Disney World’s Best Breakfast…For A Limited Time!

We’re always looking for great new meals at Walt Disney World, hidden dining gems, and stand out menus that fly under the radar. Our “search” has been busy the last couple of weeks, as many restaurants have reopened and the 2021 Epcot Food & Wine Festival started. Many of those reviews will have to wait, because there’s an excellent new breakfast experience…and the clock is ticking on it!

It might be a little surprising to see such enthusiasm from us about a breakfast at Walt Disney World. We’ve long recommended doing grocery delivery and eating breakfast in your hotel room because many breakfast options are uninspired and/or overpriced. Since reopening, we’ve made that a strong recommendation because food court menus are also scaled back and Mobile Order waits slow things down in the morning.

Of course, there are exceptions to our general “rule” with breakfasts…but several aren’t even available right now. Those that are, such as Ale & Compass Restaurant, are lacking certain items or full components of their meals (like the budget-friendly buffet in the case of Ale & Compass). Another exception is the modified character dining at Topolino’s Terrace, but paying dinner prices for a morning meal is a tough sell for many people.

Another option we’ve enjoyed is breakfast at the Wave. In fact, we’ve liked or loved every meal we’ve ever done at the Wave over the years. As one of Walt Disney World’s less popular dining spots, it never rested on its laurels–prices were always competitive and they actually tried with the cuisine. Despite our fondness for its menu, in recent updates on the Incredibles Injection at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, we’ve expressed optimism about changes coming to the Wave.

While the Wave was underrated from a culinary perspective, its design was dull. Despite many good meals over the years, we never had a strong desire to dine there. To the contrary, the Wave was one of the restaurants best suited for offering Table Service To-Go because you could take the good food and eat it elsewhere. The Wave was a lot like Ale & Compass from that perspective–a strong menu but a boring setting that makes it relatively unpopular with Walt Disney World fans.

At the other end of the spectrum at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is California Grill, the hotel’s iconic rooftop restaurant located on the 15th floor. This is one of the most beloved and iconic restaurants among fans and casual guests alike, some of whom have almost certainly never even heard of the Wave.

In addition to its reputation for fine dining and a menu inspired by the Golden State, California Grill offers panoramic views of Seven Seas Lagoon, Bay Lake, Floridian woodland, other monorail loop resorts, Cinderella Castle, and the rest of Magic Kingdom.

The floor to ceiling windows afford exceptional views of the scenery from the restaurant’s tables, and two viewing decks further elevate the experience.

This is literally the polar opposite of the Wave, a windowless and dark spot on the ground floor of the Contemporary that might as well have been in the basement.

We’ve done California Grill’s “Brunch at the Top” a couple of times previously, and absolutely raved about the experience. While pricey, it was one of our absolute favorite meals at Walt Disney World, and the atmosphere contributed to that in a big way. No surprise there, as we also love the bright and airy vibe of Breakfast Á la Art with Mickey & Friends at Topolino’s Terrace. Unfortunately, California Grill’s brunch has yet to resume.

The Wave of American Flavors now closed for a multi-month reimagining that will open in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, the Contemporary needed another breakfast option. Out of that, an excellent limited time solution was born…

During the closure of the Wave, that restaurant’s breakfast menu is being served at California Grill. This means that guests can enjoy a rare breakfast at California Grill now through September 10, 2021.

Note that if you’re looking to book this breakfast at California Grill, it’s listed in My Disney Experience as “The Wave… Breakfast Served at California Grill.” (When we originally booked it, there was no mention of California Grill at all, making Advance Dining Reservations much easier to score, but that has since been updated in MDX.)

Upon checking in, you’ll receive a pop-up notification in My Disney Experience to head to the normal waiting area for California Grill on the second floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. (Take the stairs/escalator opposite the scrimmed-off entrance to the Wave.)

As with almost every table service restaurant at which we’ve dined in the last couple of months, the Wave/California Grill was running a bit behind, and we were called for our ADR about 15 minutes after our reservation time.

While this wasn’t uncommon even pre-closure, it has become the norm lately, presumably because most restaurants remain short-staffed. As we’ve pointed out several times, this is the same reason why most table service restaurants still have over half their tables out of commission, despite physical distancing being dropped.

On the plus side, our server was perfectly attentive despite having a lot on his plate, so to speak. He checked in with us several times throughout the meal and refilled our drinks regularly.

If you’re planning on booking the Wave Breakfast at California Grill and want some strategy, our recommendation would be to book the latest available seating on your Magic Kingdom day. Do a light meal in your hotel room before leaving for the morning, and then treat this breakfast as brunch or lunch.

This will allow you to rope drop Magic Kingdom, do a few attractions before the crowds arrive, and then walk over to the Contemporary for a mid-morning break right as wait times are peaking. This has a couple of additional advantages. First, you’ll avoid transportation headaches with getting to the Contemporary at the crack of dawn. Second, Magic Kingdom has the weakest restaurant lineup, and you’ll avoid hassling with lunch there. You can apply this same advice to Chef Mickey’s or any breakfast on the monorail loop, for that matter.

Turning to the food, let’s start with a look at the Avocado Toast: “Avocado, Toasted Multigrain Bread, Caramelized Onion Jam (Plant-based).”

One of the great things about this dish, and everything we ordered, is that it’s perfectly shareable thanks to using several smaller pieces of bread. This also makes for fun presentation.

In terms of taste, the Avocado Toast is exceptional.

It has all the hallmarks of delicious avocado toast–fresh with flavorful bread. What takes this to the next level is the caramelized onion jam. This provides a sweet little twist that makes the dish really good.

Next, the Floridian Eggs Benedict: “Two-poached Eggs, Crab Cake with Hollandaise atop toasted English Muffins served with Breakfast Potatoes.”

This is another good, shareable option. Not quite as good as Grand Floridian Cafe’s Signature Benedicts, but pretty close. The cake is high quality, with the crab flavor coming through even under the other ingredients. My concern was that this crab cake would be low quality or loaded with filler since it could be masked by the egg and hollandaise, but that’s definitely not the case. Another great option.

Finally, the Wave Signature Sweet Potato Pancakes: “Served with Pecan-Honey Butter and choice of Bacon, Pork Sausage, or Chicken Sausage.”

We had these once a few years ago on the breakfast buffet at the Wave, and I do not remember them being this good. Maybe we didn’t add the pecan-honey butter before? (That’s an absolute must–the flavor and texture the butter adds takes these already exceptional pancakes to the next level.)

Regardless of whatever else you order, get a round of the Wave Signature Sweet Potato Pancakes for the table.

These puppies are right up there with the Sour Cream Waffle at Topolino’s Terrace as the best waffle/pancake at Walt Disney World. I think these are better. They’re also significantly cheaper, at only $14.

Speaking of which, the price for this trio of items was only $43. That’s exactly $1 more than breakfast for one adult at Topolino’s Terrace. I know it’s not exactly an apples to apples comparison given the character component, but that’s still a pretty big difference.

Most breakfast items at the Wave at $15 or less, so we easily could’ve done breakfast for $30 total. Some might scoff at even that price, but that’s the reality of breakfast anywhere at Walt Disney World. Our last breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe was more expensive (by $1, but still) and we’ve paid over $25 for several recent counter service breakfasts.

Ultimately, the difference between all of those and the Wave Breakfast at California Grill is not just quality, but the overall experience. Just like we’re willing to pay extra for Topolino’s Terrace, so too does the setting of California Grill normally command premium pricing.

This is far and away the cheapest way to dine at California Grill, where the average entree for dinner costs $50.88. To each their own, but a big part of the reason we pay Disney prices for exceptional experiences. It’s not just about the thrill ride, hotel room, or meal itself, but the whole package. The Wave Breakfast at California Grill is exactly that. A great breakfast that would arguably be worth the money by itself, but with the big “bonus” of dining at the top of Walt Disney World with a view overlooking Magic Kingdom. It’s really something special, and if you’re visiting between now and September 2021, booking an ADR at the Wave for breakfast is an absolute no-brainer. It’s the best value for money dining experience at Walt Disney World right now!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Have you done the new limited time Wave Breakfast at California Grill? If not, what about breakfast at the Wave? Brunch at California Grill? Thoughts on the food at the former or atmosphere at the latter? Planning on booking an Advance Dining Reservation for the Wave Breakfast at California Grill? Or, is this still too expensive, inconvenient, etc. in your view? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!