Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Condensed Consolidating Statement Of Cash Flows) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
Intercompany fee income (expense)	$ 0	$ 0
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities	41,959	35,004
Net cash provided by operating activities	41,959	35,004
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets	(31,507)	(38,628)
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	(442)	(2,746)
Cash paid related to Cappelli settlement		0
Investment in mortgage notes receivable	(24,451)	(1,524)
Investment in direct financing lease, net	0	(2,113)
Additions to properties under development	(13,672)	(2,668)
Investment in intercompany notes payable	0	0
Advances to subsidiaries, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities of continuing operations	(70,072)	(47,679)
Net cash used by other investing activities of discontinued operations	0	(58)
Net proceeds from sale of real estate from discontinued operations	282	205,176
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(69,790)	157,439
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities	320,000	163,000
Principal payments on long-term debt	(251,328)	(310,305)
Deferred financing fees paid	(1,852)	(619)
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares	56	66
Impact of stock option exercises, net	(480)	(499)
Proceeds from payment of shareholder loan		0
Purchase of common shares for treasury	(3,209)	(3,070)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests		0
Dividends paid to shareholders	(38,681)	(37,778)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities of continuing operations		(189,205)
Net cash used by financing activities of discontinued operations		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	24,506	(189,205)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	174	150
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3,151)	3,388
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year	14,625	11,776
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year	11,474	15,164
Entertainment Properties Trust (Issuer) [Member]
Intercompany fee income (expense)	676	685
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable	4,215	4,118
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities	(11,752)	(5,519)
Net cash provided by operating activities	(6,861)	(716)
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets	(24)	(261)
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	(442)	(1,511)
Cash paid related to Cappelli settlement		0
Investment in mortgage notes receivable	0	0
Investment in direct financing lease, net		0
Additions to properties under development	0	0
Investment in intercompany notes payable	(311)	130,638
Advances to subsidiaries, net	(188,117)	(83,403)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities of continuing operations	(188,894)	45,463
Net cash used by other investing activities of discontinued operations		0
Net proceeds from sale of real estate from discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(188,894)	45,463
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities	240,000	0
Principal payments on long-term debt	0	0
Deferred financing fees paid	(1,844)	(43)
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares	56	66
Impact of stock option exercises, net	(480)	(499)
Proceeds from payment of shareholder loan		0
Purchase of common shares for treasury	(3,209)	(3,070)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests		0
Dividends paid to shareholders	(38,681)	(37,778)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities of continuing operations		(41,324)
Net cash used by financing activities of discontinued operations		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	195,842	(41,324)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	87	3,423
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year	1,932	3,356
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year	2,019	6,779
Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Intercompany fee income (expense)	0	0
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities	32,987	27,217
Net cash provided by operating activities	32,987	27,217
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets	(31,228)	(28,970)
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	0	0
Cash paid related to Cappelli settlement		0
Investment in mortgage notes receivable	(9,989)	(1,524)
Investment in direct financing lease, net		(2,113)
Additions to properties under development	(12,583)	0
Investment in intercompany notes payable	0	(132,067)
Advances to subsidiaries, net	185,498	(12,112)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities of continuing operations	131,698	(176,786)
Net cash used by other investing activities of discontinued operations		(58)
Net proceeds from sale of real estate from discontinued operations	282	205,176
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	131,980	28,332
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities	80,000	163,000
Principal payments on long-term debt	(245,000)	(218,000)
Deferred financing fees paid	0	(576)
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares	0	0
Impact of stock option exercises, net	0	0
Proceeds from payment of shareholder loan		0
Purchase of common shares for treasury	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests		0
Dividends paid to shareholders	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities of continuing operations		(55,576)
Net cash used by financing activities of discontinued operations		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(165,000)	(55,576)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	5	29
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(28)	2
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year	302	1,116
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year	274	1,118
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Intercompany fee income (expense)	(676)	(685)
Interest income (expense) on intercompany receivable/payable	(4,215)	(4,118)
Net cash provided (used) by other operating activities	20,724	13,306
Net cash provided by operating activities	15,833	8,503
Acquisition of rental properties and other assets	(255)	(9,397)
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	0	(1,235)
Cash paid related to Cappelli settlement		0
Investment in mortgage notes receivable	(14,462)	0
Investment in direct financing lease, net		0
Additions to properties under development	(1,089)	(2,668)
Investment in intercompany notes payable	311	1,429
Advances to subsidiaries, net	2,619	95,515
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities of continuing operations	(12,876)	83,644
Net cash used by other investing activities of discontinued operations		0
Net proceeds from sale of real estate from discontinued operations	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(12,876)	83,644
Proceeds from long-term debt facilities	0	0
Principal payments on long-term debt	(6,328)	(92,305)
Deferred financing fees paid	(8)	0
Net proceeds from issuance of common shares	0	0
Impact of stock option exercises, net	0	0
Proceeds from payment of shareholder loan		0
Purchase of common shares for treasury	0	0
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests		0
Dividends paid to shareholders	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities of continuing operations		(92,305)
Net cash used by financing activities of discontinued operations		0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(6,336)	(92,305)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	169	121
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(3,210)	(37)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the year	12,391	7,304
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the year	$ 9,181	$ 7,267