Oddballkidfun can also be old-fashioned family fun. Relive your past and let the kids see what it was like before cable tv, video recorders, DVR's, and Netflix. Take them to Mission Tiki Drive-In Movie Theatre. No need to hide anyone in the trunk or under blankets because it's a reasonable price for adults ($7) and only $1 for kids ten and under.
Some things have changed- you listen to the movie through your car's sound system now- no metal speakers hung on the window. Some things are the same - it's still a double feature and the snack bar is usually a hike. Another thing that's the same is the chance to watch a movie outside and the chance to talk to each other during the movie without disturbing the guy in the seat next to you.
Maybe you can't tell in the fuzzy picture below but most families park their suburbans and minivans with the back of the vehicle facing the screen. Then they open up the rear lift gate and set out chairs facing the movie screen. It's like a tailgate party. Except you don't throw around a football or barbecue or drink beer or wear your team's jersey. So I guess it's more sort of like a picnic on asphalt while you watch a movie on a humongous screen. Except your picnic food can be nachos, carne asada burritos, and popcorn - all available at the snack bar.
The Tiki drive-in is themed very well. There are thatched A-frame roofs on the ticket booths. Each ticket booth is also lined with bamboo and decorated with a fishing float light, tiki mask, and carved wood. Even the pylon is wrapped in rope. The drive in was tiki-fied around 2006 with help from tiki artist Tiki Diablo.
The snack bar is impressively decorated inside and out with carvings, bamboo, and tropical landscaping. The snack bar is missing a swing set like my childhood drive-in but everything else is there. The snacks and drinks are affordable. The snack bar also has a small gift shop, usually open on the weekend, where you can purchase a few tiki things and glow sticks for the kids to wear as they watch the movie.
The signage is fun to look at and the large bold signs are easy to spy at night on your way to the bathroom or to the snack bar for another serving of nachos. By the way, the men's restroom has an old school urinal for the boys. Just a wide open long trough with running water. It might take a little pep talk with a younger one about what to do- or not - depending on how much experience your little guy has in public restrooms.
One more thing- it get's chilly at night so bring enough blankets and jackets for everyone.
Mission Tiki Drive-In Theatre 10798 Ramona Ave. Montclair, Ca 91768
(909) 628-0511. It takes from 30 to 60 minutes to get there from the center of Orange County depending on traffic.
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