One of the most overlooked costs when it comes to vacation planning is food. You pay for the flight, the hotel, the transportation, and the entertainment...but what about the food? Eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks out can destroy your budget and give you huge remorse when you return home to face the credit card bills.
Luckily there is a great way to save some money AND you don't have to leave your hotel room to take advantage of it either! Online grocery delivery.
Last week during our multi-hotel stay at Walt Disney World we utilized a local company, Garden Grocer, to help us maintain a budget and keep the hungry snacking monsters (my kids) satisfied.
The concept is simple - Garden Grocer will deliver grocery store and everyday usage items (a variety of over 5,000 per their website) directly to your resort for you. With very reasonable prices, delivery charges as low as $2, the ability to add-on to existing orders, and % discounts offered if you order in advance of your trip - you can't beat the convenience and cost savings.
P.S. - They will also deliver beer, wine and premixed drinks. You're welcome. 😍
But how much can you really order and store while on vacation? Especially if you are not staying in one place the entire time? A lot actually!! Here's a run down of how we made it work last week:
Placing Order - I placed an order on Garden Grocer's website about 3 days prior to arriving: www.gardengrocer.com Navigation this site is super easy - even on a mobile device. I chose items that would be easy for breakfast and lots of snacks and drinks.
Order Delivery Request - I requested that the order arrive to my resort the day of our arrival. Based on your resort's specifications, you may be able to choose a time frame in which you want the items delivered. I chose a timeframe prior to our arrival so when I arrived, they would be there. There is an easy drop-down box that contains the addresses of all of the resorts, so no need to memorize that. You only need to put your Disney confirmation number in the comments and it appears.
Confirmation Call/Text - I received a confirmation telephone call from Garden Grocer to confirm my order. During this call the representative also advised me that if I needed to add on to my order I could do so within a specific time frame for no extra charge (I added the alcohol at this point. Because I'm smart). When my groceries were delivered to my resort as I requested - I received a text and a phone call confirmation as well. They are definitely not lacking in the communication department.
Resort Arrival - Upon arrival in my resort room, I called bell services and asked them to deliver the groceries. Within 5 minutes - they were there. And yes, the items that needed to be refrigerated were put in the fridge once they were delivered to Disney and kept cold for me.
Changing Resorts - Since I decided to have all of the groceries arrive to us day one and we were changing hotels three times, I wanted to make sure I had options on transporting these items to/from each hotel. Good thing we were staying at Disney! Every morning right before we were ready to leave the room (one day at 6:00 a.m.) I called bell services and asked them to transfer my items to my new hotel room. Within 10 minutes there was someone there collecting my items and marking which ones needed to be refrigerated. And when I arrived at the new resort another quick call to bell services and my food was back! It honestly could not have been any easier.
As I mentioned, the cost of the items were very reasonable. For example - a 10 count box of Capri Sun juice boxes was $3.69. I can usually get these for around $3.00 here in Western New York, so a $.69 up charge was worth it to me. We also ordered milk, yogurt, cereal, chips, crackers, granola bars, cups, bowls, spoons, soda, water, cheese sticks, and fresh fruit. My total order with delivery and tip was under $85. I know this saved me literally hundreds of dollars from the grab and go prices that Disney has.....I mean if there is nothing else to eat, why not have Dole Whips everyday???
One last thing. The reason this all works so well is because of the Disney Cast Members. Therefore, it is a MUST to tip bell services every time they pick up or drop off. With the amount of time, stress, and money they save you - it's well worth it!
Looking for help planning or ways to save on your next vacation? Contact me TODAY for a NO OBLIGATION quote. My travel planning services are 100% free and I will use my expertise and experience to help you plan the perfect Disney vacation for your family! Email: heatherscibettatravel@gmail.com