Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Buying Tickets: The Story Begins

Part One

When we saw that a play about dinosaurs, called the Dinosaur Zoo, was opening just down the street from where we live, we immediately wanted to get tickets to take the girls. They LOVE dinosaurs and the play looked fun, interactive and educational. I went home and investigated getting tickets, when I did I noticed that if you paid extra you could arrive early, have the kids go on stage and meet a dinosaur, have a picture taken there, and get dinosaur gifts - that's what we wanted to do.

This is not whining, it's accurate, getting tickets when you need accessible seating is, put simply, a lot of work.

I called.

Explained what I wanted.

Got put through to someone who specializes in accessible seating (?).

When I explained that I wanted the accessible seating AND the premium package things became difficult. The accessible seating isn't where the premium package seats are. I explained that I knew that, the accessible seats are the WORST seats in the house - at the very back corner of the theatre. We don't have the option to getting the premium package and accessible seating, we wanted that option made available.

Well someone would have to talk to someone who would meet with someone and I would have to call back in a few days. I did. It was OK'd for me to pay premium so the girls could have that experience. Great.

Joe and I have had many, many, many difficulties with seating at the opera, the symphony and in various playhouses. We buy accessible seats and arrive to find that there is a problem. We no longer trust the assurances of a voice on the phone.

The woman I spoke to was very nice but when she wanted to send me the tickets by mail, I insisted that I get them at the box office a few days before. This way I could check the tickets while at the theatre, see that they are correct and then if they aren't work with them there.

The guy at the box office was confused about why we'd be sitting in the very back row when we were paying premium seats. I asked him where else he suggest I sit. He suddenly understood that the very back row was my only option and I could see then it all made sense to him.

So.

It was done.

We had tickets.

We had un/premium seating and the kids would get to go on the stage.

That was done.

6 comments:

Princeton Posse said...

Persistance. I hope you enjoy the show.

Liz said...

It is unacceptable that there are no accessible seats in the "premium" section. Good for you for being persistent and getting the experience for the girls, but BOOOOO to that theater for placing all the accessible seating in the worst places.

Anonymous said...

BOOOO indeed.

B. said...

Yup, I recognize this, Dave.

Anonymous said...

I hope you enjoy watching the girls watch the show. Such a shame it takes so much to get such an unsatisfactory purchase,
Sharon

Anonymous said...

With any luck someone with power to change things will learn from that.