Mahon Point Omniplex .. Price increases? Rippoff?

aidanodr

Hi Guys,

I went to John Carter 3D yesterday. The prices have either risen for this film OR are now gone up.

Per person ( 2 of us ) we paid €10.10 cent at the auto machines for the film. This alone is at least a €1 plus increase for a 3D film.

Went to the guy to let us in and he said did you get your 3D glasses? I said we will as usual I assume as we go into the theatre where the film is showing.

NO, he said, you have to go to the ticket desk to get your glasses. I went to the ticket desk to be told here are your glasses, that will be €1 per glasses please.

So now it cost us €11.10 each to see this film. Add to this if you tend to get food on the way in.

Big time rippoff ..

Aidan

Nidot

Omniplex in Mahon Point has always been on the dearer side of the scale.

Was there to see 'Safe House' this weekend and paid €9.10 each for our tickets.

charlemont

Always been a rip, Its the Irish thing !!;)

minidazzler

charlemont wrote: »

Always been a rip, Its the Irish thing !!;)

American cinemas charge just as much.

OP you probably got charged extra for using the machine, I don't understand why but my friends got a euro or so surcharge before for using them while I lined up and was charged 9 euro.

deRanged

there's a 50 cent booking fee per ticket if you book online with a credit card and collect at the machine.

I'm not sure if that's the same if you buy at the machines though.

JohnK

Yeah its ridiculous prices alright and whats worse is the places bloodys smells in there so theres no sense of value for money.

On the machines, theres a 50cent per ticket surcharge if you use those so its the same as booking online.

Whats worse though is for the price of that one movie you'd have gotten a month and a half of Netflix. Its just bloody madness.

aidanodr

Yip,

Maybe charged extra at machine, which is bizarre as they are in the foyer and DO NOT use any staff so one would imagine should be cheaper.

https://booking.omniplex.ie/new/book_3.asp?site=Cork&siteid=23&indate=20120328&relnum=3970&performid=150876

This is the John Carter 3D online. True enough its €10.10 then note:

"3D Glasses: 3D glasses not included in ticket price."

We were told to avoid the glasses charge in future keep/bring your own set.

Aidan

Cadyboo

I hate that cinema. Would never go there. Complete rip off with the tickets before you get the manky popcorn that is not even fresh but brought in in big black bags, ugh.

And friends of mine have told me they were stopped bringing in their own bottles of drinks and sweets they bought in tescos for the kids so that has totally turned me off now too. They must have been watching their bags like!!

Blackpool, midleton and ballincollig. They may be old and some might be smelly but they are never jam packed, way cheaper tickets and food and the popcorn in yummy.

ScrubsfanChris

The Gate cinemas are cheaper for nearly everything including food.
Only went to Mahon Omniplex once and thats when I had free tickets...
I always go to Douglas or North Main Street.

Edit: Got street wrong :P

TheDriver

same here, mahon is too overpriced and queues too long, packed cinemas etc. Blackpool is great, always empty and food is much better priced. Even cheaper again if you bring in your own Coke....

rcdk1

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

The Gate cinemas are cheaper for nearly everything including food.
Only went to Mahon Omniplex once and thats when I had free tickets...
I always go to Douglas or Washington Street.

+1
Mahon is over priced, has bad food (stale popcorn and knocked-off versions of the Pick N' Mix) and the theaters are manky (the carpets appear to be made of treacle).

I find the Gate on North Main Street and Cinema World, Douglas (which are part of the same chain along with the Gate Midleton and Mallow) cheaper, cleaner (worn but clean) and with better food.

Also, as I go fairly regularly, I find the loyalty card is good with a free popcorn & drink after 5 visits and a free ticket after 10 visits. One point though, if you buy two tickets in one transaction it only counts as one point/visit. So if you regularly go with the same person (e.g. your OH) get two cards and pay for the tickets separately. Same cost, twice the loyalty rewards.

Roar

I just put my food into a bag when I'm going in there, they've no right to search through your bag.

Also, their 3d projections are TERRIBLE. far too dim, and you get a manky pair of glasses to watch them on.

Judes

I love the Gate in Midleton - it isn't old and smelly - it's a new'ish cinema. The prices are much cheaper than Mahon - and the Gate Cinema's have a Loyalty Card, so every visit is added up. So far I've received a free Medium Popcorn/Drink and next visit to cinema will be a free ticket. I was in the Midleton cinema last week in the afternoon, brought in my coffee and roll from Subway downstairs, no problem. In fact less noise/mess than popcorn! On the other hand I think the Gates in North Main Street and Douglas are old and smelly. Every time I go into Douglas there's a vacuum lying against the sofa outside entrance doors to screens. It just bugs me as a H&S issue - an accident just waiting to happen. I keep hearing rumours that cinema will be torn down as it's valuable Douglas property - but if it is - I really hope they just rebuild a new complex there. But Mahon is getting ridiculous - think they've forgotten that recession means people have less money to spend - not more.

daveyjoe

Roar wrote: »

I just put my food into a bag when I'm going in there, they've no right to search through your bag.

Also, their 3d projections are TERRIBLE. far too dim, and you get a manky pair of glasses to watch them on.

From a legal standpoint they have the right to refuse you admission if you don't consent to a search. I'm not saying that they would do that because it would be tasteless and put off other movie goers, but it's something worth knowing. Same applies to pubs, clubs, gigs, outdoor festivals or pretty much any private property.

kingtut

aidanodr wrote: »

Big time rippoff ..

Aidan

I have to ask though did you complain to the person working there or ask for the manager? If you said nothing then they will also do nothing. I agree it is a ripoff but the prices will not change while people are happy to pay them.

Only when people start to complain about the prices and/or they end up with empty screens will they even consider dropping their prices.

mikeym

Dont get me started on mahon cinema it smells like an old folks home :mad:

JohnK

Judes wrote: »

I keep hearing rumours that cinema will be torn down as it's valuable Douglas property - but if it is - I really hope they just rebuild a new complex there.

I think the idea is that a new supermarket (lidl or aldi type) is going in there but when that'll actually happen is anyones guess. Personally I'd much prefer if they did up the cinema.

Outkast_IRE

JohnK wrote: »

I think the idea is that a new supermarket (lidl or aldi type) is going in there but when that'll actually happen is anyones guess. Personally I'd much prefer if they did up the cinema.

I have fond memories of seeing jurassic park and lion king there as a child, but honestly last time i was there it was 3 years ago and it was in need of a revamp.

Milly33

I hope they dont take the cinema away..I love going there, or Ballincollig cinema. I dont get Mahon Point it is too pricey, their popcorcn is ming (all ways has stray hairs in it) and the cinema's are too loud half the time..

Tis a stinky Cinema

Fuzz McG

Bar the pricing, the Mahon Point cinema is pretty good in terms of how they show films. They have a better selection than the Gate and, most importantly, they project the films correctly.

I don't go to 3D films generally so can't speak of them (I know most 3D films tend to be darker than normal D). I've been to other cinemas in Cork a number of times where the film is projected incorrectly, or the sound is messed up or something is off in general (lights being left on etc). Also I find there's a lot less crowd chatter in the films in Mahon Point.

I don't know why people pay a tenner to go to the cinema to have a bloody debate.

Outkast_IRE

Fuzz McG wrote: »

Bar the pricing, the Mahon Point cinema is pretty good in terms of how they show films. They have a better selection than the Gate and, most importantly, they project the films correctly.

I don't go to 3D films generally so can't speak of them (I know most 3D films tend to be darker than normal D). I've been to other cinemas in Cork a number of times where the film is projected incorrectly, or the sound is messed up or something is off in general (lights being left on etc). Also I find there's a lot less crowd chatter in the films in Mahon Point.

I don't know why people pay a tenner to go to the cinema to have a bloody debate.

I totally agree i always head to the late shows in mahon point at the weekend as they usually have an excellent selection and people who go to the late shows there only want to watch the film not talk the whole way through it

Fighting Irish

Supply and demand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Countdown1982

The last time i was in the Mahon Point cinema a few months ago. To get a drink/snack the que was long and very slow moving,they only had 2 people working behind the counter, aboUT 3-4 others chatting at the end of the counter. I ask to speak to a manager about it, no one available, spoke to a 'supervisor' who didnt really care that people had to wait for so long. Needless to say i wont be going back.

Padraig Mor

I believe their rent is circa €1 million per year so that may have a lot to do with the prices! Also, they don't get most of the money from the tickets - it goes to the distributor.

booboo88

Padraig Mor wrote: »

I believe their rent is circa €1 million per year so that may have a lot to do with the prices! Also, they don't get most of the money from the tickets - it goes to the distributor.

They make most of the money from the sweets and drinks, if not all.


That said, if you feel you're being ripped off in a particular cinema, go to another. Simples
Mahon point in general is kind of a rip off.

Cork24

i hear they spot people from bring in their own sweats you can only bring in the ones you buy their.. is this true ?

Redisle

Never heard of them stopping people bringing their own food in Mahon. That's a terrible idea IMO. I have a very firm memory going to a cinema in Kerry when I was a kid to see Godzilla I think it was. I have no recall of the movie, I just specifically remember being stopped bringing in food. Bad to remember a place for that reason.

Other than that though I think Mahon is a good cinema or it was when it opened. Well layed out seats and it would take a very tall person to block your view. Would never go to the trouble of going to the cinema in town due to lack of parking. Ballincollig is okay too. Funny enough though there has been projection screw ups twice in the few times I have been to Mahon. Once the first 10 mins of the movie were being projected mostly above the damn screen!

Faith

They definitely stop you if they catch you with food from outside the cinema. You either have to eat it before going in, or leave it behind.

JohnMearsheimer

I kinda like Mahon Point...I prefer it to the Gate or Douglas which is my closest. Never noticed a smell in there. There's good leg room if you're tall. I think it provides a nicer environment for watching movies. I like the popcorn, the coke tastes like its some kind of concentrate though.

deRanged

I like the cinema, find the seats very comfortable with good leg room, but it is expensive. I try to only go there with O2 treats for cheap tickets.

Midleton is a grand cinema, but the fact that its 5 minutes from my house would be the winning criterion there.

Kold

People still pay to see movies? Wut