Intermission Food Court Lunch/Dinner - Disney’s All Star Music Resort

BradyBzLyn...Mo · September 19, 2012

From the Disney Food Blog. Follow the link for more photos...

Guest Review: Intermission Food Court Lunch/Dinner at Disney’s All Star Music Resort
Sep 14th, 2012 by AJ.
Please welcome guest author Sarah Gurung with a review of the Intermission Food Court, at the All-Star Music Resort! This review will cover lunch and dinner; but stay tuned for Sarah’s breakfast review coming soon!
As a longtime reader of the Disney Food Blog, I am excited to contribute my review of a place I have visited many times: Intermission Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. My family started visiting the World before the value resorts existed, but when they were built, All-Star Music was the first that we called “home.”
During this visit, I traveled with my mother and my one-year-old daughter. We also met up with my sister and her two-year-old daughter, so I was able to try a variety of dishes.
In my “real” (non-Disney) life, I eat vegetarian. While on vacation, I considerably loosened my self-imposed food restrictions and ate what sounded good. I will add details about vegetarian options where appropriate because many are delicious.
Atmosphere
Intermission Food Court is located in Melody Hall, the resort’s main building for check-in, concierge, check-out, shopping, and dining. The food court is open from 7 am to midnight (breakfast ends at 11am), and food is counter service or grab-and-go.
As one might expect from a kid-friendly value resort, Intermission Food Court is a colorful and boisterous place. Upon entering, the food court counter and grab-and-go stations are to your left. The cashiers are straight ahead and serve as a buffer to the seating area and beverage/utensil/topping bars on the right.
The seating area extends the full length of the right side and is abundant. Even during busy times, we had no trouble locating a table.
Seating, featuring a mixture of both booths and tables (large and small to accommodate different size parties), is a wash of peach, purple, and turquoise. The carpet is dark and dotted with resort-appropriate stars.
One long wall in the seating area features a mural of semi-recognizable singers in a variety of poses. Lighting is bright, and maneuvering around the space is relatively easy. On rare occasions, I struggled a bit to navigate the tables while pushing a stroller; but generally speaking, it is spacious.
Intermission Food Court Seating
The beverage bar features the typical soft drink dispensers, condiment dispensers, and lemon and butter holders you expect.
Additionally, to the left of the beverage island is a small area with toasters and a microwave. Here, you also find the topping bar.
For breakfast, sugar-free syrup, honey, sugar packets, jams and jellies, and hot sauce are available. At lunch and dinner, packets of relish, large leaves of romaine lettuce, tomato slices, red onion slices, and pickles are provided to top burgers and sandwiches.
Eats
During our five-night stay, I had several opportunities to try dishes from lunch and dinner. The menus were virtually the same every day, with one exception: The Specialty counter (where you can find make-your-own-salad and chicken quesadillas daily) changed one item on its dinner menu nightly. We alternately saw roast pork, roast beef, and carved roast turkey while all other items on the menu remained the same.
Each station in the food court features different items. Stations include:
Grill, where you can find burgers, chicken nuggets, and hot dogs;
Pizza, where you can order pizza, pasta dishes, and hot Italian sandwiches;
Specialty, where you find Mexican fare, cold sandwiches (for lunch), and hot entrees (for dinner); and
Bakery, where you can self-serve cookies, muffins, and other pastries. Or you can have a cast member build an ice cream sundae, an ice cream cookie sandwich, or a made-to-order milkshake.
In addition to the counter service stations, there is a grab-and-go area called the Market for small salads, Kids’ Pick sides, fruit, bottled beverages (including some beer and wine selections), and desserts (including cheesecake, chocolate cake, and ice cream).
Bakery Menu - click image for larger version
Specialty Menu - click image for larger version
Grill Menu - click image for larger version
Pizza, Pasta, and More Menu - click image for larger version
Market Menu - click image for larger version
Dinner at Intermission Food Court was a fun opportunity to try a variety of dishes, most of which were new to me.
The Chicken Quesadillas, which I ordered on our first night, made such an impression that I tried them a second time later in the trip. Sadly, they were not as delicious the second time around, and I have to wonder if my hunger on night one colored my initial experience.
Chicken Quesadilla with Black Beans and Rice
The quesadilla is made-to-order at the Specialty counter and features only chicken and melted cheese (can be made without chicken). As one who does not eat much cheese, these were a bit overwhelming. The chicken did not appear to be a freshly sliced breast of chicken, but rather a processed chicken.
It had good flavor, but it was not as fresh as other dishes I tried. The flour tortilla had a nice crisp to it at first but grew soggy as it sat. The dish is accompanied by rice and black beans, as well as dollops of sour cream, salsa (mild), and guacamole. You can also opt to have the cast member sprinkle to top of your beans with cilantro and raw onion. I felt this addition brought the dish a little life that it otherwise lacked.
A much more successful dish, the Roasted Pork, was an option at the Specialty counter one night. And despite eating almost no pork in my “real” life, one glance told me I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did!
Roast Pork Dinner
The pork is pulled apart by a cast member who portions out a generous pile. It glistens with juices and has a distinctly garlic aroma. It wasn’t overly salty and had very little fat.
It was served with red beans and rice, fried plantains (I substituted green beans), and a dinner roll. The rice had been fried with a bit of bacon, too, but it was pretty flavorless. The green beans were buttery and delicious. This meal was the biggest surprise hit of the trip for me, and I wished I had another opportunity to try it.
Red Beans and Rice Close-up
The final entree of my trip was the Chicken Penne Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, which I requested with marinara instead. It was served with a small side salad dressed with Italian dressing and one breadstick. The pasta was good but not amazing.
Chicken Penne Alfredo with Marinara Substitution
The chicken breast was large, juicy, and crispy, but it lacked a little seasoning. A pinch of salt went a long way to enhancing its flavor.
The sauce was abundant, which I sopped up with the yummy, crunchy-topped breadstick. For a pasta dish, this was standard fare but would be a good safe choice for a picky eater.
Side Salad
We were often out-and-about at lunch time, but I did sample one sandwich during my stay. The Vegetarian Burger was just as I remembered it from a previous visit: flavorful and satisfying.
The grilled-to-order burger features whole kernels of corn and other recognizable bits of red pepper and rice. The red pepper does the most work in terms of flavor, but by no means is it overpowering.
Served on a whole wheat bun and topped with lettuce, pickle, and mustard from the Topping Bar, it was (for me, at least) superior to its meaty counterparts.
Vegetarian Burger
It was served with a small bowl of pasta salad. The pasta salad included diced tomatoes, cucumber, and onion, and was coated in a dressing heavy in both vinegar and basil.
I suspect the attempt was for a pesto-inspired flavor, and if so, it was successful. As you can see, however, the color is decidedly not the familiar green of a pesto. Still, it was a satisfying and light side.
Pasta Salad
During our stay, we had a couple of Kids’ Pick meals, including the turkey sandwich. The turkey sandwich was served on a kid-sized whole wheat bun and had a slice of American cheese on it. I added mustard and pickle and rather enjoyed this simple meal.
Kids Pick Turkey and Cheese
Kids’ Pick meals come with two sides and a drink. We usually opted for grapes, applesauce, and an apple juicebox. For the price, this is a good lunch for a child (or, at times, even for an adult).
Overall
Intermission Food Court is, in most ways, a standard Disney World food court. It features many of the familiar dishes we expect and enjoy, as well as the convenience that makes staying on-site such a joy for my family and me.
I was excited to discover some surprise hits during my stay, and our old standbys rarely let us down. Dare I say, my dining experience at All-Star Music Resort hit almost all the right notes. I hope it will for you, too.
Sarah Gurung is an unemployed high school English teacher but a fully-employed stay-at-home mom to one incredible daughter. She has been a Disney World fanatic since her first family trip in 1992 and loves exploring the world of food at the World.
What’s your favorite menu item at All-Star Music resort? Give us some recommendations!