Grocery trip and Uber

[OneTrackMind]

Hi. We’re arriving on Saturday and staying at the GCH for a much-delayed trip! It will be our first time seeing the holiday decorations too!

I want to get some groceries Saturday evening - just things like snacks, breakfast food, bottled water, and wine. Last time I couldn’t order groceries for delivery to the hotel because we only have Canadian credit cards, so I need to go to a store.

I’m looking for advice on the best grocery store that is pretty close. It would be even better to find one that has a decent selection of gluten-free food for the person in our group with celiac disease. I’d like to use Uber - is it easy these days to get an Uber to pick up at the GCH and at a grocery store for the return trip?

Thanks!

 

[cmph]

Hi. We’re arriving on Saturday and staying at the GCH for a much-delayed trip! It will be our first time seeing the holiday decorations too!

I want to get some groceries Saturday evening - just things like snacks, breakfast food, bottled water, and wine. Last time I couldn’t order groceries for delivery to the hotel because we only have Canadian credit cards, so I need to go to a store.

I’m looking for advice on the best grocery store that is pretty close. It would be even better to find one that has a decent selection of gluten-free food for the person in our group with celiac disease. I’d like to use Uber - is it easy these days to get an Uber to pick up at the GCH and at a grocery store for the return trip?

Thanks!

I'd go with either Ralph's or Von's. Both are standard American grocery stors and will have plenty of gluten-free stuff. I haven't been to either of the specific stores closest to DLR, but those chains are my normal grocery stores at home; I have 2 celiacs in my house. Von's is part of the Safeway brand of stores (not sure who exactly owns who) - so if you've been to a Safeway in Canada, it'll be about the same. I've been to a Safeway in Vancouver and didn't find a whole lot different than American Safeways.

Wal-Mart and Target are also options for gf typically, but I'm not sure about the ones near DLR. Looks like Wal-Mart only has Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets nearby, which are small grocery-only versions of Wal-Mart and, in my experience, are not that great. Oddly have less gf stuff than our normal full-size Wal-Mart. Maybe someone else will chime in about the local Target - where I live, this is a great option for gf snacks/bars, but the LA area Targets I have been to are tiny and have little variety. Not sure if that is the case in Anaheim too.

 

[OneTrackMind]

Hi. We’re arriving on Saturday and staying at the GCH for a much-delayed trip! It will be our first time seeing the holiday decorations too!

I want to get some groceries Saturday evening - just things like snacks, breakfast food, bottled water, and wine. Last time I couldn’t order groceries for delivery to the hotel because we only have Canadian credit cards, so I need to go to a store.

I’m looking for advice on the best grocery store that is pretty close. It would be even better to find one that has a decent selection of gluten-free food for the person in our group with celiac disease. I’d like to use Uber - is it easy these days to get an Uber to pick up at the GCH and at a grocery store for the return trip?

I'd go with either Ralph's or Von's. Both are standard American grocery stors and will have plenty of gluten-free stuff. I haven't been to either of the specific stores closest to DLR, but those chains are my normal grocery stores at home; I have 2 celiacs in my house. Von's is part of the Safeway brand of stores (not sure who exactly owns who) - so if you've been to a Safeway in Canada, it'll be about the same. I've been to a Safeway in Vancouver and didn't find a whole lot different than American Safeways.

Wal-Mart and Target are also options for gf typically, but I'm not sure about the ones near DLR. Looks like Wal-Mart only has Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets nearby, which are small grocery-only versions of Wal-Mart and, in my experience, are not that great. Oddly have less gf stuff than our normal full-size Wal-Mart. Maybe someone else will chime in about the local Target - where I live, this is a great option for gf snacks/bars, but the LA area Targets I have been to are tiny and have little variety. Not sure if that is the case in Anaheim too.

Thank you, that’s very helpful! And I didn’t realize Von’s was connected to Safeway.

 

[Louis63]

There is a Target about 5 mins. down Harbor that I always go to for all my shopping needs while I'm visiting the parks. Enjoy your trip especially since it's your first time seeing the decorations

 

[LKing]

Sprouts is farther away than Vons, but also has a lot of GF items.

 

[Pluto468]

Whole Foods would have alot of GF items. There's one in Huntington Beach, which is about 30 minutes away. Otherwise I'd try Von's. Target might have something, too.

 

[Aladora]

Hi. We’re arriving on Saturday and staying at the GCH for a much-delayed trip! It will be our first time seeing the holiday decorations too!

I want to get some groceries Saturday evening - just things like snacks, breakfast food, bottled water, and wine. Last time I couldn’t order groceries for delivery to the hotel because we only have Canadian credit cards, so I need to go to a store.

I’m looking for advice on the best grocery store that is pretty close. It would be even better to find one that has a decent selection of gluten-free food for the person in our group with celiac disease. I’d like to use Uber - is it easy these days to get an Uber to pick up at the GCH and at a grocery store for the return trip?

Thanks!

I've used Vons delivery a few times in the past and I only have Canadian credit cards so you might still be able to order online for delivery! I would try and sign up for an online account and see if you can order?

Edited to add: We also used Uber delivery last year when we needed a few things delivered to our hotel in WDW so that might be another option?

 

[irlandaise]

Von's is part of the Safeway brand of stores (not sure who exactly owns who)

Neither, actually. Both are part of Albertsons Companies. Safeway, Albertsons, and Von's are three of their biggest brands, but they have others. Kroger is trying to buy the company, although the attorneys general in some states have sued to prevent that or are considering doing so.

I don't think the OP will have to go to Whole Foods for a good selection of gluten-free foods. This is California we're talking about. All sorts of food options will be available at Von's.

 

[OneTrackMind]

Thanks for all the information and great ideas! This gives me some places to start looking at before Saturday.

 

[pharmama]

Vons (no 's ) will have standard GF stuff from Udi's, Schar etc. but it varies from store to store where they stock it and it may be in multiple places. Look in the bread aisle, in the freezer, mixed in the regular sections and then there's usually also a "health food" or GF small section randomly stuck somewhere... even though they may also have GF stuff elsewhere in the store. And it will be different things in each place.

We've found Target to be extremely hit or miss with GF stuff as well, like a PP said. Some Target stores have a ton, others have almost none even in the same size grocery departments. I'm sure this is based on sales but that said I'm not sure where the Target by DLR falls on GF inventory. I've been burned by expecting to find GF at Target enough times that I wouldn't rely on that.

The Sprouts suggestion above is another good one, especially for a little more GF variety. I'll also throw out the suggestion of Trader Joe's for some really great GF breakfast options like muffins, bagels as well as other good GF snacks. Unfortunately there isn't one super close (about 20min away) but there is also a Sprouts and a Target in the same general area so you would have lots of options.

ETA: you should not have any trouble getting an Uber for the trip to whatever market you choose.

 

[cmph]

Neither, actually. Both are part of Albertsons Companies. Safeway, Albertsons, and Von's are three of their biggest brands, but they have others. Kroger is trying to buy the company, although the attorneys general in some states have sued to prevent that or are considering doing so.

I don't think the OP will have to go to Whole Foods for a good selection of gluten-free foods. This is California we're talking about. All sorts of food options will be available at Von's.

Ah ok. Oddly, we have both Safeways and Albertsons in my area, sometimes super close to each other, so I shop at both. The reason I thought that Safeway was the absorbing entity was that I had both Albertsons and Safeway apps for a while, and when they combined into one app... Albertsons rolled into the Safeway one. Would have thought it would be the other way around, then!

 

[irlandaise]

Ah ok. Oddly, we have both Safeways and Albertsons in my area, sometimes super close to each other, so I shop at both. The reason I thought that Safeway was the absorbing entity was that I had both Albertsons and Safeway apps for a while, and when they combined into one app... Albertsons rolled into the Safeway one. Would have thought it would be the other way around, then!

We have both in my area, too. And they have separate apps and websites.

And I missed that, like the parent company, "Vons" does not have a possessive apostrophe.

 

[chezcurrie]

Do you have Instacart? If so you can change your country to the US and put the CGH as your address and it will utilize your canadian card on file. We did this in Dec 2021 before we relocated and did the reverse when we were back in canada this summer. Another option that might save a lot of time!

 

[OneTrackMind]

Thanks again to the new posters for the additional information and ideas! I told DH that Disboards people would have great suggestions!

 

[RunnerMom71]

I would honestly use Von's for delivery (which we've done many times) - you just have to be present for delivery to show ID for alcohol. Is it the 2 factor auth that isn't working for you w/ the CND credit card? It shouldn't matter

 

[redleader74]

Thanks for starting this helpful thread. Our trip is right after Thanksgiving and we too will need to do a grocery run and very likely going to use one of the delivery services since we won't have a car with us. I'm hearing a lot of votes for Vons. Does Vons do their own delivery or are they using one of these third party services like ubereats, doordash, etc.?

 

[ParkHopper1]

Easy peasy to get Uber pickup at GCH and they are all over for return trip.

If you have the time, I am a fan of taking Uber to the store for grocery run vs delivery to get all those things you didn’t realize you needed (or wanted)

 

[OneTrackMind]

Thanks for all the rest of the replies! I think I’ll end up going to Vons but hopefully can find a Trader Joe at some point too. It sounds like a lot more selection than we have here (Alberta). I’m not sure what the credit card issue was before so maybe it isn’t a problem now. We’re so excited the weather forecast has improved too!