New Hyperion Wharf - makeover Pleasure Island

[mindflipper]

MadEye: had you seen Inception before?

[MadEye]

MadEye: had you seen Inception before?

Yes.

[MadEye]

Update: Just got back from a "preview" for the new Dine-In theaters. I'll be posting a report with some pics a little later. Before anyone asks, yes, the food was good.

[Amy]

Update: Just got back from a "preview" for the new Dine-In theaters. I'll be posting a report with some pics a little later. Before anyone asks, yes, the food was good.

I bet it was expensive too Well, once you go and have to pay for it I bet it will be anyhow...

[MadEye]

Report:

AMC Downtown Disney 24 is having previews for its Dine-In theaters aka Fork and Screen. On certain days until the 8th of May, they show two showings of some movies that have already been in theaters (Inception, The Hangover, etc.). First thing you notice is on the Planet Hollywood side are tons of ads for the Fork and Screen or Dine-In theaters from signs on the side of the road to posters leading up to the entrance/exit. Second is that there is outdoor seating for waiting for your movie to start or finish a drink before you leave.

There is no "box office" but a counter (for lack of a better word) to buy your tickets/seats.


There is no concession stand. It is now a bar.



It would seem from what I saw while waiting to enter the theater where our movie was playing was that two of the theaters that were around before the conversion to Dine-In have been turned into kitchens.

On both sides of the bar area are ads for food that is on the menu done movie poster style. Can you figure out some of the movies they take after?



You are not supposed to sit in your assigned theater until 30 minutes before your movie starts. So we took the time to take some photos of the theater without anyone else in it.

From the back of the theater (notice the space next to the seat for wheelchairs):


From the front:


This was where we sat for the movie. On a side note, before you buy your tickets, they show you what seats are left in the theater(s). Green is available, red is not. If you are a party of 2 you have to choose one seat in the isle and not both in the middle (great for a party of 4 but if more than that you are splitting up).


Yes, these are leather. Nice and comfy and can lean back without someone behind you kicking your seat. I didn't notice when taking the pictures but there is a bar under your table so you can put your feet up off the floor.


There are call buttons that you can press any time before or during the movie and your server or a server that is available will come to you and help you out. If you are done with your appetizer and want to get rid of the clutter, push the button. Ready for desert? Push the button. Refill for a drink? Push the button.

Something I forgot to mention, the servers for the theaters will also get you drinks from the bar if you want. Don't know if they'll get a coke as we didn't ask but we were told they are pushing to get some Coke Freestyle machines on that side of the theater.

The menu has everything from burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas and seafood (salmon, shrimp) to beers (both draft and bottles), wine and hard liquor (vodka, rum, whiskey) and soda (Coke products) and it is reasonably priced ($8 and change to $13).

Being that it was a preview for CMs and guests and we had a coupon, the only thing we had to pay for was the appetizer and desert. I did ask what the price was for tickets and the most expensive was $13 per ticket.

It's late and I'm tired so if I didn't answer a question you have about anything, you can ask but I'll answer it tomorrow. Night.

[Wizzard419]

$13 a ticket? That is cheap.

[mindflipper]

Thanks for the pictures, MadEye! How was the food you had?

[Amy]

Wow! That is not as expensive as I had imagined. Assigned seating...that is something I was curious about. And the rows are only 4 people across? Nice.
The seating looks very comfortable. I would only hope they keep everything clean. I've been in some of the filthiest movie theaters where nothing more than popcorn, soda, and candy is served. I can only imagine what some people would do with burgers and other greasy foods

[MadEye]

Thanks for the pictures, MadEye! How was the food you had?

Food was good. My girlfriend had a smoked salmon BLT sandwich and I had a chicken quesadilla with salsa and sour cream dips.

Here is a link to the menu:

http://www.amctheatres.com/uploadedFile ... .pdf?n=673

[MadEye]

Wow! That is not as expensive as I had imagined. Assigned seating...that is something I was curious about. And the rows are only 4 people across? Nice.
The seating looks very comfortable. I would only hope they keep everything clean. I've been in some of the filthiest movie theaters where nothing more than popcorn, soda, and candy is served. I can only imagine what some people would do with burgers and other greasy foods

I believe they made it four across because they needed room for all the servers to get around to the tables. The right hand wall of the theater was only 2 seats as you can probably see in the picture. Seating was very comfortable, even 2 1/2 hours after entering the theater. That was one reason we chose Inception. It is a long movie and we wanted to test out how long the seats (brand new) would stay comfy. The theater was clean but then again the last time they did a preview for CMs was Monday. Time will tell how clean it will be once the general public start using it for a few months.

[Wizzard419]

The one's I have seen in the past have the servers below your line of sight and a bar/table in front of you (so they don't block your view of the movie), is that how they set it up there?

[MadEye]

The one's I have seen in the past have the servers below your line of sight and a bar/table in front of you (so they don't block your view of the movie), is that how they set it up there?

No. The servers come to your table on the side and kneel down to take your order(s) (on small touch-screen pads, not paper), refill drinks, take away finished plates, bring the check/credit card you paid with/change. Every now and then one will have to stand when they bring the food and drinks on a restaurant tray but being off to the side, it didn't impede the view of the screen (lower corners where nothing was happening that was important to the movie).

[Amy]

The one's I have seen in the past have the servers below your line of sight and a bar/table in front of you (so they don't block your view of the movie), is that how they set it up there?

No. The servers come to your table on the side and kneel down to take your order(s) (on small touch-screen pads, not paper), refill drinks, take away finished plates, bring the check/credit card you paid with/change. Every now and then one will have to stand when they bring the food and drinks on a restaurant tray but being off to the side, it didn't impede the view of the screen (lower corners where nothing was happening that was important to the movie).

So you order right in the theater? That is nice.
Do they automatically add a gratuity?

[MadEye]

The one's I have seen in the past have the servers below your line of sight and a bar/table in front of you (so they don't block your view of the movie), is that how they set it up there?

No. The servers come to your table on the side and kneel down to take your order(s) (on small touch-screen pads, not paper), refill drinks, take away finished plates, bring the check/credit card you paid with/change. Every now and then one will have to stand when they bring the food and drinks on a restaurant tray but being off to the side, it didn't impede the view of the screen (lower corners where nothing was happening that was important to the movie).

So you order right in the theater? That is nice.
Do they automatically add a gratuity?

Yes, right in the theater. Like I said, you can't enter your assigned theater until 30 minutes before the movie and a few minutes after is when they start taking your orders. We timed it perfectly: got the appetizer and drinks during previews, got our entrees near the beginning of the film, and desert towards the end of the film. We didn't feel rushed at all.

And from what I saw, there was no gratuity or tip portion on the check. We left a few dollars just in case but I can't comment on tips until I know for sure.

[MmeLeota]

Wow! That is not as expensive as I had imagined. Assigned seating...that is something I was curious about. And the rows are only 4 people across? Nice.
The seating looks very comfortable. I would only hope they keep everything clean. I've been in some of the filthiest movie theaters where nothing more than popcorn, soda, and candy is served. I can only imagine what some people would do with burgers and other greasy foods

FOOD FIGHT!!!
(seriously though, I wondered about that myself)

The concept sounds interesting. Were you the only ones in the theatre MadEye? I ask because I wonder if having "x" number of servers traipsing in and out of the theatre would be distracting from the movie. If there were only a handful of people in there, I don't think it would be too bad. But in a full theatre, who knows?