With our Model X at the service center, we decided to see "Wonder Woman" at the local Drive-In. Arriving during the previews and with hamburgers and soda stashed, our loaner Tesla crept into the theater In stealth mode passing monster trucks with their beds down, SUV's parked backwards, lawn chairs and blankets filled with families on the ridges marking each gulley of vehicles in rows. We pulled into a good "seat"; an incline facing forward, We turned off our big screen by putting it in "cleaning" configuration. For those lucky enough to remember drive-in movie theaters, some updates have been added. Ours is a multiplex, double-feature "theater" and when you pay at the gate, you are given instructions to tune to a certain frequency that contains the audio for the movie. The bass reverberated through the car better than any other movie theater, as Wonder Woman fought her way around Europe during WWI. The movie was forgettable but the experience priceless. Needless to say, there wasn't another Tesla in sight. We left the way we came, in silent mode. What a fun evening !!!
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I love taking my Tesla to the drive in. I normally put the seats down, add a custom cut piece of plywood, and then a 3 inch thick full size foam mattress. That way I can back into the parking spot and lie down while watching the movie with the car in camper mode. Bring pillows and a blanket and my wife and I chill back there in comfort.
Hubby and I were just talking about drive-ins last night (thinking I might set up a Monster Movie drive-in as a halloween haunt theme this year and I was saying how most of the kids wouldn't even be able to identify with that). He was saying how he's never been to one. I fondly remember going to a few as a kid and teenager. Very few around any more which hubby said made it more timely to do now. I remember those clunky heavy metal speaker boxes with heaters. Glad to hear they've improved on them. He said he was willing to take our MS to one so your post might be the incentive to do it this summer. Only problem I see is that he has a no food or drink in his car 
. But there is a drive-in movie chain still in Calif including SJ area and southern calif too.
Hey question for you guys who take your S to one. Can people in the second row see the movie if you want to go along with another couple or is it harder to see with the high front seat backs?
. But there is a drive-in movie chain still in Calif including SJ area and southern calif too.Hey question for you guys who take your S to one. Can people in the second row see the movie if you want to go along with another couple or is it harder to see with the high front seat backs?
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Half Dollar Bill
Traveller, teacher, poet, accountant, innkeeper
https://goo.gl/photos/4tpqFfcph1orTAAY9
Your brethren on the east coast had a great time at the drive in last fall!
Hopefully we'll do it again this year and the more cars the merrier!
Your brethren on the east coast had a great time at the drive in last fall!
Hopefully we'll do it again this year and the more cars the merrier!
EV-lutioin
Active Member
Made it to the drive-in tonight. Appreciate everyone that has mentioned going to one. Nice evening, took one of those micro fleece throws to make it cozy inside. Car was comfortable and the radio aspect was nice since you could adjust it to how loud you wanted. No being annoyed by people talking next to you. Must remember to clean the windshield next time however. Hubby used the windshield washer on the way there and I could tell what part got cleaned and what didn't. Someone lit up a cigarette standing outside their car next to ours but with our windows closed and the filters working couldn't smell it. Look forward to going again this summer.
For anyone in California wanting to head to one, the West Wind All Digital Drive-In has a few locations around the state: Concord, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Barbara. They also have a drive-in in Glendale, AZ and in Las Vegas and Reno, NV. West Wind Drive-In Theaters | All-Digital Outdoor Movies | Date Night and Family Fun - West Wind Drive-In
For anyone in California wanting to head to one, the West Wind All Digital Drive-In has a few locations around the state: Concord, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Barbara. They also have a drive-in in Glendale, AZ and in Las Vegas and Reno, NV. West Wind Drive-In Theaters | All-Digital Outdoor Movies | Date Night and Family Fun - West Wind Drive-In
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AmericanPharoh
Member
Do you leave the trunk open? I would love to do this, I've never been to a drive-in movie theater before so if I'm gonna do it I wanna make sure I do it right.
Can't speak for Mattzilla but all of the SUV's parked with the rear of the vehicle towards the screen had their hatches up in the air. The theater asked people in SUVs and pickups to park towards the rear due to blocking the view of others behind them but we still saw hatches up in the air within the first few rows.
BTW thanks to the forum posts we knew after 30 minutes the audio thru the center screen was going to turn off and we'd just have to touch the screen to activate it. Otherwise I think we would have been wondering what happened.
BTW thanks to the forum posts we knew after 30 minutes the audio thru the center screen was going to turn off and we'd just have to touch the screen to activate it. Otherwise I think we would have been wondering what happened.
Hubby and I were just talking about drive-ins last night (thinking I might set up a Monster Movie drive-in as a halloween haunt theme this year and I was saying how most of the kids wouldn't even be able to identify with that). He was saying how he's never been to one. I fondly remember going to a few as a kid and teenager. Very few around any more which hubby said made it more timely to do now. I remember those clunky heavy metal speaker boxes with heaters. Glad to hear they've improved on them. He said he was willing to take our MS to one so your post might be the incentive to do it this summer. Only problem I see is that he has a no food or drink in his car
Hey question for you guys who take your S to one. Can people in the second row see the movie if you want to go along with another couple or is it harder to see with the high front seat backs?
NO. You only get to see the bottom half of the screen when you're in the rear. The view is blocked by the visor area so the back seat passengers have to duck to see the movie. Made me wish we had the X's winshield. And yes, the front seat backs will block the view. You'll have to lean to the center and duck.
If you do decide to go, do bring a jacket or blanket or whatever to cover the dash and center screen (It still emits a glow despite being in "Clean Mode").
We did go to the drive-in but before asking friends to join us sat in our back seat and decided it wasn't really a great experience for anyone back there so made plans on our own. I've noticed a lot of the newer cars have really tall head rests so sure Teslas are not alone in this respect. Think the cars I was in back in the 60s didn't even have head rests LOL.
We read about going into clean mode and tried it but hubby was actually fine with the screen turned down really low so he could see the screen enough to adjust air and such during the show. I did have a throw to use and almost thought it was going to be used to cover our head light area. I can't recall what setting we eventually ended up in, think it was Park (and having to touch screen when it shut down after 30 minutes to have the audio on), but initially we kind of panic'd trying to figure out how to turn off some non-headlights on the front that seemed determined to stay on and shine into the cars ahead of us. We had pulled up an old thread on this and guess things had changed from back then with the software. After a number of different attempts we got it resolved. No biggie touching the screen but I can see if you were camped out laying in the back cargo area looking out the hatchback area, reaching for the screen would be no easy task.
We read about going into clean mode and tried it but hubby was actually fine with the screen turned down really low so he could see the screen enough to adjust air and such during the show. I did have a throw to use and almost thought it was going to be used to cover our head light area. I can't recall what setting we eventually ended up in, think it was Park (and having to touch screen when it shut down after 30 minutes to have the audio on), but initially we kind of panic'd trying to figure out how to turn off some non-headlights on the front that seemed determined to stay on and shine into the cars ahead of us. We had pulled up an old thread on this and guess things had changed from back then with the software. After a number of different attempts we got it resolved. No biggie touching the screen but I can see if you were camped out laying in the back cargo area looking out the hatchback area, reaching for the screen would be no easy task.
Actually that was the same advice we found in this 2013 thread ( Drive-in problems (and solution) #35) which we followed but when hubby got out to go to the concession area and checked the front of the car there were lights that were still on (not the headlights) and we were more bother by the lights still being on than the audio timing out. We'll have to spend a few minutes at night in our driveway and figure out exactly what we did that got them completely turned off but still able to open the door etc. so we have it down pat when we go next time. I think it might have been this below but not sure. We still have so much to learn about the car.
"Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model S in low lighting conditions, the exterior lights automatically turn on. They automatically turn off after one minute or when you lock Model S.
You can turn this feature on and off using the touchscreen. Touch Controls > Settings > Vehicle > Headlights After Exit. When Headlights After Exit is set to Off, the headlights turn off when you engage the Park gear. "
"Headlights After Exit
When you stop driving and park Model S in low lighting conditions, the exterior lights automatically turn on. They automatically turn off after one minute or when you lock Model S.
You can turn this feature on and off using the touchscreen. Touch Controls > Settings > Vehicle > Headlights After Exit. When Headlights After Exit is set to Off, the headlights turn off when you engage the Park gear. "
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