Tag Archives: Hollywood

El Capitan Theatre and Disney Soda Fountain

story and photos by Kayte Deioma

If it’s too rainy to take the kids to Disneyland you can give them a taste of Disney in Hollywood with a movie at El Capitan Theatre and a visit to the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store next door.

El Capitan Theatre and Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood, CA. Š Kayte DeiomaPeople often think about going to see a movie when the weather gets bad, and Hollywood certainly has its share of unique movie palaces. The three gems of Hollywood Boulevard, Grauman’s Chinese, the Egyptian and El Capitan, were all conceived and built by the development team of Sid Grauman and Charles Toberman in the 1920s. While any of the three will give you a glimpse into the Hollywood of old, if you’re traveling with kids, El Capitan is the place you want to be.

Originally built as a live theatre, El Capitan was remodeled and converted to a movie theatre in the 1940s. The Walt Disney Company bought it in 1989 and restored the East Indian interior and Spanish Colonial exterior to its original glory. Now the theatre shows only Disney movies, most rated G or PG.

Chicken Little and friends on stage at the El Capitan movie theatre.Š Kayte Deioma Seeing a Disney movie in Disney’s flagship movie theatre is not like going to a Disney movie in your home town. At El Capitan you may feel like you are in the movie, because they’ve decorated the theatre with set decorations and props from a scene in the movie; or you may be greeted with a song and dance number by costumed characters from the film. You never know what the creative minds at Disney will come up with to enhance your movie-going experience.

An organist plays the 1929 Wurlitzer pipe organ before a movie at El Capitan Theatre. Š Kayte Deiomain any case, you’re likely to be welcomed with an organ concert by one of El Capitan’s house organists on the gilded 4/37 Wurlitzer pipe organ at center stage. The 1929 Wurlitzer has four keyboards to operate its 2500 pipes arranged in 37 ranks on both sides of the theatre. Each rank represents a different musical instrument. Arrive at the theatre 45 minutes to an hour before the movie is scheduled to enjoy all the pre-show entertainment.

Mother and daughter enjoy their ice cream at the Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaAfter the movie, stop by the Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store next door for some ice cream, a malt or an old time phosphate. There’s an entrance to the Soda Fountain from the El Capitan lobby, so if it’s raining, you don’t even have to go out in the street. Prepare kids ahead of time with your shopping limits, because you have to walk through the Studio Store past all the tempting Disney movie merchandise to get to the Soda Fountain. There is seating at the counter of the old fashioned soda fountain, or at tables. There is also an ice cream cone window to the street.

This banana split is almost as big as Zöe at the Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaThe Disney Soda Fountain has a sundae for any size crowd from the $4.75 Junior Sundae to the $24.95 Mickey’s Masterpiece with 8 scoops of ice cream and lots of toppings served in a Sorcerer’s Apprentice dish that looks like a wizard’s hat. Some dishes are served in souvenir Disney bowls. The Soda Fountain serves home-made ice cream delivered weekly from the Dewar’s Ice Cream and Candy Shop in Bakersfield, California

Jade enjoys a grilled cheese sandwich at the Disney Soda Fountain in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaIn addition to the ice cream options, there are a few kid-friendly food options including a hot dog, a grilled cheese sandwich or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich shaped like Mickey Mouse. Adult selections are more limited with options changing month to month.

El Capitan has VIP and General Admission tickets. All center orchestra and center balcony seats are reserved for VIP ticket holders. For the VIP price of $22/seat, you get your selection of prime seating and you don’t have to wait in line. The General Admission tickets are a better deal, ranging from $10 for kids and seniors to $11 for Adult matinee tickets and $13 for Adult evening tickets. Shows do sell out, so it’s best to get your tickets ahead of time if you can. You can get advance tickets online at the El Capitan Home Page or call 1-800-DISNEY6. You can also preview the Disney Soda Fountain Menu before you go.

Box office of the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaEl Capitan Theatre
6838 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: 1-800-DISNEY6

Disney Soda Fountain and Studio Store
6834 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: 323-939-9024
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

 


Amoeba Music

story and photos by Kayte Deioma

So you’ve already done all the touristy things to do and you find yourself on your own in Hollywood on a dreary winter afternoon, or you want to wait out rush hour traffic before getting on a rainy freeway to head to another part of town. What to do?

Amoeba Music in Hollywood, CA. Š Kayte DeiomaYou could hang out for a while at the Cyber Java internet cafe on Hollywood and LaBrea. You could take in a movie at one of the grand movie palaces on Hollywood Boulevard or at the Cinerama Dome on Sunset. My favorite way to kill time if I’m alone in Hollywood on a rainy day is to spend a couple hours browsing the old, new and off-beat music selection at Amoeba Music on Sunset and Ivar. It’s a favorite hang-out for local music lovers and a regular stop for many travelers who make frequent trips to L.A.

Shoppers at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaThe Hollywood branch of this Berkeley-based record store opened in 2001. They are known for their collection of rare, hard to find recordings, but also have all the latest CDs from mainstream and independent labels. Amoeba also has something relatively unique in this neighborhood that adds to their attraction on a rainy day – a free underground parking garage that you enter from Cahuenga. The stairway or elevator brings you right up into the store.

Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Š Kayte Deioma

The cavernous space is filled with wall to wall bins of music. The Welcome to Amoeba flyer at the front counter has a map of the store layout directing you where to find 78s, Ska, Gothic Industrial, Celtic and Opera, just to name a few. The map may not be 100% accurate as things move around a bit depending on stock. What was marked as Music Videos on the map on my last visit was actually the Black Cinema section.

Stephen Widmer from Phoenix stops by Amoeba Music in Hollywood whenever he's in Los Angeles. Š Kayte DeiomaClearance Rock CDs greet you by the entrance. New Rock CDs fill up many rows of the next aisle with Rock LPs at the back. Used Rock CDs fill another big chunk of the main floor. 78s and 45s, old and new, are up front behind the information desk next to the collection of vintage reproduction movie and concert posters and music related books. They have a vast collection of used CDs, most adjacent to their relevant music genre. World Music is on the far right. Jazz and Classical have their own room through an archway at the back left corner of the store. In the center of the back wall a small stage is used for in-store concerts.

Jeff Shuter checks out a couple CDs at a listening station on the mezzanine at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaA mezzanine level runs along the front of the store with new and used DVDs, videos and laser disks. There are also several listening stations upstairs. Many, but not all of the 10,000 albums in the store have been recorded into a database. You can scan the bar code of a CD that you want to hear and if it is in the database it will come up on the screen so you can choose the tracks you want to listen to. You can also choose to browse the data base by artist or song to listen to the music before you go looking for the recording.

Lazerdiscs on sale at Amoeba Music. Š Kayte Deioma/If all the listening stations on the second level are in use, or not in working order, there are several more in the jazz and classical music room. They tend to get much less use.

There is a central information desk in the center of the store. More helpful staff are located at information counters upstairs and in the jazz and classical room. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in the area you expect it to be, don’t give up; one of the staff may be able to track it down for you.

Concert posters at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Š Kayte DeiomaI am not much of a shopper. The exceptions are books and music, which I can browse all day. It’s hard for me to walk out of Amoeba Music with just the one thing I came looking for. What begins as a limited search usually becomes a scavenger hunt as one “find” sparks an idea for some other recording I’d like to own. Is there really another Ottmar Liebert CD that I don’t own? How can I pass up a CD by French rocker Jean Jaque Goldman? I might never find it again without going to France. And of course I have to browse the used CDs to see if something has come in that inspires a spontaneous need…

Amoeba Music is located at 6400 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. They are open from 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. If the underground parking garage is full, additional parking is available across Ivar in the Arclight TheatreShoppers at Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Š Kayte Deiomaparking structure. You get one hour free with Amoeba validation, but if you’re doing serious shopping and you ask nicely, they may be able to validate you for more than an hour. Most metered street parking in the area has a one hour limit. Check the Amoeba web site atwww.amoebamusic.com for concert schedules and additional information, or call (323) 245-6400.

 

 


Hollywood: Hotels and Restaurants

If You Go…

Hollywood Flights:

Flight Deals to Los Angeles

Hollywood Hotels:

Loews Hotel Hollywood
1755 N. Highland Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 466-7000

Magic Castle Hotel
7025 Franklin Ave,
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 851-0800
Hollywood Restaurants:


Musso & Frank Grill $-$$$
6667 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles,  CA  90028
(323) 467-7788

Note: LA’s oldest restaurant is showing its age a bit, but that’s part of its charm. Same daily menu for lunch and dinner, includes American and Old World favorites from grilled cheese, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Sauerbraten with Potato Pancakes to Roast Prime Rib.

Mel’s Drive-In next to the Hollywood Museum
1660 N Highland Ave,
Hollywood,  CA  90028
(323) 465-3111
Note: 50’s style diner open 24 hours

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