Walmart Is Creating 160 Drive-In Movie Locations In Their Parking Lots This Summer

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drive in movie theater in walmart parking lot

Get your movie fix from Walmart!

With movie theaters remaining inoperable across the United States due to the current pandemic, Walmart has partnered with Tribeca Entertainment and come up with a fantastic solution. They are planning to convert 160 of their parking lots to contactless drive-in movie theaters through October!

Get ready for a fun, new twist on family movie night courtesy of the retail giant!

Don’t forget to grab your favorite snacks!

boxes of movie theater candy on store shelf

Walmart will even be offering online ordering with curbside pickup for families prior to each screening to ensure everyone has all their sweets and treats to enhance their movie-going experience.

Limited details have been released at this time including which supercenters will be used for movies, but we will do our best to offer updates as they become available or you can visit walmartdrive-in.com for the latest information.


Stock up on fun this summer with more entertainment deals!

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Comments 47

  1. Snowflake1211

    That’s a pretty cool idea, thanks for sharing!

  2. Dkp91576

    Hee hee I love the blue car parked in the cart collection area. He is loving the view of the screen!

    • Michelle

      😂😂😂

    • Joe

      Lol had to go back and look after I saw ur comment

    • Lynn

      lol

    • Kitty

      LOL!!!

  3. GAmommyof4

    This is seriously the BEST news I’ve heard in months!!!

  4. klemetson101

    That will be something fun to do.👍🏻

  5. Jw206

    So this is super cute but I work at another store in a Walmart plaza and all I can think about is how bad traffic would be and I hope I wouldn’t be working that night lol 😂

  6. Liz

    Someone pls explain how drive through movies work….so only the people sitting in front can watch the movie right?
    People at the back will not be able to see right?

    • chenga57

      No, everyone can see it. It’s usually a raised screen and then you tune in on a specific radio station they give you for the audio. that’s how it works at our drive in at least

    • Jen S

      You can’t see from the back seat. That will be a problem unless you can view from outside of the car.

      • MommySpendsLess

        We still have a drive-in theater in our area. People with pick-up trucks or SUVs usually reverse in and turn their cargo areas into lounge areas. Other people bring folding chairs and put them in front or next to their vehicles.
        It was a novel idea when my daughter was younger – something cheap to do to get out of the house and we didn’t have to worry as much about keeping her quiet and she could move around more than in a theater. At this point in my life I think I’d rather watch a movie on my own TV in my living room. Great for teenage/early 20’s dates or a family with young kids though.

  7. jon-0

    I laughed as soon as I read this.

  8. Smellyann

    What! This is pretty epic! I have no hope that the one in our little rinky-dinky town will do it, but hopefully in the “big city” there will be at least one!

    • Betsy

      Less likely to occur in larger cities because of light pollution. Drive-in theaters work best in rural areas with less light interference.

  9. daisy-0

    I LOVE this idea! This seriously makes me happy and gives me hope that we will find a new normal that is not so damn depressing!

    • jennifer

      Same

    • MommySpendsLess

      I’m still holding out hope that we eventually return to real-normal rather than a “new normal”

      • Angela

        Amen!!

        Praying that people wake up and stop just doing whatever they are told to do.

  10. Peaches

    Our Walmart parking lot has angled parking spaces so I wonder how this would work. I think this is a great Idea though and hope it takes off.

  11. HBee

    Brilliant idea!

  12. Beth

    I don’t shop at Walmart bc employees park near the door. They sit or sleep in their cars on breaks I suppose. It aggravates me to see elderly people walking long distances because the spaces are taken up

    • Missy

      There are certain places employees are allowed to park. I hope your perfect self only parks in the absolute farthest spot anywhere you go otherwise you may be taking the spot an elderly person could use.

      • Beth

        I am far from perfect. I was speaking of the first 3-4 spaces in the row. Sorry I did not make it clear. I do park farther away bc it’s easier to get out when I am done shopping and I enjoy walking. When I worked retail there were areas that we were to park in but never near the door. Have a happy 4th.

      • Baker's Wife

        Snark much?

    • C

      Elderly people (or anyone with walking issues really) can always get a handicap sticker if they have walking issues (eg my grandparents have a handicap sticker from their doctors as they use walkers to get around)…. and lord knows there are more than enough handicap spaces at Walmart that (at least here) are never full aside from maybe Black Friday and maybe right before big holidays like thanksgiving or Christmas (really probably only those 3 times)…. I would also think having employees who work shifts at night or early morning are safer having spaces near the store… and my oh my have you ever been outside of the USA?!?! Elderly ppl walk EVERYWHERE and most use public transport (I mean my host grandma in Europe had more energy than me! We would meet her every weekend to go to the farmers market and we would all walk there and back- a lot further than a Walmart parking lot lol… not to mention she would stop by and bring over food that took her hours to prepare every week by walking from her home to ours at least a quarter mile…. she was so excited to have me try her traditional Mediterranean food… just bc you’re old, doesn’t mean you can’t walk – and the walking is good for them- maybe when they go to the store that’s all the exercise they get… also my parents are old and were old when they had us and my father ALWAYS parked in the very back of parking lots whether they were full or nearly empty bc he doesn’t like the way other ppl park 🤷🏼‍♀️)…. honestly I would be more worried about pregnant women who are near their due date having to walk further… this is why it’s great that our local grocer has several spaces allotted to new and expecting mothers as well as spaces for veterans (who may have issues getting around from war injuries but are too proud to get handicap stickers)…

  13. Mary Little

    If only some place could be used for FiREWORKS seen from your car…sniffle.

  14. Jill

    Cool yes we need to bring back drive in theaters

  15. Evie

    Too funny! They closed the drive in movies to build Kmarts where I grew up. The reason was because of the VCR and cable.
    Now, most Kmarts are closed and how much demand will there be for the Drive Ins. Not like people do not have streaming, on demand, red box and others.
    Just sayin.
    Maybe they can work harder on making durable items and bringing our costs down!

  16. marie

    Who in their right minds, as if Walmart parking lots aren’t busy enough! LOL 😱

    • Missy

      It might work! Most Walmarts close at 830 pm now and drive in movies don’t start until dark.

    • C

      Our local Walmart’s close at 830pm (which imho is ridiculous- used to be 24 hours- I understand needing to close bc of cleaning, but 830 come on… even target/Walgreens/cvs/etc are open later.,. And our local grocer that used to be 24 hours closes at midnight now, which makes sense to me).. so the lots will only have employees and movie goers. I think this is a move to 1. Sell more stuff (bc they’ll be offering the curbside pickup essentially… they have to be hurting especially places like here where us younger ppl prefer to shop later- our business has been going to the local grocer and target- items we might typically buy there, we’re finding other places (or substitutions for what we were looking for)- I like to go to all of them bc we aren’t a huge city so often one place will carry something I want that the others don’t), 2. Decrease possible looting hours now that they’re no longer 24 hours

  17. Maria

    This reminds me of hiding in the trunk to sneak into our drive in where I grew up! It was a bit better in an open field though, felt really special. Not sure a Walmart parking lot has any ambience lol. But hey, it’s something! Will they charge and how much?

  18. Evie

    Of course they will charge! Anything will be too much for the sorry array of poor quality garbage they call entertainment and movies! I have my books!

    • Jennifer Lisa

      Why would you even post?

    • Angela

      They are smart for sure!!

      They see that people are willing to do whatever they are told so now they can up the brainwashing even more.

      Sorry not sorry, movies are their prime choice to brainwash.

  19. Jen S

    Definitely need a convertible so everyone can see the screen! Real drive-ins require a whole space between cars to follow social distancing requirements (in CT anyway).

  20. Celenorma

    The Wal-Mart take over 😒 Anyone else been seeing this. Corporate America ay its finest!

  21. Angela

    Thankfully something Walmart can do that Amazon can’t (for once). Love the idea, but I don’t even go to our neighborhood’s “movie in the park” deal. It’s too hot and don’t want the car to be running just to have the A/C going. I’ sure some people do. First world problems, I know.

  22. Lu

    My son’s school put together their Class of 2020 Senior Awards and Recognition ceremony into a video and invited the families to the local drive-in to view it. The teachers delivered awards and graduation cords to the individual cars. It was very well done and much appreciated.

  23. Candace Wilson

    It would be so awesome to have a drive in Virginia Beach Va. The Walmarts here are the best.

    • SavingsMama

      For sure Candace! Va Beach Walmarts are usually clean, with well kept parking lots and family friendly. I went to a Walmart in another state won’t mention here and it was like a Too Fast Too Furious movie set in the parking lot and a music video audition on the inside. 😆

  24. dramaqueensmum

    Our mall did that like 5 years ago for a few years. They had little tents set up & the different stores were passing out coupons & freebies. They had a balloon animal guy & bands. Then once it got dark they had a movie. It was a fun time. They had different events going on.

  25. SavingsMama

    This sounds great! We have had some pop up drive- ins open around us and they charge $30 a car. This is for older movies, ones they would have down for free previously, as a movie under the stars event. We used to like those events, bring blanket and snacks and pay nothing else 🙂 So hoping this is more affordable or even a free thing!

  26. Thomas Wheeler

    What are Phoenix Walmart locations that have drive ins?

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