The Wave Breakfast Review
*This gluten free and dairy free review took place in December 2018.
Breakfast at The Wave
The Wave, located at Disney's Contemporary Resort, is a table service restaurant that has been on our favorite go-to restaurants on Disney property. Both Brandon and I like the low-key atmosphere and the style of food that is served at the restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On this particular occasion, I joined my family about 3 weeks after I had resection surgery for my Crohn's disease. It was my first meal out at any restaurant. Even though I was cleared to eat solid food and had no major dietary restrictions, I was still not eating much and taking it extremely easy. Thankfully, breakfast can be fairly easy going. And, the chefs at the Wave did an excellent job accommodating me.
Atmosphere
The Wave has a "wave" theme that is present in the chairs, ceiling decor, and just about everywhere you look. If you want to know a bit more about the theming, check out the dining review I posted where I go into a lot of detail about it.
The Wave - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
One of the things that I liked about this visit was that they had some cute holiday decorations up throughout the restaurant.
The Wave - Interior / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
As you can see, when we had breakfast here at around 9 a.m., the restaurant was not very busy at all. We were all surprised that it wasn't more crowded. Of course, it was a Sunday morning which may have affected the crowds.
The Wave - Bar & Waiting Area / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
Even though it wasn't crowded, we did actually have to wait for our table. I always love just hanging out in the lobby area, which includes a bar too. I love the almost underwater vibe the lobby and bar area have.
The Food
The Wave offers both an a la carte and buffet style breakfast options for guests. The a la carte options can be found on a standard allergy-friendly menu, while the buffet options for special dietary guests can be found on an allergen guide. I do recommend that you use these as a starting guide and ask to speak to a chef. They are fantastic at customizing and providing additional options not listed on their allergy-friendly menus.
The Wave / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
I did ask to speak to a chef because I wanted to see if they could help make some super plain breakfast items for me. The chef, whose named I cannot remember, was so awesome. I explained that I'd just had a resection surgery and that I needed to eat pretty simply and blandly. She totally hooked me up with some easy-going breakfast items.
First up, she did bring me some Ener-G gluten free and dairy free toast with Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread. I was told they had a dedicated toast, but do be sure to double-check this before you go. I am always glad they have a GF DF toast option with vegan butter.
The Wave / Photo Taken by Gluten Free & Dairy Free at WDW
For my entree, I ordered the American breakfast which included two eggs cooked to order (in my case I got poached eggs), breakfast potatoes, and choice of bacon, pork sausage, or chicken sausage.
The normal version of this entree includes breakfast potatoes that include peppers and onions. I knew that would definitely not go well with my stomach, so I asked the chef if she could make plain breakfast potatoes, which I've had at the Wave before. I was also on the fence about the chicken sausage, so the chef gave me both sausage and bacon to try. This was a good thing too because I absolutely hated the chicken sausage. My brother, who is a chef, also tried it and said it reminded him of sausages from Sysco (a food vendor) that he's tried before. None of us were fans of the sausage.
I really didn't eat too much of my breakfast, not because it wasn't good, but because my body simply couldn't tolerate too much food. The poached eggs, plain potatoes, and toast were a perfect simple breakfast though. And, my brother and family who were with me at breakfast happily devoured the remains of what I hadn't eaten.
Overall
The Wave is a consistently good experience in terms of food and special dietary needs options. I'll admit that the last few visits we've had have had hit or miss experiences with service. But, in general, the service is typically very good at the Wave too. My family all got the breakfast buffet on this visit and really enjoyed it too.
Have you been to the Wave? What was your experience dining there?