My views on the world - Cineworld! (Cineworld Cinemas)

Member Name: rachelwestall

Product:	Cineworld Cinemas
Date:	14/03/09 (398 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheltenham

Disadvantages: Gloucester

It can be quite subjective writing a review on a national complex, because it can truly depend on personal experience, the age of the complex you visit and the quality of the management running the cinema. So at the outset, I need to state that this review is based on my experience of visiting the Cineworld Cinemas in both Gloucester and Cheltenham. A tale of two very different cities, sorry, cinemas!

Firstly Gloucester.....

This is the older of the two Cineworld complexes. It is located at The Peel Centre, Gloucester, close to the historic docks and an area now under regeneration. This used to be the UGC cinema and has been operational for many years. Maybe it will get a facelift or a complete revamp in the near future, but as it is now.......

As you enter the lobby you can purchase or collect tickets. You then walk through to where you can buy your concessions and wait the see your film. It is not an enormous cinema and you just loiter outside the screen where your film is showing until you are able to go in.

Positives...

* It is closer to my home, therefore takes less time (and petrol) to get there.
* There is plenty of free parking.
* The complex is all on one level, so it is easy for disabled access.
* Pizza Hut and a Chinese buffet are close by if you want to go out for a meal before or after your movie. (Not sure if this is a positive or not!)

Negatives.....

* Getting tatty and shabby - popcorn ground into the carpet for that lumpy bumpy effect!
* Seating is on a slope, but not tiered, so if a person with any height sit in front of you, you end up spending the whole time trying to get a good view.
* They never allocate seats which means if it is a popular film you have to arrive extra early to get a decent seat.
* The sound proofing isn't brilliant. If the film in the screen next door is a big action Movie, you are likely to hear the bangs and crashes, which can be distracting and off putting.
* The heating never seems to work - they do notify you before you go into see a film! A friend asked if it meant you could get a discount, he was told that if it got too cold and he came out part way through the film, he would be refunded?!
* Staff not particularly helpful.
* Cost more than Cheltenham - for an inferior experience.

Gloucester prices

Adult (after 6pm Mon-Fri, all day Sat-Sun & Bank Hols) £7.20
Adult (before 6pm Mon-Fri) £6.00
Child (14 & Under) £5.20
Senior (Before 6pm Mon-Fri) £5.20
Student £5.20
Family £21.00
Bargain Tuesday £4.50
Movies for Juniors (Sat am) £1.00
Early Bird (Before 12 noon Sat & Sun) £4.20
Weekend prices apply to Bank Holidays
Adult - additional £2.20 for 3D films
Child/Student/Senior/Bargain Tuesday - an additional £1.50 for 3D films
Family Ticket - an additional £5.00 per family ticket


If this was my only experience of a Cineworld complex I would give it a wide berth. Fortunately we live close to Cheltenham, where we have had totally different experience.

The Cheltenham Experience....

The Cineworld cinema is reasonably new and can be found in the Brewery, a new complex surrounded by a wide selection of bars and eateries (Nandos, Frankie and Bennies to name two). It is also the home of a large Habitat store and Dwell another very posh looking furniture shop. Whenever I have wandered into the Brewery, it always has a busy and buzzing atmosphere. It is much more 'up-market' than Gloucester! Somehow it just feels smarter and that goes for the cinema too.

You walk into quite a small lobby area where you can purchase or collect your tickets. You then go upstairs via an escalator, or lift, (for disabled access), to a large area that has a bar and seating area, the concession stand and toilets. There are a few tables that you can sit at if you a lucky enough, if you are too early for your movie, but your partner is too tight to buy you a drink!!

Disadvatages.....

* There is no free parking at the Brewery. There is an NCP car park opposite, but obviously this costs! However we have found a pay and display car park about 300 meters down the road that is free at night, so we always use that. But during the day I guess you would have to pay.
* They pack the films in quite close together and whenever we have arrived early (More than 10 the start of the film), they are still cleaning the cinema and we have had to wait in a sort of queue / scrum - this is fine if the programme is a 'seated' performance, but if it is just general seating it can be a mad dash to the screen to get the best seats!

Advantages....

* minutes before
* Clean and warm.
* Tiered seating, clearly numbered.
* Allocated seats for popular films and during the busiest times i.e. the evening.
* Comfy seats with big cup holders.
* Staff friendly and helpful.
* An altogether pleasant experience.
* It's cheaper than Gloucester (Why? My only thought is because of the parking issue.)

Cheltenham Prices....

Adult (after 5pm all week) £6.90
Adult (before 5pm all week) £5.90
Child (14 years and Under) £5.10
Student/Senior £5.30
Bargain Tuesday £4.30
Monday Classic £3.00
Movies for Juniors (Sat am) £1.00
Weekend prices apply to Bank Holidays
Adult - additional £2.20 for 3D films
Child/Student/Senior/Bargain Tuesday - an additional £1.50 for 3D films

Cineworld do have a website www.cineworld.co.uk/ which you can use to search for your nearest cinema, check which movies are showing and book tickets on-line. Don't forget that if you do this you pay an extra 55p per ticket for the privilege.

In conclusion, I would recommend that if you are ever in the area where I live and you want to see a film - visit the Cineworld Complex in Cheltenham. Avoid Gloucester if you can!

Summary: What's your experience of Cineworld?