If I want only a movie ticket, why must I get in a roped off corral of people who want tickets and concessions? That's right, no ticket booth. No stand-alone machine to get your ticket. And if you buy your ticket online, you still go to the same concession counter to pick it up, albeit a shorter line. And why would anyone want to revisit the concession corral if they change their minds once they are inside the theater? You can get refills at one side concession area - but a new purchase must be done via the corral.
Now, I'm all for drinking anytime I can... but sweet baby Jesus... the number of people wandering around the corral holding empty beer glasses looks more like a trailer-park single hangout than a theater! Look at me Vern, I drank a $6 movie beer... burp!
Once you get past the corral keeper... you know the guy at the end of the rope line... he talks to each group of people, hands them a rewards card, answers their questions, ogles the girls in shorts, all the while ignoring the fact that three cashiers have their hands waving in the air - apparently the most high-tech way of indicating that the previous customer has survived the gauntlet, purchased a 10-gallon-REUSABLE-bucket of popcorn, got banded to drink no more than 3 alcoholic drinks, and has been released into the wild, i.e., into the trailer-park single hangout with little hope of ever finding their theater.
Having survived the corral, we arrive at the front of the line!!! OMG! Maybe we'll get into the theater before our movie starts after all! The corral did move pretty quick... but so did my irritation levels. Now, all I have to do is not kill this corral keeper... oh, look here comes one of about 15 assistant manager looking guys who motions us to go to the Online Ticket line, you know the short one that has been WIDE-OPEN for the last 10 minutes!!! Fine with me. Except we are greeted with "WHOA! " Not so fast there, I can't sell you a ticket I only "do reservations" WTF!... We were sent OUT of the line to this spot and we need four tickets for a movie whose start time is 7:30 ... And it is now 7:35... Girl next to him - apparently in order to save his life - says "I can help you." Okay 3 adults 1 child - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... Okay, how many drinks... None thank you, just the tickets. Popcorn? No thank you, just the tickets. Candy? NO! Just the tickets .....please. Now I know that Carmike makes little to nothing off the tickets but gets 100% of the concessions... that's their money maker... And I love concessions. Movie Popcorn and Twizzlers for ME! But NOT after being forced to stand in line with no other alternatives but to go to the concessions. Maybe they should start selling the alcohol at the beginning of the line!
So now we have the Golden Tickets!!! But now the trailer-park "excuse me" shuffle to get to the guy who takes the tickets. Excuse Me Vern. Excuse Me Vern. Excuse ME Vern!!!
Ticket guy takes tickets: "Your theater is right behind me" - which of course has Olaf, Anna, Elsa and Wonder Woman in costume taking photos in the door way. Continue the "excuse me shuffle" with small child who loves OLAF! Now why Wonder Woman is hanging out with the cast from Frozen in front of a theater showing neither movie is beyond any level of comprehension.
Walk through the doorway to Theater Nirvana! Large, beautiful screen, comfortable chairs. 30 minutes of previews prevented the movie from starting at 7:30 so we are there about 10 minutes before the movie starts. Now all I have to do is figure out a direct pipeline to the actual theater and I might eventually go back! read more