Good morning from Disney’s Contemporary Resort! The Wave… of American Flavors began its refurbishment today, but the classic breakfast is being served at California Grill, instead. We stopped in for a delicious start to our day at the parks.
A sign in front of The Wave… of American Flavors directs guests to California Grill.
Interior
California Grill is, as always, beautiful. The floor-to-ceiling windows provide a wonderful view of sunrise at Walt Disney World.
We spied Space Mountain!
We were the first guests to enjoy The Wave Breakfast at California Grill, and our kind server treated us to champagne to celebrate.
The view of the Magic Kingdom is spectacular.
As with many restaurants around Walt Disney World, a QR code menu is being utilized.
Entrées
The Wave Feast – $20
Eggs Benedict, Scrambled Egg, Bacon, Sausage, Mickey Waffle, Bacon-Cheddar Grits, Breakfast Potatoes, Fresh Fruit
This is served identically to the one at The Wave downstairs. Everything was well cooked and up to expectations. Check out our previous review of The Wave Feast here. All in all, you can’t go wrong with this platter.
Let’s not forget the most important item on the menu! Are the grits at California Grill as good as they are at The Wave? Yes! Fear not, you can still get the same delicious, perfect bacon and cheddar grits, but now with an amazing view. A small dish of grits comes with The Wave Feast, but we love these so much we ordered more as a side for $5.
Avocado Toast – $12
Avocado, Toasted Multigrain Bread, Caramelized Onion Jam (Plant-based)
Indistinguishable from the avocado toast downstairs, it even seems like they brought up the unique slate-like platter they serve it on. Great avocado flavor with a surprise of sweetness from the caramelized onion jam. The pepitas on top add a nice extra crunch.
Eggs Benedict – $15
Two-poached Eggs atop an English Muffin with Canadian Bacon and Hollandaise
These are the traditional style Eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon. The Hollandaise was just right, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. A good Benedict is the measure of a good breakfast, and California Grill measures up.
Wave Signature Sweet Potato Pancakes – $14
Served with Pecan-Honey Butter and choice of Bacon, Pork Sausage, or Chicken Sausage
These are the Wave Signature Sweet Potato Pancakes served with pecan butter. We had a couple that were a little undercooked in the very center, but they are still getting used to cooking these dishes in a new kitchen. We ordered them with the chicken sausage, which had great flavor and texture for a non-pork sausage.
Floridian Eggs Benedict – $17
Two-poached Eggs, Crab Cake with Hollandaise atop toasted English Muffins served with Breakfast Potatoes
The poached eggs were perfectly cooked. They were slightly on the runny side, so when broken open, it mixed with the Hollandaise to create a nice sauce for the crab cake and muffin below. The Hollandaise was subtle and added to the flavor instead of overpowering the dish. The crab was fresh, and the taste complemented the eggs. Highly recommended for eggs Benedict fans that want a Florida twist.
Beverages
Wake-Up Calls
Bay Lake Bloody Mary – $13
St. Augustine Florida Cane Vodka and Bloody Mary mix garnished with Chorizo, Cheddar, and Olives
Our server warned us that there may be a few things they might not be able to find since they moved The Wave upstairs so quickly. The garnish for the Bloody Mary was one of them. The menu says it comes with a garnish of chorizo, cheddar, and olives, but ours had no garnish. That said, it’s still a very good Bloody Mary. It has a good spice, but not too hot, and a rich tomato flavor.
Refillable (Bottomless) Mimosa – $19
Freixenet Blanc de Blancs Brut Sparkling Wine and Orange Juice
The refillable (bottomless) mimosas are still an option here. They are a traditional mimosa with nothing particularly special, but it’s a classic breakfast beverage.
Overall
This was an excellent experience. Coming up here in the morning and getting to watch the park come alive as you enjoy your coffee and grits is like nothing else on property. Everything we ordered was fresh and delicious. It’s the first time they’ve served breakfast here in two decades. This is a limited-time experience until the Wave reopens, so don’t miss it!
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Are they still giving out hard copy menus if asked? My wife and friends don’t typically carry a phone in the parks.
But you didnt say how to reserve. I logged onto my account and went into the WAVE and it wont let me reserve there? It would seem Cali grill also doesn’t have morning hours? what did I miss?
It’s likely full.