Fandango App: Your Go-To Movie Resource

Your kids have been bugging you to take them to the latest movie, Inside Out.  You know nothing about the movie, so what do you do?  If you’re like most parents, you head to the web to check out what movie critics have said about it.  You may check out movie databases or even Facebook to see what fellow parents are commenting about it.

Say you like the movie, now it’s onto another website watch a preview of the movie.  OK, it passes inspection, so now you’re ready to hit one more website to find out the listings of Inside Out at your local movie theaters.  This is quite a process…and as a busy mom, finding time to do all this is not easy.

Enter the Fandango app.  It has instantly become my favorite place to go to find out about movies, it’s a one-stop-shop!

The Fandango App

When you download the Fandango App (Android, iPhone, Windows) and open it up, the first thing you should do is sign up for a VIP account.  There is no additional cost for the VIP account and it gives you several extra benefits you wouldn’t be able to access otherwise.

Fandango VIP

Signing up for Fandango VIP is free! It….

• Personalizes your Fandango experience to show your favorite movie theaters first
• Allows you to create a list of your favorite movies – current, past, and future movies
• Gives you the ability to change your Fandango purchased tickets to another day/time or return your ticket
• Gives you credit for favorite movie theater perks programs like Regal Crown Club, AMC Stubs, and more
• Possibly gets you invited to free screenings in your area
• Alerts you of special offers to sign up for giveaways/sweepstakes
• Notifies you about free digital downloads

If you sign up for the AMC Stubs program, you can keep track of it in Fandango and guess what?  When you buy your movie tickets through Fandango, connected to your AMC Stubs account, you wont have any online processing fee when you purchase your tickets!  Now there’s a nice unexpected perk.  There is a catch though, you need to pay an $8 yearly membership to be a part of the AMC Stubs program.  The Edwards Regal Crown Club is free, but you need to pick up a card in the theater before signing up online.

It’s All About the Movies!

Once you open the Fandango app the first thing you see is Fandango’s Spotlight section.  It will highlight top movies now playing or coming soon.  Clicking on one of these movies will give you access to movie’s:

• Cast + Info. (includes photos from the movie)
• Videos – trailers and exclusive Fandango interviews and content
• Show times in theaters near you
• Special offers Fandango might be offering
• Ratings and commentary from well-known critics and fans

You have a wealth of information about any movie right at your fingertips.  If it’s a movie you’re interested in, you can touch the heart near the movie’s title to save it to “My Movies,” to refer to it easily later.  I created a whole list of movie favorites by going to the Movies section of the app and clicking on “COMING SOON.”  I was excited to see movies coming…all the way into next year.  By doing so I found out about these movies….

• Minions – July 10th
• Hillsong – Let Hope Rise – Sept. 30th
• The Peanuts Movie – Nov. 6th
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – Jan 29, 2016
• Racket & Clank (one of my son’s favorite video games) – April 15, 2016
• Finding Dory – June 17, 2016
• Ghostbusters (2016) – July 22, 2016
• And yes, there will be another Smurfs movie coming out Aug. 5, 2016

I feel like such a movie insider!  I loved telling my kids about movies coming down the pike.  And you know what?  Interestingly enough, some of the movies in July even have movie times at my favorite theaters already published in Fandango.  Sweet!  For movies further out, I can ask Fandango to send me a FanAlert when tickets are available.

Theaters

In the Theaters Section of the App, you can see all the theaters nearby…up to 31 miles away.  My favorite theaters, which I was able to select as a part of the Fandango VIP, are shown first.  Besides the address and proximity in miles to you shown, you can see whether your Fandango tickets can be shown electronically when you arrive at the theater or if you need to pick them up first at the theater before heading in.

Clicking on the theater itself gives you all the contact info., show time info. for movies, and any special amenities the theater might offer.  For example, my local theater offers a ticket kiosk, listening devices, stadium seating, a Cafe, IMAX, party room, 3D, and more.  I can also click on the Call button and the number appears in my phone book, ready for me to press the call button.  So handy.

Go Now

Are you a spur-of-the-moment kind of person?  The Go Now section of the Fandango app shows you all of the movie theaters showing a particular movie you’re interested in…right now or within the next hour.  Just click on the theater, get all the details about the theater and buy your movie tics.  I’m telling you, the Fandango app makes movie going so easy…and fun!

How To Buy Tickets

OK, so, you found a movie you want to buy.  How do you go about actually buying tickets through the Fandango app?  It’s easy, here’s how to do it…

1.  Choose the movie you’re interested in

2.  Choose what theater you want to see it in

3.  Choose your preferred time

4.  Select the number of Adult, Senior, and Child tickets you need

5.  Make sure you already signed up for your Fandango VIP account

6.  Pay for the tickets either through a credit card, PayPal, or Fandango Gift Card or Promo Code

That’s it!  You will see your purchased tickets in your Account on the Fandango app as well as on the Fandango website.  In addition, you will be mailed a confirmation email showing you bought tickets.

Any Fees?

Now, you may be wondering if there are any convenience fees attached to your purchase.  The answer is yes.  There is a $1.35 fee per adult ticket and a $1 fee for each child ticket, no matter what time of day or night you purchased your ticket for.  For example, I purchased a 5:50pm time for Inside out and received the matinée adult price of $8.5o.  The later time ticket prices were $14.  Yet, the convenience charge was the same.

Interestingly enough, I saw that my local theater also allows you to purchase tickets online through them and they too charge a convenience fee.

Time to Enjoy the Show!

OK, your tickets are bought, you’re ready to go.  So, how does it work when you get to the theater?  What if there’s a huge line, do you have to wait in line to get your pre-purchased tickets?  There are two ways theaters will take Fandango tickets:

1.  Buy Mobile Ticket + Show to Ticket Taker – by-pass the box office altogether and simply show your Fandango ticket on your mobile phone to the Ticket Taker

2.  Buy Tickets + Pick up at the Theater – Use the digital kiosk or box office to obtain Fandango purchased tickets or ask to see the theater’s concierge to help you get your tickets

Using the Fandango app, I bought 2 Adult, 2 Seniors, and 2 Kids tickets for $54.60 to Pixar’s Inside Out on opening night for the 5:50pm matinée show.  I also received an email confirmation in my email box as a receipt  and showing me my confirmation #.

My theater does not take mobile tickets so we ventured off to the theater with my Fandango mobile app in tow.  Fortunately, my local theater did have a ticket kiosk, so I used it to print out our tickets, using the confirmation # I saw in the app and on my confirmation email from Fandango.  It was easy and took no time at all to have 6 tickets in my hands, ready for the show.

Inside Out is a very cleverly written movie, conjuring up a whole slew of emotions in the audience based on the experience of an 11-year-old girl, Riley.  Riley is uprooted from her happy childhood in Minnesota to live in a big unfamiliar city of San Francisco.  As a mother, I cried more than my share of tears as I thought about my daughter if in the same situation.

Some Hints to Remember

1. Make sure you take the confirmation # with you.  Email it to someone else going with you in case your phone dies.
2. If you forget your confirmation #, the movie theater should be able to help you as long as you have the same credit card with you that you used for your Fandango transaction.
3. When you buy your tickets on Fandango, you have the option to set an appointment on your calendar – use it, put the confirmation # in the appointment, and invite others joining you so they have the number too.
4. When you pick up your tickets at the digital kiosk, you will receive ALL your tickets at once.  So if someone joining you is going to be late, find another way for them to get their tickets.  I’m guessing you could go to the digital kiosk at any time to print your tickets though, even days before the movie starts – so you could get tickets to others ahead of time if need be.
5. Get to the movie theater at least a half hour early to ensure your whole family can get seats together…especially on opening night (I learned the hard way!  Yes, we had to find 6 separate seats at Inside Out!)
6. Visit Fandango.com on your PC to access the same info (and more) than you can find on your app.  Your VIP account shows you your personal movies, theaters, and purchased tickets online and in your app.  Fandango is a one-stop shop for all your needs in movie planning…even if you aren’t planning on buying tickets ahead of time.

The Fandango App gives you the power of planning movie night with ease.  I can even see the movie times at our local Drive-In theater…which doesn’t accept Fandango tickets.  But Fandango includes these theaters to make the Fandango app your go-to resource for all things movies.

We are all looking for heuristics (mental shortcuts that don’t take much thought) to make life easier.  I’m happy to tell you with complete confidence that Fandango, along with Common Sense Media, is all I need to to research movies, plan movie outings, and purchase movie tickets.