Groceries at WDW

[jinglesmountjoy]

Hi all,

In three weeks we start our first trip ever to a WDW. I think I've done a pretty good job of finding great deals. Thus far...

• Flights - BUF-TPA then MCO-BUF for 3 adults and my 4 yr old (my 1 yr old is free) - $700
• Mini-van for 2 wks with free second driver and unlimited mileage $365 (TPA pickup/MCO drop)
• 4 BDR rental pool home with hot tub at Windsor Palms - $1600
• 7 Day MYW base for 3 adults and 1 child (no add-ons b/c first trip will be overwhelming) $768

We were going to get the plus option added but decided that since none of us have ever been to any Disney destination before, it will probably be quite overwhelming to try and pack in the bonus 5 days we'd get. We're being joined by brother-in-law and his wife and 4 yr old. That makes our party 5 adults, two toddlers (both 4) and my 16 mnth old (although BIL's wife won't join us until the second week at which time I have a mid-size SUV booked for $175 as a second vehicle).

The only other major expense I can think of other than souvenirs is groceries because we plan to have most of our meals at the home and at the park we'll have packed lunches. I'm no fool either...I'm sure we're going to end up eating out a couple of times. Once for sure to celebrate my DD's 4th bday.

But since we live in Canada, most of your grocery stores are unknown to me. I may know the name but I've certainly not shopped at any of them. Although we do occasionally trip over to Tops in Niagara Falls, NY but I understand there no Tops in the WDW area.

My question is, where should we go for groceries other than Wal-Mart? I just can't bring myself to shop there. I don't like what they stand for and we'll just leave it at that. We still don't want be spending a lot but other than Wal-Mart, who else offers comparable prices in that area?

 

[thelionqueen]

There is a publix close, but we always go to the Super Wal-Mart.

 

[swilshire]

We buy almost all our grocery items at the Sams Club. My kids drink about a gallon of milk a day and Sams is cheaper by far than anyone else. They also have a package store if you desire adult beverages.

We like to buy "party" type food like the frozen mini quiches and rollup sandwiches that we wouldn't normally eat at home. They are handy to have at the condo for quick snacks.

Their gas station is sometimes cheaper than anyone else .... sometimes about the same as the BPs.

Sheila

 

[snowy76]

Since Wal-mart does not seem to be an option for jinglesmountjoy, then Sam's wouldn't be either, as they're owned by Wal-mart. I would recommend Publix. It's close by, nice and new, their store brands are pretty reasonably priced.

 

[welovedis]

Hi-
We just returned from 9 days in the World and I shopped at the Publix near the Premium Outlet Mall. We stayed at BWV and it took less than 10 minutes to get there. Since we were already planning on shopping at the Disney outlet store, it is literally on the same road and just behind the outlet area.

Here are some prices of what we purchased, we were staying at a villa with a kitchen, however, I sent down 2 small boxes of non-perishable items ahead of time. And we purchased fruit from a local farmer's market so we didn't buy a lot of produce at the store.
Publix brand frozen pizza $3.19
Publix brand not-from concentrate OJ (96 ozs) $4.99
Publix brand 2 liter soda .69
Publix brand milk $3.49 gallon
Rold Gold pretzels (large bag) $2.39
Green seedless grapes $1.99/lb
Shedd Spread (like margarine) $1.45
Publix brand spring water 12 pack $3.49
Publix brand bagels 6 pack $1.79
Yoplait yogurt .50 each
Publix brand already cooked bacon $3.99
Publix brand sherbet $1.69

Prices were mostly comparable to what I pay in NY, I looked at the prices on chicken breasts, burgers, etc...and they seemed very similar to what we pay.

HTH!

 

[welovedis]

Also, wanted to mention that we are familiar with Tops, but wonder if you've shopped at Wegman's? I would say that Publix is similar to a smaller Wegman's in regard to the cleanliness and variety, just not as "fancy" (not sure if that is the right word) as Wegman's would be.

I'm only speaking about the cleanliness of the store I visited though, it was very well kept, friendly workers, etc..

 

[mickeyluv'r]

We are also not a big fan of Walmart - morally or otherwise. I go there for a few things, but I find I can do just as well at other stores on most items. Walmart usually has great deals on a few things, but not all of their items are at discount prices. I'm also not a fan of buying things like olives in gallon sized jars.
Having said that, on a recent trip, we went to the Walgreen's first, then to Walmart. On other trips we've gone to Publix.
Walgreen's overall prices aren't that great, but Walmart didn't have some of the basics we wanted - like bananas. Primarily we get OJ, fruit, diet gingerale (or diet juice drinks - haven't found diet gingerale much in Orlando), Cheerios, milk, coffee and bottled water. Walgreens are everywhere - and time is money. If you are just doing a few items, Walgreens is not that bad. It wouldn't work for major shopping, but they often have great deals on the water, decent prices on milk -and they have all lots of travel sized items - like detergent (how much laundery will you do in one week?).
Walmart had good deals on a few gorcery items, but unless you want a huge quantity of something, it really doesn't make sense to go there, IMHO. The Florida oranges we got there were excellent, but not especially cheap. They did not have diet ginger ale, and they did not have travel sized items at all - that I could find. Plus, the store is huge - you'll spend a lot of time just looking for items there. The deals they tend to have tend to be on junky foods - like no name cheese puffs, and cookies that are full of hydrogenated oils. Not the kind of food we like to eat. They did have sample sized coffees for relatively cheap prices, but coffee filters only came in a huge box.

Third, there is Publix. As a grocery store, I really felt their prices weren't all that great. I hear they are better than Goodings, but still not that great. They are worth a trip if you are doing major shopping. They do a pretty good job of stocking lots of items, so if you like certain brands, they are the best place to go of the three. (Walmart often has big gaps in their stock, I find.) They also have a good hot foods area - so if you are looking for precooked deli items, rotisserie chickens, etc; they seemed like a pretty good place to go. The produce was pretty good quality, but I actually found grapes in Epcot that were just as good for far less money than I paid at Publix! If I were just getting a few items though, I'm not sure they are worth the trip.
Actually, if you just want just a few items - the prices at the stores on WDW property aren't that bad. They compare to your average gas station. Not good for major items, but if you just want milk and OJ - it's not worth your time to search for the other stores. Once we lost like an hour trying to find the Publix. Now I know my way around, so I can get there quickly, but if you are using Disney's Magic Express, you wouln't be able to get there. you can save money getting your OJ at the Disney markets over paying for it at each meal.

I also understand there are ways of having food/ water delivered to your room for reasonable prices. (Staples will deliver water for free). So maybe we'll try that next time.

 

[jinglesmountjoy]

Thanks for the ideas and yes...Sam's Club is not an option either. I do the Costco thing up here and will probably hit it down there too. I'm just trying to cover my bases. I don't want to get down there and find out that although Costco is only about 15 miles from where we're staying, getting there is a traffic nightmare and therefore a hours drive. In that case I need a backup.

I live and die by Costco up here.

 

[jinglesmountjoy]

Also, wanted to mention that we are familiar with Tops, but wonder if you've shopped at Wegman's? I would say that Publix is similar to a smaller Wegman's in regard to the cleanliness and variety, just not as "fancy" (not sure if that is the right word) as Wegman's would be.

I'm only speaking about the cleanliness of the store I visited though, it was very well kept, friendly workers, etc..

I believe I went to a Wegman's in Michigan City during a trip to Chicago but the problem is I don't recall it. There's a major difference between Canada and the US... we really only have about 4 major chains that operate nationally and then there are the smaller chains that operate regionally (maybe 8- 10 locations). In general, you get 5 choices here and of those 5, two are owned by the same company and two others are owned by another company.

In the US, I haven't the slightest clue as to who the players are and which one is far and away the best value.

In Canada we have so few choices, it's easy to remember who offers the greatest value and you can figure that out in a day.

Again I really appreciate all the posts. This site is certainly unique in that way...we really are all here to help one another and it's great.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I think the US is actually pretty similar really. We have a fair number of local chains too, when it comes to grocery stores -so any time you move you have to learn allover again which stores are good, and where they are located.
I've found the only way to really get the best bargains is to buy the specials at each store, but it is very time consuming to do that. Time is money after all. If I can spread my weekly shopping out between a few differnet places - or shop at one place one week and a different store the next that's usually the best answer. Of course you don't wan to tbe bothered with all that on vacation though.

One other thing that Publix has going for it is that it sells beer/wine - if that matters. I didn't really price anything there, but it looked like they had a decent selection - at least at the store we visited.

 

[rockyroad]

Here in Memphis we are accustomed to grocery stores that stay open all night.

We drive in to WDW, so we get there late and try to hit the grocery on the way in and get it over with.

We were surprised the first time we found Publix closed at night. I think they close at 10 or 11, not sure.

This last trip we hit Walmart...it was open.

 

[kfeuer]

There's also a SuperTarget on 192. I know in Atlanta that their everyday prices are a bit higher then SWM, but cheaper then Publix (especially on things like cereal, crackers, and snacks). However, Publix has a great bakery and deli section. You can get sandwiches made there, or pick up a rotisserie chicken. They have a big selection of freshly made side items, and they're good. Have a great trip!

 

[jtopp]

Your best bet is Publix. They are close by and resonable in price. There is a Goodings in the Crossroads shopping center right outside the gate to WDW, but you pay a higher price for the convenience. Publix is about 5 minutes away and has everything you would need from a grocery store. They also have a deli, bakery, and a wine/beer section, if you are so inclined. They are located in a small shopping center, so there are other stores in the immediate area.

 

[jinglesmountjoy]

There's also a SuperTarget on 192.

Thanks!! I had no idea that 'Super'Targets even existed and we love tripping over the border to the Target in Niagara Falls, NY. We'll definitely consider that. We're likely to make two large trips (once each week) and that is where I want to make sure I don't overspend. Regarding the little trips when we run out of milk, etc, I have no problem spending a little extra for something close by.

Thanks again to everyone for all the help.