BIGGEST RIP OFF YET!! DINO SHOW

ckeego

Took the kids to see the Dinosaur exhibition in the Ambassador today. No family ticket on offer and ALL kids charged the same as adult (10 euro a ticket) The sign on the entrance says the tour takes 20 min..I would say 10 at the maximum. Maybe 6 or so dinos there and that is it...Very shabby presentation, and you physically could not enter without going through a photo booth that charged another 10 euro per Photoshop camera shot with a T Rex.

A much better show in the Odyssey in Belfast last year at a quarter of the price. (£5 per adult and it included full access to W5, free parking too)

Really, I urge all families to stay away from this blatant rip off. To charge 4 yr olds that type of money in recessionary times for what was a very poor show is Irish rip off at it's worst (and Ive just seen that the tickets were FROM 10 euro each..ie you would spend MORE than 40 euro for your family to see this 10 min snake oil show)

two words this mid term STAY AWAY

ejmaztec

I'd expect to see a real live one for €10.

beemaja

Thanks for that, I was planning to go and just as well I saw your post, will stay away from this event.

Lex_Diamonds

After the shambles that was the CSI Experience, the place is fast becoming a monument to the worst kind of rip-offs imaginable. I fully expect the next exhibition to be "Pickpockets: The Experience"; just an empty room, large crowd, and you leave penniless after a quick walk through it (sounds eerily similar to the Dinosaur exhibit)!

LittleBook

Lex_Diamonds wrote: »

After the shambles that was the CSI Experience, the place is fast becoming a monument to the worst kind of rip-offs imaginable. I fully expect the next exhibition to be "Pickpockets: The Experience"; just an empty room, large crowd, and you leave penniless after a quick walk through it (sounds eerily similar to the Dinosaur exhibit)!

Felt completely ripped off with the CSI Experience ... 1 adult, 2 kids ... 55 Euros. Thought it would keep them busy for an afternoon but they were run around the place and pushed out the door after 40 minutes. :mad:

ckeego

I pondered it a bit further today and I left out the bit about the parking. Most of these places now either have NO carpark (ie the Ambassador) or will charge you handsomely for it (eg The RDS was 6 euro for 7UP on ice)

We ended up paying another 7 euro in carpark fees and if you had thrown in the photo option as well, it would have been 57 euro for an hours entertainment...(and that hour includes the walk to and from the carpark!!)

I just feel that it is taking the proverbial to charge 4 yr old kids a full adult ticket and for a very shabby presentation. I bought them the Walking with Dinosaurs DVD boxset on Amazon for 8 quid and it is the best show going.

Given that there is almost 15% of the workforce unemployed and they must get by on a shoestring, I feel that promoters such as these must be given a wide berth.

As was said elsewhere on this Board, if we all continue to pay it, they will continue to charge it.

eth0_

Why didn't you complain and request a full refund, then?

91011

ckeego wrote: »

I just feel that it is taking the proverbial to charge 4 yr old kids a full adult ticket and for a very shabby presentation. I bought them the Walking with Dinosaurs DVD boxset on Amazon for 8 quid and it is the best show going.

Surely as a show that targets children, the children's ticket price is the primary ticket price and it should be seen as Adults paying the children's price?

I suspect the same pricing strategy is used for most children's show around the world.

As for value - this is very subjective. Many people think the show is great, others not so. Same with the Bodies exhibition - many said it was poor value where I thought it was utterly fascinating and educational and worth everty cent. - I can't comment on Dino Live as its of no interest to me.

Though what is great value is the Natural History Museum which has now reopened. Admission = FREE and probably far more educational & fun for all.

ckeego

Can be very embarassing for all involved if you go and ask for a refund in these circumstances..and the chances of ANY satisfaction-well, let's just say, I don't think so..

As for the argument on kid ticket prices, fair point BUT most if not all of these events have some sort of a family ticket that overall reduces the cost.

My point was that it was a poor imitation of the W5 show in the Odyssey last year, and in a much shabbier host venue, yet was charging over nearly 4 times the price when the conversion was taken into account.

A very good suggestion about National History Museum..that will be next on the list!

Biffo The Bare

91011 wrote: »

I can't comment on Dino Live as its of no interest to me.
.

You already have. Another one of the blanket apologetics that seem to infiltrate these boards on a regular basis.:mad:
The original PM is right in that if you pay €10.00 for ten minutes you would expect a lot more for your money. Maybe Sir Richard Attenborough to personally hatch a t-rex from a Dinosaur egg and give us a tour around the island.

Fighting Irish

ckeego wrote: »

Took the kids to see the Dinosaur exhibition in the Ambassador today. No family ticket on offer and ALL kids charged the same as adult (10 euro a ticket) The sign on the entrance says the tour takes 20 min..I would say 10 at the maximum. Maybe 6 or so dinos there and that is it...Very shabby presentation, and you physically could not enter without going through a photo booth that charged another 10 euro per Photoshop camera shot with a T Rex.

A much better show in the Odyssey in Belfast last year at a quarter of the price. (£5 per adult and it included full access to W5, free parking too)

Really, I urge all families to stay away from this blatant rip off. To charge 4 yr olds that type of money in recessionary times for what was a very poor show is Irish rip off at it's worst (and Ive just seen that the tickets were FROM 10 euro each..ie you would spend MORE than 40 euro for your family to see this 10 min snake oil show)

two words this mid term STAY AWAY

the price will stay like that while people like you keep paying then complaining

Alun

91011 wrote: »

Though what is great value is the Natural History Museum which has now reopened. Admission = FREE and probably far more educational & fun for all.

Has it? Their website says it's still closed. There is a temporary exhibition at Collins Barracks that is displaying some of the exhibits from the "Dead Zoo" .. is that what you meant?

91011

Biffo The Bare wrote: »

You already have. Another one of the blanket apologetics that seem to infiltrate these boards on a regular basis.:mad:
The original PM is right in that if you pay €10.00 for ten minutes you would expect a lot more for your money. Maybe Sir Richard Attenborough to personally hatch a t-rex from a Dinosaur egg and give us a tour around the island.

My comment was about shows of this ilk. It is very subjective whether or not you get value.

In the bodies exhibition, some people said the same thing - 15 minutes for €14 being expensive, yet i spent over an hour and a half at it.

Same with the Dino show, some peeple take 10 minutes and think its crap value, and some people have spent a couple of hours at it and wow about it. (check various reviews on different websites & blogs).

91011

Alun wrote: »

Has it? Their website says it's still closed. There is a temporary exhibition at Collins Barracks that is displaying some of the exhibits from the "Dead Zoo" .. is that what you meant?

I thoyght it was re-opening this week, but it seems its next week.

ckeego

Thanks for the constructive comments....

PARKHEAD67

ckeego wrote: »

Took the kids to see the Dinosaur exhibition in the Ambassador today. No family ticket on offer and ALL kids charged the same as adult (10 euro a ticket) The sign on the entrance says the tour takes 20 min..I would say 10 at the maximum. Maybe 6 or so dinos there and that is it...Very shabby presentation, and you physically could not enter without going through a photo booth that charged another 10 euro per Photoshop camera shot with a T Rex.

A much better show in the Odyssey in Belfast last year at a quarter of the price. (£5 per adult and it included full access to W5, free parking too)

Really, I urge all families to stay away from this blatant rip off. To charge 4 yr olds that type of money in recessionary times for what was a very poor show is Irish rip off at it's worst (and Ive just seen that the tickets were FROM 10 euro each..ie you would spend MORE than 40 euro for your family to see this 10 min snake oil show)

two words this mid term STAY AWAY

Was in London last summer..Most museums FREE.The natural history museum was unreal.could spend a week getting around it.All Free.Went to london zoo as well with the wife. 7 quid or something for the 2 of us.Ireland is a joke

Andy(mike)Lowry

Cant agree more, i unfortunately caught this thread a few days to late.
I brought it up to the duty manager who said the rates the ambassador charge is out of his control and has nothing to do with him. Then he told me if id like to i could do the trip again with my nephew. JOKE!

Brought him to the FREE Dublin Castle tour that's organized by students and it was brilliant.

91011

PARKHEAD67 wrote: »

Was in London last summer..Most museums FREE.The natural history museum was unreal.could spend a week getting around it.All Free.Went to london zoo as well with the wife. 7 quid or something for the 2 of us.Ireland is a joke

ALL state museums in Dublin are FREE.

I don't belive the £7 for a family ticket for London Zoo unless it was part of some overall package as a standard family ticket for London Zoo is £65 www.londonzoo.co.uk

Dublin Zoo standard family charge €42.50

Why do so many people have to make things up or compare a super duper, one off, today only, with both great garandparent offer in another country with a standard price item in Ireland.

There is nothing and nobody stopping all the moaners from moving to these other countries - the only problem is you will suddenly find that the cost of living in other countries when all things are added are much the same as over here!

jimoc

PARKHEAD67 wrote: »

Was in London last summer..Most museums FREE.The natural history museum was unreal.could spend a week getting around it.All Free.Went to london zoo as well with the wife. 7 quid or something for the 2 of us.Ireland is a joke

91011 wrote: »

ALL state museums in Dublin are FREE.

I don't belive the £7 for a family ticket for London Zoo unless it was part of some overall package as a standard family ticket for London Zoo is £65 www.londonzoo.co.uk

Dublin Zoo standard family charge €42.50

Why do so many people have to make things up or compare a super duper, one off, today only, with both great garandparent offer in another country with a standard price item in Ireland.

There is nothing and nobody stopping all the moaners from moving to these other countries - the only problem is you will suddenly find that the cost of living in other countries when all things are added are much the same as over here!

According to the website 2 adults is £18.00 so that 7 quid for 2 must have been some sort of promo.

Draco

I brought my nephews (10 and 7) along yesterday. While I thought it was a bit short and could have had another skeleton or two on display, they had a great time. I did think having the Walking with Dinosaurs DVD at the end was a bit cheeky, but again the two boys sat there with rapt attention.

There were signs posted up all around the ticket counter about the show supposed to take 20 minutes and that there were no refunds. I can only assume they were there because of complaints.

Kashkai

Just seen this thread. Wish I'd noticed it a month ago. I too brought my kids and was charged 40 euro for the four of us. Even though we walked slowly round and I explained the exhibitions to the kids, we were done inside of ten minutes. I thought we must have missed something and started to checkbehind curtains, open doors etc but nope, it was a case of "that's all folks!!"

worst value family day trip I've ever had bar none. Including the walk from the car park to the ambassador and back again, it took less than an hour.

I admit though that I made a snotty remark to the girl at the counter on the way out along the lines of "I didn't know this place's ticket prices are charged at a euro a minute". Afte all she wasn't setting the prices. Should have gone back to apologise but I was mad at wasting 40 euro on that crap.

Fighting Irish

ckeego wrote: »

Thanks for the constructive comments....

Sure what do you expect, most people who complain about "rip off ireland" pay for something willingly then bitch about the price, people like that are the problem

eh2010

In the bodies exhibition, some people said the same thing - 15 minutes for €14 being expensive, yet i spent over an hour and a half at it.

I think this exibition is sick, repulsive, horrific, disgusting and morally wrong. The bodies are said to be from chinese prisoners who were mistreated, executed and then carved up and put on display around the world without their consent.