It’s officially official… The Trolley Car Cafe is your Starbucks stop in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Set right on the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, the architecture

brings to mind the Golden Age of Hollywood and fits right in amidst its surroundings.

It’s all in the name, of course! The Trolley Car Cafe, in story, is the place that houses the Big Red Cars you might’ve taken down Hollywood Boulevard back in the day, as depicted on this billboard sign at the park entrance.

So, let’s step in!

Atmosphere

The theme is depicted in the details all over the shop. There is a definite industrial feel, helped along by the exposed pipes and light fixtures mingling with the machinery and mechanical tools set high above you.

The Superintendent of Electric Lines keeps office here.

The switchboard provides another reminder of your Tinsel Town location, noting stops in Santa Monica, Venice, and even a subway transfer to Culver City. (Notice the 1920s – 30s repair dates written next to some of the signal lights! They’re admittedly easier to see in person, but you can click the images to enlarge.)

Photographs of trolley cars in their heyday adorn the walls behind the counter.

And the map above isn’t the only place you’ll see mention of the Pacific Electric Railway. You’ll also find the map pictured below across from the patio at Starring Rolls Cafe.

Back inside, hot beverages get a nod in the storage crates and boxes of coffee and tea above.

Cast Member costumes are pretty sharp, and play a terrific role in transporting you to another time.

If you’ve visited the Main Street Bakery or Fountain View (the Starbucks locations in Magic Kingdom and Epcot), then you’re already familiar with the setup.

Upon entry a Cast Member will direct you to the right or left, so you can peruse the bakery items and ultimately place your food and drink orders (items available for purchase are identical on either side). The main menu hangs high above, reflecting the choices you’ve come to know if you frequent the ‘Bucks at home.

Also prominently displayed in a few areas is the Hollywood Studios version of the “You Are Here” Disney Parks  mug collection.

Here’s a roundabout view, for those interested.

We also got to check out the Ceramic Travel Tumbler that exactly mimics the Disney Parks cup you receive with hot beverages.

Bags of Starbucks blends are available for purchase as well.

And now that we’ve had our look around, let’s get what we came for…

Eats

Hmm

… is there anything to drink in this place? Well, there’s coffee, among other things 😉 .

As with Starbucks nationwide, a wide range of the La Boulange food line items are available (cake pops, breads, muffins, and scones), as well as grab and go goods. Breakfast sandwich offerings include a Bacon, Egg, and Gouda Artisan Sandwich; a Roasted Ham and Swiss Croissant; a Sausage, Egg and Cheddar Sandwich; and a Spinach and Egg White Breakfast Wrap.

As always, we were on the hunt for some Disney specific items, and we found them. You’ll spy a couple of cookies that you won’t see at your local Starbucks: a Toffee Cookie and Chocolate Chips (you will, however, find similar cookies at the other Disney Parks Starbucks locations).

Unique to the Trolley Car, though, is that it plays host to an assortment of Hollywood Studios cupcakes and snacks. To be clear, these cupcakes aren’t specific to The Trolley Car Cafe, but rather to Hollywood Studios as a whole.

In the bakery case on opening day were two new seasonal gems: the Cinderella and Lady and the Tramp Cupcakes. Also up for grabs were the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake and “Chocolate Toffee Cupcake.” (I put that in quotes for reasons you’ll read later…)

The Fruit Tart, Napoleon, and candy-topped Brownie from Starring Rolls have made the bill, too.

Rest assured, though, that all of those goodies and so many more are still available and waiting for you at Starring Rolls 🙂 . We grabbed the new Cinderella and Lady and the Tramp Cupcakes there, and will have a review for you soon!

We chose three items: the Toffee Cookie, that Chocolate Toffee Cupcake, and a Venti (huge!) Flat White for our beverage.

We wanted to try the Flat White as it’s served, so we passed up the chance to doctor it with sugar, more cream, and the like, but there is a station to do so if you wish.

A note on seating before we dig in: there is none, either inside or outside of the Trolley Car Cafe. However, this doesn’t pose anywhere near the issue that it does on a busy Main Street, U.S.A., thanks to the close proximity of Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner and oodles of benches nearby. Min and Bill’s typically doesn’t open until 10:30 am or so, so that early morning Starbucks rush isn’t much of a problem in regards to seating, thanks to scenes like this:

Onto the food! And drink! The Flat White is new to Starbucks everywhere. It’s like a hybrid between a cappuccino and a latte.

With a cappuccino, the espresso sits on the bottom of the cup and is topped with a huge layer of foamed milk. With a latte, espresso and steamed milk blend together throughout the whole drink. The Flat White is steamed milk (rather than foamed) layered on top of espresso, with a signature white dot of foam on top.

I’ve never claimed to be a coffee connoisseur, and I won’t start to now. I left the taste test to my husband who said it was, indeed, both stronger than a latte and more substantial than a cappuccino. I’ll take his word for it!

Next is the Toffee Cookie which is, first of all, huge.

There was no shortage on buttery toffee or chocolate bits in every bite, and it was nicely crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, just like you want. At $2.59 it’s big enough to share, and we enjoyed it. You can find similar cookies at Sweet Spells and Writer’s Stop.

And now, to the cupcake: the Chocolate Toffee Cupcake is — in actuality — the Butterfinger Cupcake we know and love from Starring Rolls, right down to the fudge-y center (you can check out a full review of this legendary cupcake here!). I mean, once I saw it, I simply had to get one to verify… strictly for research purposes, of course ;).

I kind of like, though, that Starring Rolls is the only place that has retained the right to call it the Butterfinger Cupcake. Why? I don’t know, exactly. I just do.

Overall

That said, I’m pretty keen on The Trolley Car Cafe. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the fun Cast Members, and — to be honest — I’m pleased with the fact that it took the spot of a former merchandise location as opposed to another eatery. And even though I may never entirely understand a “Flat White,” the coffee’s not too bad, either!

A few details before we wrap up our time at Trolley Car Cafe: just like at Main Street Bakery and Fountain View, Starbucks cards are accepted, and card holders can earn stars with their purchases but cannot redeem rewards such as Birthday Beverages.

On the Disney Dining Plan? You can see on the menu pics above that all drinks — from Tall to Venti — are covered with snack credits, and you can use one quick service credit for breakfast (which includes a breakfast sandwich and a beverage, OR a pastry, one whole fruit, and a beverage).

And with that, I’m off to catch the next Big Red Car! See you on the rails…

 Will you be stopping by the Trolley Car Cafe on your next trip to Hollywood Studios? Please let us know with a comment!