Children's movie theater discounts have their own "policies". Industry insiders: It is difficult to unify ticket prices

This summer, in addition to romance films, action films, and imported films... nearly 20 animated films focusing on family fun have attracted many children to the theater. Many parents also regard the theater as the "main front" to enrich their children's summer cultural and entertainment life. However, some parents also told reporters that different theaters have different ticket purchasing rules for children, which makes them very troubled.

this summer. In addition to romance films, action films, and imported films... nearly 20 cartoons focusing on family fun have attracted many children to the theater. Many parents also regard the theater as a "main front" to enrich children's summer cultural and entertainment life. However, some parents also told reporters that different theaters have different ticket purchasing rules for children, which makes them very troubled. How to buy tickets when taking children to the cinema? Is there a cinema policy? The reporter visited a number of cinemas for this purpose and launched an investigation.

Cinema has a "policy" children's preferential standards do not "one"

reporter from the visit of more than 10 cinemas learned that cinemas basically have preferential policies for children to watch movies, but the preferential standards are different. Most cinemas stipulate whether tickets are free according to children's height standards. However, the height standards of children in different theaters are different. Staff at Century Friendship Studios said that for all their 2D and 3D films, children 1.2 meters and under can enter the city free of charge if accompanied by adults. However, cinemas such as Shanghai Yonghua Film City and SFC Shangying Meiluo City Store have regulations that children under 1.3 meters tall are free of charge. The regulations of each theater are different. However, the reporter noticed that each theater has the same "policies" on other aspects of children who are free of tickets, that is, children who are free of tickets will have no seats, but if they watch 3D movies, they will also provide 3D glasses for children who are free of tickets.

In addition, staff from Heping Film Capital and Guangming Cinema told reporters that there are no preferential tickets for children in theaters and there is no exemption based on height. However, children can enjoy preferential prices for students based on student tickets. However, Heping Film Capital emphasized that the specific ticket prices for children will also depend on watching the movie. Children in the IMAX movie theater can also enjoy preferential student prices, but in principle, it is not recommended for too young children to watch the movie.

It is worth mentioning that some cinemas also offer different discounts for children in different cinemas. Shanghai Film Group CGV Xinzhuang Cinema stipulates that children in ordinary halls are no more than 1.3 meters tall and are free of charge. 4D movie halls do not participate in any discounts. Children also need to buy regular tickets like adults. In addition, Century Friendship Studios has also made regulations on the number of children who are free of charge. Children under 1.2 meters tall can enter the venue free of charge when accompanied by adults, but each adult is limited to bringing one child into the hall to watch the movie. In other words, if an adult brings two children under 1.2 meters tall to the entrance, only one child will be free of charge, and the other child will still have to buy a ticket.

Children were embarrassed when watching movies. Audiences said that it was "very tiring

". The theater's various preferential standards naturally "suffered" many viewers. Ms. Liu told reporters,"I have been watching movies in a theater near my home. My son is 1.3 meters tall. Tickets are free. But once when I went to People's Square, the theater there said that children had to buy tickets regardless of their height." Although there were doubts, Ms. Liu said that she finally gave her children a replacement ticket, but she also expressed her own emotion,"Why are there so many theater standards?"

In contrast, some viewers who have been watching movies in fixed theaters are quite satisfied. They said that generally, when bringing their children to the theater to watch movies in the morning, tickets are free for those under 1.3 meters tall. If people in the theater are dissatisfied, children can also have seats. But even watching movies in the same theater, I would encounter trouble. Mr. Wang told reporters,"Every time I came to the theater before, my children were free of charge, but later I bought 4D movie tickets online, but when I entered the theater, I was asked by the staff to make up the tickets for my children." This made him very confused, although the staff explained that there were different discounts for children in ordinary halls and 4D movie halls, and children in 4D movie halls also needed to buy tickets. But Mr. Wang was still very puzzled,"Why are there no relevant instructions when purchasing tickets online?" Fortunately, the theater has also proposed a solution, that is, if you don't replace the ticket, you can choose to refund the ticket and buy a 3D movie ticket. In this way, children under 1.3 meters tall can still enjoy the discount of free tickets.

It is difficult to unify the preferential standards for children. The reporter needs to understand in detail

. At present, the preferential standards for children's tickets in theaters are formulated by each theater. In addition, in the current law, although the Law on the Protection of Minors stipulates: "museums, Memorial halls, science and technology museums, exhibition halls, art galleries, cultural centers, theaters, sports venues, zoos, parks and other places should be open to minors for free or at a preferential rate in accordance with relevant regulations." However, the law does not clearly stipulate preferential standards.

It is worth mentioning that as early as 2011, Chengdu took the lead in unifying standards nationwide and formulated and promulgated the "Chengdu City Children's Movie Tickets Preferential Standard." The standard clearly stipulates that children under 1.3 meters (inclusive) can watch movies without tickets; children between 1.3 meters and 1.4 meters (inclusive) can enjoy the lowest ticket price specified by the film; Children over 1.4 meters tall but under the age of 14 can enjoy the lowest ticket price specified by the film after presenting their ID card (household registration booklet or ID card); students can enjoy the relevant preferential standards for cinemas when purchasing tickets with their student ID cards.

Despite this, theaters in other places across the country still set their own preferential standards for children. In this regard, industry insiders said that there is a possibility to unify preferential standards for children's movie tickets, but it does face various difficulties. Especially now, there are many changes in film investment entities compared with the past, including individuals, cooperatives, Sino-foreign joint ventures, state-owned enterprises, etc. It is difficult to unify child ticket prices.

In view of the current situation that the preferential standards for children in theaters have not yet been unified, some viewers have suggested,"It is recommended that all theaters post relevant standards in writing in a prominent position in the theater, so that citizens can know the relevant charging standards of the theater in advance before purchasing tickets, so that they can understand consumption." Of course, during the visit, the reporter found that some theaters did publish relevant standard notices, but the online introduction was not so detailed. As more and more viewers are now using online ticket purchase, the reporter suggests that the online ticket purchase discount information of theaters should also be updated in a timely manner to provide detailed instructions, so as to prevent viewers from discovering that children need to replace tickets when they come to the theater, which will affect normal viewing.

Editor: Nancy