Get your appetites ready! Connections Café & Eatery officially opens April 27 at EPCOT. Some guests may even get the chance for a sneak peek if they’re in the park over the next few days.
For guests who enjoy food inspired by delicious cuisines from around the world, they’re going to love this new quick-service restaurant. Plus, who could pass up a beautifully decorated new space to relax in some air-conditioning? It’s a win-win!
The fast-casual restaurant’s design includes nods to Walt Disney’s original plans for EPCOT. The new location features two distinct experiences all under one roof – an eatery on one side serving lunch and dinner menus, and a café and pastry shop on the other open all day long. This large new dining location is the next step in the ongoing transformation of EPCOT and a highlight of the newly-named World Celebration neighborhood.
If walking past Spaceship Earth on the way into the park, guests can find Connections Café and Eatery on the left-hand side. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a full view of the bright, open space featuring modern décor and inviting aromas of pastries baking, fresh coffee brewing and delicious burgers on the grill. Since World Celebration is located in the center of the park, Connections Café & Eatery offers some incredible views. From a Xandarian Starblaster on one side to Spaceship Earth on the other, this is a great spot to sit back and enjoy quality time with friends and family around a tasty meal or drink.
A colorful mural spans one entire wall, called “Global Gathering.” This magnificent piece of art depicts the heart of this restaurant – people from around the world gathering around food. It’s one of the largest murals Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created. Guests might even notice the scenes blend seamlessly from sunrise to sunset.
Guests will be captivated by the chefs at work in three show kitchens. Catch them grilling, sautéing and baking everything from burgers to pizzas and sprinkling a little extra pixie dust on delightful desserts from milkshakes to waffles.
Whether guests prefer coffee or tea, people from all over the globe love sitting together to savor a brewed beverage. This idea is on prominent display in Connections Café through a colorful showcase of how various cultures enjoy their favorite drinks.
And while enjoying a meal or that much-needed cup of coffee, don’t forget to look down! There are three original floor inlays inspired by Walt’s 1966 “Florida Project” site plans, where EPCOT was to serve as the literal and conceptual “center” of Walt Disney World. Thoughtful details like these really bring this location to life by honoring the original dream of EPCOT and the magic of possibility. The park’s original DNA is woven throughout Connections Café and Eatery, the latest example of how this EPCOT transformation honors our past while moving us forward into the future.
This unique dining experience embraces cultures from around the world, and brings them to life in true EPCOT fashion. Before Connections Eatery opens, here is a preview of the menu for this highly anticipated restaurant!
This new fast casual quick-service restaurant draws inspiration from delicious cuisines from across the globe, demonstrating how food has the power to bring us together. Once inside, Guests can get a glimpse of the chefs in action as desserts get their finishing touches and pizza makers work their magic.
From the French Bistro Burger with caramelized onions, bacon and brie to the Southwestern Burger featuring a roasted chipotle-corn salsa and guacamole spread, worldwide sandwich selections offer choices for everyone. Guests can also enjoy the Vietnamese-inspired Banh Mi Burger or the Greek-inspired Mediterranean Burger.
For a lighter option, Guests can try salads inspired by French and Chinese cuisines. The Niçoise-style Salad is packed with potatoes, white and green beans and olives drizzled with a delicious Dijon vinaigrette. For an Asian flare, the General Tso Chicken Salad features ingredients like broccoli slaw, red bell pepper, mandarin oranges and crispy wontons.
Guests can also sample one of the four pizzas available, including a classic Meatball Pizza and a plant-based Curry Spice Pizza topped with carrots, potato, peas and lime “yogurt.”
And don’t forget about the little ones! With items like the Grilled Chicken Bao or classics like the Chicken Nuggets Basket or Cheeseburger, they’ll be asking to go back to Connections Eatery again and again!
For the final course, Connections Eatery will feature an option that is both beautiful and delicious – the Liege Waffle. This treat is made with brioche yeast dough stuffed with pearl sugar and finished with tasty toppings.
For the milkshake lover, two different options will blow Guests away: A Mango-Coconut Milk Shake topped off with a pomegranate molasses drizzle, and the delectable Apple Pie Gelato Shake.
Both adults and kids can enjoy specialty beverages at Connections Eatery. The Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca is alcohol-free so the whole family can enjoy it together! For those over 21, there are multiple wines and draft beers available, along with the Cucumber and Thai Basil Cooler, a specialty cocktail filled with freshness and flavor.
As a reminder, Connections Café is the future home of Starbucks at EPCOT! Like other Starbucks locations inside their theme parks, this Starbucks will be designed to fit the theme of its surroundings and add yet another exciting chapter in the EPCOT Transformation.
EPCOT has always been a place where inspiration and big ideas come to life. With the opening of Connections Café & Eatery, that vision continues to become reality as we celebrate one another, what makes us unique and the commonalities that tie us all together.
Are you ready to begin planning your Walt Disney World Vacation?
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