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REVIEW: Dendy Portside Cinemas

Dendy Portside Cinemas Brisbane

Could Dendy Portside Cinemas be the most family-friendly cinemas in Brisbane? Remember what it was like when you were little and the lights went down? There’s nothing quite like a trip to the movies for little Brisbane kids! Here is our constantly updated list of the BEST school holiday kids movies around! 

But… if you’ve got a big brood, a trip to the movies these days, including the popcorn, choc tops and drinks (because it’s part of the movie experience for kids), can cost as much as a day at a theme park! Dendy recently invited Families Magazine contributor and mummy blogger Cate Brickell and three of her five young kids to check out their family friendly school holidays movies.

dendy portside cinemas kids

From Film Noir to Technicolour

Dendy Cinemas have always been synonymous with critically acclaimed limited releases and arthouse films. Dendy Portside is now showing a selection of quality kids’ films too, to spark a passion for excellent cinema in young movie goers. Over the school holiday period, Dendy Portside now offers hand- picked children’s films at “family rates” – making it easier for parents to give their kids that wonderful childhood movie experience.

Dendy Portside Experience

Tucked in a corner on the second floor in the Portside shopping precinct, Dendy Cinemas opens into a large foyer lined wholly by the biggest candy bar your child has ever seen.

“They went ballistic immediately. It’s like they’d never seen popcorn before” said Cate. Being a mother of five, these trips out into the real world can prove stressful. “The first thing I liked about Dendy was that the staff were excited that the kids were excited. It was a different experience to regular cinemas – the genuinely seemed to get a buzz from how happy my kids were to be there”

Child-friendly facilities

There’s a colouring table for kids with nearby seating for the parents to ponder the bar, and how long it’s been since their last child-free trip to the movies. Some cinemas are upstairs, a fun walk for independent toddlers and popcorn-carrying kids but not ideal for mums with prams, nappy bags, assorted toys and half the characters from Peppa Pig to carry. This may be worth keeping in mind when planning your trip. All cinemas have wheelchair access so if you are bringing a pram, staff can assist you with access. For mums of babes in arms, there’s also the Reel Bubs sessions where the volume is lower and night lights are available.

dendy portside cinemas cute

The second thing I loved about The Dendy is that everything is clean and modern, even the toilets – even the change table. Taking kids, especially the younger ones, to popular places is usually a bit of a germaphobe’s nightmare – the Dendy just felt cleaner” said Cate.

Affordable for families

Dendy portside offers family movies each school holidays at only $8 per person, and they give you a free large popcorn to share, too. They also hold special school holiday events and weekend family fun days with attractions such as face painting and live entertainment. The mix of kids movies range from the kind of movies mum enjoys as much as the kids, to the blockbusters that become the childhood memories of their generation.

The verdict?

“I think most parents would agree that Dendy Portside Cinemas makes for a really great school holiday excursion. My kids are already asking when we can go back. As a mum of a big family, with toddlers to teens, movies have always been a bit of a luxury for us – so Dendy Portside is going to be a huge help for us these holidays.” For information about sessions at Dendy Cinemas, check out their website.

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Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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