Dining at The Wave--At The Contemporary Resort

Each trip to the Walt Disney World Resort bring new experiences for our family.  During our 19th trip to the middle of the magic which included Christmas and New Years, brought us the experience of The Wave . .  of American Flavors at The Contemporary Resort.

The Wave is located on the first floor of The Contemporary, past the registration desk to the far left.  Bathrooms are located just outside The Wave and features the BEST paper towels ever--in the bathrooms, not the restaurant.

The entrance has a slight decline with a check-in desk at the end along with waiting areas located to the right.  We had a reservation for breakfast.  Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR) are recommended for this table-service restaurant.  We arrived early and were seated right away.

We weren't staying at The Contemporary, but it was still easy to get there.  We took the bus from our resort to the Magic Kingdom and then took the side walk to the right of the Magic Kingdom entrance that leads to The Contemporary.  We could have hopped on the monorail, too.  From our perspective, the walk from the bus drop off to the monorail station is almost the same distance as walking directly to The Contemporary from the bus drop off.  The only downside was that since the security/bag checks have been moved, we had to have our bags checked and go through security, even though we weren't heading into the park.  We told security guards where we were going and it didn't make a difference.  There was another bag check/security check on the side walk for guests walking to Magic Kingdom.  We were able to walk past that check as we were walking away from the park.  

Once we were seated, our waitress appeared with the menu pictured above.  While the menu for breakfast contains a la carte items, we went for the buffet.  The price for the breakfast buffet was not listed on the menu so I asked.  $23 per person.  If using the Dining Plan this is one table service credit and includes a beverage.  Annual Passholder discounts are also available.

The buffet features many breakfast yummies including some of the best grits the husband has ever eaten and sweet potato pancakes.  Cold cereal is available just opposite the buffet as a selection.  Hot syrup is dispensed into small pitchers for the pancakes, Mickey waffles, and french toast.

Steel-cut oatmeal was also on the buffet.  I wanted brown sugar and the waitress delivered it to the table.  Other sugar packet choices were available on the table.

One of The Wave's specialties is the pecan honey butter, shown above, along with the plain better and jam that is delivered to the table in the cute three-squared serving plate.

We also ordered the refillable mimosa--which allows for the original serving plus 2 refills for $18.  A single mimosa was on the menu for $10.

Contemporary Resort Decor Just Outside The Wave

All of us were very satisfied with the meal and agreed we could dine at The Wave another time.  The Wave serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, something that many resort restaurants do not do--most are just breakfast and dinner. 

Click here to go directly to The Wave's website.

After breakfast, our destination was EPCOT, so we took the escalators upstairs, went through the bag check/security prior to the monorail entrance, and changed to the EPCOT monorail at the Ticket and Transportation Center.  Note:  There is no bus to EPCOT from The Contemporary due to monorail access.  The escalators are just outside the entrance to The Wave, so are very easy to find.  And, if guests are arriving to The Contemporary via the monorail, it is easy to take the monorails down stairs to The Wave.

An Afternoon At The Contemporary Resort

Can you enjoy Walt Disney World without going to the theme parks?  What?  Not going to the theme parks?  Yep, not going to the theme parks.  During our December 2012 Walt Disney World stay, after our holiday Disney cruise on the Dream, we decided to purchase only one park ticket day and to enjoy a day at Walt Disney World without going to the theme parks. 

While our morning was spent dining at our resort and visiting Downtown Disney, after lunch, we decided to catch a bus to the Contemporary.  Actually, I was on a quest to find and purchase a 2013 Disney wall calendar and after searching all the stores at Downtown Disney thought I might try my luck at the shops at the Contemporary.

The bus drops guests off near the entrance.  We proceeded past the check-in desks to the escalators for the ride to the fourth floor, where the shops, arcade, food court, and Chef Mickey’s is located.

We were greeted by a giant gingerbread Christmas Tree and took a time out to savor the aroma and capture a few photos.

The husband and son decided to try out the arcade.  Our travel package included a voucher for arcade points and we had the voucher with us, so it was off to the arcade for some free play while I scoured the shops only to come up empty handed.

All that playing and shopping made us hungry and thirsty.  We used our snack credits in one of the shops to purchase some decadent sweet treats and then whipped out our refillable mugs and filled them at the food court where we found a table and took a break.

Since we had a dinner reservation “next door” at the Wilderness Lodge—click here to read more—we decided to take the boat launch.  Back down the escalators to the 2^nd floor and out onto the pool/marina deck.  A short, yet scenic walk to the pier was followed by a wait for the boat launch to Wilderness Lodge.  Soon enough we were on are way and enjoyed the boat ride in the afternoon sun.

So, can you be at Walt Disney World, not at a theme park, and still have a good time?  Yes!  The answer is yes!  This day gave us a chance to explore, take our time, and take advantage of Disney transportation.