Monthly Movie Subscriptions for Families with Autism

Our son with autism is addicted to movies. It helps him relax pass the time and understand the world better. It also helps him socialize as he can go to the movies with friends without needing to chat too much or get awkward.

However, movie tickets are pricey. They range from $10-20, depending on a few different situations. A few of the situations could include location, if in a renovated theater, or if the movie playing is in 2D,3D, or 4D.

To reduce our monthly spending on movies, I  decided to research the various monthly movie subscriptions and see which one will provide us with the best value. After looking at what each card offers, here are the pros and cons of each of the monthly movie subscriptions for families with Autism.

AMC A-List

AMC Stubs A-List is the new kid in town when it comes to monthly subscriptions. This program came to be after AMC’s long-standing feud with the rivaling cards. Considering that AMC is the largest theater chain in the US, getting an  A-List membership may pay off if you frequent  AMC theaters.

Pros

• This program lets you see up to 3 movies every week! The week starts Friday to Friday which is great as you can catch all the new releases on opening day. If your kid is obsessed with seeing new releases this is a great perk. Furthermore, you can actually screen all three movies in a single day if you so wish as long as you wait 2 hours in between each show.
• Like a movie so much that you want to see it again? You can with this program unlike Moviepass for example.
• Possibly the best feature of this particular program is the fact you can see any movie in any format including IMAX® at AMC®, Dolby Cinema®, PRIME at AMC®, RealD® 3D, BigD® and D-Box. Our son LOOOOVES IMAX and 3D films so this was a huge selling point for us.
• The AMC A list has a user-friendly app ( apAMC) that allows you to book your online reservations ( tickets and seats)  in advance with zero convenience fees.
• Another perk is that this program works in conjunction with AMC Stubs so its members have the advantage of earning points on the monthly membership charge. Points are earned at the rate of 100 points per $1.
• 

Cons

• Pricer special events like fan events, private screenings, movie marathons, double features, and Fathom Events are excluded.
• There’s no physical card so you need your phone at all times. When you redeem your reservation, you need to show your ticket, virtual card, and a photo ID.
• This is system is similar to Disney’s FastPass. Members can’t have more than 3 reservations at a time so you cant make new reservations before using the old bookings first.
• There’s a three-month subscription minimum at sign up

Price, Enrolling  and Canceling

The subscription is month to month at a cost of 19.99$ and AMC is guaranteeing the price for an entire year. You must be 18 with a valid photo ID and credit or debit card. To cancel members need to call AMC A-List guest services team at 1-888-562-4262

Sinemia

Founded back in 2014 by entrepreneur Rıfat Oğu, Sinemia is a monthly subscription-based service for movie tickets. Depending on the tier selected the subscription it allows its members to see any movie (including 2D, 3D, IMAX) for a monthly fee. The company currently operates in the US, UK, Canada Australia, and Turkey.

Pros

• The subscription gives you access to major theaters with no blackout dates or showtimes, and unlike Moviepass you can see movies more than once.
• This is a great card if you travel frequently since it can be used internationally.This of course came in super handy for us when we traveled to the UK last year.

Cons

• The biggest drawback to this subscription is its need to ‘check in’, via the service’s app when you get to the theater. If you miss the notification forget, the company reserves the right to charge the user’s credit card on file for the cost of the movie ticket(s) purchased or terminate the account.
• There are several additional fees to be aware of- like the $19.99 initiation fee and $10 to activate the card should you want to activate it immediately.

Pricing, Enrolling and Cancelling

Sinemia has several plans to chose from – the lowest starting at just $4 a month! Depending on the tier (Classic or Elite)  you chose you whether you have access to 2D or 3D/4D movies and the frequency which is  1 and 3 movies per month.

There’s a family plan of sorts. This is a better option for parents to kids with autism than having two separate accounts since you can choose every time who accompanies your kid to the movie.
According to the website, cancellation is available on the website.

MoviePass 

The MoviePass card is a card that has seen a lot of changes to its plans this year but it still has over 3 million subscribers. Probably the biggest criticism about this particular card is the frequent changes.

It originally started as offering one movie a day with various tiers of monthly subscriptions. They even offered a yearly subscription around the holidays for less than 90 bucks. But as the adage says ‘all good things must come to an end’ .So, it came as little surprise that the Movie Pass unlimited plan was discontinued.

So over the last few months, the terms have changed dramatically. The company did try to implement an additional payment for what they called as ‘peak viewing times’ but now has finally settled into restricting the selection as well as the number of movies seen a month.

Pros

• This card does offer some valuable perks. Members can purchase additional discounted tickets for friends and family and  get  invites to special events & screening

Cons

• This one may be a deal breaker for most! The service offers a limited availability of new releases and screening times. You get a weekly list of which movies you can see, and at which theaters.
• The Check-In process is cumbersome. When you get to the theater, you need to use your smartphone to “check-in’ when within 100 yards of the movie theater box office.  I would not dilly-dally around after checking in, as the money only stays on the card for 30 minutes.
• No Movie hopping allowed! You must view the movie you purchased the ticket for.
• Another rule states that you must watch the entire film, and not walk out. Now, unless the company is using GPS tracking, I do not know how they would be able to monitor that you watched the entire film.
• If you decide to cancel your membership, you will be charged a one-month fee. Furthermore, if you do decide to cancel your membership, you will not be able to have a new account for nine months.
• Should you lose your physical card, there’s a 10$ replacement fee.
  

Price Enrolling  and Canceling

Current price is 9.99$ a month, but that can always change. Enrollment and cancelation options are available on the website.

Bottom Line

When considering these three choices the two questions that come to mind  are – how often do you go to the movies and what movies you want to watch (new releases, IMAX, 3D, etc.)
If you are happy with one a month then the lower tier Sinema of 4$ or Movie Pass at 9.99$ might work for you.
If you are more of a movie addict and frequent the theaters more than once a week, the MAC A-List is a great choice at 19.99$ for 12 movies a month. Providing, of course, you live within a ten-mile radius of the chain theater.

After checking out the three programs in the past months I can attest to the fact they do seem to compete against each other. So, the point is as consumers we can only benefit from that. If you are on the fence about joining definitely watch out for ongoing sales and promotions.

As for our family: after trying out all three programs, we are happy with the AMC A-List subscription. But of course, things may change in the future.

Did you know about these movie subscription services? If so, which movie subscription service would you be interested in getting for you or your family?

Margalit Sturm Francus

A reformed dentist who gave up pulling teeth to show her son the world! Need tips on how to #travel with #autism? Follow me on Instagram & Facebook