Anyone getting worried about March Break Travel

[pigletto]

Hugs all around.. hugs for lost trips and hugs for all the uncertainty that has everyone walking around with butterflies. Its an anxious time for all and we will get through by being kind to one another.

 

[ottawamom]

Just read this in my email from Air Canada today. We are now able to make changes (1 time) to flights booked before Mar 4 (for travel before April 30)

Air Canada

That change will take care of my flight to Orlando (if I need to cancel). Now I just need something for the other one way flight back home

 

[40ariel]

Does anyone have any experience working with Disney to refund/change Canadian discount tickets? Are we looking at paying the price difference in addition to some fee to allow them to be used at a different date?

I called early this morning and Disney refunded my Canadian Resident tickets that I booked in early February. They also waived the cancellation fee on my ticketless package (room and meal plan). I booked both the tickets and the package directly through Disney.
I was extremely grateful to say the least as we are unable to travel due to restrictions at school for international travel which includes the US.

 

[ottawamom]

When were you planning on going? This information might be useful to someone else who is also thinking of cancelling.

 

[40ariel]

When were you planning on going? This information might be useful to someone else who is also thinking of cancelling.

Easter - we were within the 2 to 29 day window: "Cancellations made 29 days to 2 days prior to arrival have a cancellation fee of $200 per package" but they waived the cancellation fee. They had to contact Guest Services to do it. The cast member I spoke to was super friendly and helpful and they told me that they will be there waiting when we are able to come again...
It reminded me of why I love travelling to Disney World.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I called early this morning and Disney refunded my Canadian Resident tickets that I booked in early February. They also waived the cancellation fee on my ticketless package (room and meal plan). I booked both the tickets and the package directly through Disney.
I was extremely grateful to say the least as we are unable to travel due to restrictions at school for international travel which includes the US.

Oh that is really good to hear, thank you! We are just tickets as we have a point rental, but hopefully they will work with us if we have to cancel.

DH and I are AP though, with only two trips planned with them. Cancelling this one means we got APs for one 6 night trip .

 

[40ariel]

We are just tickets as we have a point rental, but hopefully they will work with us if we have to cancel.

I was wondering today how the point rentals would work in this case. Let us know how you make out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

 

[scorpsfan]

Easter - we were within the 2 to 29 day window: "Cancellations made 29 days to 2 days prior to arrival have a cancellation fee of $200 per package" but they waived the cancellation fee. They had to contact Guest Services to do it. The cast member I spoke to was super friendly and helpful and they told me that they will be there waiting when we are able to come again...
It reminded me of why I love travelling to Disney World.

That's good to know. I'm sorry you had to cancel. We are all feeling the pain right now. We are 34 days out and I'm not sure what we are doing yet.
I wonder if we rescheduled if they would honor the Canadian resident tickets.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

I was wondering today how the point rentals would work in this case. Let us know how you make out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Thanks

The only way point rentals come out okay is if we take the trip, or Canada issues a travel advisory and insurance kicks in. And I guess if Disney closes down entirely and does something for DVC members and the rental companies pass it along to us?

Not going to lie, a pandemic was never on my radar as a reason to not do a point rental, we may be sucking it up and paying Disney prices next time.

 

[40ariel]

I wonder if we rescheduled if they would honor the Canadian resident tickets.

I called yesterday and Disney told me they would honour the unused Canadian Resident tickets until December 30. 2020. (I booked directly through Disney in February) I think they mentioned that if the new dates were more expensive that I would have to pay the difference in cost. If I wanted to use them after December 30 2020 they would apply the value of the unused tickets toward new tickets.

** Edited: I should add that yesterday they told me the tickets were nonrefundable and today they told me they would refund them no problem.

 

[quandrea]

Just wanted to say that I love the Canada board. Everyone is so nice to each other over here! Let’s keep it up! Well done!

 

[ElCray]

I wonder how Air Miles/Disney would handle the tickets bought through the Air Miles portal. We've already assigned dates.

On the rates of coronavirus in Florida, I think we can expect that the numbers will go up substantially in the next couple of weeks. Testing kits were in short supply across the US until they distributed tons this week. The numbers being reported are artificially low as a result. The US is just ramping up the testing now.

 

[scorpsfan]

I called yesterday and Disney told me they would honour the unused Canadian Resident tickets until December 30. 2020. (I booked directly through Disney in February) I think they mentioned that if the new dates were more expensive that I would have to pay the difference in cost. If I wanted to use them after December 30 2020 they would apply the value of the unused tickets toward new tickets.

Ok, we booked everything through Disney as well. Of course the new dates will probably be more expensive with these price increases. Ughhh. On a side note, what's with NB cancelling schools after international travel? I guess this does include the US, but a tad harsh isn't it?? I'd say the hardest hit regions yes, but really?!
We go from Buffalo. I wonder how that would work at the border?

 

[quandrea]

Ok, we booked everything through Disney as well. Of course the new dates will probably be more expensive with these price increases. Ughhh. On a side note, what's with NB cancelling schools after international travel? I guess this does include the US, but a tad harsh isn't it?? I'd say the hardest hit regions yes, but really?!
We go from Buffalo. I wonder how that would work at the border?

It’s harsh, but I think extremely prudent. I’m worried about what the spread will look like in our schools post March Break. Peel is asking for fourteen day self isolation for those students travelling to Iran and China. I think it should be more far reaching than that—for everyone’s sake, to slow the spread.

 

[mort1331]

Oh that is really good to hear, thank you! We are just tickets as we have a point rental, but hopefully they will work with us if we have to cancel.

DH and I are AP though, with only two trips planned with them. Cancelling this one means we got APs for one 6 night trip .

I was wondering today how the point rentals would work in this case. Let us know how you make out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Thanks

The only way point rentals come out okay is if we take the trip, or Canada issues a travel advisory and insurance kicks in. And I guess if Disney closes down entirely and does something for DVC members and the rental companies pass it along to us?

Not going to lie, a pandemic was never on my radar as a reason to not do a point rental, we may be sucking it up and paying Disney prices next time.

As a DVC member and one who has rented out before. I am sorry to say, but the rental almost 100% sure will be lost. As a member, if I needed to cancel for any reason within 31 days my points go into holding and can only be used for travel within 60 days and expire at end of use year. I dont want to get complicated, but basically they points are worthless to the owner.
What you have to know that even though DVC is Disney, it is still a timeshare at its core. It can not bump those points to another year. It would back up the whole system, and right now that system runs at about 98% capacity.
I was able to change one of my days to a different property, but that is because there have been a ton of cancellations. There will be a boat load of lost points by members due to this, and no way to get them back.
At the core of timeshares, we are part owners of the whole property. Think about if you own a cottage and a storm knocks out your power and can not use that for the summer, you still have to pay the taxes, and any other expenses on it, same with a timeshare, even DVC.

I feel bad for those who rented, I hope that insurance can help. DVC own insurance covers the maintenance fee but that is all.
Sorry to give bad news.

I hope that maybe the agents who you rented with has something in place. Even the one of the big ones on this board, Daves, has no exceptions.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

As a DVC member and one who has rented out before. I am sorry to say, but the rental almost 100% sure will be lost. As a member, if I needed to cancel for any reason within 31 days my points go into holding and can only be used for travel within 60 days and expire at end of use year. I dont want to get complicated, but basically they points are worthless to the owner.
What you have to know that even though DVC is Disney, it is still a timeshare at its core. It can not bump those points to another year. It would back up the whole system, and right now that system runs at about 98% capacity.
I was able to change one of my days to a different property, but that is because there have been a ton of cancellations. There will be a boat load of lost points by members due to this, and no way to get them back.
At the core of timeshares, we are part owners of the whole property. Think about if you own a cottage and a storm knocks out your power and can not use that for the summer, you still have to pay the taxes, and any other expenses on it, same with a timeshare, even DVC.

I feel bad for those who rented, I hope that insurance can help. DVC own insurance covers the maintenance fee but that is all.
Sorry to give bad news.

I hope that maybe the agents who you rented with has something in place. Even the one of the big ones on this board, Daves, has no exceptions.

No worries, none of that is surprising to me. The whole situation stinks but I don’t expect anything from David’s and definitely not from our member.

It’s too bad travel insurance and airlines and such make it so difficult to get money back. There’s going to be so many people traveling outside the country in the coming weeks who might not do it if money wasn’t on the line. Even past our rental and Disney tickets,
we have airfare for 8 that would at best become a credit that expires from WestJet.

 

[mshanson3121]

New Brunswick just reporting it's first cases now.

 

[mshanson3121]

On a side note, what's with NB cancelling schools after international travel? I guess this does include the US, but a tad harsh isn't it?? I'd say the hardest hit regions yes, but really?!

Because there's a two week delay - lots of people walking around with Covid, spreading their germs, that have yet to display symptoms. Just because there's only 0 reported cases in an area, doesn't mean there's actually 0 cases. Last week US had 60 cases, now they have over 1000. Yesterday Canada had 60 cases and none in NB. Now we have over 100, and 3 in NB.

 

[TammyLynn33]

insurance is all about ensuring people don’t collect in their policies or else there would be no insurance companies . Or rates would be ridiculously high no one would be able to afford it to begin with .

QUOTE="DGsAtBLT, post: 61664237, member: 592139"]
No worries, none of that is surprising to me. The whole situation stinks but I don’t expect anything from David’s and definitely not from our member.

It’s too bad travel insurance and airlines and such make it so difficult to get money back. There’s going to be so many people traveling outside the country in the coming weeks who might not do it if money wasn’t on the line. Even past our rental and Disney tickets,
we have airfare for 8 that would at best become a credit that expires from WestJet.
[/QUOTE]

 

[40ariel]

https://globalnews.ca/news/6660837/new-brunswick-coronavirus-update-march-11/Not sure this relates to this thread but gives some context