticket but nothing terrible and the food/drinks didn't cost as much as I thought they may have done. Not CHEAP but not a massive rip off either.

Oh and the film was pretty good too, really funny (but the wine probably helped ;-)

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[Tink]

Thanks! I wondered how they did it there.

West Orange 5 on Maguire in Ocoee does dine in now, too. Their's is a bit of a combination of what you experienced. The front part of the theatre is for dining with lovely seats and the tables. The back part of the theatre is the conventional seating.

There are no servers though.

Enzian has true gourmet experience. There are servers there, but unfortunately their films are usually really dreadful. Once in a while they'll have a banned film, or one that won't get airtime in this backward, restrictive state. We go then.

I think we'll give the AMC a try sometime!

[Johnie]

We've had variations of dinner & movie theaters here since the early 90's. The Cinema and Drafthouse was what we originally has. They showed second run movies and is much like you described.

We currently have Cine Bistro here. It is fantastic!! Very nice and upscale. Our location is ages 21 and over which I like A LOT!!! You have to arrive 30 minutes prior to show time to order. The servers don't come into the theater once the movie starts. If you need something you have to go out to the bar.

[Britchick]

I would love to try something like this but don't think I'd go to the cinema in Orlando unless there was something out earlier over there like Brave for example grr

[foreverducky]

I guess, if you are having a bad date, this would be extremely helpful, as the dinner and a movie would all be over in 2 hours.

[Wendy]

I would worry about someone with long hair sitting in front of me Knowing my luck they would decide to "fluff" their hair and it would land in my food

[Keith]

I would worry about someone with long hair sitting in front of me Knowing my luck they would decide to "fluff" their hair and it would land in my food

LOl thankfully they seem to have thought of that and the seats are all tiered. You look over the table over a ridge and then down to see the next row so no real chance of nasty interaction unless they stand up and jump up and down

[Slowhand]

You look over the table over a ridge and then down to see the next row so no real chance of nasty interaction unless they stand up and jump up and down

....or the folks behind you flick the peas off their plates onto your head!

[Wendy]

It's good they thought of that

I bet they haven't thought about people like Terry though

[Keith]

true