Summary of Impact Upon Adoption of ASC Topic 606 on Statements of Income and Cash Flows and Balance Sheet (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	[1]	Sep. 30, 2018	[1]	Jun. 30, 2018	[1]	Mar. 31, 2018	[1]	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 798,476		$ 754,235		$ 889,053		$ 779,971		$ 749,994	$ 710,748	$ 751,195	$ 779,610	$ 3,221,735	[1]	$ 2,991,547	$ 2,918,765
Utilities and other													448,070		355,041	355,926
Statement of cash flows:
Amortization of deferred revenues, deferred lease incentives and other													(21,706)		(16,211)	(16,731)
Changes in other assets and liabilities - Other long-term liabilities													11,674		7,900	(5,522)
NCM
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Interest expense - NCM													19,724
Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Without Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Utilities and other													354,740
Statement of cash flows:
Amortization of deferred revenues, deferred lease incentives and other													(17,602)
Changes in other assets and liabilities - Other long-term liabilities													4,082
Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Impact of Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Utilities and other													93,330
Statement of cash flows:
Amortization of deferred revenues, deferred lease incentives and other													(4,104)
Changes in other assets and liabilities - Other long-term liabilities													7,592
Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | NCM | Impact of Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Interest expense - NCM													19,724
Admissions Revenues
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													1,834,173
Admissions Revenues | Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Without Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													1,839,723
Admissions Revenues | Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Impact of Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													(5,550)
Concession Revenues
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													1,108,793		1,038,788	990,103
Concession Revenues | Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Without Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													1,110,703
Concession Revenues | Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Impact of Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													(1,910)
Other
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													278,769		$ 157,777	$ 139,525
Other | Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Without Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													161,743
Other | Adoption of ASC Topic 606 | Impact of Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Revenues													$ 117,026

[1] See Note 3 for discussion of the adoption of ASC 606 and its impact on the income statement beginning in 2018.