A vegetarian's nightmare come true at The Wave (Goodbye)

SleepyHollowBoys

Earning My Ears
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
This is a cautionary tale for any vegetarians that trust Disney World's dining.

While visiting in early October (Saturday the 5th to be exact), my partner and I went to The Wave at the Contemporary. This was our second meal there during our trip. We've been going there for years and have always had great service and food.

During our first visit during this trip, my partner (who hasn't had meat in over 29 years) was offered the Impossible Burger as an option. He had specifically waited until we were at Disney World because we trusted them (vs. perhaps trying it at a fast food restaurant here at home, where we have no idea who is making or serving the items). The first visit went off w/o issue and he enjoyed his Impossible Burger very much. He is enjoyed it, so much so, that he again ordered it on our second visit. However, this is where the visit went off the rails.

The server wasn't familiar with the impossible burger, so he wrote it down and went to ask the Chef. He came back and said it was available and we ordered. After our late meal, we went back to the room where he started to feel ill and nauseous. This got worse and he was ill for the entire night. That's when we decided to compare the receipts for the two meals and realized one was listed as a Veggie Burger while the second was listed as a Signature burger. He had been served their full blown, red meat burger during the second meal!! We were stunned, shocked and to put it bluntly, TICKED OFF! We immediately called and complained, but were speaking to the folks that can only handle pre-arrival issues. We were advised to go to the front desk and ask to speak with the manager.

While I was on the phone, my partner walked over (still ill) to speak with the manager at the restaurant. The manager on duty told him he couldn't help, b/c he was managing breakfast (not the dinner the previous evening) and offered no assistance or help with the issue. So much for that Disney service they brag about so much (i.e. I didn't cause the issue, but it's my problem) it was just our problem.

Upon speaking with the front desk manager, we received lots of sympathy and a refund for the meal. However, that seemed like little consolation to my partner. Due to his being ill, we had to cancel our Sunday Brunch Dining at the California Grill - but still incurred a charge. We were told that "the situation would be handled" with the Server and the Chef.

About an hour later, we receive a call from the Manager of The Wave. This call was to offer us private dining at the Wave. We couldn't believe their solution/offer to rectify the situation would be to offer us MORE FOOD from the restaurant that made him ILL. Really? We wouldn't trust them to make toast at this point - let alone ever step foot in the restaurant again.

All in all, in what an EPIC failure on Disney's part. To any others visiting, please be careful. While it didn't in our case, this could mean life or death for others. Please be cautious and if you think something is even SLIGHTLY off, ask questions and demand answers. We won't be returning, thus our new name for the restaurant The Wave (Goodbye). Hope nobody ever has to go through this during their trip!
 
Last edited:
Just because the receipt says one thing doesn't mean that's what you were served. Your partner didn't realize it was beef while eating it? I find it hard to believe that the Impossible Burger is so close to beef, and even if it was I would think a 29 year vegetarian would at least ask to make sure. Wait, and now that I read it again it sounds like this was the SECOND burger he tried at the Wave? This does not make sense.
 


Just because the receipt says one thing doesn't mean that's what you were served. Your partner didn't realize it was beef while eating it? I find it hard to believe that the Impossible Burger is so close to beef, and even if it was I would think a 29 year vegetarian would at least ask to make sure. Wait, and now that I read it again it sounds like this was the SECOND burger he tried at the Wave? This does not make sense.
He didn't notice he was eating a real meat burger?

Are you sure they didn't just charge you for the wrong thing? Perhaps feeling ill was a coincidence.

Have you personally tried the Impossible Burger? It is, in fact, so similar that most carnivores are easily duped (myself included) - even when they are side by side in a taste test. Indeed, this was the second burger had at the Wave and there was no noticeable differences between the first and second. They both "bleed", have the same texture, color, etc. We didn't ask the second time b/c the first burger was brought to us and it was explained that they are so similar they wanted us to rest assured it was not beef. When ordering the second, we explained we'd already had it two days before (when the waiter wasn't familiar with it) and thought nothing more about it because we trusted them to give us what we ordered. How someone who hasn't had meat in almost 30 years would know the difference, when those of us that eat meat regularly can't tell, is beyond me. As far as the receipts go, I suppose anything is possible. I have no reason to believe the illness was caused by something other than red meat.
I'm trying to figure out how you pre-paid at CG - brunch. You don't prepay there. You could have possibly lost $20 for not showing up.. but that is it.
Shellyfs - you are correct! That was my bad - I had confused this with another dining reservation that was prepaid. I still don't care for the $20 charge. I'll edit my original post to correct that detail. Thanks for pointing it out.
 
Well, they refunded and offered some form of compensation. I get that you don't want to eat there, did you ask for anything else? Maybe they could have given you some fast passes.

Sorry this happened.
 
Well, they refunded and offered some form of compensation. I get that you don't want to eat there, did you ask for anything else? Maybe they could have given you some fast passes.

Sorry this happened.
Thanks, Farro! I appreciate the comment. We did not ask for anything additional after the refund (in fact, we didn't even ask for the refund). At that point the damage was done. This one was tough for us b/c I don't know how you'd really compensate for what we consider a betrayal of trust. The main reasons for the complaints to management was to prevent this from happening to someone else. Hopefully, that will be case.
 


OP: I had a not-dissimilar experience at Y&Y last year. I'm vegan and have been vegan or vegetarian for decades. At Y&Y I ordered the sweet and sour with tofu instead of chicken. I have this dish there frequently and had never had a problem until this visit last year, when, instead of tofu, I was served chicken. I thought it looked a bit weird and the texture was all wrong, so I cut into it and saw that it was, indeed chicken. The difference was obvious.

I called over the waiter--and, btw, OP, putting some paragraphs into your post would be so helpful to readers--who apologized, took the dish away, and said they would have the kitchen make the dish as ordered, with tofu, not chicken. I made a Big Deal about being vegan and the server seemed quite accommodating.

I was finally served my dish--sweet and sour tofu--and everything was fine except that by this point I was just starting to eat and my lunch companion had already finished . . . until I bit into a piece of chicken. Yes, languishing among the tofu was a piece of chicken. Maybe there were more pieces of chicken. I don't know. End of lunch.

On the way out we told the person at the front desk what had happened and they refunded us the cost of my meal. Now when I eat there I specifically ask to speak to the allergy chef instead of just speaking with the server. And, yes, I've been back and have had the sweet and sour with tofu instead of chicken and it has been tofu.

This is now my strategy--to speak with the allergy chef--when I have even the slightest doubt that my order isn't clear to the server.

Finally, having nothing to do with the above, I tasted either a Beyond or Impossible burger at Restaurantosaurus last year and will never have such a thing again. A lot of vegans and vegetarians like these meaty veg burgers, but I am not one of them.
 
OP: I had a not-dissimilar experience at Y&Y last year. I'm vegan and have been vegan or vegetarian for decades. At Y&Y I ordered the sweet and sour with tofu instead of chicken. I have this dish there frequently and had never had a problem until this visit last year, when, instead of tofu, I was served chicken. I thought it looked a bit weird and the texture was all wrong, so I cut into it and saw that it was, indeed chicken. The difference was obvious.

I called over the waiter--and, btw, OP, putting some paragraphs into your post would be so helpful to readers--who apologized, took the dish away, and said they would have the kitchen make the dish as ordered, with tofu, not chicken. I made a Big Deal about being vegan and the server seemed quite accommodating.

I was finally served my dish--sweet and sour tofu--and everything was fine except that by this point I was just starting to eat and my lunch companion had already finished . . . until I bit into a piece of chicken. Yes, languishing among the tofu was a piece of chicken. Maybe there were more pieces of chicken. I don't know. End of lunch.

On the way out we told the person at the front desk what had happened and they refunded us the cost of my meal. Now when I eat there I specifically ask to speak to the allergy chef instead of just speaking with the server. And, yes, I've been back and have had the sweet and sour with tofu instead of chicken and it has been tofu.

This is now my strategy--to speak with the allergy chef--when I have even the slightest doubt that my order isn't clear to the server.

Finally, having nothing to do with the above, I tasted either a Beyond or Impossible burger at Restaurantosaurus last year and will never have such a thing again. A lot of vegans and vegetarians like these meaty veg burgers, but I am not one of them.
Thank you for your comment, Miffy! I'm sorry that you had to go through something similar :( I appreciate all your advice and we will be certain to follow it during our next visit. I will say that you are much braver than we are to return! (P.S. I rarely post, so I went back and tried to make my post easier for readers. Thanks for that advice, too!)
 
Thank you for your comment, Miffy! I'm sorry that you had to go through something similar :( I appreciate all your advice and we will be certain to follow it during our next visit. I will say that you are much braver than we are to return! (P.S. I rarely post, so I went back and tried to make my post easier for readers. Thanks for that advice, too!)
@SleepyHollowBoys--You're welcome. And your post is now much easier to read in the new, shorter-paragraph form.
Definitely return. Most locations know what they're doing. That experience I had at Y&Y was the only one I've ever had like that.
 
I'm sorry that happened. No matter how much I trust anyone, I always know mistakes can happen. That's why it can be so terrifying for people to eat out when they or a loved one does have an allergy that can manifest in potentially deadly ways.

As for what they offered you as compensation, I am a firm believer that when you make a complaint, you ought to have the compensation you deem fair in your head, and you should ask for it yourself if it is not offered. There's no guarantee you'll get it, but even if you do not, you can then ask to be directed to a person who might be able to make that happen.
 
Also, I've been hearing more and more that they are supposed to be making greater strides in offering options for vegetarians & vegans (Although personally, I wish they'd keep offering burgers that are NOT Impossible or Beyond burgers, since they are revolting to me.), so hopefully in time restaurant staff will become more and more accustomed to dealing with these menu items, which can only help. :)
 
Also, I've been hearing more and more that they are supposed to be making greater strides in offering options for vegetarians & vegans (Although personally, I wish they'd keep offering burgers that are NOT Impossible or Beyond burgers, since they are revolting to me.), so hopefully in time restaurant staff will become more and more accustomed to dealing with these menu items, which can only help. :)
I'm right there with you, @DisLiss
 
Just out of curiosity, why would eating red meat cause him to become ill? Being a vegetarian shouldn't mean your body can't handle meat, even after many years.

If there was no difference between burgers 1 and 2, my
guess is that they were both either Impossible burgers or ground beef burgers. I tried an impossible burger and it didn't fool me in the least. It did NOT taste the same as a beef burger. I can't imagine a life long vegetarian not noticing.

He probably got sick from something else he ate.
 
Just out of curiosity, why would eating red meat cause him to become ill? Being a vegetarian shouldn't mean your body can't handle meat, even after many years.

I respectfully disagree. When you don't eat something for a very long time, or you reduce the amount of it that you eat, and then you eat it again or eat more of it, you can definitely have adverse effects. I've experienced it with several different foods/ingredients, including both salt & sugar (increases in either), which is why while many folks view vacation as a time to let loose and enjoy lots of food treat, I stick as close to my regular diet as possible, because I just happen to be a person whose body does react badly to something it's not used to anymore.
 
I respectfully disagree. When you don't eat something for a very long time, or you reduce the amount of it that you eat, and then you eat it again or eat more of it, you can definitely have adverse effects. I've experienced it with several different foods/ingredients, including both salt & sugar (increases in either), which is why while many folks view vacation as a time to let loose and enjoy lots of food treat, I stick as close to my regular diet as possible, because I just happen to be a person whose body does react badly to something it's not used to anymore.
It’s also the enzymes for digestion are not there if you switch back to meat quickly, like a full on burger. They are not used to being in action If you are a vegetarian chomping on a burger
 
I sympathize with your situation, as someone who needs to be gluten free by medical necessity and autoimmune disease, however I view this as Disney trying to make compensation for your meal and arrange a private meal, not as bad as you're making it sound. And again, I frequently deal with Disney for allergy accommodations every trip I make.
About an hour later, we receive a call from the Manager of The Wave. This call was to offer us private dining at the Wave.
Upon speaking with the front desk manager, we received lots of sympathy and a refund for the meal. However, that seemed like little consolation to my partner.
It seems like they were/are trying to make things right, but that their attempts were not to your satisfaction. Having dealt with autoimmune disease for so long, having lived gluten free for over 10 years now, I fully understand that accidents and mistakes happen. I've been on the receiving end of those, mostly from restaurants in my area rather than Disney, but I know the frustration and loss of trust when they do happen. I'm not at all trying to minimize your partner's experience, but to let you know that when these accidents and mistakes happen, (and they will, as is human nature) to try to be understanding and move toward a solution that works for all of you. Unless we prepare our meals ourselves and know exactly what's going in them, we always run the risk of contamination, no matter where. But, I've always found Disney far more accommodating to me than restaurants anywhere near I live and far easier to work with if something does happen.
To any others visiting, please be careful. While it didn't in our case, this could mean life or death for others. Please be cautious and if you think something is even SLIGHTLY off, ask questions and demand answers.
I appreciate the cautionary words, I am always careful wherever I am eating out. I live equal distance from NYC and Philly and we have a lot of restaurants around us with many gluten free options in the tri state area. But I am still very, very cautious because while it may not mean life or death for me, it does mean an autoimmune attack on my body.

Did your partner notice a difference or something "slightly off" and not mention it?
In my situation, if I get exposed to too much gluten I won't just have some stomach upset, but a full blown autoimmune antibody attack on my system. I might have some stomach upset initially, but the AI attack that follows is so much worse.

All in all, I still feel Disney is far, far more accommodating than any other place I've dined. I hope that you and your partner can find some resolution to this with Disney. But I caution you against labeling Disney as a villian because as I've stated... humans are humans and WE ALL make mistakes. They were/are trying to make it right and that is a HUGE plus and not one you find in other places. (believe me, I know!) It's unfortunate it happened in the first place, but mistakes and accidents are never 20/20.

My advice is to try to move past it, even though you're hurt and upset that it happened in the first place. Disney has a great reputation of accommodating those of us who need accommodations, far more than any other place/organization. It doesn't excuse negligence at all, but it should remind you and all of us that your situation is not the norm.... but the unfortunate exception, which could be due to miscommunication/ lack of information/ lack of experience, etc.... but not due to malice. Disney is not the enemy here. No one is.
 
After being a vegetarian for so long, I can now sense the stench of any meat product in my food without tasting it. Ask any long-term vegetarian/vegan and they will tell you the same. Meat has a very distinct odor. I'm surprised the vegetarian mentioned above had a mouthful of red meat and didn't realize until later. Hopefully it was a veggie burger being mislabeled as a meat burger, and him being sick was just a coincidence.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top