What’s vegan at Connections Eatery? And what is Connections Eatery and Connections Cafe?! Connections Cafe and Connections Eatery has replaced the Electric Umbrella, which many of you may remember before everything closed down in EPCOT – but how many of you remember the original restaurant, Stargate? It was there until 1994, when Innoventions replaced CommuniCore and the Electric Umbrella took over. Both menus were primarily burgers, pizza, and chicken fingers of some sort, and Connections Eatery is elevating those classics with some modern twists on old favorites.
Here is one entry to Connections Eatery from the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind side. We’ve also seen on Imagineer Zack Ridley’s instagram the tribute to Walt’s original map of EPCOT on the floor of the Cafe.
Here’s the finished product, as you walk in to the Starbucks location on the Connections Cafe side:
There are some other fun EPCOT Center touches throughout this huge space. I think that’s the most important addition here, the amount of air conditioned seating (many with outlets and USB ports or wireless phone chargers), which was sorely missing during all of this construction.
There are a ton of entrances to this new location, so you can’t miss it. Head left through Spaceship Earth and there will be doors on your left to the Eatery side, more entrances in the breezeway by Connections gift shop and Club Cool, and still more entrances on the Test Track/Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind side.
Now let’s discuss the vegan options! Everything is clearly noted on the menu boards with the plant-based leaf logo. There is one modifiable option which we’ll discuss below as well.
I first thought they might offer a vegan patty option on one or all of their burgers, but no such luck. However, the vegan options Connections Eatery does have are whole food plant-based, so that is great to see.
First up, the Niçoise-style Salad ($10.29) is packed with potatoes, white and green beans, and olives drizzled with a delicious Dijon vinaigrette. This is totally vegan as-is.
This salad was delicious. A lovely Dijon vinaigrette, my favorite to make at home because it’s so simple, really adds a brightness to the potatoes and green beans. It’s hearty enough to fill you up and not weigh you down as you’re conquering the parks.
Next, Curry Spice Pizza ($10.99) topped with carrots, potato, peas, and lime “yogurt” puts a new plant-based twist on the classic pizza. This is also vegan as-is and comes with two slices. You’ll need to leave your definition of pizza behind for this unique offering – I absolutely love the flavors and it’s such a great option for a unique and totally vegan quick service lunch or dinner!
The sauce here is a masala curry-style sauce, with a little kick. Not too spicy though and the rest of the ingredients cool it down. Thinly sliced carrots make up most of the base here, with peas and I guess potatoes, but I didn’t notice any. Also diced tomatoes, vegan cheese, and a vegan lime yogurt. The dough itself is light and airy.
They appear to make all of the bread in-house, and it fills the Eatery side with the delicious scent of fresh baked bread. I really enjoyed the flavors here, but Sanaa is one of my favorite spots, and Indian food is one of my favorite types of food too. So if you love those flavors too, you’ll enjoy this pizza. If you’re looking for a traditional pizza in any way, you’ll be disappointed, as similarities end at the crust.
There is also a modifiable option available for those who may want to try something different. On the menu under salads is a General Tso Chicken Salad ($11.49). If you order it without chicken, it is vegan – for those who eat honey. The dressing does have honey in it. So if you don’t eat honey, like me, you can request the dressing that comes with the Nicoise and side salad, the Dijon Vinaigrette.
The dressing is still a good fit, because the chicken on this salad is literally chicken fingers, so there isn’t anything else you’re missing here. The one other caveat is the wonton strips are fried in a shared fryer with those chicken fingers. The fries are fried separately, so you could request fresh wontons be cooked in there, based on availability of a chef and the raw wontons.
This salad contains red peppers, edamame, broccoli slaw, a kale blend, and mandarin oranges. It’s up to you if it’s worth modifying this salad or not. I enjoyed the vegan Nicoise Salad, but if you want some different ingredients, this is an option.
All of the sides are also vegan as is. Options are Coleslaw ($4.49), French Fries ($4.49), Mediterranean Side Salad ($3.79) (same dressing as Nicoise), and Cuties brand Mandarin oranges (2) ($1.99). The coleslaw was very basic, but I’m not really a coleslaw person. The salad was nice with diced cucumbers. I am not a fan of olives, but I still enjoyed this.
And we get a milkshake too – a Mango-Coconut Milk Shake ($7.29) topped off with a pomegranate molasses. This is vegan as-is at Connections Eatery.
Personally, I would not order this again. I’m glad it exists, and I love the mango flavor, but it leaves a film on your mouth after you drink it, and isn’t as refreshing as you’d hope something with mango would be. This would probably be better as a smoothie, or a more traditional milkshake flavor, in my opinion.
Lastly, some other Connections Eatery beverages which appear to be vegan friendly as well. The Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca ($4.99) 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 ($14), a specialty cocktail filled with freshness and flavor.
I for one am very excited about these vegan possibilities in EPCOT! And don’t forget, the Starbucks located inside Connections Cafe, so you can grab your coffee or other refreshing beverage before you head out into the rest of the park.
We’ll have a Connections Eatery vegan video review up soon so make sure you are subscribed below to see when we share that.
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LOOKING FOR VEGAN OPTIONS IN THE THEME PARKS, WATER PARKS AND DISNEY SPRINGS?
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LOOKING FOR VEGAN OPTIONS IN THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT HOTELS?
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