My father proposed a drive-in movie theater a few nights ago instead of watching a movie at home as we usually do. There were just three movies screening that night, each showing twice. One about 9 p.m., and the last around 11 p.m.
I inquired if he wanted to stop at a fast food place before we went to the movie. “No,” he answered, “they should have food there.” That was a poor move. I’ll explain why.
The address of Starlight Drive-In is 2000 Moreland Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30316.
They’re open seven days a week.
Adult tickets are $10 each, while children ages 5 to 9 pay only $1.
On the lot, there was only one snack bar. We had to wait outside until they unlocked the doors to serve food, which was only 30 minutes before the show.
Tip #1: Bring Your Own Food
My father and I both ordered the same items. Nachos, hotdogs, sodas, and a small bag of popcorn were ordered.
The customer service was excellent. The man behind the counter was very friendly.
I made a joke about the popcorn being old because we could see it sitting outside the shop while we waited to get in. The popcorn was only “20 minutes old,” according to the person. “20 minutes?” I exclaimed, laughing. He informed me that this meant it was new.
My beverage was spilled on the ground by my father on the way back from the snack bar to our vehicle. I went back inside the business and asked the guy whether a free replacement was an option. He apologized and said I’d have to pay for another one. We were charged an additional $2.50.
The food was adequate. It didn’t have much flavor. I’ve never tasted nachos with tasteless nacho cheese. My father hoped that the jalapeno juice from his jalapenos would have improved it, but it didn’t. The hotdogs had the flavor of hotdog water. My father took one bite and then left it alone.
Tip #2: Bring a Portable Radio or Download a Radio App
Nowadays, the audio is delivered via a screen-specific FM radio station, which each automobile can listen into independently. If you don’t plan ahead of time, you’ll be limited to utilizing your car audio and will have to keep your car running all the while. If you leave your car running, it might kill the battery or waste a lot of gas.
Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins, directed by Robert Schwentke, was the movie we chose to view. The movie was amazing. However, the audio stopped for a few seconds during the movie, and when it resumed, the audio was at least 10 seconds delayed. I asked my father to turn on the radio. The audio was still a little sluggish. I called the theater’s phone number to inform them of the situation, and they informed us that it was due to a radio malfunction and that we may return to the entrance for a refund. I was irritated. My father insisted on watching the movie until the present scene was completed. I was so irritated that I refused to watch any more of it. I left to sit at a table in front of the snack bar to wait until he was ready to leave.
Tip #3: Bring Jumper Cables
While I was seated at the table, trying to recover from my ruined movie experience, a guy approached me and asked if I had driven here myself. “No, I came here with my dad, and he’s parked right over there,” I explained. He came over to see if I had any jumper cables since his car wouldn’t start.
This is one reason you should bring a portable radio and make sure all of the inside lights are turned off to save your car battery.
If your car battery dies, the theater or surrounding cars will most likely be able to jump start it. You won’t have to worry about finding jumper cables or a portable charger late at night if you have your own.
Tip #4: Bring a Flashlight
Because the area was quite dark, I had to use my phone’s flashlight to get to and from our destinations. It’s also a good idea to have some form of light source so that you can be seen and avoid being hit if automobiles are driving around with no headlights on, possibly to respect movie-goers.
Unfortunately, we did not finish the movie and cannot find it on any streaming services online. We went to get our movie refund and then headed straight to the restaurant “Cook Out.”
I hope my bad drive-in movie experience inspires you to be more prepared than we were. If you have any further tips for my readers, please leave them in the comments! Thanks for reading!
Sources
Adventure Mom
Dock Line Magazine
Gopuff
Living In Happy Place
Tips For Family Trips
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