The Wave Breakfast Buffet Review
The Wave is a restaurant in Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World. This review features the breakfast buffet at The Wave…of American Flavors, which we view as a moderately-priced option for which Advance Dining Reservations are typically not required. While The Wave accepts the Disney Dining Plan for breakfast, we do not recommend using DDP table service credits on this meal due to its (relatively) inexpensive price. Various other discounts are also accepted at The Wave.
We’ve dined at The Wave several times since it opened, and it seems like the experience has had its ups and downs over the years. We were big fans of the location when it first opened (which was almost a decade ago, at this point), as it seemed like the kitchen had greater discretion over the menu than other mid-range restaurants at Walt Disney World, and they were doing a lot of inventive things with dishes, and sourcing quality ingredients.
Until doing this breakfast buffet, we had not dined there in a few years, as we felt The Wave menu had been somewhat dumbed-down following its opening. It was still good, but not the ‘hidden gem’ we raved about in our original The Wave Review. (Although in pursuing the dinner menu now, it looks pretty good…but that’s not the point of this review.)
In any case, on this particular morning we had some time to kill before checking into the Polynesian after a redeye flight into Orlando, so we opted for The Wave breakfast buffet…
As far as decor goes, The Wave has a blandly contemporary look to it. There’s a certainly trendiness thanks to the fluid lines and blue lighting in places, but all in all, the location leaves a lot to be desired.
It’s not that the interior isn’t nice–it’s fine–it’s that this is indistinguishable from any regular chain-branded business hotel restaurant. Probably sufficient if you’re a local, but a letdown if you’re on vacation and want to enjoy the best of Walt Disney World’s themed environments.
As for the breakfast buffet, this falls between Trail’s End and Chef Mickey’s in terms of price, albeit much closer to the Trail’s End price (it’s only ~$5 more). It’s also in the middle in terms of quality, just below Trail’s End and above Chef Mickey’s (which isn’t nearly as bad for breakfast as it is for dinner).
Chef Mickey’s is the only one of these 3 breakfasts with characters, though, and you’re paying a significant premium for that.
For breakfast, in addition to the buffet, there’s an a la carte menu with modestly priced items. At first, we debated ordering from this (I really wanted to try the Florida Rock Shrimp Omelet, but it cost almost as much as the buffet), but after noticing some overlap (some of the a la carte items were on the buffet) and wanting to potentially skip lunch, we figured The Wave breakfast buffet was the more cost-effective option.
Now let’s take a look at some of the food on the breakfast buffet…
The Eggs Benedict with Key Lime Hollandaise were, in my estimation, the standout item on the buffet. After giving this a second chance (more on that below), I found this dish excellently prepared, and the subtle lime flavor made it unique. I ended up having 3 of these over the course of the meal.
The Cheddar Grits were also exceptional, and that’s not a word I’d normally use to describe grits of any sort. They had a rich, creaminess that positioned them as tasting like a glorious hybrid of mashed potatoes and mac & cheese (they aren’t, obviously, but that’s the best I can describe them).
Likewise, other items on the buffet that I thought were standouts included the Sweet Potato Pancakes, Tillamook Cheddar Cheese Grits with Nueske’s Smoked Bacon (this meal is basically a “salute to all breakfast foods, but mostly grits”), all of the parfaits, and Smoked Salmon Canape (another item I had 3-4 of).
I was not a fan of the Roasted Vegetable Egg White Frittata or the Mickey Waffles. The former I found to be a bit bland and the latter tasted past their prime.
(Disclosure: I think Mickey waffles are generally overrated; take away the shape and no one is going to talk about these, aside from those who enjoy the taste of cardboard.)
There were also a lot of items on The Wave’s breakfast buffet I skipped over entirely: all of the fruit (“officer, I swear that fruit pictured above is not mine. I was holding it for a friend!”), pastries, breakfast cereal, etc.
Basically, if it’s something I could get at a Holiday Inn’s “free” continental breakfast, I’m not interested. I want to fill up on the unique items, not pointless filler. (If you’re serious about buffets, I don’t need to lecture you on stomach-space allocation.)
As with each of our prior experiences at dining at The Wave, the restaurant was virtually empty. It was maybe 15% full at the start of our meal, and by the end, there were only a few parties. Perhaps it’s no wonder that the ambitious nature of the restaurant has been reeled back a bit?
I think the emptiness of the restaurant is important to mention here. Not because it’s nice to have a meal in a relaxed environment away from other people, but because a buffet somewhat depends upon a sufficient number of guests consuming each item on the buffet in order for new, fresh replacements to be placed on the buffet. Without this, food can linger under the heat lamp.
This was our experience our first round we went up to the buffet, and both of us were unimpressed. It was easy to tell a few of the things had been sitting out for a while. We had plenty of time to kill waiting for our room, so we started being a bit more deliberate in our selections. We waited until new trays of particular items had been brought out, and then focused on those. (Fortunately, the kitchen seemed to switch out trays before they were empty in many cases.) The difference between the first round and subsequent ones was night and day.
As such, and bucking the advice of virtually every other article on this blog, we would recommend choosing times to go to The Wave when it’s busy. Free Dining is going to be ideal (even though we don’t recommend using Disney Dining Plan credits on the buffet). Other good times will be the pre-rope drop rush, weekends, the Christmas season, or when the Contemporary is hosting a convention. You probably want to avoid 10 a.m. on a weekday in February.
Overall, when it’s firing on all cylinders and everything is fresh, we would consider The Wave breakfast buffet one of the best breakfasts at Walt Disney World. Of options we’ve recently experienced, it’s a rung below Trail’s End and Boma, but above virtually everything else. If you’re willing to jump through the hoops, our top recommendation for this area remains Trail’s End, but getting there, eating, and getting to the park before rope drop is something of a hassle. The Wave’s breakfast buffet has a distinct advantage in being within walking distance of Magic Kingdom, making it an easy and satisfying way to start a morning. We’ll definitely be back; the next time we go, we’ll time our meal here strategically, probably on a weekend during Free Dining season when it’s most likely to be busy.
Thank you! Their breakfast looks sooo good, but I’m staying at Kidani so I guess I’ll stick with Boma. I had no issues with loading and found your review very thoughtful.
Thank you for this post, but it was my first (& last) visit to your site. First, it’s so overrun with ads it takes too long to load and stalls in scrolling. I won’t be a party to you making money off of a significantly lacking site, especially in comparison to so many others.
Second, this review is incredibly close-minded. I am looking at this as an option because my mother specifically wants a buffet, which is a tough find at Disney. More importantly, in her elderly age she doesn’t hear, see, or move around that well. So finding a quiet, calm environment is important. The noise of characters at Chef Mickey’s and the crowded small room around the buffet at Trail’s End, aren’t good options for us. I suggest considering other audience populations in your writing.
That’s great! From the post you learned that the Wave Breakfast Buffet has good food and you now know when to avoid it (free dining, Christmas season, weekends, etc…) because it will be busy. What a great option for you and your mother!
Perhaps you should check your internet speed. It sounds like it may be slow. If you test it and it’s slower than it should be, your internet provider can probably fix the problem.
I hope you get your money back. You should definitely demand a refund for this review! Wait … what’s that? You didn’t pay to read this review? Well then, quit your bellyaching.
Tried the Wave on our last trip for breakfast. The food was great with a huge selection, but I would never head back there..even for lunch or dinner. Too dark and plain for Disney dining. I rarely enjoy a restaurant without windows so if it does not have any windows it better have a unique theme or ambience. The Wave has neither. Not sure why this restaurant even exists. Move on people to the nearest food court.
Thank you for this post. I had read it before our trip in February and this recommendation turned out to be perfect for our mid week when we wanted to take things a little slower. The food was excellent. Our six and nine year olds found things they loved and my husband and I both liked the buffet choices too. The yogurt parfaits were delicious. The croissants were high quality. The service was great. The restaurant wasn’t crowded. It was the perfect place to have a nice breakfast away from crowds. Our whole family really enjoyed it. In fact, we think we will choose this over The Crystal Palace on our next trip to Magic Kingdom. Thank you for this review. Your blog has been an invaluable help in planning our last two Disney trips! I’m a huge fan of the work you do here! Thank you so much!
We went there on our last trip because everything else was booked and we have been trying to branch out. My mom and I LOVED it. It was actually nice to not start the day off super stimulated. Especially since we went during a very busy weekend. I noticed that the food was getting switched out often..or maybe just when we went up to the buffet!
The cheese grits were a religious experience, and we have tried to recreate them at home!
For the price especially with the AP discount, I see it as a hidden gem!
Our family of four adults dined there for breakfast in September 2015. It was our first time. The crowd was sparse, the food standard and the atmosphere a big disappointment (more like a big hotel’s banquet room). I dine at Disney for the atmosphere and the food, otherwise I will go outside to one of the many chain restaurants. I had my last meal there.
I agree it’s delicious, especially this cheese grits and the sweet potato pancakes. They also honor the AP discount!
This is a hidden gem in my opinion. For the price and quality of the food I really enjoyed it. The Key Lime Benedict stole the show for me and I definitely got my moneys worth with those. The cast members were awesome and very friendly. If you remember ask to try the green stuff! Its a refreshing drink that as you would guess is green. All in all one of my favorite meals in all of WDW
My last trip, I discovered that The Wave had biscuits & gravy in the buffet. Let’s just say that was where I got more than my money’s worth (big win for me!). Best biscuits and gravy I ever had! Definitely will go there for multiple breakfasts when I can afford another trip.
The Wave breakfast buffet is one of our go-to meals! We like to do it when we’re checking out of BLT and waiting for Magical Express. Next time we’re switching it up with Trail’s End brunch, which we’re finally doing because we can easily take a boat from where we’re staying. Hope it lives up to the hype!
So, I’ve had my fair share of cardboard-tasting Mickey Waffles, but if you can get one immediately after it’s made, they’re actually amazing — one of the best waffles I’ve ever had. It seems that the window between fluffy and delicious, and cold cardboard is a very narrow one. Even trying to take them back to your room from a quick service location means you’re going to miss out. Or spending a few minutes taking photos…. 😛
Went to the Wave twice on our last November trip-dinnertime was packed, and luckily we had ADRs. Food was good. We also did the Sunday breakfast buffet, which was also reasonably full. The pumpkin bread pudding was a hit with the table, and the fruit was very fresh and tasty. Lots of options to satisfy children as well.