El Capitan ?

[DQmom]

Do I really need to get POTC tickets online before I go to the El Capitan? I'm afraid with traffic, etc I might need to change our time. Is it like any other theatre or do they sellout regularly? I'm going on Friday in the afternoon.

 

[stagemomx3]

I don't know about if it will sell out, but I reccomend the reserve seating tickets! They are not that much more money and you get popcorn and a soda included in the price. Also be sure to visit the Disney Soda Shoppe before or after the movie!

 

[kristasmom]

I would go with the reserved tickets if I were you. We are going to see Pirates there on the 29th - and we had to go 2 weeks out past when we wanted to go just to be able to get the reserved seats.

 

[MadeToLove]

Even if you don't plan on getting the VIP tickets with the assigned seats, get your general admission tickets ahead of time. POTC has been selling out weekends several weeks ahead (and weekdays too for that matter). I would not recommend you wait to get your tickets until the day of, POTC has been very popular at the El Cap because of the special displays and stuff.

To see if it's likely the show you'd want to see may sell out, go to the El Capitan site, to tickets and showtimes and click on the date you think you might go, pick a time, it will show you a mock up of the theater seating, you can roll your mouse over the differnt sections and see how many seats they have left, if it's less than 100 in the section you'd like to sit in, I'd say go ahead and get your tickets then.

 

[chrissybear]

We just did this last week. I wasn't sure what day we would be able to go before we left for CA. I waited until the day we had a free afternoon and called from the hotel. I wanted to do the VIP seats, but I needed 5 and they only had single seats available. I wanted to keep my family together, so I asked about Sat. They were completely sold out until the 11pm show. That wasn't going to work either. So I purchased the (non VIP) tickets on the phone for that day. I wasn't sure about the traffic, so we left 2hrs early. We have never been to Hollywood before so we did some touristy stuff before the movie. They still had tickets available prior to the show. I guess it depends on when you want to go and which seats you are looking to get.
I do wish I got the VIP tickets before I left though.

 

[DQmom]

Thanks for all the replies. I went ahead and ordered our VIP tickets for the peace of mind.

 

[Dandylyon]

The VIP tickets are also nice because you don't have to wait in the regular line. There is a separate line for VIP ticket holders. Then, there is a separate place to get your popcorn and drink. You just sweep right in. With the weather what it is right now, I'd pay extra to not have to wait in a long line!

 

[woody73]

Be sure to visit the Disney Soda Fountain next door. YUM!

Woody

 

[JenLoy]

We were thinking of doing VIP and pick our own seats. For those of you who had been what do you think about the front row of the balcony? If we don't sit there, will other people's head be in our way? Just trying to get a feel for the layout.

 

[stagemomx3]

We were thinking of doing VIP and pick our own seats. For those of you who had been what do you think about the front row of the balcony? If we don't sit there, will other people's head be in our way? Just trying to get a feel for the layout.

We were in the last row of the front section of the balcony, and no one's head was in the way.

I also second the reccomendation to go the Disney Soda Shoppe next door!

 

[deekaypee]

We were thinking of doing VIP and pick our own seats. For those of you who had been what do you think about the front row of the balcony? If we don't sit there, will other people's head be in our way? Just trying to get a feel for the layout.

We sat in the third-row balcony and could see just fine. Although I didn't sit in El Capitan's front-row balcony, we have a similar theater where I live and we tend to sit a couple of rows up to avoid having our views obstructed by the barrier.

It's a great experience. To everyone who's going, you'll have fun. To those who haven't yet, if you love movies--go. It's a great screen and overall experience.

 

[MadeToLove]

the balcony seats are almost stadium, so you shouldn't have too much problem...however I would agree that maybe the second or third row center is better, no railing or lighting in the way, also I'd suggest sticking with dead center as much as possilbe, some of the side sections of the balcony have slight obstructions in the frontmost rows.

If you're going during POTC, don't forget to check out the museum downstairs after the show, and get some pictures of pirates beforehand.

 

[bjakmom]

I think I've read that there is a metro stop from Universal city to El Capitan - does anyone know exactly where? Would that be a good way to get from Universal hotels to the theater on a Friday or Sat evening? Safe to travel alone? TIA for any advice - thinking if we make good (flight/driving) time on arrival day it might be fun to catch the late afternoon show and then have some ice cream next door.

 

[Dandylyon]

We sat in the front row of the balcony. Any of the center section of the balcony seats would be a good view. The railing and/or lights were not an obstruction to our view. The only problem is that there is not much leg room in any of the rows--they are pretty close together.

 

[MadeToLove]

I think I've read that there is a metro stop from Universal city to El Capitan - does anyone know exactly where? Would that be a good way to get from Universal hotels to the theater on a Friday or Sat evening? Safe to travel alone? TIA for any advice - thinking if we make good (flight/driving) time on arrival day it might be fun to catch the late afternoon show and then have some ice cream next door.

The station is the Hollywood and Highland station and it will deposit you right across from the El Capitan....you can't miss it (just make sure you get off at the Hollywood and Highland and not the Hollywood and Vine station or you'll be backtracking a few blocks).

I've ridden that route before with a friend and felt completely safe, we traveled during the afternoon. I've never personally heard of any problems on the metro, but always a good idea to take your usual precautions. It's such a fast way to get there.

The Universal station is down the hill from Universal. I'm drawing a blank about it's location from the hotel, it's an easy, free tram ride from City Walk though...ask someone at the hotel, they'll know the best way. It's across the street from the tram stop, really easy walk.

The metro trip will cost you $1.25 each way....by far the cheapest and fastest way from USH to EC

 

[woody73]

If you go to the El Capitan, leave some extra time (after the ice cream, of course!) to visit Grauman's Chinese Theatre across the street. Plenty of hand and footprints in cement.

Woody