Grand Avenue and Baseline Tap House

TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
For those who haven't been to downtown LA, Grand Avenue does exist and is most notable for the row of giant museums and concert halls that line this broad and car-centric corridor, broken up by massive pedestrian plazas with fountains and expanses of marble or concrete.

Grand Avenue through downtown LA is impressive, and the swanky museums and lavish concert halls and auditoriums rival facilities in any other glittering world capital. But when an Angeleno thinks Grand Avenue, the words charming and pedestrian friendly do not come to mind.
Broad%2002


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What am I missing here in this faux Grand Avenue backstory that WDI is creating for DHS??? It's just weird.
 
NiarrNDisney

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
Can we please drop the subject of Grand Avenue looking anything like what Grand Ave. looks like now in downtown LA. I think we have established that this new area looks nothing like its name sake in its present form. Lets remember that this is a amusement park that in its original conception was a vision of what Tinseltown was always dreamed of being set in Hollywoods golden age between the 20's - 60's.
If you do a Google search of Vintage Photos of Downtown Los Angeles (you can even include Grand Avenue) you will find many pictures with buildings much like this small stretch of the park though not identical it does fit in with the overall Art Deco feel found elsewhere in the park.
 
NiarrNDisney

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
rocketraccoon said:
Isn't Hollywood Blvd & Sunset Blvd supposed to be based on 20s Los Angeles? I'd imagine that Grand Avenue is supposed to be based around that time as well.

5th_and_Grand_1927.jpg

Grand_Ave_1925.jpg
National_Hotel_ca1920.jpg


Of course it was supposed to be in New York City, but it'll fit.
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Exactly and thank you for posting old pictures!
However it was never to be set in New York as has been discussed previously New York street as well as the other streets in SoA were city street sets set in a working studio in Los Angeles.
 
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peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
rocketraccoon said:
Isn't Hollywood Blvd & Sunset Blvd supposed to be based on 20s Los Angeles? I'd imagine that Grand Avenue is supposed to be based around that time as well.

5th_and_Grand_1927.jpg

Grand_Ave_1925.jpg
National_Hotel_ca1920.jpg


Of course it was supposed to be in New York City, but it'll fit.
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Hollywood and sunset are 30s-40s. Grand Avenue is modern day. New York street was never supposed to be set in New York.
 
Kman101

Kman101

Well-Known Member
NiarrNDisney said:
Can we please drop the subject of Grand Avenue looking anything like what Grand Ave. looks like now in downtown LA. I think we have established that this new area looks nothing like its name sake in its present form. Lets remember that this is a amusement park that in its original conception was a vision of what Tinseltown was always dreamed of being set in Hollywoods golden age between the 20's - 60's.
If you do a Google search of Vintage Photos of Downtown Los Angeles (you can even include Grand Avenue) you will find many pictures with buildings much like this small stretch of the park though not identical it does fit in with the overall Art Deco feel found elsewhere in the park.
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Yeah I could care less that it doesn't look like the real thing.
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
I agree with @TP2000 that this project doesn't really look like modern day LA. I personally think it makes more sense if it was actually supposed to be from the same time period as the front of the park. That would make a lot more sense to me. I'm still curious what the overall theme for the park will be.
 
TP2000

TP2000

Well-Known Member
NiarrNDisney said:
Can we please drop the subject of Grand Avenue looking anything like what Grand Ave. looks like now in downtown LA. I think we have established that this new area looks nothing like its name sake in its present form. Lets remember that this is a amusement park that in its original conception was a vision of what Tinseltown was always dreamed of being set in Hollywoods golden age between the 20's - 60's.
Click to expand...

rocketraccoon said:
Isn't Hollywood Blvd & Sunset Blvd supposed to be based on 20s Los Angeles? I'd imagine that Grand Avenue is supposed to be based around that time as well.
Click to expand...

DHS Grand Avenue is not set in the 1920's, or any part of the 20th century. It is set in 2017, or 2019 when Star Wars opens. From the official Disney press release and WDI backstory...
"Muppets Courtyard, along with a portion of the former Streets of America, is being re-imagined by Walt Disney Imagineering to become a new area called Grand Avenue. Inspired by the revitalization and the vibrant culture of present-day downtown Los Angeles, Grand Avenue is..." https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...nue-coming-soon-to-disneys-hollywood-studios/

Again, as someone who visits downtown Los Angeles routinely and has been along Grand Avenue, I'm just confused why you would want to recreate that in a theme park. And then, I'm also confused how those three generic Anytown USA buildings leftover from Streets of America resemble anything memorable I've ever seen on Grand Avenue in LA. It's just... weird. And seems very contrived. I just have to ask, of all the themes they could create.... they are doing 21st century downtown LA??? :confused:

GoofGoof said:
I know it's not coming but I wouldn't mind the Chipotle;)
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According to WDI's own press release, the DHS Grand Avenue is "present-day downtown Los Angeles", so a Chipotle would be thematically appropriate. Litter the sidewalk with some trash, park a Prius and an older Corolla along the curb, spray paint a few dark corners, and it's LA! You could even get CM's to portray "Citizens of 2019 Los Angeles" and pretend to be meth addicts, rummaging through trash cans, yelling at the parked Prius, etc.

And you'd get a Chipotle too! Only the magic of Disney could transport DHS Guests to 21st century downtown LA! :eek:
 
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peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:




According to WDI's own press release, the DHS Grand Avenue is "present-day downtown Los Angeles", so a Chipotle would be thematically appropriate. Litter the sidewalk with sticky trash, park a Prius and an older Corolla along the curb, spray paint a few dark corners, and it's LA! You could even get CM's to portray "Citizens of 2019 Los Angeles" and pretend to be meth addicts, rummaging through trash cans, yelling at cars, etc.
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WDI's press release actually says "inspired by." It doesn't claim that it is present day LA or that it is intended to be an exact replica or faithful recreation.
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
NiarrNDisney said:
Can we please drop the subject of Grand Avenue looking anything like what Grand Ave. looks like now in downtown LA.
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No. If people want to bring it up for discussion, they should be allowed to do so.

TP2000 said:
DHS Grand Avenue is not set in the 1920's, or any part of the 20th century. It is set in 2017, or 2019 when Star Wars opens. From the official Disney press release and WDI backstory...
"Muppets Courtyard, along with a portion of the former Streets of America, is being re-imagined by Walt Disney Imagineering to become a new area called Grand Avenue. Inspired by the revitalization and the vibrant culture of present-day downtown Los Angeles, Grand Avenue is..." https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...nue-coming-soon-to-disneys-hollywood-studios/

Again, as someone who visits downtown Los Angeles routinely and has been along Grand Avenue, I'm just confused why you would want to recreate that in a theme park. And then, I'm also confused how those three generic Anytown USA buildings leftover from Streets of America resemble anything memorable I've ever seen on Grand Avenue in LA. It's just... weird. And seems very contrived. I just have to ask, of all the themes they could create.... they are doing 21st century downtown LA??? :confused:



According to WDI's own press release, the DHS Grand Avenue is "present-day downtown Los Angeles", so a Chipotle would be thematically appropriate. Litter the sidewalk with some trash, park a Prius and an older Corolla along the curb, spray paint a few dark corners, and it's LA! You could even get CM's to portray "Citizens of 2019 Los Angeles" and pretend to be meth addicts, rummaging through trash cans, yelling at the parked Prius, etc.

And you'd get a Chipotle too! Only the magic of Disney could transport DHS Guests to 21st century downtown LA! :eek:
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Exactly. I spend the majority of my time in DTLA when I'm not home. I'm just not seeing a resemblance. Even the pictures posted above don't look like what Disney's cooked up. Part of the reason is because Disney didn't attempt to make the buildings look old. These look very cookie-cutter. And speaking of old buildings, a lot of the buildings on Grand (the popular areas) AREN'T old. Maybe I need to go back and re-read Disney's description of the area.

What's funny is you've got a lot of Imagineers established in Los Angeles. I'm wondering if they had any say in the designs.

I'm confused as well.
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
TP2000 said:
According to WDI's own press release, the DHS Grand Avenue is "present-day downtown Los Angeles", so a Chipotle would be thematically appropriate. Litter the sidewalk with some trash, park a Prius and an older Corolla along the curb, spray paint a few dark corners, and it's LA! You could even get CM's to portray "Citizens of 2019 Los Angeles" and pretend to be meth addicts, rummaging through trash cans, yelling at the parked Prius, etc.

And you'd get a Chipotle too! Only the magic of Disney could transport DHS Guests to 21st century downtown LA! :eek:
Click to expand...
They are going for a more upscale demographic so maybe a Tesla instead of the Prius;)
 
NiarrNDisney

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
TP2000 said:
DHS Grand Avenue is not set in the 1920's, or any part of the 20th century. It is set in 2017, or 2019 when Star Wars opens. From the official Disney press release and WDI backstory...
"Muppets Courtyard, along with a portion of the former Streets of America, is being re-imagined by Walt Disney Imagineering to become a new area called Grand Avenue. Inspired by the revitalization and the vibrant culture of present-day downtown Los Angeles, Grand Avenue is..." https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...nue-coming-soon-to-disneys-hollywood-studios/

Again, as someone who visits downtown Los Angeles routinely and has been along Grand Avenue, I'm just confused why you would want to recreate that in a theme park. And then, I'm also confused how those three generic Anytown USA buildings leftover from Streets of America resemble anything memorable I've ever seen on Grand Avenue in LA. It's just... weird. And seems very contrived. I just have to ask, of all the themes they could create.... they are doing 21st century downtown LA??? :confused:
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Well then maybe a name change is in order! How about Mediocre Street, In Between Lane or Anywhere Avenue?
Either way I don't really care its a small mildly themed area in an amusement park that is basically a waiting area to enter into Star Wars Galaxy Edge. Honestly I am just glad that they built Baseline Tap House so I can relax have a beer and a snack in an air conditioned area before heading back to touring the park.
 
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NiarrNDisney

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
raven24 said:
No. If people want to bring it up for discussion, they should be allowed to do so.
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Well then by all means continue discussing a ridiculous discussion ad nauseum!

I myself will just enjoy the misnamed/themed area beer in hand in the Tap House while others ponder the Mouses decision to name a small area of the park after something it doesnt look like. BTW while yall are at it why not discuss why Echo Lake doesnt really look lke Echo Park Lake. :rolleyes:
 
Californian Elitist

Californian Elitist

Well-Known Member
NiarrNDisney said:
Well then by all means continue discussing a ridiculous discussion ad nauseum!

I myself will just enjoy the misnamed/themed area beer in hand in the Tap House while others ponder the Mouses decision to name a small area of the park after something it doesnt look like. BTW while yall are at it why not discuss why Echo Lake doesnt really look lke Echo Park Lake. :rolleyes:
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We will. That was the point of my response. The majority of the posts in this thread have NOT been related to the project not looking like DTLA.

Enjoy yourself. Enjoy what you want. No one's telling you not to, yet you're trying to stop discussion by asking people to stop talking about the project. If you want no part of the conversation, don't participate. Simple.
 

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