Hi all,
My family is planning a trip to WDW at the end of this year but due to my sons gf/cf diet (he's autistic) along with eating a more organic diet I was thinking about using the Grocery Shopping service that WDW provides. Has anyone else used this service through WDW and could tell me more about it? How much it was, will they buy exactly what I tell them? Is the food stocked before we arrive? Any info or tips you could provide me with would be helpful.
Thanks!
go to disboards.com and ask away. They are a weath of information.
We just got back from WDW. We used gardengrocer.com instead of the Disney grocery service because it had many more food items available. They delivered to our hotel just before we arrived, and we picked it up when we got there. It was specially packed to stay cold, but I think the hotel refrigerated it for us too. Everyone at our Disney resort was so friendly and helpful. Wish I was still at WDW. Have a great time!
I was just down there, and there's a Whole Foods somewhere near Disney. if you really want/need specific things for a diet, or are set on organic, you could go there. Good luck.
If you are only doing the grocery shopping because of his special diet you might want to talk to Disney first. They are very accommodating then it comes to food allergies.
We've used Disney's grocery delivery service a couple of times. It's quite a bit more expensive than shopping on your own (I remember when we used it a gallon of milk was about $3, compared to $1.50 here - though I'm sure it's gone up since then), and unless it's changed, you have to choose from a pre-printed list of groceries. For instance, there's a section for fruit, and it might list 8-10 fruits, then a veggie section, with 8-10 veggies, then a dairy section with whole milk, 2% milk, cheddar cheese, yogurt, etc. There's not a way to request organic only (again, unless it's changed). I'm not sure what gf/cf diet is, but Bethany is right that Disney is EXTREMELY accommodating when it comes to special diets. Any of the table service restaurants would go out of their way to prepare what your son needs - except for the organic part; I'm not sure they use organic products.
When we used the service, the groceries were delivered after we had checked in (they don't assign your room until you arrive), but we didn't have to stay in the room to wait for them.
An alternative might be another grocery delivery service; there used to be several in the WDW area. (You can probably find recommendations on the disboards.) I'm sure it's for a premium price as well, and an off-site delivery service wouldn't be able to deliver without you being in the room. However, they would probably be more likely to be able to pick out exactly what you need.
Are you driving or flying? If you're driving, of course you could stop at a grocery store on your way. If you're flying, I would assume you're going to use the Magical Express service to get to the resort. It's a great service - and you can't beat free - but you might think about renting a car or using a towncar service instead. All of the towncar services allow a 30 minute grocery stop on the way into WDW.
Hope that helps! Have fun!
My son is also on a special diet due to a medical issue. We are going to WDW next year for the first time. Our travel agent said that the chefs at all of the restaurants are extremely accomodating for those on special diets so we are going to just use them. My son is only able to eat 5 foods, so even more restrictive than gf/cf, and they are willing to work with us.
Never used it, or even been, but you could call them and ask. Your hotel you are staying at might know more about it and could be able to help you with all your questions.
Have fun on your trip!
