Why everyone should use Garden Grocer
Click here to take a look at the Garden Grocer website
Are you wondering how to get groceries during your Florida vacation? You may want to consider using Garden Grocer, a very reliable grocery delivery service. After all, what would you rather be doing - enjoying the theme parks and relaxing at your resort theme park or running to an unfamiliar grocery store?
It's a bargain: Yes, there is a delivery fee but it is less than you would spend on a taxi to take you to a store. Consider too that you have spent money on travel, tickets, resorts etc for this vacation. If you look at what you are spending per hour while you are on vacation, you'll soon realize that it doesn't make sense to waste a couple of hours shopping when someone will delivery exactly what you are looking for to your resort.
You'll save money: Buying a case of bottled water can be a lot cheaper than purchasing individual bottles in the parks for around $2.75 each. Making a quick breakfast in the room is also an easy way to save money.
Travel Convenience: Whether you are flying or driving, why deal with being packed too tight, or hauling extra bags and boxes around? You schedule a specific delivery window and they will bring everything right to your resort. Disney is used to working with Garden Grocer and will store your groceries for you, if you have not yet arrived; they'll even refrigerate cold items for you. There are a limited number of delivery spots available each day so it is a good idea to order as early as possible; you sometimes even receive a small discount for ordering early.
I always like to remind people that the standard Disney hotel rooms and the family suites only have mini-refrigerators so keep that in mind as you select cold items. Also, the value resort regular rooms do not have coffee makers, though they are available in the family suites; moderate and deluxe resort rooms do have coffee makers. Florida water has a distinctive taste - my kids call it "alligator armpit water" - so you may want to get some gallon size bottles of water if you will be making coffee or tea in the room. Most of the regular rooms also do not have microwaves, though they are available in the food court.
Disney will allow you to bring bottled beverages and snack items into the park though they do not allow alcohol, anything in glass containers, or hard-sided coolers. The Universal Orlando parks were not allowing guests to bring water bottles into the parks at one point so you'll want to check their current policy.
Click here to take a look at the Garden Grocer website
Will You Really Save Money?
I wanted to be sure to do a fair and equal comparison and so I looked at a simple breakfast that could be easily prepared without any special equipment other than the mini-refrigerator available in every Disney World hotel room for a family of four: a bagel with cream cheese and a banana for 5 mornings plus 1 bottle of water per person, per day.
These prices were taken on January 31, 2016 from the official Walt Disney World Resort website using the Everything Pop food court menu at Disney's Pop Century Resort and the Garden Grocer website.
Disney's Pop Century Resort Food Court Prices:
20 Bagels & Cream Cheese ($2.99 each / $59.80 total)
20 Banana ($1.69 each / $33.80 total)
20 Bottles of Water ($2.75 each / $55 total)
Total cost for 5 days: $148.60
24 Bagels & Cream Cheese (Four 6-count packages - $5.69 each / $22.76 total)
Cream cheese – (Two 8-ounce tubs - $3.39 each / $6.78)
20 Banana ($0.49 each / $9.80 total)
24 Bottles of Water (1 case - $8.99)
Delivery cost: $14.00
Total cost for 5 days: $62.33
Total Savings: $86.27 less than Disney food court prices.
Note 1: I didn't factor this into the example above but you can save 5% – 10% on the grocery portion of your order when you order 15 – 60 days prior to arrival.
Note 2: I went with the most expensive variety of bagel available and the same brand of bottled water Disney sells to make sure my comparison is fair; cheaper options were available.
Note 3: Because of package quantities, you get 4 more bagels & water bottles with Garden Grocer.
Garden Grocer delivers to these resorts:
Disney’s Art of Animation
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Disney’s Bay Lake Towers
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom/Kidani Village
Disney’s Polynesian Resort
Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge/Jambo House
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Villas
Disney’s Grand Floridian Villas
Disney’s All-Star Movie Resort
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort
Disney’s Shades of Green
Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
