Great Time (Just Be Aware....)
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 12/28/05
Our party of three wanted to go on a day trip to Akron, and had never heard of the Carousel Dinner Theater. We found it online, and made reservations the same day of the show, which happened to be "Swing". The admission for dinner and a show seemed a real steal at $43 per person. But beware: The $43 doesn't include an appetizer ($6-$9 extra), or the desert ($4-$6 extra), or beverages beyond a cup of coffee, ice tea or soft drink. The food included in the "dinner" was an entree and salad. The menu offered "upgrades" from the entrees listed as "included in the price", all of which cost an additional $10-$22. We stuck with the "included in the price" entrees, and found them to be rather bland and uninteresting. So if you want to have a really good dinner with wine and cocktails, expect to spend another $30-$40 per person (including tips on everything, helpfully calculated for you on a card that comes along with your bill, which I found a bit tacky). However, this is the only caveat I had about Carousel. Considering the price of the ticket, it's understandable that the Theatre presumably generates a big chunk of its net revenues from the "extras", which is the way a lot of businesses make their money, to be fair. We are merely putting this info out there so first-time visitors know the deal. Other than that, the atmosphere was great, the service courteous and prompt (definitely deserving a good tip), and the show was truly excellent in all respects. We would definitely go back again for another show, wiser about the potential "sticker shock" and being prepared for it. Everything considering, Carousel Dinner Theater is still a good value even if you end up paying $75-$80 per person once the bill is in.