I booked lunch at this place one day just because I didn't want to lie to park at the Contemporary (we like to walk over instead of taking a bus or boat/monorail)I was very pleasantly surprised!!We had the appetizer for 2.. and then I had their fish of the day while my wife had the strawberry salad. My kid actually ate one of their healthy meals and finished it all and got a souvenir cup with a light up Buzz Lightyear.After my passholder discount and tip I want to say the lunch cost us $75.. we probably could have gotten out of there around $50 if it weren't for the appetizer and the cup.I might eat there this weekend again :)
We had read a few somewhat negative reviews before having lunch at The Wave on 10/27/11, but have to say we really enjoyed it. The atmoshpere is trendy, and a nice change of pace when focusing primarily on character meals, and keeping young children entertained. The kids really enjoyed it there, and our service was terrific. The ahi tuna salad was very good, our children (4 & 5) enjoyed their meals (chicken I believe), and even the beer selection was good (a few simple beer options with lunch !). Overall, we were very pleased, and would not hesitate to dine there again. Would easily recommend it for families, and would even more strongly recommend it for those without children (which appeared to be most of the other diners when we were there).
This was the only dinner table-service restaurant available for reservations on one of our days at WDW, so we took the monorail over to the Contemporary (to which I've never been) and took a chance. We were seated within 5 minutes of our reservation. The food was excellent - try the Mexican Mashed Sweet Potatoes. --Excellent Service-- My son (10) believed that the waitress was watching him because as soon as he finished his drink, she was there with another one right when he sat his empty on the table. Nice atmosphere as well - it appeared to be a much more upscale ($$$) restaurant at a $$ price. We'll probably eat there again on our next visit.
I recently had breakfast at the Wave and it was quite a disappointment. The restaurant itself feels very much like a typical Radisson or other mid market hotel breakfast room that's been shoehorned into an unused convention space. The decor already looks dated and there is no natural light. The chairs are very uncomfortable to boot! The seat was so long that my legs stuck straight out in front of me. They would be great if you're 6'tall I suppose. The service was friendly but very, very slow. We sat for more than 20 minutes before our drink orders were taken and it was another 15 minutes before our drinks arrived. The restuarant wasn't even half full. The staff just had no spark, it was as if they know that their breakfast isn't any good and have no faith in their product. We chose the buffet. It was very limited yet cost the same as Boma. It was really more of a continental breakfast of cold pastries and cereal. They ran out of a number of hot offerings before 10:30. We asked if they were going to be replaced and they said no, yet they were still seating people for breakfast. The two postives on the buffet were the eggs benedict and the bread pudding. They were good but not good enough to convince us to ever step foot in the Wave again. We noticed that two tables seated near us complained and sent back their plated breakfasts. We had thought about trying lunch or dinner but our experience was so poor and the room so unpleasant that we won't go back. There are much better options for breakfast for the same or less money- Boma and Trail's end are both heads and tails about the Wave.
We were seated 45 min after our res. Our waitress took another 10 minutes just to get drink orders. The kids and husband liked the bread served with dinner...me however was allergic to the type. When I asked for a plain bread I was brought someones bread from their lunch they packed from home. Dinner was sub par to the point of getting food after for the kids from a quick service stand. We waited 45 minutes for our check when finally a family from another table said something to the manager for us since our requests were going on deaf ears. I could not be paid to go there again....ever.
I ate at The Wave last week and had the new breakfast buffet. Unfortunately I don't have much good to say about it. Firstly, the interior of The Wave is just not nice. It's dark, has low ceilings, and smells musty. It feels like you are in a basement, with absolutely no windows, and low lighting levels. The Cast Members were poorly organized, and appeared to be understaffed, they also seemed to be low on moral, not the usual Disney buzz. Seeing where they work, I can understand it. We were slow to be seated, and slow to be served. The buffet itself was fairly limited. The food was not particularly hot or fresh, with the low turnout in the restaurant meaning the food was not being replaced often. The one stand out menu item, the bread pudding, was removed from the buffet prior to the end of seating, and was not replaced. I went in hoping to really like The Wave, but overall it was very disappointing. I would not return unless something significantly changed. There are far better breakfast options at Disney, in particular Boma for a buffet, and Kona for a plated breakfast.
The menu had a variety of dishes. I ordered a pasta and seafood dish that was soooo tasty and my kids had a chicken and pasta dish they could not stop talking about. We just went to Disney 2wks ago and even our waitress ASHLEY was so great...she really put a smile on my family's face!
This place was a surprise . I really thought this eatery was going to be all flash and no substance. How badly i was proved wrong . The menu was varied and the food was excellent I had the lamb shank and it was lovely . The mini desserts are brilliantly thought out and the drink menu is full of choice . Ok a tad pricey but i can say it was worth the experience
The opening of The Wave was one of the best things to ever happen to The Contemporary. Dining here is truly a unique and great experience. You feel like you are in one of Disney's Signature restaurants but paying regular table service prices. The decor is warm and welcoming and the wait staff is extremely attentive. I have tried many things on the menu and have yet to have a bad meal. The only area that I feel could use some improvement is the dessert selection. I am not terribly excited by any of the options. I feel like there is so much more potential for great desserts if they went a more traditional route. The Magic Kingdom is definitely lacking in good table service options. The Wave being just a short monorail ride away definitely solves that problem.
My family and I went to The Wave in August and absolutely loved it! We were at Magic Kingdom for the day and just walked over to the Contemporary for dinner and then went back to MK for the evening. The food was great, as well as the service. My boys (ages 7 and 5) loved the chicken nachos! The dessert options were great - we loved getting to sample several different kinds. We would recommend this restaurant to everyone!
I hope this Excellent Customer service commit is received to the correct department! In March my husband and I spend a few days at the Disney World, after a long first day we stopped at the Contemporary Resort restaurant “The Wave”. The dinner wait was long (Not a problem) we decided to set at the bar. Our Bartender Sam Vansant, was fantastic! Besides Excellent service (we decided to eat at the bar because Sam was so helpfully), his knowledge of getting from point A to point B in Disney World saved us time the next day! It great to know that Cast Members even Bartenders have so much knowledge on the ins and outs Disney World! On our next trip to Florida, we are looking forward to going back to the Wave to say hi to Sam!!!! Thanks again Sam! Gina Clapper
Overview: The Wave is the new offering at the Comtemporary Hotel located in the area that used to be the arcade. When considering a theme for this restaurant, Disney decided to go with a New world effect using modern menus, decor, and ethics. Ethics you say? Yes, the majority of the food and drink served in the restaurant are 100% organic. Additionally as a converse to the California Grill located on the top floor (which serves mostly north american, north asian, and european foods/drinks) they decided to make the Wave a 'south of the equator' themed experience. This review encompasses a dinner service. Decor: Upon entering the restaurant, we were immediately taken with the warm amber lighting in contrast to the deep blue decor. Think the blue sky and water against a beach at sunset and you get the idea. You enter through a steel/aluminum series of wave (rip curl) arches lit from within by white and blue led lighting, while the walls are the warm amber. Upon arriving at the entry area, you see that there are two dark blue semi-circle niches in the right hand wall which are used as a seating area for the bar, as well as waiting patrons. Directly behind the wall behind the matre de's desk is the bar itself featuring a small and cozy drinking environment. Heading into the dining area itself, provided us with a sea of tables and booths set off at various locations by curtain draped pillars and dividing walls. The amber and blue motif carries us into the main area with amber metal waves covering the ceiling back lit by amber and yellow neon. Different modern style chandeliers light the various areas providing a very nice warm eating environment. You will not find any pictures on the wall or anything that is not architectural in design as they went for a simple but cozy/warm feel. The tables, chairs, plates, wine glasses, and silverware are all very high class but simple in design. Additionally due to it's location, it is much like Le Cellier in Canada, as it does not have any windows. Menu: While like most Disney eating estblishments, you are only offered a small number of options for entree's. But each of them had a signature style and feel to them and offered a wine pairing for each dish. Additionally they did offer a "renewable" fish of the day entree that I was very close to ordering. Most of the dishes (both entrees and appetizers) had unique flair to them (special sauces, marinated, garnishes). But there were more approachable entrees like the chicken pot pie for those who wanted a simpler faire. The one surprise here was that when I was waiting for our table, I had noticed the bar menu selection of appetizers which was different that those on the normal menu. While I felt that some of those were obviously snack food options for the bar area, there were some that would be well welcome to the dining patron as well. Upon asking our waiter if these selections were available at the table, he assured us it would be no problem to order any of those selections. Prices varries from $6.95 to $12.95 for appetizers and $14.95 to $28.99 for the entrees. Dessert was a fixed price at $7.95. All meals included their hearth baked bread with organic butter topped with sea salt garnish, which was a very nice bread offering and the butter was to die for. Wine: What can I say, the wine selection here is unique. All of the offerings are from southern equator wineries and other than the sparkling wines, every bottle has a screw cap. They feature selections from Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. What makes this wine list amazing is the selections of new fresh wineries from around the world, some of which are only bottling in America for the Wave. When we asked a few questions about the wine list, the bar manager came over and talked with us about many of the options and even suggested a few possibilities. Eventually they offered us samples of two of the wines before choosing. Since we were both having the Chimichuri flank steak for dinner, both offerings were reds. The first was the suggested wine pairing for the entree - the Marquis Phillips "Sarah's Blend" 2006 from South East Australia. A very nice syyrah grape with a smooth overall texture and nice high notes along the back of the palate with a bit of bite. The other wine they suggested was a Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2006 from Malborough New Zealand. This wines even finish and blackberry notes led us to choose it for our selection. It was an excellent choice. About 60% of the wines were available by the glass, and most of the prices were a bit on the pricey side 7-18$ per glass and 30-70$ per bottle but that is not overly surprising due to the small wineries being dealt with. Appetizers: We chose the Potato/Lentil Soup with Brie Grilled Cheese side sandwhich and from the bar menu the Edamame with Sea Salt and Chili. The soup was the soup of the day and provided a creamy, hearty, and very tasty dish. The Brie Grilled Cheese was made for dipping into the soup and was a nice easy compliment to it. The Edamame was not available on the normal menu, but should have been. It was a nicely sweet/hot thai chili sause with sea salt crystals. Inexpensive and delicious. Entree: Both my fiance and I had the Chimichuri Flank steak for our entre. It arrived sliced and done to perfection. The overall presentation was good with the steak resting on a bed of thin sliced carrots and red peppers. The Chimichuri was drizzled over the top and around the edge of the plate. Topping the steak was a dollup of guacamole. The steak itself was tender and juicy spite it being a flank cut. It was prepared exactly to the medium well that I like it, and was an excellent offering. Dessert: Dessert is done a bit differently from other Disney restaurants. Following the example of mini-deserts that are cropping up all over the fern-bar world, The wave decided to offer twelve different desserts falling into four categories. But you can mix and match any three desserts to your choosing. We sampled the raspberry cheesecake, fresh blueberries and gelato, lemon cornbread, chocolate mousse, and Chocolate passion fruit truffle. The servings were enough to get a good taste of each creation. Each dessert was executed well and provided a fine end to a great meal. Out of those we tried, the Cheesecake and the fresh blueberries were the standouts in my mind. Staff: This was the true gem of our visit. From the moment we walked up to the matre de station, we were greeted with a friendly smile. Our waiter was superb, as we watched him go from table to table he treated each group as if they were really special. We struck a chord with him and eventually made a friend as he told us about the restaurant. When we were choosing between the wines, he brought the bar manager over to talk with us about them. And at the end of our three hour meal, when we asked about a recipe for the edamame, he even brought out the head chef and both of them sat at our table and talked with us for a bit. The staff could not get higher marks in my mind. That's what turned a good meal into a fabulous experience. Final Note: If you like good wine, an excellent setting, great staff, and wonderfully inspired foods, you will like the Wave. Each aspect of the experience was above par and combined to make an enjoyable evening. And if you go - Ask for Jimmy V for your waitstaff. You won't be sorry.
my cousin dinned there for each meal on seperate days. really good menu and food, and really great service. it is a must for those staying the hotel , and those who want to go to the contemporary, worth the travel.