Grand Avenue and Baseline Tap House

[CaptainAmerica]

Any guess when this might be opening?

"This fall."

 

[danlb_2000]

Well it seems my comment has stirred some controversy but hear me out.

Currently Alcohol is sold in at least 13 locations and when Starwars land opens there's sure to be at least another 3. Meanwhile there is a distinct lack of locations to buy light (healthy) snacks partially due to writers stop closure but also because of starring rolls cafe's closure. What we are left with is burgers, fries, chicken nuggets and "big meals" with a strong emphasis on outdoor seating.

I agree with you on the light options. On our last trip we had a big lunch and were doing the Star Wars desert party so wanted something light for dinner. We had a hard time finding something that worked for us. We ended up with a pretzel and some trail mix from one of the locations on Sunset Blvd.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Well it seems my comment has stirred some controversy but hear me out.

Currently Alcohol is sold in at least 13 locations and when Starwars land opens there's sure to be at least another 3. Meanwhile there is a distinct lack of locations to buy light (healthy) snacks partially due to writers stop closure but also because of starring rolls cafe's closure. What we are left with is burgers, fries, chicken nuggets and "big meals" with a strong emphasis on outdoor seating.

Nobody wants light (healthy) snacks. Seriously. They don't sell. People don't got to Walt Disney World looking for cucumber salad. They go for five pound turkey legs and hot dogs covered in macaroni and cheese.

 

[njDizFan]

Stone puts out a ton of good to great beers. Having a large distribution network is not a negative, I'd argue it is a positive. Larger reach means more people get to try your beers. How the heck someone sees that as a negative is beyond me.

I agree, Lagunitas and Stone put out some really good beers. But the entire craft beer community was bemoaning their take over. It's like when an indie band that gets signed by a major label, they are no longer cool and have gone mainstream. You think Disney has their purists go to some of the craft beer forums.

 

[Horizons '83]

Disney needs more of this.
View attachment 218428

I think they have that in Germany, but its 2.5% and all sugar.

I am biased to some IPA's but also love some of the bourbon aged stuff as well.

 

[jakeman]

I agree, Lagunitas and Stone put out some really good beers. But the entire craft beer community was bemoaning their take over. It's like when an indie band that gets signed by a major label, they are no longer cool and have gone mainstream. You think Disney has their purists go to some of the craft beer forums.

When Wicked Weed in Asheville sold out a couple of months ago, the response was a bit ugly.

I don't know if their storefront suffered (haven't been out there recently) but you'd think they were closing up their sour production and only making Wicked Weed branded Bud Light by the reaction.

 

[Thanks phoenicians]

Could the new entrance to muppets courtyard open alongside this?

 

[Horizons '83]

Oh i hope creature comforts doesn't sell off to a big brewery, love their creative stuff.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Yeah, you can see the outside seating area taking shape...

View attachment 218385

Is it possible for them to enclose the structure itself to make this a big seating area for this?

 

[MayorLionheart]

They should add a DJ on Grand Avenue to play at night. Not sure if dance party characters would be needed, but it would certainly direct some of the park's traffic over there a la Dinoland/Tomorrowland DJs.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

Could the new entrance to muppets courtyard open alongside this?

Yep, I believe that's the plan.

 

[pax_65]

I agree, Lagunitas and Stone put out some really good beers. But the entire craft beer community was bemoaning their take over. It's like when an indie band that gets signed by a major label, they are no longer cool and have gone mainstream. You think Disney has their purists go to some of the craft beer forums.

Stone is still independent. At least I think so! It's hard to keep track, with all the frequent purchases.

The concern is that the quality of the beer will decline. The larger brewers are often focused on saving money in order to be more competitive on a larger scale, so they (sometimes) turn to cheaper ingredients to make the financials work better.

For example, personally I think the quality of Goose Island has slipped a bit since they were acquired by InBev. So far I have not noticed any quality drop in Lagunitas.

I wonder how the process works to get your beers placed inside WDW. Surely Sam Adams paid a premium to basically own the American pavilion during Food and Wine in recent years. But then I've seen some smaller breweries including local Orlando brews in the parks, which is great to see.

I'm sure Disney also wants beers that will sell. While I would jump at the chance to try a California IPA I've never had before, many other people would be more comfortable with something more familiar. Like Blue Moon.

 

[Rob562]

But, a bit of a geographic stretch there. Especially when Muppets is more generally thought to center in New York.

Both the new films and the now-cancelled TV show established the Muppets as being in L.A. (and that location always being the home of the Muppet Theater). The first Muppet Movie also had them traveling cross-country to Hollywood.

The only New York connection I can think of was Muppets Take Manhattan, and they travelled *to* Manhattan in that one.

-Rob

 

[danlb_2000]

Is it possible for them to enclose the structure itself to make this a big seating area for this?

Those facades were never designed to have stuff in them. you can see how close together the steel beans are and there are cross braces between them, so it would be hard to put anything significant in them without making structural changes. There is space between them and the building but I think there are backstage things there.

 

[MisterPenguin]

If you want to wait in line to enter SWGE without having to pass an outdoor bar, go through TSL. They'll be a QS along that line with family friendly drinks.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

They should add a DJ on Grand Avenue to play at night. Not sure if dance party characters would be needed, but it would certainly direct some of the park's traffic over there a la Dinoland/Tomorrowland DJs.

Call it the Muppet Mayhem Dance Party....Surely they have these costumes somewhere in storage....

 

[troy.]

While I agree, that seems like a big departure for Walt Disney World's demographic. Even in Anaheim, where you have a very high percentage of local/fairly local visitors, the general California theme has required expansion. Hollywood has a theme and vision in many parts of the globe. While LA does, it is very different and, honestly, not very "Disney". I would venture to say that if most people outside of the western half of the US think of LA, it's either Hollywood or something more akin to beaches, sprawl and (unfortunately) plasticity and dirty streets. I guess I just don't see Disney's Los Angeles Adventure or Disney's California Adventure - each featuring Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land - flying as a viable overarching theme with broad international appeal.

There is a history to Grand Avenue that might bridge a gap from Hollywood to Downtown Los Angeles. It is part of the old Bunker Hill area and someone from southern California would know more. Not sure if any street cars ran nearby?
Here are some 1950s photos...

 

[durangojim]

The only New York connection I can think of was Muppets Take Manhattan,
-Rob

I never saw that movie, where did they take it?

 

[Herbie]

I just hope the Sci Fi building receives an update to blend in with the area.

 

[roj2323]

Nobody wants light (healthy) snacks. Seriously. They don't sell. People don't got to Walt Disney World looking for cucumber salad. They go for five pound turkey legs and hot dogs covered in macaroni and cheese.

My experience in working there says otherwise. I was asked about healthy options ALL the time.