I can't believe I never thought of this...

[Imperia]

My DH and I haven't been to the movies since DD was born nor did we plan to for a long time because:
1) she is EBF and I don't like being separated from her, period.
2) I just don't feel taking a baby to a theatre is a good plan, they might cry or need to be nursed etc and I HATE missing any of the movie.

So my DH said to me this morning:

DH: "I figured out how we can go to the movies!"

ME: "Wow, that's great, how?"

DH: "The Drive-in!"

DUH! Ours is only open Spring-Fall but still, yay! We can bring DD and she can sleep in my lap or in her sling and when she needs to nurse voila!


Anyone gone to the Drive-in with a baby?

Imperia

[kfcboston]

I haven't, but it seems like a great plan!! Even makes going with toddlers seem more feasible. One of the major chains also has the Reel Moms program in quite a few cities. Here it's on Tuesday mornings, where moms can bring the kids to a kid-friendly showing, incl. less dim lighting and lower volume.

[redhookmom]

Yes! At our local drive-in the first show is usually a family film and the second is for the adults. This has worked out well for us as DS has fallen asleep sometime before the second one starts.

[pritchettzoo]

WHERE IS THE ONE HERE? Yes, I'm yelling! ;) DH just about wet his pants at the thought of going to the movies! There was one outside of Athens, but I didn't think there were any more--is the Starlight on 85 still open?

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[houseof3boys]

Nope, the starlight is not open! That is a megaplex now with stadium seating. There is one on Moreland Ave though....http://www.starlightdrivein.com/

I think a drive in would be so groovy.

[pritchettzoo]

It's pretty far from us--I don't know how Gracie would handle the 45 mins in the car there plus the 1.5 hours for the movie and then the 45 min drive home... And I am NOT going through that to see Kill Bill Vol. 2!

Thanks for the link!

Anna
Mama to Gracie (9/16/03)

[slknight]

Yes, we did! Ours is only open in the summer. We went last summer. It was great. I just nursed Alex and he fell asleep. Don't remember what month we went - probably July or August, so Alex was probably about 4 months. Go for it!

[brubeck]

We wanted to but all the drive-ins in the Bay Area are closed now.

When I was a baby (3 months old max) my parents had the same idea. They went to the drive-in movie theatre. It just so happened that the movie showing was rated R and anyone under 18 was not allowed in. So the clerk at the entrance booth denied them entrance because my 3 month old self was sleeping in the backseat and might have been corrupted by the awful movie!

It was at that point my parents realized that their lives were over and they spent all of that entertainment money on a big TV set. :)

However we did bring Amy to the movies at 3 weeks old. She sat in the Baby Bjorn the whole time and slept. Afterward I went to the car and fed her. If the movie is only about 2 hours you can feed the baby before you go in and then feed again after the movie is over.

Now that she is 3 we can actually bring her to kiddie movies and she has a good time (especially if we get her some popcorn). So at least we are able to see Disney and Pixar films. :) I have dibs on taking her to Shrek 2 Since DH took her to see Finding Nemo last summer.

[alkagift]

To the Atlanta area moms: There is a "baby show" at the art theater here in Sandy Springs (still a long drive though). They're at the Madstone and they're called the BYO Baby shows. They're every other Tuesday and the most recent one was "13 going on 30."

They currently hit right during Matt's naptime and he can't sleep anywhere but in his crib so they're out for me, but it's a super cool theater with actually decent munchies.

Allison
Mommy to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03

[lrucci]

We don't have any around here. I really miss going to the drive in.


Lisa
Mom to Kyleigh Elizabeth 7/19/03

[Imperia]

We went to the drive-in last night! It was sort of like going back in time. I swear all drive-ins look the same.

My DH says there aren't many left, and not to expect this one to be around forever because the land is probably wortha fortune and the developers are slavering to get their hands on it. Which is probably why they aren't drives-in left in the Bay Area.
(Helen) that was a cute story!

So we saw "Mean Girls" (we did not stay for the other feature"The Prince and Me". The film was cute, not as good as "Heathers" or "Jaw Breaker" if you haev seen either of those, but still fun! and DD was a happy camper. She just lay in m lap, nursed when she was hungry, fell asleep through most of it. She did wake up and want to jabber a bit, but it was definately a good experience.

Maybe they will get Harry Potter in June!

Imperia

[JenaW]

we LIVE at the drive-in. Here in Pittsburgh, it is open March through November. $5.50pp for TWO new-release movies. We have been doing this since my son was a baby. We get take-out, bring our own candy/popcorn etc. if it is a warm night, we bring lawn chairs...we have also met up with several other couples there and had a sort of "tail-gate" party before the movies start. (You have to get there early - like 1-2 hours early to get a good "seat" because it is usually packed on summer weekends). I HIGHLY recommend it if you have one near by. We drive about 35-35 minutes to ours. The best thing - I can nurse my son...and if he gets fussy, we just get in the car and roll the windows up.

Jera
Mom to Carter ~ 05.13.03
Cautiously pregnant with #2 ~ EDD 10.13.04

[trumansmom]

Awww.... I grew up in Atlanta and have fond memories of me and Mom going to the Starlight!! Sigh...

I miss the South. :(

Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/29/01 and Eleanor 4/14/04

[AvasMama]

No drive-in here -- I am jealous! I take Ava to the movies all the time, though. We usually go to a showing that's not likely to be crowded and I try to work it out so that it coincides with naptime. When the theater gets dark, I nurse Ava (no one has ever noticed) and she generally goes right to sleep.

If she is awake, she is usually mesmerized by the screen -- she doesn't get to watch TV/videos so it is fascinating to her! I know my little system won't work much longer, so I am enjoying it while it lasts.

I have been keeping all the ticket stubs so that when she is older she can see all the movies she has been to!

Robyn & Ava (1-15-04)

[Marisa6826]

Dag Nabbit. They're all gone in NJ. I remember going to double features with my parents when we were little. We'd have dinner at home, then my Mother would make a "bed" in the back of the station wagon for us. We'd get in our jammies and go!

The list:

http://www.driveintheater.com/index.htm


I'm so jealous!

-m

[LD92599]

There's one just over the border in Warwick, NY! That might be too far from you though! It's about 45 minutes from me.

Laura
mom to William
3.5.2003

http://homepage.mac.com/ld14m

[candybomiller]

Glad to hear you had a good experience. Our local drive in closed :( so we're movieless for a while. Oh well, it's not like I actually want to be able to discuss what's going on in popular culture with anyone! :)

[Sarah1]

>I have been keeping all the ticket stubs so that when she is
>older she can see all the movies she has been to!

I LOVE that! :)

[Marisa6826]

Way too far :(

-m

[brubeck]

That site is awesome! I found one in San Jose. Maybe I will get to see Harry Potter after all!!!! :)

[murpheyblue]

There is a theater near me that actually has shows which cater to moms with babies:

http://www.picturepubpizza.com/baby.htm

I think it is such a great idea!

Ali
Mom to Megan 9-28-03

[Buffys Mommy]

Helen,

If you are near the one in San Jose - the new Century Theaters at Oakridge have "baby friendly" movies on Tuesday mornings. It's a little early for me (plus I don't think work would approve), but I've heard they do 3 different movies each week and they are all fairly new.

Tammie

Sarah Michelle 10/13/03

[mharling]

I grew up next to a drive-in (so close that my dad could be working in the field at night, 'watch' the movie and listen to it on the tractor radio). I have so many great memories!! We too had a station wagon and would put all the seats down. We always went in our jammies.

The downside is that in the days when they charged a flat fee per car, people would park near our house to cram into one car before going into the drive-in. Or they would walk through our field and hop the fence. And my dad always complained about the beer cans that people had tossed over the fence into our fields.

It is still operating and I suspect will be for a long time because they just did some extensive renovation. I hope to make at least one visit there this summer.

Mary & Lane 4/6/03
[link:www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b370a2992536|Birthday Pics!!]

[Melanie]

Lucky you! I've often wished we could do that, but Drive-Ins are long gone from my neck of the woods. My guess is that it has to do with all the hype about sound, etc. and no one wanting to pay nearly the same to listen to it on their car radio.

[brubeck]

I work Tuesdays too. :(

Also, I think the baby movies are only for non-crawlers. I have 2 ACTIVE toddlers now. At least that's how it is for the baby nights at the Rockridge theatre in Oakland.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

This thread has peaked my interest...I'd love to go to a drivein :)
How fun!!!!
Off to research 'em here in NC!!!!!1
Neve
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties