Disney Dining Review: Lunch at The Wave

If you’re looking for a place that offers delicious food options, decent pricing, and a classy atmosphere…(and really, who isn’t?!) You may want to seriously consider dining at The Wave restaurant during your next Disney vacation.

In this post, I’ll be sharing everything you need to know, such as the location, dining atmosphere, food options, quality, and other helpful tips and tricks.

I’m also excited to share how this little joint actually took me by surprise! I always go into every dining review with a “no expectations” approach. But The Wave really won me over! This is one of those hidden gems that are so fun to stumble across. This actually might be one of my new favorites!

Location

The Wave is located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. From the main entrance, it’s located on the lower level of the resort and right across from the escalators.

If you’re coming in from the Monorail, you’ll be arriving on the fourth floor. You’ll need to go down to the first floor to find The Wave.

As you enter from the main lobby, you’ll find the Contemporary Grounds coffee bar to your right, the concierge to your left, with The Wave located straight back on the right.

Parking

Many Disney guests aren’t aware that you do not have to be staying at a specific Disney Resort to eat at one of their restaurants. As long as you have a dining reservation, you are welcome to visit that resort.

For this trip, I was able to snag a very last-minute lunch reservation. Since so many Disney fans just rave about this place, I was really excited to try it out!

To be allowed entry, I simply drove to the main entrance gate of the resort. I was asked to give my last name and show a picture ID. The Cast Member confirmed that I had a dining reservation and then directed me where to park.

There was ample parking available during my visit. I was able to park right in the first front lot. This is just right outside of the main entrance. Easy peasy!

Check-In Process

Once I stepped into the lobby, I used the My Disney Experience App to check-in to the restaurant. I immediately received a text message confirming my check-in and I was able to select that I’d like a text message to be sent once my table was ready.

This process is really simple and easy to use! I’ve done this for most of my dining experiences at Disney post the COVID-19 reopening. I love the convenience. It also gives me a little time to explore the resort or the surrounding area while I wait for my table.

Disney’s Contemporary lobby is sleek but welcoming. The decor is well, contemporary…LOL! It has a modern feel and is decorated in warm earth tones.

You’ll notice the modern concierge counter, but also lots of seating areas situated around the lobby. As mentioned above, there’s a little coffee bar that offers coffee, teas, soft drinks, and bakery items. If you do end up having to wait, it’s nice to know that you can get started with a cup of coffee and have a nice area to relax in. 😀

Dining Atmosphere at The Wave

It was really only a few minutes before I received the notification that my table was ready.

I made my way over to the entrance of the restaurant. A friendly Cast Member greeted me and quickly took my temperature. Once given the all-clear, I got to walk through this awesome wave tunnel to the host stand. I ain’t gonna lie, one of the main reasons to eat here is for this cool picture!!

As soon as I walked down the wave tunnel, I was greeted again by the hosts and taken promptly to my table. Even with their masks, you can see how friendly and welcoming they are!

The Wave – Lounge Area

At the entrance, I also noticed additional seating and lounge areas should you decided to walk up and wait for seating.

Directly behind the hosts’ stand is the lounge area. You do not need a reservation to sit here. Availability is first-come, first-serve. I could see that groups of chairs were socially distanced with ample space given between parties.

But let’s just talk about the atmosphere in here! This lounge is a mood, ya’ll! Look at the dim lighting, sparkly lights on the ceiling, and the mood lighting under the bar. This would be a really fun place to catch a drink or evening nightcap one night during your Disney Vacation.

Dining Room

The dining area at The Wave has a contemporary, yet cozy feel. Some of the decor is on the dark side, making it feel a bit dated. At least that was my first impression. The backs of the chairs are made of metal waves and the carpet throws me back to my early ’90s childhood!

The Wave really embraced actual waves as part of their theming. You can see waves on the chairs, artwork, curtains, and even on the ceiling!

It sort of gives me all the ’90s Art Deco vibes, no?! 😀

Even though the dining area felt a bit dated, it was immaculate! Everything was very clean and I witnessed the staff cleaning and maintaining health and safety measures.

The wait staff wore face masks, visors, and I witnessed them cleaning and wiping down areas throughout my visit.

The restaurant was nearly empty during the time of my visit. And signs were placed on every other table in order to block them off to maintain distancing.

At first look, the dining area appears to be on the smaller side, especially in terms of Disney-sized restaurants, but there was ample seating. There were large booths lining the side walls. These would be great places to sit for large families.

Tables that seated groups of either 4-6 were stationed in the center of the restaurant.

There were also half-booth type tables lining the back wall That’s where I sat and this was nice and I was able to view the entire dining area.

As I was being seated, my server informed me that the menu would be available via a digital format. I simply scanned the QR code and the menu popped right up on my phone.

My server promptly took my drinker order while I was looking over the menu. I love asking Cast Members for recommendations, especially in regards to their adult beverages. 😀 Since it was a warmer afternoon and still the lunch hour, my server suggested their house Chardonnay.

The wine and a cool glass of water were out in no time, as well as a fresh set of silverware and a cloth napkin.

The Chardonnay was lovely! It was nice and chilled and also very refreshing! There wasn’t an overly buttery taste either. Sometimes I feel chardonnays can taste that way. This one had fruity overtones and was light and crisp.

The Wave Review – Digital Menu

The menu offerings at The Wave are classic American cuisine. I posted screenshots of the digital menu that was available on the day of my visit.

For lunch, you’ll see that there are fresh salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, and even seafood options. These might seem like ordinary lunch offerings, but I have to say that my meal was fabulous. More details on that below!

Their breakfast menu offers seasonal fresh fruit, oatmeal, omelets, and sweet potato pancakes. The Kids’ menu even has Mickey Waffles! Freshly roasted coffee, breakfast cocktails, milk, and juices are also available.

Dinner options include a beef and pork tenderloin, roasted chicken, and a Tikka Masala as some of their most popular items. There are also fresh salads, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. Vegetarian and allergy-friendly options are also available.

To see The Wave’s full menu you can click {HERE}.

The Wave – Appetizers

For my appetizer, I decided on the Cauliflower Taco. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sounded very interesting…

I can tell you though, that I wasn’t expecting these beauties! For an appetizer, I also wasn’t expecting a full-sized meal portion! Wow!

The Cauliflower Taco is completely plant-based. It’s made with a fresh tortilla, a creamy salsa verde sauce, and roasted cauliflower. The cauliflower is purple!! The seasoning on the cauliflower was SO good too!

I know cauliflower seems to be all the rage these days, but this did not disappoint especially in terms of heartiness or flavor! It was also topped off with spicy slaw, freshly sliced avocado, and another type of sauce…possibly guacamole?

Whatever it was…this was AMAZING! I highly recommend and these are available on both the lunch and dinner menus as an appetizer.

Main Course – The Wave

For my main entrée, I settled on the Chicken Sandwich. While this might seem like a boring option, let me just inform you that this might be one of the best lunches I’ve had in all of Walt Disney World.

It at least ranks in my top 5.

Yup.

For starters, this came out very quickly! The kitchen staff was on point at The Wave! I loved the presentation with the fries in the wire basket.

I couldn’t help but start off by trying the fries. Oh, these were really yummy! The fries were thinly sliced waffles fries and crisped to perfection. These were not soggy at all, making me assume these might have been air-fried. (Even if they weren’t, they had the same light and crispy texture.) They were salted and slightly seasoned as well.

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve had better fries. That’s a bold statement. I know. But ya’ll, these were GOOD!

All the Details

I know people might think I’m crazy, but as a Disney blogger, I gotta make sure I do the full reporting for you guys!

And that means to make sure to investigate every layer of this sandwich…and I gotta admit…I was impressed! This is kinda what sandwich dreams are made of!

The Brioche Bun was served warm and slightly grilled. The next layer was a fresh Butter Lettuce leaf. And look at that tomato! Even the tomato was seasoned perfectly!

Third, was a sliced avocado…followed by the applewood bacon, herbed-marinated chicken breast, and a thin layer of Lemon Aïoli.

Here’s the inside view of all of those delicious layers! I’m sure you can tell just from the photo that this was a VERY tasty chicken sandwich. The chicken breast was moist, and all of the flavors combined so well!

I really enjoyed the Lemon Aïoli. It added that last piece of flavor to really make this sandwich stand out. It had a nice garlic flavor, but the lemon added a bit of brightness to the sandwich.

My only complaint and it’s a small one is about the bacon. I like my bacon nice and crisp, and the pieces on here were a little soft. I ended up taking off the softer pieces. It was an easy fix, but this is something you could specify to your waiter if you like your bacon more on the crisp side too.

WOW! Overall, I was impressed! I left The Wave with a full tummy and I was completely satisfied! I think you will be too!

Hours & Pricing

• Breakfast – 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Adult Meals – Average $15, Kids’ Meals – Average $10

• Lunch – 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM

Adult Meals – Average $15, Kids’ Meals – Average $11 

• Dinner – 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Adult Meals – Average $22, Kid’s Meals – $11

Available Discounts :

Annual Passholders – 10%

Tables in Wonderland – 20%

Disney Visa Cardmembers discount is also available.

More Helpful Info

• If you want to be sure to dine at The Wave, you can make your reservation up to 60 days in advance.
• However, if you do decide to try it out last minute, this location typically has online and walk-up availability. Also, consider asking to sit in the lounge area.
• If you’re at the Magic Kingdom for the day, you may want to think about eating at The Wave for a meal. The prices are VERY comparable to the Quick-Service options within the Magic Kingdom, but with much better quality. The Contemporary Resort is just a quick five-minute walk from the Magic Kingdom and would be a nice break in your day.
• You can also take the Monorail back to the Magic Kingdom, and enjoy a relaxing ride around the Seven Seas Lagoon while your lunch digests.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m always happy to help. Reach out to me below or on any of my social media channels. We visit the parks every week, so if you’d like to follow along, be sure to join me on INSTAGRAM. I’d love to see you there!

You can also pin this post for later. Just click on the Pin It button below. 😀

Other dining Reviews:

Review: Breakfast à la Art at Topolino’s Terrace

Review: Gideon’s Bakehouse is Now Open in Disney Springs