Welcome to the new Grand Avenue in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

This is where you’ll find BaseLine Tap House — the new lounge (as in, just opened TODAY!) located in what was formerly known as The Writer’s Stop. In fact, the Grand Avenue area is a portion of the park that once celebrated the architecture and culture of New York City and San Francisco — by way of posing as movie sets for both — when it was known as the Streets of America.

Grand Avenue, however, is a nod to Los Angeles, California. And BaseLine Tap House plays its part in the scene by offering California beers, cider and wine, along with specialty cocktails and a small bites menu.

So, as the song goes… California, here we come!

Let’s check it out!

Atmosphere

Aah

, it’s good to see some life just around the corner from Sci-Fi Dine In Restaurant again…

And to spy plenty of life inside, too!

As our scene is set, the brick building that now stands as BaseLine Tap House once operated as the Figueroa Printing Company, an independent “mom-and-pop” print shop.

Figueroa was linked to the Disney Studios in Burbank, CA, and Disney buffs will love the way the history is tucked throughout the decor, giving us a bit of Disneyland atmosphere right here in Disney World!

Some Disney WORLD history, though, is hidden in here, too… can you spot the old, familiar metallic letters that once — and still do — spell out Writer’s Stop 🙂 ?

Even the music is super fun, with acoustic covers of new and old tunes ranging from The Cure and Madonna to Imagine Dragons piping through the air.

Some of the indoor seating faces right outside.

Outdoor terrace seating is plentiful and cheerful with bright red and orange umbrellas offering shade. Fans provide a cooling element, as well.

I bet those hanging lights will look great at night!

No matter where you choose to sip and eat, all orders are taken inside at the bar. There are no tableside servers, though your items will be bussed once you wrap up your visit. If you’re taking your drinks outside, you’ll receive your beverages in plastic cups, while drinks staying indoors are served in glass.

It’s high time to get a few of those cups filled, don’t you think?

Eats and Drinks

The California vibe continues with the drink selections at BaseLine Tap House!

California craft ales, lagers, and a cider (Ace Space Bloody Orange Hard Cider!) are among the main offerings of the House, and Create Your Own Beer Flights allow you to mix and match.

By the way, you can grab the Cider option as part of your flight, too.

California wines are also represented with St. Francis Chardonnay and Line 39 Cabernet Sauvignon — both served on tap, a trend we’re starting to see around Disney World more and more these days.

Specialty cocktails include a Negroni (Hendrick’s Gin, Campari, and Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth) and the California Sunset (Absolut Berri Açaí Vodka, Southern Comfort, orange juice, and sweet-and-sour with a float of pomegranate juice).

Not wanting (or not of age) to imbibe?

No problem! Wild Strawberry Lemonade and Blue Sky Black Cherry Soda make up the specialty non-alcoholic options. And though the stellar selection of beverages is definitely the focus of BaseLine Tap House, there is also a small food menu to go along with whatever drink — or drinks! — you choose.

From left to right, we made our Beer Flight out of the Golden Road 329 Lager, Green Flash Passion Fruit Kicker Wheat Ale, North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner, and Anchor Meyer Lemon Lager.

The Golden Road is fairly basic, and good for fans of simple, non-complex flavors.

The Green Flash, meanwhile, presents just a hint of sour taste, while remaining very drinkable and refreshing.

It’s a great choice for fans of fruitier beers.

The North Coast is clean and a little hoppy with a mild bitterness.

But Anchor Meyer Lemon was the favorite, with its pronounced — but not overpowering — lemon flavor.

Even though we’re celebrating the L.A. life, this one’s still perfect for enjoying in Sunny Florida!

Speaking of citrus, the Ace Space Bloody Orange Hard Cider is especially delicious, with more of the orange flavor coming through the more you drink it.

It’s still really smooth, though, for a citrus cider. It also has a higher alcohol percentage than your typical ciders out there.

So that’s good to know 😉 . Now, let’s soak up these suds, shall we?

The Bavarian Pretzel is served with spicy mustard and a beer cheese fondue.

The pretzel is exactly what you’d expect — the same deal as other gigantic Bavarian pretzels around Disney World.

But the beer cheese fondue is the highlight. It’s not quite as thick as you’d anticipate, but that works out well since you use less of it.

The Spiced Almonds are somewhat atypical than the cinnamon-glazed style you’ll usually find around the parks, as they are both sweet and spicy.

They’re nicely flavorful, and though the emphasis is still on the sweeter spices, a bit of heat does come through every couple of bites.

The Charcuterie Board has a bit of a unique twist as well in that it features a selection of California cheeses with Toma Farmstead Cheese, Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese, and Laura Chenel’s Sonoma Goat Cheese.

Chorizo and calabrese salami, cornichons, grapes and toasted baguettes complete the Board.

While the meats are fine, nothing really stands out. It’s those cheeses that really make the plate, starting with the strong and potent Blue, which also has a great texture.

The Toma Cheese, meanwhile, is also quite good — very mild and slightly dry.

And the goat cheese is creamy and salty, with a pumpkin and cranberry crust that adds a terrific sweetness — almost resembling a dessert cheese.

This one, by the way, also goes great with the Spiced Almonds.

And with that… it’s a WRAP at the TAP!!

Overall

How much fun is BaseLine Tap House?! You know, I wasn’t convinced that Hollywood Studios needed another watering hole, what with already having terrific spaces like Tune-In Lounge, The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge, and a myriad of pop-up bars that… well, pop-up all over the place to celebrate various events and seasons. But I am totally digging BaseLine Tap House! First, it offers a crowd capacity that the other spots lack. More importantly, though, Disneyland touches within a grown-up vibe set a terrific scene for some great California brews. And I appreciate the fact that — even though we’ve seen all these particular food items before — even the limited food offerings have been given small, thoughtful makeovers.

Even though the new Grand Avenue area is a makeover of a previous are of the park, I have to say… this updated space and BaseLine Tap House really do give you a feel that things are really, truly, finally moving forward at a park in the midst of enormous transitions. Sure, there are growing pains (in the form of crazy amounts of construction walls), but additions like this along the way inspire confidence that this time of transition will be well worth the wait!

Are you planning to visit the new BaseLine Tap House? Please let us know with a comment!