Pistachio-Chocolate Mochi Doughnut Review: Epcot Food & Wine 2026 at Connections Café
We review the Pistachio Chocolate Mochi Doughnut from Connections Café at Epcot Food & Wine 2026, a new pastry shop treat worth trying.
When Walt Disney World revealed the complete 2026 Epcot Food & Wine Festival menus, most of the attention understandably went to the Global Marketplaces scattered around World Showcase. Still, one of the more unexpected new additions isn’t in World Showcase at all. It is sitting inside Connections Café at the front of the park: the Pistachio-Chocolate Mochi Doughnut. We stopped by Connections Café during the first day of the event to see how a mochi doughnut fits into Epcot’s Starbucks-branded coffee counter, and whether it earns a spot on your festival must-try list.
The 2026 Epcot Food & Wine Festival runs through November. So, guests have plenty of time to try this festival treat,
A Quick History of Connections Café at Epcot.
Connections Café is one of the newer additions to Epcot’s World Celebration neighborhood, opening in April 2022 alongside its full-service sibling, Connections Eatery. Together, the two locations replaced the long-running Electric Umbrella, which had served the front of the park for decades before closing as part of Epcot’s larger transformation. The building itself has a much longer history than the café that now occupies it. It sits inside the former Innoventions East structure, which dates back to the original CommuniCore complex from Epcot’s 1982 opening and later became the tech-focused Innoventions exhibit space through the 1990s and 2000s.
Connections Café functions as Epcot’s dedicated Starbucks location, serving standard Starbucks beverages alongside a rotating case of pastries and grab-and-go items. It sits just steps from Connections Eatery and the Creations Shop, making it a natural stop for guests heading into or out of World Celebration. Because it operates a bakery case rather than a festival kiosk, Connections Café tends to pick up its own festival-exclusive treats during some Epcot events, running alongside the Global Marketplace menus in World Showcase rather than as part of them.
What Makes a Mochi Doughnut Different
Mochi doughnuts have become a popular bakery trend over the past several years, and they are worth explaining if you have not tried one. Rather than using a traditional wheat-based dough, mochi doughnuts are made with a batter that includes glutinous rice flour, giving the finished product a noticeably chewier, denser bite than a standard cake or yeast doughnut. They are typically shaped into a ring of connected dough balls, or “pon de ring” style, rather than a single continuous circle, which makes them easy to pull apart piece by piece.
That chewiness is the whole appeal. This is what separates the Pistachio-Chocolate Mochi Doughnut from every other festival pastry at Epcot this year. However, we have concerns that Epcot guests may not enjoy this trendy sweet treat.
Pistachio-Chocolate Mochi Doughnut Review at Epcot Food & Wine 2026
[PRICE]
Walt Disney World’s announcement described the Pistachio-Chocolate Mochi Doughnut simply by name, without a full ingredient breakdown, but the flavor pairing tells you most of what you need to know going in. Expect a mochi-style ring doughnut finished with a pistachio glaze or coating and a chocolate drizzle or dip, likely topped with crushed pistachio pieces for crunch and color. It is a pairing that leans into dessert-case trends well beyond Walt Disney World property, and pistachio-chocolate in particular has become one of the most popular flavor combinations in bakeries and coffee shops over the last year or two.
The mochi base should give this doughnut a distinctly different eating experience. Where something like a funnel cake or a beignet leans crisp and airy, a mochi doughnut is going to chew, in a good way, holding its shape and giving you a longer bite before you get through it. Paired with a rich chocolate element and the slightly savory, nutty edge of pistachio, this has the makings of a dessert that feels more substantial than its size suggests, which is exactly what you want out of a coffee-counter pastry meant to pair with a Starbucks order.
Should You Try the Pistachio-Chocolate Mochi Doughnut at Epcot Food & Wine 2026?
If your festival plans already route you past World Celebration for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or the Creations Shop, this is an easy add-on. It is also a solid option for guests who want a festival treat early in the day, since Connections Café keeps regular quick-service hours rather than a festival-specific schedule.
For more theme park dining reviews, visit MSM News every weekday at noon Eastern Time. Additionally, we sometimes post bonus theme park dining reviews. As always, eat like you mean it!
Expertise. Ease. Value.
Ready for your bucket list trip? Our trusted partner, MEI-Travel, will handle the planning so you can focus on the memories. They offer free vacation planning services and have nearly 20 years of experience creating memorable vacations.
Contact for a fee-free, no-obligation quote today.
