Trip Report It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! COMPLETED

Rista1313 · Dec 27, 2019

I'm a bit late in say.. but I hope your Holiday was spectacular!

Tuvalu · Dec 28, 2019

MissViv said:
Just checking back in … I think you are there again now at POFQ? Looks like a rainout for yesterday and today but nice weather for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Anxiously awaiting more from your trips! Have a great trip and Christmas!!

Thanks for checking in MissViv! We did have lots of rain on trip #2. I hope to continue with trip #1 adventures soon!

amjt660 said:
This one looked odd so I looked it up...
I stand corrected

what has happened to the English language?

Max

I'm surprised you doubted me.

wdwfamilynh said:
The Wave is one of the few ADRs that has remained on our list each trip since 2005

lindawdw said:
I hope you enjoyed your meal at The Wave as it's one of our favorites at WDW!!!

Nice to see some praise for The Wave!

Tiggertoo56 said:
Love reading your report and looking at Christmas in WDW, it's quite mild here in the south west of England instead of being cold today. Wishing all Magicians happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

krisri18 said:
Merry Christmas Tuvalu and Family!

Rista1313 said:
I'm a bit late in say.. but I hope your Holiday was spectacular!

Thanks and a Happy New Year to all of you!

slipperalwaysfits · Dec 28, 2019

I've been reading, but easily distracted by the holidays!
Sounds like you are having a great trip, so far!!! :geek:

I was surprised you were headed to THE WAVE. I haven't been there yet, but some friends went and said it was a great experience!

Tuvalu · Dec 31, 2019

Time to pick up where I left off. (Appreciate your patient inquiring mind, @Disney Loving Swede. :happy:

)

Monday, con’t

Woody and I walked down the tunnel and entered The Wave. I must confess that any design symbolism with said tunnel is lost on me. Are we going unda the sea? This is not a seafood-centric restaurant. And it’s located inside the Contemporary Resort.....not Beach Club or Yacht Club or Boardwalk, where a water theme would be more appropriate. My best guess is the Imagineers were trying to be creative with the windowless space. (It formerly held the Fiesta Food and Fun Center, a huge arcade and snack bar with double glass doors to the outside providing the only natural light.)

We checked in at the front desk and were told to take a seat until our table was ready.

The waiting area was very dark....except for the glowing blue lights from the alcove, which provides seating for lounge patrons. (The bar is directly behind the check in desk.)

I don’t understand stand the protocol of giving your cell number to the host for a “table ready” text when the restaurant is not busy and there are few (or in our case, none) others waiting to be seated. This isn’t unique to The Wave; it happens at other Disney restaurants.

Anyway, less than three minutes after checking in my phone buzzed with the “table ready” text.

The dining area was not as dark as my photo portrays. I liked the wave formation on the chair backs.

We perused the menu before our server arrived. As I posted earlier there were several dishes that interested us.

I am kicking myself for not noting our server’s name. He was the pinnacle of professionalism ~ friendly but not chummy; knowledgeable but not snooty; properly attentive but not overbearing (and no “disappearing act.”) In a word, he was GREAT. He provided the kind of service one expects at a signature restaurant (and The Wave is not a sig.) Woody and I felt like royals.

Our meal started with multigrain bread which is baked fresh daily. It was soft and warm. The sea-salted butter spread easily and melted into the dough. We could have easily polished off the entire loaf but did not want to make the rookie mistake of filling up on bread.

As we waited for our entreés we experienced the only blip of the evening.

The fire alarm went off.

Woody and I glanced around. I immediately had a flashback to our Gran Destino alarm last August. Oddly, no one in the restaurant moved.

“Should we get up?” I asked Woody. He just shrugged. (You may remember he was unperturbed by the Gran Destino incident.

)

The alarm sounded for 15-20 seconds and then stopped. It was business as usual in the dining area. We figured our lives weren’t in jeopardy so we stayed put.

Shortly afterwards our food arrived. Woody had the pork tenderloin with smoked cheddar grits. I disdain grits, but I like smoky cheese and had to try a forkful.

Woody was lucky I left any on his plate. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

The pork was tender and full of flavor too. It would be easy to say I regretted not ordering the pork and grits, but I LOVED my dinner too!

The pan-seared herbed chicken breast was moist and very tasty. The accompanying sauces for the chicken and potatoes were yum-o!

Woody commented that both of our meals could easily be served at the California Grill (at twice the price) ~ they were THAT good.

As was our previously mentioned server.

Your accolades of The Wave @wdwfamilynh, @lindawdw and @slipperalwaysfits are spot-on.

We’ll be back.

93boomer · Dec 31, 2019

Tuvalu said:
View attachment 437574

Time to pick up where I left off. (Appreciate your patient inquiring mind, @Disney Loving Swede. )

Monday, con’t

Woody and I walked down the tunnel and entered The Wave. I must confess that any design symbolism with said tunnel is lost on me. Are we going unda the sea? This is not a seafood-centric restaurant. And it’s located inside the Contemporary Resort.....not Beach Club or Yacht Club or Boardwalk, where a water theme would be more appropriate. My best guess is the Imagineers were trying to be creative with the windowless space. (It formerly held the Fiesta Food and Fun Center, a huge arcade and snack bar with double glass doors to the outside providing the only natural light.)

We checked in at the front desk and were told to take a seat until our table was ready.

View attachment 437575

The waiting area was very dark....except for the glowing blue lights from the alcove, which provides seating for lounge patrons. (The bar is directly behind the check in desk.)

View attachment 437576

I don’t understand stand the protocol of giving your cell number to the host for a “table ready” text when the restaurant is not busy and there are few (or in our case, none) others waiting to be seated. This isn’t unique to The Wave; it happens at other Disney restaurants.

Anyway, less than three minutes after checking in my phone buzzed with the “table ready” text.

The dining area was not as dark as my photo portrays. I liked the wave formation on the chair backs.

View attachment 437577

We perused the menu before our server arrived. As I posted earlier there were several dishes that interested us.

View attachment 437578

I am kicking myself for not noting our server’s name. He was the pinnacle of professionalism ~ friendly but not chummy; knowledgeable but not snooty; properly attentive but not overbearing (and no “disappearing act.”) In a word, he was GREAT. He provided the kind of service one expects at a signature restaurant, and The Wave is not a sig. Woody and I felt like royals.

Our meal started with multigrain bread which is baked fresh daily. It was soft and warm. The sea-salted butter spread easily and melted into the dough. We could have easily polished off the entire loaf but did not want to make the rookie mistake of filling up on bread.

View attachment 437579

As we waited for our entreés we experienced the only blip of the evening.

The fire alarm went off.

Woody and I glanced around. I immediately had a flashback to our Gran Destino alarm last August. Oddly, no one in the restaurant moved.

“Should we get up?” I asked Woody. He just shrugged. (You may remember he was unperturbed by the Gran Destino incident. )

The alarm sounded for 15-20 seconds and then stopped. It was business as usual in the dining area. We figured our lives weren’t in jeopardy so we stayed put.

Shortly afterwards our food arrived. Woody had the pork tenderloin with smoked cheddar grits. I disdain grits, but I like smoky cheese and had to try a forkful.

Woody was lucky I left any on his plate. OH. MY. GOODNESS.

View attachment 437580

The pork was tender and full of flavor too. It would be easy to say I regretted not ordering the pork and grits, but I LOVED my dinner too!

The pan-seared herbed chicken breast was moist and very tasty. The accompanying sauces for the chicken and potatoes were yum-o!

View attachment 437581

Woody commented that both of our meals could easily be served at the California Grill (at twice the price) ~ they were THAT good.

As was our previously mentioned server.

Your accolades of The Wave @wdwfamilynh, @lindawdw and @slipperalwaysfits are spot-on.

We’ll be back.

You are making me hungry girl!!

Zipadeelady · Dec 31, 2019

Glad to have you back. Now I need to go have lunch a little early after that post. :hungry:

MissViv · Dec 31, 2019

Sounds yummy - I will have to give it a try when I am there in March.

dizfan917 · Dec 31, 2019

Do you think that entering the mobile number and getting the text "completes the cycle" of the reservation? Maybe that way they know that you showed up and actually used your reservation (and so you don't get charged for a 'no-show')? That might be why it happens everywhere, hey?

I've never been to The Wave... I may have to check it out in September. :geek:

Happy New Year!!

slipperalwaysfits · Dec 31, 2019

YAY!!!!!!!!!! So glad you enjoyed The WAVE! :geek:

Darstarr · Dec 31, 2019

We tried the Wave last Christmas trip.

The best part, for me was the professional level of service.

Oh bother! · Dec 31, 2019

dizfan917 said:
Do you think that entering the mobile number and getting the text "completes the cycle" of the reservation? Maybe that way they know that you showed up and actually used your reservation (and so you don't get charged for a 'no-show')? That might be why it happens everywhere, hey?

I've never been to The Wave... I may have to check it out in September.

Happy New Year!!

Nope.... as if you have a non-US number they either give you a pager or skip it all together and just call you so I don’t think it can be used for that.

Swissmiss · Dec 31, 2019

Oh bother! said:
Nope.... as if you have a non-US number they either give you a pager or skip it all together and just call you so I don’t think it can be used for that.

You were lucky - on my last trip two years ago one restaurant CM was very rude about me not having a US number and when I asked about a pager was told they no longer used them and it was basically “my problem” for not having a US number!

Oh bother! · Dec 31, 2019

Swissmiss said:
You were lucky - on my last trip two years ago one restaurant CM was very rude about me not having a US number and when I asked about a pager was told they no longer used them and it was basically “my problem” for not having a US number!

Wow, that’s awful!
We didn’t have any issues with either pagers or just being asked ( politely) to wait where we could hear our names called either on the trip we’ve just come back from or during our 2018 visit. They have so many international guests at WDW it cannot be an unusual occurrence!

SharonD · Dec 31, 2019

Wow! Dinner at the Wave looked great. May have to give it another try.

Swissmiss · Dec 31, 2019

Oh bother! said:
Wow, that’s awful!
We didn’t have any issues with either pagers or just being asked ( politely) to wait where we could hear our names called either on the trip we’ve just come back from or during our 2018 visit. They have so many international guests at WDW it cannot be an unusual occurrence!

That‘s what I said as well (that I was sure I wasn’t their first or last international guest); I think the person checking in was having a bad day/did not want to be at work and their snark came out at me.

MinnieM123 · Jan 1, 2020

The Wave looked really nice inside. Nice atmosphere, and I'm glad that you two had a great meal with excellent service.

To Tuvalu and family (with a special New Year's Day shout-out to Tuvalette and Tuvaleen) -- :joyfull:

myhappyplace · Jan 1, 2020

I enjoyed my meal at The Wave in June, and most particularly--yes!! The grits are amazing!!! I was always so-so on grits, but these were so smooth and tasty! I would go there just for them...glad you enjoyed your meal!

Rista1313 · Jan 1, 2020

Disdain grits? Are you even from the south?

I am the yankee who loves grits!

Loco_driver · Jan 1, 2020

Both of your dishes from the wave looked pretty great. I do like grits with cheese, I don’t care for them any other way. Looks like I should be putting The Wave on my list! Happy new year to you!

Darstarr · Jan 1, 2020

Loco_driver said:
Both of your dishes from the wave looked pretty great. I do like grits with cheese, I don’t care for them any other way. Looks like I should be putting The Wave on my list! Happy new year to you!

@Tuvalu is costing you money too!

That restaurant list of yours is getting pretty long

Put Dole Whip on it and step away from the dark side

Trip Report It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! COMPLETED

Rista1313

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Tuvalu

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Oh bother!

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Oh bother!

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Trip Report It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! *COMPLETED*

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Trip Report It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! COMPLETED