Trip Insurance- is it worth it??

[NJPluto]

I'm on the fence with this. It adds $119.90 onto the cost, which isn't a deal breaker but I like to save money where I can. The CM said there's still time to drop it but he went to describe various scenarios in which we might need it. I'm an easy sell so I kept it. I'm just curious if anyone has had to use it and if so, did it really cover as much as the CM's say it does? They really seem to push it!! Sorry if this is the wrong board for this topic.

 

[cara loves the poly]

You don't need it until you do!

 

[Aliceacc]

The policy I paid for (sounds like the same one, but the AAA agent got mine, so I'm not sure whether or not it's through Disney).

My father-in-law isn't in the best of health, so I thought it was a good idea. It also covers the flight. So if the local airport is closed to weather, I think we're covered.

Honestly, with the amount of money you spend on a trip to Disney, that $120 is a drop in the bucket.

 

[NJPluto]

You don't need it until you do!

Exactly! That's what I'm afraid of. I'd better keep it. With my luck, dropping it will all but guarantee I'll need it!!!!!

 

[NJPluto]

Honestly, with the amount of money you spend on a trip to Disney, that $120 is a drop in the bucket.

Well said!!!

 

[DisneyFans4]

I usually don't get it and for the past 10 years have been very lucky and all is well and we've made every trip I made, however, this coming October my DH and my DS are going and DH goes every year for a convention but DS wants to go this year since he is now starting college and will have some time off but since school hasn't started yet and we're not sure if his professors will be keen with him being absent I took the insurance in case he won't be able to go.

The amount is small when you consider the total cost of your vacation so it's really piece of mind.

 

[tasha99]

You really have to look at your situation. My dad, for example, cruises frequently, and he has never bought trip insurance. He's saved the cost of several cruises that way, but the key is that if he needed it, he wouldn't be in any trouble since he's very well off.

I on the other hand, hemmed and hawed, and finally decided to get trip insurance for my upcoming trip. I scrimped and saved for this trip, and I couldn't afford to lose it.

It's kind of like having comprehensive and collision on your car--I have it because I couldn't afford a new car if disaster hit. Other people don't need it, because they could just go buy a new car easily.

 

[texasteacher35]

I never get it, and I have never needed to use it! I am sure it is good for something, otherwise NO ONE would buy it...I am not going to cancel my trip, and if anything else happens to me along the way...it just does...

 

[bytheblood]

I never get it, and I have never needed to use it! I am sure it is good for something, otherwise NO ONE would buy it...I am not going to cancel my trip, and if anything else happens to me along the way...it just does...

 

[candyfloss]

i think it depends on your situation....
(i will be 33 weeks pregnant when we travel, so I have looked into this alot)


it costs $119

canceling 6 days before you leave would use you $100, close than 6 days you would be out $200.

we have very good health insurance, so we wouldn't need that covered.

we will be driving, so no issues with canceling flights.

so really we would be only missing any luggage benefits. (luggage stolen or damaged in our car would be covered by our car insurance)


so to us, its just not worth it.

-rebecca-

 

[aristocat]

remember too that the cancellation portion of insurance doesn't mean that you can cancel "just because". cancellation insurance only covers senarios such as if you die, are hospitalized, jury duty, terrorism... etc.... all the senarios that apply are rather 'harsh' and unlikely for many people (unless they're in poor health or something).

i don't know how many times i've had to explain to my fiance that buying cancellation insurance doesnt mean we can just cancel for whatever reason (like if his holidays don't get approved at work).

 

[Cool-Beans]

I think it depends on what I'm insuring. If it is just one night's room and tax, I probably wouldn't bother. But if I'd lose $5,000 if I had to cancel, I get it.

Everyone thinks it can't happen to them. Nothing will stop them from taking their trip. But, crap happens.

We had to cancel a Disney trip less than 24 hours before we were sceduled to arrive due to a family medical emergency. It does happen.

Don't bank on the fact that nobody in your family will have a heart attack or go into kidney failure or whatever. Medical crap comes when it comes. If you've sunk a lot of money into something and can protect it for one hundred dollars, do it.

That's my advice, anyway.

 

[kat3668]

I say it is a small price to pay for piece of mind. I had to cancel my trip last year due to health issues and I was glad I had that insurance! Just because all seems fine now is not a guarantee that when the time for your trip comes you will be able to go... You know that saying ".... happens"

 

[jmkrat]

I get the insurance all the time, and have used it once. My DD lost her i-pod on the plane. We knew right away, but still it was not turned in. I didn't know if it would be covered or not, so I called the insurance co. ( the one through Disney) and sure enougn it was. They paid the 199.00 for the i-pod and an addditional 25.00 for the case. For me it was worth it, I had know idea it would cover lost items. You do have to produce receipts, I have know idea how the claim would be handled if I didn't have one. I have paid more money for some policies that let you cancel for any reason. I had to get one like that when my dog was ill, and I didn't know if I would have to cancel the trip at the last minute. Those policies are out there they just cost quite a bit more.

 

[Nwfdrool]

The CM said there's still time to drop it but he went to describe various scenarios in which we might need it.

Isn't the trip insurance non-refundable? So, if you purchased it, why would you drop it?

I thought Disney was pretty good about allowing families to reschedule their trip due to a cancellation. I decided not to purchase it being we would only lose out on $200 so the difference between losing out on the $119 insurance wouldn't be that much more. Plus, we are flying Southwest Air and they give airline credit to use up to a year if we cancel our flight.

 

[Mr. Pig]

$120 may be a drop in the bucket but it is still $120. I never liked that idea of as long as you're spending a lot of money what is a little more. You need to look at what you may lose if, God forbid, something bad happens. As was said, if you may lose out $5000 then you may consider it. If you think the odds are very small of needing it and you would not be devastated by what you would lose then consider not taking it. Insurance is a big money maker for the provider so the odds must be in favor of you never using it. We have never taken travel insurance and never would have needed it but we have been lucky - or should I say we have not been unlucky. I lost my wallet on a plane once but the loss was covered by my homeowners insurance.

 

[Hedy]

Maybe I'm just darned unlucky, but given that I've used trip insurance twice in my brief life (and I suppose you could count the trip we canceled where we *didn't* have insurance ), I view it as a necessary part of my travel budget. JMO. Plus, I'm flying out of Boston in December, so the inclement weather protection is important to me.

 

[lpandorf]

I was thinking if something happened I could reschedule and just be out the $200 and we are on Southwest this time like another person that posted and I could get a credit for another flight. If you plan to reschedule if something happens would you need the insurance?
Thanks!

 

[yngsj]

I only buy trip insurance when we go during hurrican season but I don't buy it through WDW travel. I only pay 80.00 instead of the 120.00.

 

[coolcruiser]

I was thinking if something happened I could reschedule and just be out the $200 and we are on Southwest this time like another person that posted and I could get a credit for another flight. If you plan to reschedule if something happens would you need the insurance?
Thanks!

These are my thoughts as well. From my perspective the insurance cost $119 but it only protects the $200 cancellation fee. It would only save me $80 and that is only if I cancel due to a covered reason. If you have to cancel for a non covered reason (like work issues) you will still be out the $200 plus the $119 insurance fee. Without insurance I risk losing $200 but only if I don't make the trip. If I buy the insurance I am out an extra $119 up front - guaranteed. Of course if you have expensive airfare to cover it is a different story. I am talking about the room package only.

On a side note, I also always take the insurance for a cruise vacation. The cruise lines have much stiffer cancellation penalties.