Gold Class Cinemas are a place that for most families is reserved for special occasions, date nights and those rare girls nights out. The gold class movie experience costs more than a general cinema and vmax entry and so most families would never consider taking children. But what if you did? Is it worth taking kids to gold class? We decided to find out.
Are kids allowed in gold class?
YES! we googled and kids are definitely allowed in gold class but they need to be accompanied by an adult because its a licensed premises. Surprisingly they offer a kids menu which is priced a lot more affordably than the adult menu (it is a small menu). Kids are also welcome to order popcorn and the obligatory frozen drink with the other food and the staff will bring that in at the pre-allotted time.
6 kids in gold class
For the purpose of the experiment we took 6 kids to see The Secret Life of Pets in Gold Class. Disregarding the overwhelming cost (but not unlike a theme park experience), we came to some interesting conclusions. When you walk into the Gold Class cinema foyer you would normally stand with another (hopefully) well mannered adult and quietly go about ordering some food and beverages to come in at certain times. You would discuss at lowered volumes the merits of some champagne at the beginning or sharing a nachos. This does not happen with 6 kids.
Instead you try to ask them all what they want and you do this while they struggle to maintain a sense of decorum. In the end you frantically order what you think they will like and you try and get the attendant to match the food and drink to the right child. Then suddenly due to stress you find yourself ordering a corona to take the edge off. If I had to compare it to another experience it would be taking a plane flight. You’re standing in the waiting area and everyone is hoping you aren’t on their flight and you stand there praying your kids won’t totally lose their bananas.
What the kids liked about going to Gold Class
- They loved sitting next to their friends
- They loved the reclining chairs
- They loved feeling like this was a special first class experience
- They loved being able to eat hot chips and a sundae in a movie
What the kids didn’t like about Gold Class
- We went to see a kids movie in the middle of the day but there were adults in the cinema without children. We did have to be more vigilant in calming the children down to ensure they didn’t bother other guests who were paying a lot to be there. That said, it’s a kids movie, on a weekend and if they didn’t like kids it was probably a poor time choice. That said, part of the fun of kids movies is going a bit bananas and I generally don’t mind a bit of bananas either.
- The kids didn’t particularly like eating hot food in the dark, a much as they still liked eating it (if that makes sense). There is something inconsistent in the texture of hot chips that doesn’t happen with popcorn. Supporting this statement, they didn’t eat them all and 3 of them felt weird about eating the sundaes that they would have gobbled in a pinch had it been light.
What we didn’t like about taking kids to Gold Class
- I didn’t like being so separated from my children. I missed their laughing being right next to me.
- It was hard to help with their food being so far away from them
- It was stressful keeping 6 kids relatively well behaved i A Gold Class cinema experience
Would we take kids to gold class movies again
I would absolutely take 1 child by myself or 2 with another adult to a Gold Class movie for a very special treat. It is quite an intimate experience and best exjoyed only with the person sitting next to you. It would be an awesome coming of age gift or one of those one on one dates that calls for something special. It is also quite a safe place for young adults to get used to using their manners and seeing a peak of adult life.
Overall, I would rather take my kids as a group to a general cinema or for something special a vmas theatre or a boutique cinema that offers some special extras. I much prefer all my kids being around me to enjoy them enjoying the movie. My 7 year old has the best laugh in the world, like a jolly old man and I felt sad not to be right next to him enjoying it.
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