Sensory-Friendly Movie Experiences

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April is National Autism-Awareness Month. I will be sharing resources throughout next month (primarily on my facebook page) that were helpful to us when we started out on our journey. One of the things we enjoy together as a family is watching the latest titles in the theater. It wasn’t so easy when the children were young and couldn’t sit through the film without disturbing others. It was discouraging and not fun so we stopped going for a while. When we learned of sensory-friendly films at AMC Theatres, I felt like it described us and gave us an opportunity to go back to the theater again without feeling judged. It used to be mostly family-friendly titles, but now they screen a variety of titles for mature audiences too. Plus they now offer them at REGAL Movies via My Way Matinee. You will be surprised that they are not old movies either. More details below!


Thanks to AMC Theatres (AMC) and the Autism Society, families affected by autism and other disabilities can enjoy watching current movies which are sensory-friendly. They turn down the sound and brighten up the theater. What’s also nice is there are no previews or advertisements, audience members can bring their own GFCF snacks, get up and dance, walk, and laugh out loud as the “Silence is Golden” policy will not be enforced.  Their Sensory-Friendly Film program is available on the second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Tuesday evenings (mature audiences) of every month. For a participating AMC Theater near you, please visit AMC’s website at www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films. (Titles and times subject to change.)

“The idea for the program began with a request from a parent with an autistic child for a special screening at AMC Columbia Mall 14 in Columbia, MD. More than 300 children and parents attended the first screening.” – AMC Theatres

Upcoming Sensory-Friendly Screenings at AMC THEATRES:

A Wrinkle in Time Saturday, March 24 (matinee)
Tomb Raider Tuesday, March 27, 2018 (evening)
Ready Player One Tuesday, April 10, 2018 (evening)
Sherlock Gnomes Saturday, April 14, 2018 (matinee)
Rampage Tuesday, April 24, 2018 (evening)

Regal Entertainment Group invites guests of all ages to enjoy sensory-friendly movie screenings with the My Way Matinee program. This is a fun, exciting opportunity for movie lovers to enjoy an entertainment experience with the lights brighter and the sound lower than in traditional screenings. My Way Matinee tickets are now available for Sherlock Gnomes, playing Saturday, March 24 in select theatres. My Way Matinee screenings are fun for everyone, giving audiences the chance to sing, dance and shout during the film. All showtimes for the sensory-friendly screenings begin at 10:30 a.m., for the special ticket price of $6.50 plus tax. For a list of participating locations and additional information, please visit www.regmovies.com/mywaymatinee.

“Regal strives to be ‘The Best Place to Watch a Movie,’ and that means creating positive, lasting memories for all moviegoers,” said Sandra Heinig, Director of Public Relations at Regal. “We are continually expanding this program to include even more theatres, because we want every movie fan to feel comfortable and have fun at Regal.”

Upcoming My Way Matinee films include:

Sherlock Gnomes Saturday, March 24
Duck Duck Goose Saturday, April 21
Show Dogs Saturday, May 19
Incredibles 2 SaturdayJune 16
Hotel Transylvania 3 SaturdayJuly 14
Christopher Robin Saturday, August 4