* Contains gifted experience. All opinions are our own as always though fillies.

With the British “summer” actually not being very…well…summery, there’s only one way to spend those rain-filled days or nights – a trip to the flicks! Yes – our date night would not be dampened (both metaphorically or literally) because escaping into the world of the movies is always the perfect destination! We had been after seeing Disney’s Aladdin for some time, so one particularly inclement Saturday, one of our 3 wishes was to experience it in the best possible way. And the perfect venue to do so? Well, that had to be Vue, Altrincham. Small but perfectly formed, this is no “diamond in the rough”, but a “whole new world”of entertainment, comfort and quality. So jump aboard our magic carpet and see if our trip was everything we had wished for…

Located in lovely Altrincham in a prime part of town, surrounded by great restaurants and bars for pre-film jollies and opposite great (and super cheap) parking, this particular Vue is a gem of a find! Entering the light, bright and buzzing foyer acted as the perfect introduction to what was come. We were met by the friendliest of service as we booked our tickets and loved that we were advised by the knowledgeable staff member as what would be the best seats. We decided to treat ourselves and opt for the VIP seats, so we would hopefully enjoy the film in major comfort. What we loved as well is that we could get both our tickets AND our snacks at the same counter, which made everything super speedy. Snacks are a serious business for us and a huge part of our film going experience and we have to say Vue has nailed it. You name it – popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, pick n mix, the gang is all there. But what we particularly loved was the fact they did a proper selection of coffees. I also loved that they had different film themed combos, such as the Arabian Nights deal! It’s a nice touch to fully submerge yourself into the movie. Now, confession time, Mike and myself would say we are hardened popcorn connoisseurs. We have done the legwork and chomped our way through buckets and buckets over the years together. So we were delighted to agree that the popcorn was the freshest and tastiest we have EVER had! This was the perfect start to what was gearing up to be a great trip…but what about the other important elements to a successful visit? With tickets in hand and snacks in tow, it was time to for the main event – our big screen experience.

For us – a trip to the flicks is about the five S’s: Service (tick), Snacks (double tick), Sound, Screen and Seats. Vue Entertainment pride themselves on being a leader in out-of-home entertainment and the big screen experience, delivering the best in seat, screen and sound and the latest blockbusters. In addition to the latest blockbusters like Aladdin, Vue have also introduced ‘big screen events’, bringing live music and theatre performances and one-off showings of classics to the big screen. Experience live from the front row at Altrincham with some upcoming showings including Westlife: The Twenty Tour Live, The Matrix: 20^th Anniversary and Bolshoi Ballet.

We entered one of Altrincham’s 6 screens and sunk into our VIP seats. When you are watching a film, especially one with a long run time, nothing can ruin your viewing than if the seats are hard, you don’t have enough leg room or your bum goes to sleep! Fear no such thing here – the cushiony leather seating is plush AF, with room to stretch out. But be warned – it is so cosy comfy that you may want a slumber!

The real test (or the reel test if you would) of a movie trip has to be the quality of the screen and sound though. And with Aladdin promising to be a riot of colour and spectacle and wanting the best sound possible to enjoy all those classic songs – we would gladly have used 2 of our 3 wishes to make sure the sound and picture were en pointe. But we didn’t have to – the picture quality and screen size were crisp, clear and colourful. And the sound? Spot on – a great volume and immersed you into the film fully. We were sat on the back row (no, not for snogging) which can be hit and miss for most entertainment venues, but the picture and sound from here was as good as anywhere in the seating.

We were transported into a world of colour, music, comfort and taste thanks to Vue for an unrivalled entertainment experience, escaping wet, windy Manchester for the Arabian nights of Aladdin, enjoying the film in just the way it should have been.

So be sure to check out your local Vue – it’s all you could ever wish for.

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Until next time fillies,

Leigh at Fashion Du Jour LDN HQ x

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