My wife and I went to see Animal Kingdom today at Palace Cinemas Norton Street in Leichhardt. Rather than reviewing the movie, which others have done far better than I can, I’ll review the access.
The front doors from Norton Street are manual and very heavy. They’d be possible to handle alone, but not easily. The lift, located immediately to the right of the entry doors, is small but the buttons are within easy reach, and thankfully you don’t need to turn around – you come in through the front and out through the back.
Tickets are sold in any of three locations – one just as you enter on street level, and two locations upstairs. If, as today, tickets are being sold at the bar, you can take the opportunity to grab a wonderful variety of treats and drinks – far better than the regulation choc-tops you see in larger cinemas. And a boon for me – I could smell no popcorn.
There are only two cinemas and both are a short wheel from the lift. You sit in the back row but the cinema is small so it’s not a problem. I actually prefer that to being right at the front and needing to crane your neck to see.
Apologies to those who take less interest in the intricacies of disabled toilets than me, but the toilets at Palace Norton Street are excellent. First, there’s a very welcome sign on the door. ‘These toilets are for the use of disabled patrons only’. So there’s no waiting in a queue while half the cinema use the loo. Moreover, they are very thoughtfully designed, with an inward opening door, wheel-under sink, low mirror, and everything where you can reach.
In summary, the access compares well to major multiplexes, with the shorter distances involved a major plus. And it’s far, far cooler.
It was funny, as we sat waiting for the feature to start, we watched an ad for a restaurant nearby. The final line in the ad was ‘great to enjoy with anyone’. Sorry, not me. I know where that place is and, like too much of Norton Street, there’s no access.
Almost forgot the movie. I’ll give a one word review – brilliant. Go see it.
Tags: access, cinemas, mobility, Noton Street, reviews
I saw that movie too. Great, great film. But not easy to watch!