Cineworld Review

Good Points
Plenty cinemas, lots of room.

Bad Points
Can be busy at nights and weekends.

General Comments
When I lived at home in West Edinburgh, I had to travel a good 10/15 minutes on the bus to get to the nearest cinema. Then one day, years after I had moved out, a new complex was unveiled which was going to contain a UGC cinema. The complex in is Fountainbridge and was named Fountain Park. It is close to Gorgie and Brunstfield and not far from the centre of Edinburgh.



I'd never heard of UCG, but seeing as they had easy underground parking we decided that we would try this cinema out. Since then we have always gone here as it has underground parking and if you are there for less than 4 hours there is a special stamped which means that you get free parking and there are a couple of eating places meaning that you can do it all in a oner before heading home.



About 18 months ago the cinema underwent a facelift. Though to be truthful I have no idea why. As you enter through the automatic doors, above you head is the list and times of films. I usually check the website or local paper first. As soon as you have entered the doors, you are transported in to a big area which is spacious at quiet times. Ahead of you is about 5/6 desks where you can purchase tickets. Though in all the times I have gone I have always seen only about 2 members of staff. At quiet times you walk right up to the desks and behind the desks are the film lists telling you if they are sold out or not. IN my opinion although this part of the cinema is right at the big windows which are very airy and let in a lot of light, the actual desk part is very dark and dull. At the end of the row of desks on the right hand side is a little machine. This is the machine which you put your parking ticket in when the light is green and once it turns red, you have free parking for 4 hours. I always tend to do this as soon as I have paid for my tickets otherwise I forget.



You always turn right when you have your tickets and this brings you to the party room. I'm not too sure about how things work, but you can hire the party room which is bright and spacious with very nice bright decent furniture. I keep forgetting to enquire about using the party room as it is an excellent idea for younger children to see a film and then head to the party room for food. Although there is a Pizza Hut right next door which regularly has large parties going on after a film.



Ahead off the party room is the food bit. You can get hotdogs, popcorn, nachos. Popcorn is available in 3 sizes and you choose which size you want from the big stand in the middle of the floor and take it to the counter. Either side of the counter are juice dispensers. Different sizes again are available as well as ice. Usually kept clean but often after children are sent by their lazy parents to get juice by themselves a mess can be left behind. There are also freezers with lollies and ice cream. Stands with crisps and bags of sweets are here too. It's sometimes worth arriving earlier than your film so that you can spend time choosing what you want.



As you leave this are to head towards the screen area, you will come across a pick and mix area with every type of sweet imaginable. As usual these come with the bags which are heavy, hence charging you more money. You can choose your sweets first and pay for them with your popcorn, juice, hot dog and nachos. Just beyond the pick and mix just before you go through the double doors to the screen you are met by an ice cream counter. We never have ice cream but it does always look delicious.



Once you have all your food, you head towards the 2 sets of double doors. The one on the right is for you to go through and you hand over your tickets as you go through and you are usually told which screen your film is showing in. The numbers start on the right-hand side and go up one side and head back down the other side. Screen 13 is at the top. I believe this is the luxury one where there are seats of two sat separately and waiter service brings you your drinks and refreshments. I've never tried this so can't fully comment or tell you about it.



The auditoriums themselves vary in size. Some have the walkway up the middle or other's have them to the side. The walk ways are ramp like making this easy for disabled customers and the seating goes up in rows with plenty space and seating at the front for wheel chairs. The space in between the seats varies according to the row you are in. Last week I could not reach the seat in front in the row we were in. I'm 5ft tall so that shows just how much room there was. Others sometimes my feet reach with a slight bend. The seats are roomy and have space for your juice. There is plenty of room on the floor for any bags etc . The seats are fixed and you never need to have the problems of the seat folding up on you. Booster seats are available for children but they are made of a hard plastic and our daughter has never had a problem seeing the screen from her seat. The auditoriums are always very cool and I've never felt too hot, but sometimes feel too cold.



The screens are large and any seat will give you a good view. The sound can be quite loud when it first comes on but you soon get used to this. Because of the space in between all the seats and rows there is never usually a problem with anyone being stuck behind a big head either. One complaint is that there are no litter bins in the auditoriums. Often when a film has finished I either trip over peoples left rubbish or I end up carrying loads of rubbish until I find a bin in the foyer. This would possibly make less work for people cleaning and would encourage cinema goers to be cleaner.



The toilets are on either side of the screen corridor. Ladies on one side and men's on the other. The ladies I can comment on. There are about 20 cubicles and at either end of the row of loo's is a washing area and mirrors with hand driers. There are buckets if you dry your hands with loo roll but there are no paper towels. There is also halfway up the loos on one side a wee wash area with 2 sinks. The toilets have always been kept clean and I have never had cause to complain about them. There is always soap in the dispensers. But if children have been left unattended the sinks can sometimes get blocked.



Upstairs can be found in the main foyer. The stairs leading up to the cafe/bar and there is also a lift available. The cafe is roomy and non smoking which is great. I've never seen children up here and wouldn't take my children up here. The drinks from the bar are reasonably priced. You can also get food in here too. But I didn't see a menu but I have had nacho's from here before which were great. The bar has never been busy when I have been there either. Some tables have comfy chairs like in a lounge while others are just normal sitting day to day chairs in a cafe.



I do like this cinema. The free parking is a huge bonus with the parking problems in Edinburgh, but the clean and tidy cinema is what encourages me to return. The cool screens and plenty room makes you feel comfortable especially with films getting longer and longer. I've only once been stiff when seeing a film but I was 7 months pregnant with pelvic problems. The prices are fairly reasonable too. If you go before 12pm it costs about £2.75 per person. This is an excellent deal if you do not have much money and may have a couple of children. This would work out a lot cheaper. After that for an adult £5.60 and £3.20 for children. Family tickets are available at around £3.75 each or something like that. If you are a regular cinema goer, it may be worth investing in the unlimited pass. This costs £9.99 for a month and must be taken for at least 12 months. This gives you as many films as you want for that £10 which would make an excellent saving. It's a very child friendly cinema too. Saturday and Sunday mornings usually have a kids special on which is a great idea if you have a child who wants to go to the cinema. I've never once had a problem getting tickets and last week booked for the first time over the net. When I went to collect my tickets I went up to the ATM which is for the bookings. Put my card in and my tickets were printed out in seconds. So much quicker than waiting to get tickets and gave more time in the bar. It is very handy for getting to via bus routes and taxi's can always be found on the street. There are plenty bars nearby and the town centre isn't far either. I just wish that they had built this before I left home as it would have been so handy. I have visited other cinemas but I definitely find this one has an atmosphere and isn't as expensive as some of the others. Worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh and fancy a film too.