In Mickey’s Toontown, the place to catch a show (and maybe a ride on a runaway train…?) is none other than El CapiToon Theater. This building arrived in Toontown in 2023, and has become one of the most photographed and popular places in the land. Let’s take a closer look.
El CapiTOON Theater’s name spoofs El Capitan Theater, a restored 1926 theater in Hollywood owned by the Walt Disney Company. While the two theaters don’t share a ton of resemblance – El Capitan’s building is in the California Churrigueresque architectural style, while El CapiTOON is a cartoon spin on art deco.
Source: Wikipedia
Art deco was a massively popular architectural style in the 1920s. Typically, its characteristics include lots and lots of geometric shapes while maintaining a sleek and streamlined style. Some real-life examples of art deco buildings you may be familiar with include the Chrysler building in New York and the Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles.
Toontown’s version definitely leans into geometric shapes without losing a sleek design. The central marquee forms around a perfect circle, and the roofline’s rectangular shapes are softened with rounded edges.
One of the few similarities El CapiTOON Theater shares with its real life inspiration is the marquee. Both buildings have vertical signage displaying their names, which light up spectacularly after the sun goes down.
I think El Capitoon Theater fits so seamlessly into Toontown; it looks like it was always supposed to be there. Aside from the theater bringing in another much-needed attraction into the area, it also adds some style and grandeur to a land that relies heavily on forced perspective. Plus, I love anything art deco!
It strikes me as rather ironic that, as many times as I’ve been to Disneyland, I haven’t been to the El Capitoon Theatre, yet I’ve certainly been to the movies at El Capitan while staying in Hollywood (Saw Big Hero 6 there when it first opened, and Baymax came on stage beforehand.)
I think you’ll enjoy it! The interior has SO many easter eggs 🙂