Princess Twin Cinemas — Attraction in Waterloo

I just deleted my 5 year old, 5 star glowing review of Princess Cinemas. It would be a lie. I no longer praise PRINCESS CINEMAS.

Something has happened. New owners?? Brain-dead owners?? Secret Alien possession?? I DON'T KNOW! But ... 3 strikes & they're out!!!

PRINCESS CINEMAS in Waterloo used to be my favourite movie theatre: a uniquely authentic, arthouse repertory alternative to mainstream movie cinemas. I think that it's now aspiring to be one of those mainstream movie theatres. More's the pity.

I have several expectations of second-run rep theatres. They should be cheaper, locally owned & operated, show more independent arthouse films, & treat their patrons kindly & courteously because their patrons are loyal, frequently attending movies there. We're members, not just patrons. Certainly not THINGS, which is how I've felt like because of several recent interactions.

PRINCESS CINEMAS is failing on almost all counts. I don't know what's happened.

I've had several negative experiences over this past year involving the owners & pretentious, elitist patrons. In my book, three(3) strikes & they're out. There have been 3+++ strikes.

I won't go into details but they involved being treated disrespectfully with insensitivity & lack of empathy towards myself.

I am a disabled, senior with mobility & other issues. I use a walker. The ORIGINAL PRINCESS CINEMA on Princess St. is in an older, grandfathered building requiring me to have assistance in order to reach the second floor seating. There is no elevator, just two(2) flights of stairs. Even the entrance has stairs. I am aware of this fact & accept it. But I expect that assistance.

The regular staff have been wonderful. I wish I knew their names so I could give them a personal shoutout. Thank you for being friendly, accommodating, helpful, courteous & just all around nice people. Joel & Josh, who I think are the managers are fantastic. They have treated me with the utmost courtesy & respect.

Most patrons are awesome too. So often these wonderful strangers have carried my walker & items, offered me their arm, pushed down the theatre seat & carried concession items. THANK YOU SO MUCH FELLOW PATRONS!

It's the male & female owners who need sensitivity education, especially when it comes to people with disabilities.

The PRINCESS TWIN on King St is more accessible. But even there, I've had a few interactions with insensitive, disrespectful patrons.

EDIT UPDATE: The Apollo Cinema in Kitchener was purchased in December 2024 by anonymous owners who have turned it into a cinema showing only foreign language Bollywood hits. Disappointed!!! See my review of the Apollo!!☹️☹️

(If you want an enjoyable, barrier-free outing where you're treated with equity & respect, don't go to PRINCESS CINEMAS esp. the ORIGINAL. Go to the APOLLO CINEMA in downtown Kitchener. It's cheaper, friendlier, more accommodating, respectful & accessibility barriers are addressed creatively.) THANK YOU APOLLO STAFF. SORRY TO SEE THE CINEMA CHANGED!!!!

ACCESSIBILITY: ORIGINAL: ⭐ Stairs @ entrance, stairs up to seating & Washrooms.

Regular staff will assist hence 1 star.

No separate accessible seating.

NOT SUITABLE FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS! TWIN CINEMA: ⭐⭐⭐

Barrier free, accessible entrance with automatic doors. Main floor seating in two theatres.

Washrooms: large, barrier free washroom outside of cinemas in shared lobby. Key needed

Regular staff is helpful in assisting.

Separate wheelchair/accessible...

I went to see Nightmare Alley in black and white and it was a great experience!

This cinema has a fantastic selection of films that aren't shown in large chain cinemas. They also show previews of local businesses and display art by local artists to support them. This combined with the classic aesthetic of the building and the auditorium makes it feel very cute and comfortable. It made for an excellent date!

Not to mention the service from the staff was excellent; they were very excited and passionate about the film we were about to see, making the experience more fun. It was very apparent that the regulars love this place.

Additionally, the auditorium, lobby, and washrooms are kept very clean and the seats were comfortable.

Overall, it was wonderful and I'm looking forward to...

LOVE it here! Membership and ticket prices are reasonable. The viewing area is sloped perfectly so short people like me can still see the screen. I haven't had the snacks here but they seem reasonably priced and there are some good options. A great place to visit if you want to catch the more obscure and independent movies. Also in a great location in uptown Waterloo where there are plenty of bars and restaurants you can visit before or after. Staff were helpful and the venue was clean. As far as I'm aware, there's no parking but most people park in the uptown car park and the cinema is a very short 1...