Online Grocery Delivery

[pineapple04]

Hi there,

My family and I are staying at a Good Neighbor property during our upcoming DL trip. We'd like to save time/money on meals and snacks by purchasing some basic groceries online and having them delivered to our hotel the day we arrive. We're thinking simple things like cereal, granola bars, yogurt, crackers, etc. and I am planning to call the hotel in advance to confirm they will accept the grocery delivery the day of our arrival even if we aren't yet checked in.

What tips/recommendations do you have for online grocery delivery during our stay? Any favorite vendors such as Instacart or AmazonFresh?

Thanks in advance!

 

[bardays]

we did Amazon Now/Whole Foods in October. it was perfect except they delivered my son's birthday cake on its side!

 

[SeaDis]

I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. I would base it on: first delivery free (coupon code?), are the items/brands you want in stock, and are the right delivery windows available.

We used Vons several times before Amazon came along. Then we tried Amazon a couple times and no issues. They did have an Uber/Lyft driver deliver the items at least two times (out of a car trunk), so I could see how care/handling might vary. I know Amazon does have trucks, this probably depends on order flow.

We switched back to Vons/Pavilion last time and I was impressed for these reasons:
1) You can start your order/cart well in advance and choose a delivery time. At Amazon, you can start your cart, but delivery window has to be within two days (at last check).
2) 1-hour delivery windows available at Vons. The site says this will be fulfilled by Instacart, but we definitely had a Vons delivery truck.
3) Vons now has real-time driver tracking like Amazon. It alerts you once they are en route and you have plenty of warning to meet the truck, if needed/wanted.
4) The Vons trucks are impressive, refrigerated, with serious infrastructure/crates. The driver was super nice and brought the entire order up to VGC on his own cart, not the bellhop. Amazon handed us a bunch of paper/plastic bags each time.
5) The Vons driver absolutely would not accept a cash tip, even after delivering to our fridge. I insisted three times, it wasn't happening-- strict policy. Amazon asks for a gratuity at check-out. I'm just amazed by that in a low-margin business in this day & age. Nice touch Vons.

Overall, all the services have improved their tech and delivery times in recent years. We used to always have it delivered before our arrival, but now with shorter windows and real-time tracking we usually order some alcohol, cheaper than nearby quick-stores, and plan to be there to receive the order. That is, as long as it works with our arrival day/park schedule.

One more thing to check is how much fridge space you have, and plan accordingly (milk carton size, etc). Or, bring a soft cooler and use the hotel ice machine as needed.

 

[pineapple04]

Thank you both for your responses...definitely some good tips to keep in mind. It's nice to know that there are options out there!

Happy New Year!

 

[mouschievous]

We used AmazonPrime grocery delivery before, and will likely utilize that again. One thing to note if you do that - Amazon uses both their own service and Whole Foods. If you go that route, be careful to only choose items from one of them. There is a fee ($4.99) for delivery, and if you choose some items from Whole Foods and some from Amazon, you'll have to pay the fee twice.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

I was thinking about using Walmart grocery delivery...I do grocery pick up at home and it works really well.

 

[TravelE]

We were there before Christmas and used Amazon Fresh. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites Garden Grove and the hotel even placed the groceries in our room for us. Everything was fresh and well packaged. I would recommend Amazon Fresh.

 

[lcp9]

We've always used Vons, and it gets there before we arrive and the hotel has always put refrigerated stuff in the fridge and the rest is in our room. I use walmart pickup at home, so if we need it next time I might try the walmart delivery - Vons prices tend to be pretty inflated IMO.

 

[sweethannah]

We've used Vons 3 or 4 times both in Hawaii and DL. Never had an issue and will use them again. I like selecting a narrow delivery window days in advance and being able to update my cart until the last minute.

 

[jedimdes]

I’ve used both Vons and Amazon now and they both have been great

 

[pineapple04]

Thank you for all the input! We will weigh the pros and cons of Vons vs. Amazon and make a decision soon. I appreciate the help, everyone!