One of the easiest ways to save money on a Disney World vacation is to order groceries to your room. If you are willing to eat a few meals outside of the Disney World restaurants, you can save hundreds of dollars by ordering groceries to be delivered to your room.
Disney Money Saving Tip! How to Order Groceries to Your Room (at Disney World)
There are several options for you to consider when ordering groceries to your room:
- Amazon Prime Now
- Garden Grocer
- WeGoShop
- Instacart
- Shipt
See below for a summary of each option and the pros and cons of each one. (Note, this list and corresponding information is valid as of June 2018.)
Amazon Prime Now
Ordering groceries to your Disney World room via Amazon Prime Now is our preferred choice. They can deliver your groceries in as little as an hour, they have an expansive selection to choose from, and are one of the more inexpensive options.
The downside is that you need to be an Amazon Prime member in order to use this service. (For me, this isn’t a problem as we are avid Amazon shoppers (and sellers!) in my house.)
Additional Information About Amazon Prime Now Disney World Grocery Delivery
- Where to order:
- Minimum order amount:
- no minimum
- Delivery Charge:
- $4.99 for delivery in a two-hour window if total is under $35
- Free for delivery in two-hour window if total is $35+
- $7.99 for delivery within one hour
- $4.99 for delivery in a one-hour window (but not within one hour of purchase)
- Tipping:
- Optional, but suggested amount is displayed upon checking out. Tip can be added up to 24 hours after delivery. Cash tips are not accepted.
- Location restrictions:
- Can deliver to Disney World Resorts (onsite) or offsite locations
- Delivery not available to Swan and Dolphin
- Can alcohol be ordered?
- Yes, only if you are receiving the order yourself
- Is a membership required?
- Must be a member of Amazon Prime ($12.99 per month or $119 per year). (For more information on Amazon Prime benefits, be sure to check out my post on 21 Secrets to Shopping at Amazon)
- How far in advance can order be placed?
- Day of, or day before delivery
- Cost:
- Of the options reviewed, this is the cheapest option for us as we already have an Amazon Prime membership.
- Other:
- Amazon Prime Now is different from Amazon Prime, Amazon Pantry, and Amazon Fresh – be sure to use the correct name when searching for this service as the other options come with different fees and delivery timing.
Garden Grocer
Garden Grocer has been a long-time favorite of many frequent Disney World vacationers. With over 5,000 items to choose from, you should be able to find what you need! However, when comparing the cost across the different options, Garden Grocer is a costlier option.
Additional Information About Garden Grocer Disney World Grocery Delivery
- Where to order:
- Minimum order amount:
- $40
- Delivery Charge:
- For orders $40-$199, delivery charge is $14
- For orders $200+, there is no delivery charge
- Same day delivery is available for $30 and next day delivery is available for $20
- Tipping:
- Optional, at your discretion
- Location restrictions:
- Limited to Disney World Resorts only (offsite delivery is not available) (With a few exceptions: Will deliver to Double Tree Suites, Four Seasons Orlando at Walt Disney World, Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort, and Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek.)
- Limited delivery window to select hotels
- Delivery not available to Swan and Dolphin
- Can alcohol be ordered?
- Yes
- Is a membership required?
- No membership is required
- How far in advance can order be placed?
- No limit to how early you can shop
- Cost:
- More expensive than most other options
- Other:
- Discounts are offered for ordering in advance. 10% discount for 60+ days, 7% discount for ordering 30 – 59 days in advance, 5% discount for ordering 15 – 29 days in advance.
WeGoShop
WeGoShop is a grocery delivery service that allows you to choose multiple stores to shop from. While you are at Disney World, you can select from Publix, Sam’s Club, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, Whole Foods, or Winn Dixie (or multiple stores for an extra fee!) There is no markup on the groceries you purchase, but rather they collect delivery and service fees that depend on the total cost of your groceries and where you would like to purchase your groceries.
The downside to using WeGoShop is that you can’t get a good estimate for how much your groceries cost ahead of time. You provide We Go Shop with a list of the groceries that you would like and from which stores you’d like to purchase, and they do your shopping for you. (Refer to the screen shot below.)
Additional Information About WeGoShop Disney World Grocery Delivery
- Where to order:
- Minimum order amount:
- None
- Delivery Charge:
- $3.00 fuel charge
- $10 additional fee for same-day delivery
- $5 additional fee for each additional store shopped at
- $20 fee for warehouse type stores (Costco/Sam’s Club, etc..)
- $10 fee for “bag-your-own” groceries type stores
- See additional service fee mentioned below
- Tipping:
- Required; minimum of 15% grocery bill total or $10
- Location restrictions:
- Can deliver to Disney World Resorts (onsite) or offsite locations
- Delivery not available to Swan and Dolphin
- Can alcohol be ordered?
- Yes, only if you are receiving the order yourself
- Is a membership required?
- No
- How far in advance can order be placed?
- No limit
- Cost:
- Cost is unknown until purchase is complete. Higher delivery and service fees than other options, however no markup on groceries.
- Other:
- Service Fee is tiered and based on total cost of groceries.
- Cost of groceries between $0 – $50.00: service fee is $19.00
- Cost of groceries between $50.00 – $100.00: service fee is $24.00
- Cost of groceries between $100.00 – $200.00: service fee is $29.00
- Cost of groceries between $200.00 – $300.00: service fee is $39.00
- Cost of groceries is more than $300.00: service fee is 13% of the grocery receipt total
- Service Fee is tiered and based on total cost of groceries.
Instacart
Instacart is another grocery delivery service that allows you to pick which stores you’d like to shop from. You are in a sense paying for a personal shopper, rather than working with a store directly. Within the Disney World area, you can select from Publix, CVS Pharmacy, Costco, BJs, ABC Fine Wines & Spirits, and Whole Foods Market. Prices may either be more expensive or in-line with those that you would pay if you purchased in person. (This varies by store.)
Additional Information About Instacart Disney World Grocery Delivery
- Where to order:
- Minimum order amount:
- $10
- Delivery Charge:
- If bill is over $35, delivery charge is $5.99 for regular delivery and $7.99 for one-hour delivery.
- If bill is under $35, delivery charge is 9.99 for regular delivery and $11.99 for one-hour delivery.
- If you have an Instacart Express membership, delivery fee is waived for bills over $35, and $9.99 for bills under $35.
- Note, additional fees are charged during “busy times”.
- There is an additional service fee of 5% of the total bill is charged. Additional service fees are charged for purchasing alcohol.
- Tipping:
- Optional, however a 5% tip or $2 per store tip defaulted at checkout.
- Location restrictions:
- Can deliver to Disney World Resorts (onsite) or offsite locations
- Delivery not available to Swan and Dolphin
- Can alcohol be ordered?
- Yes, only if you are receiving the order yourself
- Is a membership required?
- Not required for regular Instacart membership.
- Instacart Express membership is available for purchase and provides you with free delivery of groceries.
- How far in advance can order be placed?
- Up to 6 days in advance
- Cost:
- The actual cost of groceries is slightly higher than what you would pay in stores, but cheaper than some other options. However, with the added delivery fee and service fee, this option becomes pricier. (This option would likely be more expensive than Amazon Prime Now, but cheaper than Garden Grocer (assuming no pre-order discount).
Shipt
Shipt is a membership site for grocery delivery. Its available in other locations around the country, but in the Disney World area, stores you can purchase from include Winn Dixie, Target, Publix, and ABC Fine Wine and Spirits. It is similar to InstaCart in that you have a personal shopper who completes your shopping for you, rather than working directly with a store.
In order to use Shipt, you must have a membership (details on the price of membership below.) You can also do a 14-day free trial of Shipt and cancel if you do not wish to continue your membership.
Additional Information About Shipt Disney World Grocery Delivery
- Where to order:
- Minimum order amount:
- None
- Delivery Charge:
- For orders $35+, delivery is free
- For order less than $35, delivery is $7.00
- Additional service fee will apply to select stores and to alcohol delivery
- Tipping:
- Optional
- Location restrictions:
- Delivery available on and offsite
- Can alcohol be ordered?
- Yes, only if you are receiving the order yourself
- Is a membership required?
- Yes ($14 per month or $99 for the year); Shipt also offers a free 14 day trial.
- How far in advance can order be placed?
- Information not available
- Cost:
- The actual cost of groceries is slightly higher than what you would pay in stores, but cheaper than some other options. However, with the added membership fee, this option becomes pricier.
A Comparison of the Costs Between the Various Options
For our last trip to Disney World, I priced out the exact same groceries at both Amazon, Garden Grocer, Instacart, and Shipt. The screen shots below show how the prices varied. Due to varying price schedules when it comes to delivery fees and service charges, not all quotes below are on an apple to apples basis.
Note the following:
- Amazon quote does not include cost of annual Prime membership, tip, or tax
- Garden Grocer quote does not include tip
- Instacart quote does not include delivery, service charge or tip
- Shipt quote does not include cost of annual membership or delivery fee
Of all the options, we found Amazon Prime Now to be the most cost effective as we were already Prime members.
READ MORE DISNEY POSTS
Where You Pick Up Your Grocery Delivery at Disney World
Most of the grocery delivery services will leave your groceries at bell services. (Unless you have arranged a separate pick up location.) The location of bell services varies by hotel but can often be found by the lobby. (For example, at the Polynesian Resort, bell services can be found outside the entrance of the main lobby where you may drop off/pick up your luggage.)
They will keep your perishables safe and refrigerated if needed.
Some resorts require pick up during specific delivery windows, where others are open most of the day. Check with your resort for their specifics
What to Order
Your exact order will be dependent on your family’s needs and desires, but here are some ideas:
- Milk (the size of your mini-fridge varies by location and room type, but in general, 1/2-gallon containers should fit)
- Water
- Breakfast bars
- On-the-go snacks (granola bars, pretzels, chips, etc.…)
- Zip lock bags (for on-the-go snacks)
- Cereal
- Bread
- Nut butter & jelly or cold cuts/cheese (for sandwiches)
- Paper plates/plastic bowls
- Sunscreen
- Toiletries
- Diapers/wipes
- Fruit/veggie pouches (for babies/toddlers)
- Fruit
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Thanks for all the great information. Just wondering if there is a charge from Disney for delivering to bell services?
Thanks! There is no charge from Disney for grocery delivery. (Note if you send packages to the hotel, they may charge you, but they shouldn’t for grocery delivery.)
Thank you!! We leave for Disney next Tuesday 🙂
Hope you have so much fun! Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions!