The all-new Connections Café and Eatery officially opens at EPCOT on Wednesday, April 27th, but has been in soft opening mode since yesterday. We were at EPCOT today and have plenty of photos to share with you of this awesome new addition.
We’ll start off the tour with a look at the Connections Café, which is the new home to Starbucks.
Inside the cafe are three original floor inlays inspired by Walt’s 1966 “Florida Project” site plans. Walt Disney Imagineer Zach Riddley recently shared more information on the creation of the unique flooring.
You can get all of the usual Starbucks favorites at this location.
As always, Starbucks is a popular location!
The EPCOT symbol is featured throughout Connections, including as part of this table set-up.
Whether you 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.
Next door at the adjoining Connections Eatery, there are three show kitchens allowing guests to watch chefs at work creating some of the dlicious menu items.
Here we see a Chef preparing liege waffles.
The finished product looks delicious!
The large ordering area. Mobile Order is also offered at the Eatery.
For a full look at the Connections Eatery menu, check out our previous post.
We grabbed two different entree items: The French Bistro Burger.
And the Meatball Pizza.
For dessert, a Mango-Coconut Milk Shake topped off with a pomegranate molasses drizzle.
Another of the floor designs inspired by original EPCOT designs.
This table features wireless phone charging.
Another spot to charge your phone, with a cord if you don’t have wireless charging capabilities.
Drinks are self-filled at Connections Eatery.
The restaurant is quite large, taking over not just the former Electric Umbrella, but also a lot of the space that once housed Innoventions.
As part of the Eatery’s interior decor, there is a giant mural 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, and if you look closely, you’ll notice the scenes blend seamlessly from sunrise to sunset.
More uses of the EPCOT symbol.
The giant ceiling pieces used at Creations Shop and inspired by Communicore are also used here.
The easternmost side of the restaurant provides a view of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which will soon be bustling with activity.
A second entrance to the Starbucks is located in the covered breezeway across from Club Cool.
The former entrance to the temporary MouseGear, and Innoventions before that, is now an entrance into the Connections Eatery.
Connections Café and Eatery officially opens at EPCOT next Wednesday, April 27th.