Tips for ordering from Garden Grocer

[Fiona35]

I'll be doing my first grocery shop with them on Sat and just wondered if there was anything I needed to be aware of when ordering from the UK?
I'm presuming that you choose your time slot at check out and you just put your hotel details in for the address.
Thanks😀

[Guest]

My advice would be save your money and use the delivery fee and massive price mark up savings to pay for an uber to Walmart and back again - you can then choose whatever you want and get a shopping trip to Walmart for the same price

[tiger01204]

It is that easy yes. We always order plenty of little bottles of water (they are so cheap!) We also order them to arrive on the day after we arrive as the last thing you want is more to unpack. I mention to reception that a delivery is due and ask them to take it to our room as we won't be there. Saves you carrying it

[ladyofleisure]

There is definitely no right or wrong with how / what you order (we used the service once before and don't mind paying the premium for the convenience). We do go to Walmart etc, but I'm not a shopper I don't enjoy it at home so we keep that for our second week when we like to drive out and do just a little bit of shopping.

I will be doing the same as last time round (already ordered mine) - it's going to arrive around the time we do, so bell services will keep any perishables chilled and bagged up safe for you. When we have arrived and checked in, when we have confirmed we are happy with the room location etc we give them a call and they bring it on a trolley for you, no matter the size of your order.

I tend to take things like sun cream with me, but have ordered lots of drinks and cereals (my kids like American cereal like Lucky Charms and the Honey Nut ones). Doesn't take long to unpack (my order this time round was about $100 for the 5 of us). I order a gallon of fresh milk, lots of bottled drinks, orange juice, bottled water, crisps and snacks a cheeky vino for me and some beers for my better half - we don't tend to stay up late as we like to be in the parks early, but we both drive every day here, so we like a few days just to immerse ourselves in the Disney bubble and have a couple of drinks before bedtime. His lordship likes the Coors/Millers aluminium bottled beer as it gets incredibly cold in the fridge. When me and the kids hit the hotel pool in the afternoon he likes one or two (usually followed by a quick snooze) before we return to the parks in the evening. Alcohol is expensive at Disney, so we might have one with our meal but we don't make a habit of having too many and look forward to it to help us unwind when we do return to our hotel.

Yes we have dining plan, but we have a couple of days at universal and other times in the second week we won't be at Disney where we find taking a few bottled drinks with us saves a small fortune. I've also got some laundry detergent ordered as with 5 of us I tend to do the laundry in the afternoon as the facilities at Disney hotels are top notch, very secure and handily right next door to the quiet pools.

We like the shopping to be there when we arrive as if we do get a delay and my kids are too tired to go to the QS for something to eat, there are some crisps and snacks on the order they are familiar with and also if they (we) get up at silly oclock due to jetlag we have fresh milk for a cuppa.

That might not be as important this year as we have a preferred room, but 2015 at CBR we were too far from the food court to be able to leave the kids in bed and go grab some drinks, and if one of us went, the drinks were lukewarm by the time they got back, and the milk from the machines was just awful (one of my sons drinks milk and mainly water and only occasionally drinks coke and the like). The small bottles for sale in the food court were too small for his palate.

So my main tip is a simple one, make sure you don't use a UK card to pay for your shopping, use something like Revolut where you can load in UK currency but pay in dollars. Order 60 days or so before so you can get the early savings too. Everyone is different, but I'd rather have the extra time in Disney that first week than spend a hour in Walmart, I know my family they would have a fully loaded trolley by the time we had finished with no food or drink...

[TartanTink]

Hi

It is easy and convenient although you do pay a premium for this, which I don't mind as like the previous poster a trip around a supermarket when I arrive isn't for me.
I order water , wine and some breakfast items, although I do tend to over order so will be aware of this next time ! I get carried away with all the different offerings

[scoobydooby]

Best advice is to order early for the greatest discount. It is marked up in price but it's also convenient and I make the delivery saving on water and wine alone 🙃 I don't understand the fascination with supermarket shopping in the US. Food shopping is a chore to me whatever country I'm in. Certainly not what I travel 8 hours to do.

[Chopra]

Used Garden Grocer when staying at OKW last year and the service is fantastic. Bought mostly basics for a breakfast in the mornings and they have an excellent selection of beers which come in at less than UK price

[lam]

I am using for the 1st time this year.normally use zawadi marketplace shop in akl but i need gluten free items and bread which they NEVER have!
Garden grocer has a much better selection.
never thought of ordering wine.
great idea. costs a fortune in disney! Because i booked early, i think i get 2 or 3 changes 'free' of amendment charge, so will look into this further.
have sought delivery a few hours after we arrive.

will let you know how it goes.

[Fiona35]

Well order was placed and we found some great things to bring home, might have gotten carried away! however we are on holiday and I don't intend on visiting a supermarket whilst there!
I also ordered some gluten free stuff, Udi range from memory but it's great you can change or add to your order a couple of times.

[Lilyrose]

Yep, like others we've ordered and are happy to pay the premium. We're flying down from NYC and don't arrive at the airport until 7pm so it'll be late when we get to POFQ and with 2 small children I've made sure I've ordered something they can have to eat before bed (lunchables - not something I'd have at home but figured it'll be quick and easy then get them to bed). I've also ordered cereals and milk for the morning, some snacks, water bottles, fresh fruit and some beers for the evening.

I've arranged for it to arrive before we do and plan to ask bell service to bring it to our room once we're happy (and tip them for helping). For me it's 100% about convenience, we're only there for 10 nights without a car and I really don't want to waste half a day getting to a supermarket, shopping then getting back.