#31: See a movie at the El Capitan Theatre

No matter who you are or where you are from, if you find yourself in LA you will most likely end up walking down Hollywood Boulevard. You will be accosted by creepy celebrity impersonators, mobbed by hoards of Asian tourists with $3,000 cameras, you will be blinded by all the LIGHTS!, but also... deep down inside, you will be somewhat awe-struck and inspired by the old-style Hollywood glamour that still shines through.

The El Capitan is a truly iconic theater, and a dazzling example of old Hollywood glamour and excess. The exterior is beautiful, with a huge marquee that literally lights up the street, but the inside is amazing as well. The theater was built in the 1920's, at the same time as the other famous theaters, the Egyptian and the Chinese, just down the street. It was built for stage performances, and though there is now a huge screen there, the stage remains. The walls are intricately guilded, and walking in you really feel like you're being transported to another time.

Besides its beautiful decor, what makes the El Cap different from all other theaters is that it exclusively plays Disney movies. And with the increased ticket price, they usually have added-on features, like a 30-minute play beforehand, models from the animation studios on display, etc. I was hoping to wait till summer and see Cars 2 there, but when randomly saw online that they were playing THE LITTLE MERMAID for a limited engagement, there was no question.

I happened to mention this to my friend Meaghan, who flipped out since apparently the Little Mermaid is her very favorite Disney movie of ALL TIME (I was always an Ariel fan, but my #1 pick has to go to Sleeping Beauty). We made arrangements to go on a Wednesday night in February. Before the show, we went to Mel's Diner on the corner of Hollywood and Highland. It was a classic little diner, with lots of kitchy Hollywood paraphernalia (doesn't hurt that Mel's shares a wall with The Hollywood Museum!)

After our quick dinner we went to see the show. The interior was breathtaking (as expected) and we made it to our VIP Balcony seats (Meg insisted on paying for the BEST seats, so she could get the best view of her Ariel!). Before the show, "Ariel" came out, and welcomed us, introduced the movie, sang us a song and then floated off (back under the stage) amidst a sea of bubbles. It was pretty cute, and I can only imagine how stoked I would have been to see this as a kid. The people sitting around us were all early-20-somethings, and luckily they were game to sing along to all the songs like we were!

I absolutely loved my El Cap experience, but I'm sure that has a LOT to do with the fact that I went there to see a classic film from my childhood. If I had paid $22 to see "Mars Needs Moms" or some other potentially lame movie, I would probably have been a bit disappointed. Luckily I found the perfect combo.

I will be checking the El Cap website regularly to see when they are playing other childhood classics, and then I will be sure to return!

The marquee as seen from Hollywood Blvd