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/* Fun Fact and Trivia */
| custom_label_2= Menu Type
| custom_value_2= American/Starbucks
| custom_label_3= Capacity
| custom_value_3= 2000
}}
The Connections Cafe and Eatery is a quick counter service dining location restaurant (and Starbucks) located in the World Discovery area of [[Epcot]].
==History==
The Connections Cafe and Eatery was initially announced on November 20, 2021, as World Discovery's main eatery<ref name="announcement"> https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/connections-cafe/news/20nov2021-epcots-new-quick-service-restaurant-to-be-named-connections-caf%c3%a9-and-eatery.htm </ref>. With the closure and partial demolition of [[Innoventions]], the park's central hub lost both its main counter service restaurant (the [[Electric Umbrella]]) as well as the park's Starbucks location (the [[Fountain View Starbucks]]). With the creation of the Connections Cafe, World Discovery was given a location that would provide both of these services.
Unlike the highly stylized Electric Umbrella, the Connections Cafe was given a cleaner, more modern aesthetic with minimal theming. Despite this, on March 28, 2022, Disney reveled the the restaurant's tiling would pay homage to Walt Disney's original EPCOT designs as well as Walt's original initial Florida Master plan<ref name="floors"> https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/connections-cafe/news/28mar2022-flooring-at-connections-cafe-and-eatery-drawers-inspiration-from-walt-disney-worlds-and-epcots-original-concepts-and-plans.htm </ref>. According to Imagineer Zach Riddley:
{{Quotation| "Drawing inspiration from Walt’s Florida project master plan, Imagineers designed a flooring inlay for Connections Eatery at EPCOT which would infuse the original DNA of the resort into this new location within World Celebration. One of my favorite details is the intersection of I-4 and US 192 highways, represented by the orange lines which cut across the map. Linework showing original ideas for EPCOT, Magic Kingdom and other recreational amenities reflect the diversity and scale that has always been the guiding vision for Walt Disney World. <br>
These designs are created with a sustainable bio-polymer material which is 3-D printed to provide an intricate template. That linework is then laid out by skilled craftspeople to create inlays in the poured flooring material, with the final design revealed through rounds of sanding and buffing, where classic and cutting-edge techniques meet<ref name="floors"/>"}}
Connections Cafe and Eatery finally section of the restaurant opened to the public on April, 21, 2022, while the Eatery side opened one day later <ref> https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/connections-cafe/news/21apr2022-first-look-inside-connections-cafe-as-new-starbucks-soft-opens-at-epcot.htm </ref> <ref> https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/connections-cafe/news/22apr2022-tour-inside-epcots-connections-eatery.htm </ref>. The entire Connections Cafe and Eatery features a modern aesthetic, floor to ceiling windows, and subtle nods to EPCOT through the restaurant.
==Menu==
==Fun Fact and Trivia==
[[Image:ConnectionsMural.png|thumb|400px| An Imagineering Artist working on the Global Gatherings Mural]]
* The Connections Cafe marquee matches that of the nearby [[Creations Shop]] <ref> https://wdwnt.com/2022/03/zach-riddley-shares-more-connections-cafe-concept-art-and-details/ </ref>.
* The background music for Connections Cafe features re-recordings of many classic EPCOT songs including Tapestry of Nations and Celebrate the Future <ref name="trivia"/>.
*Inside Connections Cafe and Eatery, guests can find a large display filled with coffee making tools from around the world <ref name="trivia"> https://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/connections-cafe/news/21apr2022-first-look-inside-connections-cafe-as-new-starbucks-soft-opens-at-epcot.htm </ref>
===Global Gatherings Mural===
* The Connections Cafe features a 160 foot mural titled "Global Gatherings". The piece is designed to be a celebration of various food and beverage staples from around the world. Highlighting eight distinct regions of the glove, the artwork features people cultivating or gathering around food, such as potatoes form the Andes Mountains or black pepper from the Malabar Coast of India.
* The creative concept for this piece was developed over the last few years, with consultants from around the world. It was then hand-painted in a series of panels and recently installed by our site teams at EPCOT
==References==
