Connections Cafe and Eatery is the new quick-service hub in World Celebration at EPCOT. While Connections Cafe and Eatery are in the same building, we’ll be focusing on Connections Eatery – the quick-service location in the venue. Connections Cafe is EPCOT’s new Starbucks. In this Connections Eatery review, we’ll focus on the desserts section of the menu. In total, there are two milkshakes and one waffle. Connections Cafe & Eatery officially opens on April 27th, but has been open for soft-opening previews for a few days now. BlogMickey.com paid 100% for all food in this review.
For a review of the burgers and the chicken sandwich, check out our earlier review.
For a look at the pizzas and salad, check out our article below!
Connections Eatery Review
Theming
Connections Cafe is on the east side of the venue, facing the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction. There are two entrances to Connections Cafe from World Discovery, but everything is connected in this dining complex.
The theme is in the name – connections. The theme is mostly represented by a giant mural called “Global Gathering”. This 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.
Three show kitchens are scattered around the venue. Two flanking the ordering counter for Connections Eatery and one in the Connections Cafe side of the location.
In addition to the idea of a connection to others through food, eagle-eyed guests can also find some nods to the history of EPCOT and Walt Disney!
There are three flooring inlays at Connections Cafe & Eatery that showcase the history of E.P.C.O.T. by paying homage to visuals seen in the 1967 EPCOT film.
Overall, we’re a bit torn on the Connections Cafe & Eatery venue. With a capacity of more than 1,700 people, the space is massive. For what it is, it’s wonderfully laid out. A kitchen sits in the middle of the building (behind the multicolor wall in the photo above), and each side offers floor-to-ceiling windows that bring natural light into space throughout the day, and at night the space turns into a colorful but calming venue.
However, we have to wonder if there could be a better use of the space. There used to be a variety of attractions and experiences in this building as recently as just a couple of years ago. While there will certainly be a collection of new experiences around Connections Cafe & Eatery such as Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind on one side and the World Celebration green spaces on the other, it’s hard to ignore just how large of a space this truly is. Space is at a premium within theme parks, so the fact that Disney chose to make this building entirely into a space for dining and coffee speaks volumes about what they think EPCOT needs.
Overall, the vibes are good. It’s a clean, minimalistic space that offers a variety of views depending on your tastes. You can find a busy walkway on the Connections Cafe side and a garden view on the Connections Eatery side. Right now, the space feels calming, but that might change once Cosmic Rewind opens and the masses are looking for a place to grab a slice of pizza or a burger.
The floor-to-ceiling windows do a wonderful job of connecting you to the theme park around you. Watching a monorail pass by while enjoying a meal truly is a wonderful way to spend your afternoon. While Connections Cafe & Eatery uses many of the same design choices as Creations Shop, the two really couldn’t be more different in execution. We will be stopping in at Connections Eatery a lot in the future.
Desserts Menu
Here’s a look at the dessert and shakes that we’ll tackle in this review.
Liege Waffle – $5.29
Brioche Dough with Pearl Sugar, Strawberries, Whipped Cream, Chocolate Sauce
When we visited, an entire show kitchen was devoted to making these waffles, and for good reason! This may be the best waffle we’ve ever had. The brioche dough was prepared perfectly. There was structure to the waffle, but it immediately gave way to an airy and never soggy interior. The crunch on the outside was extremely subtle but present. The strawberries were fresh and the whipped cream was light.
It’s probably worth noting that we’ve seen a few reports of inconsistency, but we didn’t notice anything off about our waffle. Overall, it’s a really solid dessert and one that we’ll be getting again!
Apple Pie Gelato Shake – $7.29
We felt that the Apple Pie shake was the better of the two on offer. The flavors were exactly what you might expect, with cinnamon taking the lead and an apple flavor playing a supporting role. It’s probably overpriced by $1.
Mango-Coconut Milk Shake – $7.29
Topped with Pomegranate-Molasses Drizzle
This missed the mark for us. A balance never seemed to be struck between a tart mango flavor and a subdued coconut. We actually generally like a yin and yang flavor profile where competing tastes complement one another, but this shake felt off all the way through. Your tastes may vary, but if you’re in the market for a single milkshake, we’d give the nod to the Apple Pie.
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