ORLANDO, Fla. – Going to the movies used to be a common social affair. The traditional trip would include a bag of popcorn, a large cherry Slurpee and a big screen enjoyed in the comfort of cushioned seats.
Movie theaters have had to step up their game since then. Initially, when competing with streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, which make sales based on bringing the comfort of an on-demand theater to your living room at half the price, movie theaters only had the upper hand when it came to midnight premieres and featuring the newest blockbusters. But gone are the days when people would pay to watch a film more than once and purchase it on DVD when they can.
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In an attempt to keep moviegoers flowing into theaters, many theater companies offer dinner in a reclining seat and alcoholic beverages guests are of age. Popcorn is still a movie theater staple but theaters are trying to become a one-stop shop for date nights or family outings.
To keep you coming back, theater powerhouses have created subscription services to keep their cashflow and maintain your identity as a moviegoer. With the demise of MoviePass, Regal Cinemas has jumped into the mix, competing with AMC Stubs.
We've compared AMC Stubs and Regal Unlimited memberships so you can determine which one is worth your movie-going loyalty.
AMC Stubs
If you're an AMC fan, there are three options you can choose. Below is a graphic comparing the A-List, Premiere and Insider programs.
Insider is the AMC rewards program and is free to join. It's not a subscription service but a way for moviegoers to enjoy some perks if they choose to pledge their loyalty to AMC. If you're looking to pay for more perks, the options are split between Stubs Premiere and Stubs A-List.
Stubs Premiere
Cost: $15/year
Members pay an annual fee and save on online ticket fees. They'll save up to $5 on tickets every Discount Tuesday. For your birthday, you'll get a free large popcorn and a fountain drink too.
Food perks
Members can also enjoy a complimentary popcorn refill every visit. If you want to upgrade the size of your popcorn or drinks, it's free.
Rewards
The more you go, the more rewards you collect. Members will get 100 points for every dollar spent. For every 5,000 points you earn, you'll get $5 back in rewards getting you one step closer to a free movie.
Stubs A-List
Cost: $19.95-$23.95/month
*Varies by location
With AMC you can pay to have more perks. By joining AMC's monthly movie membership program, customers can make free online reservations in advance even for upcoming films and can see up to three movies a week on any screen. That means members do not have to pay more to watch a movie in IMAX or 3D, because their monthly membership covers the cost. Members will also receive all the perks Stubs Premiere members receive.
Food perks
Members can also enjoy a complimentary popcorn refill every visit. If you want to upgrade the size of your popcorn or drinks, it's free.
Rewards
The more you go, the more rewards you collect. Members will get 100 points for every dollar spent. For every 5,000 points you earn, you'll get $5 back in rewards getting you one step closer to free food.
Regal Unlimited
Regal Cinemas just jumped in on the subscription service game. Their service largely depends on location. Regal Cinemas is offering three tiers that allow members to watch unlimited movies at local theaters. Below you'll find a graphic explaining the plans.
Regal Unlimited
Cost: $18-$23.50
*A surcharge of $1.50-$3 per ticket applies at theaters not included in your plan.
All memberships have roughly the same perks. For your birthday, you'll get a free large popcorn and fountain drink. Members will not have any blackout dates, which means they can watch as many movies as they want at any time and enjoy 10 percent of all food and nonalcoholic drink purchases. Members can also earn Regal Crown Club credits with every dollar spent and can use their rewards for more freebies.
The main difference between Regal Unlimited plans lies in the amount of theaters available at each membership level. To see what Regal Cinemas are in your area, click here.
Regal Unlimited
Cost: $18/month
*A surcharge of $1.50-$3 per ticket applies at theaters not included in your plan.
Members can watch standard-format movies at more than 200 Regal Cinema theaters nationwide.
Regal Unlimited Plus
Cost: $21/month
*A surcharge of $1.50-$3 per ticket applies at theaters not included in your plan.
Members can watch standard-format movies at more than 400 Regal Cinema theaters nationwide.
Regal Unlimited Pro
Cost: $23.50/month
Members get access to all 550+ Regal Cinema theaters nationwide.
No matter which Regal Unlimited plan one selects, members will have to pay extra fees to watch IMAX or 3D movies.
Whether you pick AMC Stubs or Regal Unlimited, you will get rewards, some sort of food discount or perk, a birthday gift and be able to utilize a phone app to conveniently buy movie tickets.
Now that you know all the details of the plans, you can determine the pros and cons yourself. Let us know if you're considering purchasing one or if you've already pledged your loyalty to a service in our poll below.