We’ve finally made it to the school holidays! Woohoo!! Have you got much planned? As lockdown starts to ease we are making baby steps to getting back out there and enjoying life outside our home. So, on our first trip out-out (if you don’t count visiting family and the park), we decided to book an evening out at the Drive In Film Club at Alexandra Palace in North London to see Doctor Dolittle.
Making a booking was so easy. You just go onto the Rooftop Film Club website, select your movie, day and time, then pick how many cars are going, make the payment and you’re done. The e tickets get sent directly to your email. We booked the morning of a 5pm movie without a problem, though depending on what you’re seeing, you might need to book much further in advance. We love that you book per car and not per person.
Your e ticket will contain lots of extra details and will also mention that the doors open 45mins before the movie starts. We would absolutely recommend getting there for around this time. You’ll be surprised how much faffing around goes on till everyone’s just so in the car. And, at the Drive in at Alexandra Palace, your car is positioned on a first come first served basis. We arrived at 4.15pm and got a front row place! Yass!!!
Unlike a cinema, you can absolutely bring your own food and drink. This is perfect if you have dietary restrictions or fussy eaters. But! Alexandra Palace has some exciting food and drink to order. You can purchase it online from the comfort of your car and a skating waiter or waitress will bring it over to you. I wish I’d taken a photo! When you arrive you’ll be given a flyer with your car position, weblink to order food and also some information on how to pick up the right signal on your car radio for sound. The menu prices are competitive so expect to pay about £6.50 ish for hot dogs and £3 for fries.
Sitting right in the front row of the drive In gave Little Button and Mr Button the best ever view! This is what they could see…
Impressive isn’t it! The sound in our car is pretty decent so it felt like being at the cinema, but safely bubbled up in our car.
However, I quickly found out that sitting in the back of our car gave me no view! Unless you count seeing feet as I could just about make out the bottom of the screen *cries.
We tried me sitting right the way forwards, laying down in the middle of the backseat and also peering over Mr Buttons shoulder. But alas not a sausage could be seen. Ultimately this trip out was all about Little Button so I didn’t mind one bit sitting it out, literally. But, if it had been a film I really, really wanted to see, then it would have been very disappointing. Maybe if we had been in the middle of the Drive In it might have been better? I really don’t know.
However, Little Button giggled her way through the whole movie. Whooping and smiling back at me with enthusiasm. They both did, and they both loved the movie and the whole experience at Alexandra Palace.
*The screen was cleaned before the start of the movie! Yes… I had my ear squashed to the seat trying to get this shot – and yes – they thought it was hilarious.
*You are asked to stay inside your car unless visiting the restroom (or sorting yourself out in terms of where everyone is sitting in your car), so at this time it isn’t possible to sit on chairs outside your car.
We would definitely give the Drive In Film Club at Alexandra Palace a huge thumbs up for the movie experience. The screen is massive, cars were kept at least 2 meters apart, and it was a great 1st trip out for the school holidays. We felt safe, thoroughly entertained, and with food and drink at the touch of a button, who could ask for more. Oh yes, toilets were located at the back of the drive in. We didn’t use them, but they looked perfectly fine.
My only niggle was that I didn’t get to see the movie because I couldn’t see from the back seat! We think that having the screening available to watch through your phone or tablet in real-time would be a great addition to ensure that everyone gets to be part of the experience.
But that aside, we would absolutely recommend giving it a try! We’ll see you at the front of the queue 😉 but next time it will be Mr Buttons turn to catch up on sleep in the back seat.
WILD is now out in Spanish!
WILD – Our debut children’s picture book
Dad blogger Ross Good from The Stented Papa is the official storyteller for WILD!
Happy book birthday WILD!
I have never been to see a drive-in movie before. This would be so exciting. Unsure if it would work for us though, as my car radio doesn’t work
I think you can bring portable radios if you don’t have a working car radio x
Wow I’d love to go to one of these. I like how you can take your own food as so pricey normally! You look like you all had a blast! x
This sounds great. I feel like we miss out on a lot because we don’t drive.
This sounds so amazing. I especially love the sound of the skating waiters. What a great way to have fun and stay safe!
I’m keen to get to the drive in! #KCACOLS
Opps – #Dreamteam- can you edit that? My brain isn’t working yet.
The drive in cinema looks like so much fun, my kids would love it. A great day out during these current times x x
#Dream Team Linky
I have never been to a drive in! Sounds like fun, except the pesky backseat problem.
We’ve never considered doing this before but this post makes me want too. Sounds like a lovely evening with also being able to keep safe x
This would be so much fun for a date night. As you’d both be in front seats, hopefully you’d have a great view together. #DreamTeam
Right after a discussion about my GF never having seen American Pie I found that it was playing at our dive in. Wonderful evening, I hadn’t been there in ages. I think I may try and take my daughter this upcoming weekend, depending on whats playing. ( not American Pie ) #dreamteam
I have done a drive in way back when I was a child – wish they brought it back here by us in South Africa. It seems as if you had a wonderful and enjoyable evening #dreamteam
This sounds awesome – love the skating waiters/waitresses!! What a shame you couldn’t see from the back though, that’s a bit rubbish!! #dreamteam
Great idea aren’t they, we went to one as a date night and loved it! Really well organised. But I didn’t see if I could see the film from the back seat. We were in the middle though, so maybe it was because you were close to the screen
This soudns awesome and a experience that if it werent for the pandemic would we ever experience it? X #dreamteam