What do you think? Is this room cool? Would you-or your little pirate-like to stay here? Leave me a comment and let’s talk.

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The new restaurant is “bold cooking inspired by fresh markets,” said Dieter Hannig, vice president of new concepts for Walt Disney World Food & Beverage. “America is more and more a melting pot, and The Wave features American cooking with world flavors.”

Guests enter the stylish new space on the first floor of the hotel through a brushed steel arch “tunnel” into The Wave’s lounge, one of the largest at Walt Disney World Resort. The sleek, serene décor is earthy browns and golds, with frosted glass lamps for soft ambient light and a copper-colored metal ceiling. Banquettes and booths line the perimeter of the dining room, and wooden tables are set with white linen napkins. A large central table is draped in sheer fabric in purples and golds.
Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the 220-seat restaurant takes casual dining into the health-conscious 21st century. “Lots of stocks, lots of broths and seasonal ingredients keep the menu well balanced,” said Chef Frank Brough. “We are sourcing ingredients locally and regionally to create fresh flavors, and our fresh catch of the day features sustainable seafood.” from the Disney press release

The restaurant is beautiful and it has a contemporary yet inviting tone to it. We were greeted by so many Disney cast members our heads were spinning! We met everyone from the head of marketing for all 450 of Disney World’s dining establishments, to the manager and bartender of The Wave and others I can’t begin to remember.

I am not a food or wine connoisseur, nor do I pretend to be. We did learn that they use a lot of organically grown ingredients in the dishes at The Wave. The Colombian coffee is organic Colombian (fair trade and “Smithsonian-certified bird-friendly”). The Wave only serves wines from the southern hemisphere and only wines with screw-tops, no cork in these bottles. This initiative supports sustainable agriculture.

Our soup course was a sampler of two of the soups available that day. On the left is the delicious avocado citrus soup. In the center is a slice of a grilled brie cheese sandwich (this was heavenly) and then a black bean chili, which I didn’t really care for.

My main course was a spicy grilled chicken sandwich with arugula, tomatoes, and goat cheese herb spread on multi-grain bread with grilled potatoes. It was light and delicious.

The Wave has a well rounded menu and even a picky eater like me found plenty to eat. If you would like more information on the menu and prices you can check them out at these links. Breakfast Lunch Dinner Child’s Menu

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The Characters in Flight balloon is the world’s largest tethered gas balloon. The 72 feet in diameter balloon is filled with 210,000 cubic feet of a lighter-than-air gas. The gondola is 19 feet in diameter and can hold up to 29 guests plus the pilot.

I was very excited when I saw on my Florida Mom Blogger’s Mixer itinerary that we would be riding Characters in Flight, weather permitting. I have wanted to fly in a hot-air balloon for years and I figured this ride would be a good test to see if I was comfortable “floating” in the air.

Saturday morning was rather windy and when our group of 13 arrived we were told they could only take 4 of us at a time. So, we took 2 groups of 4 and our hosts (aka the chickens) chose not to ride. The view was magnificent! When you are 400 feet up in the air you can see for about 10 miles. You can easily see The Contemporary Resort, Spaceship Earth, Expedition Everest, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Typhoon Lagoon as well as the downtown Orlando skyline.

The entire ride took about 9 minutes. I would love to do it again, but this time at night. I can only imagine how beautiful it would look with all of the lights twinkling in the evening sky. Tickets for Characters in Flight cost $16 for adults ages 10+ and $10 for children ages 3-9. Everyone under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Characters in Flight is wheelchair accessible; guests in ECVs must be able to transfer to the gondola, which does not have seats. There is no smoking, eating or drinking allowed on the ride and they do not allow strollers or baggage.

Safety is key and the weather restictions for this attractions are very strict.

• Winds 3 mph or less they can take 20 passengers at a time
• Winds 3-12 mph they can take 10-20 passengers
• Winds 12-22 mph they can take up to 10 passengers at a time
• Winds above 22 mph or in stormy conditions they do not run

I don’t know what the wind speed was when we rode but we had 5 guests plus the pilot on my trip. On the video you can hear when I turned into the wind, it gets very loud. I felt very safe and secure despite the wind.

What do you think? Would you like to ride Characters in Flight on your next trip to Walt Disney World and Downtown Disney? Leave me a comment and let me know.

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When you enter The Pirate’s League you first get your pirate name. This is an involved process that includes a ship’s wheel, a treasure chest, 2 dice, your birth month and a code book.

Shari aka @Shash is turning the wheel to get her pirate name

Next you choose the package and look that you want. There are 3 “makeover” packages available The First Mate Package for boys and men $49.95, The Empress Package for girls and women $49.95 both include facial effect, earring, eye patch, sword & sheath, temporary tattoo, pirate coin necklace, map case treasure folder with photo and a personalized pirate oath. The third package is The Captain’s Package for $124.95 which includes the choice of a costume.

The details that Disney Imagineers put into the building are amazing. As we walked through the rooms there were constant oohs and ahhs over the intricacies of the decorations.

The Disney Cast Members at The Pirate’s League are amazing! Everyone we came in contact with were truly convincing pirates. The Magical Moms were all wearing princess tiaras as we entered The Pirate’s League. We were warned that the pirates may try to plunder our jewels and that they did.

When you pick up your pirate portrait, you’ also receive a Secret Pirate Cypher and a unique pirate coin necklace that are your keys to more pirate adventures throughout Adventureland – you can find clues and discover treasure, and even meet Captain Jack Sparrow himself!

The Pirates League is now open in the Magic kingdom for guests ages 3 and up. To make your reservations call (407) WDW-CREW.

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