Death in family and didn't buy insurance...

[Shellydm]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this or not, but I need help.

My Aunt (mom's sister) suddenly passed away last night. My mom just lost my dad a few years ago and is soooo upset. Her sister was her best friend.

We have reservations for Disney Music on Monday. We didn't buy the insurance. When we booked I begged hubby to buy it, he said we didn't need it. uggh.

We booked on a pin special with the free dining and value resorts , it was only for certain dates.

Do you think Disney would let us reschedule our trip??? Any advice needed and very much appreciated.

Shelly

 

[momabaarjo]

My Suggestion is to call and ask! So sorry about your loss.

 

[stargazertechie]

Call them now and explain the situation. Disney is usually really good at allowing for rescheduling trips due to extenuating circumstances. I had the same thing happen last May with my grandmother dying 48 hours before my trip.

We ended up going, but Disney was willing to work with us!

 

[Jestocost]

FWIW, the most you have at risk for the Disney part of the trip is the $200 cancellation penalty, which hardly makes paying for trip insurance worthwhile. If you also have flights booked on an airline that charges change fees (which is just about all of them except for Southwest), then of course you stand to lose more and could have been helped by insurance.

As noted by PPs, however, Disney does apparently provide some flexibility with allowing guest to reschedule without even paying a penalty in these circumstances. However, what your new reservation costs may depend on what offers are available on your new dates. They may not let you apply the free dining pin to your new dates if it's not available for those dates.

 

[TDC Nala]

Call and ask about moving the trip to new dates. You won't pay a cancellation fee if you do this, but you may lose your discounts if they are not available for the new dates. Won't help you with airfare if you are flying, though. Most airlines charge a rather sizeable fee to change your flights.

 

[soulmates]

Great suggestion! Sorry for your loss.

 

[avoiding work]

Try calling the airline too. They often will waive change/cancellation fees for situations like this. If the first person only repeats their official policy, tell her that this situation is unique, and politely ask to speak to a supervisor. I have been surprised at how helpful they can be.

And sorry about your loss.

 

[mjp12831]

OP - sorry for your loss.

So understanding what other posters are writign:

If something happens without trip insurance you will be able to reschedule - worst case scenerio a $200 change fee from WDW, but possibly without a fee.

Downside is that you can lose the free dining discount or other discount if availability is limited.

So, question is if you have insurance, does insurance generally give you the same trip without additional cost and leave you free to reschedule it at any time? Or are there generally restrictions on this?

 

[maj42169]

So sorry for your loss. You will be able to reschedule with Disney if you booked directly through Disney Destinations. Just call them and explain the cirumstances. But, as a previous poster said, you will not be able to apply your room rates or freee dining to the new reservation.

Again, I am sorry for your unexpected loss.

 

[AmberHeartsDisney]

Im soooo sorry to hear that

 

[DizBelle]

I think within 45 days, Disney also charges a change fee to change anything about your reservation. But you may be able to convince them to waive that fee. You will only retain your discounts if they happen to be available for your new dates.

As far as airlines, if your tickets are non-refundable, you will not get your money back. If you change your flights, you will have to pay the change fee (likely $150) plus whatever the fare difference is to the new flights. Again, you might be able to convince them to waive the change fee.

But, there are no guarantees. That's what the travel insurance is for.

 

[Pirate at Heart]

Being a TA (part-time) I see this often.

My advise, call Disney and explain the situation, the airline as well. Most of the time they are very understanding. If you talk to someone who isn't say "thank you" hang up and try again.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I am very sorry for your loss. If you call them and tell them what happened, they may work with you, I know they have with me in the past.

 

[fla4fun]

OP, I am so sorry for your loss. I am going through a similar situation, having lost my dad suddenly just two weeks ago, and having a Disney trip scheduled in three weeks.

However, I am chomping at the bit to go on the trip. I desperately want to get away from the well meaning friends, and the attorneys, and all of the attendant trappings of losing a family member (especially as I just lost my mom last November, and am not through that grieving process yet). I want so badly to be in my "happy place" right now. I really wish I'd had the trip booked sooner instead of having to wait. It doesn't mean I loved my dad any less, or that my mourning period is over, or that it's any disrespect toward him if I smile and relax. I need this trip to decompress. Have all of you sat down and actually discussed whether to go or not? Getting away from the situation could be just what you need to start the recovery process. At the very least, it's a much needed break from what is happening at home, provided it doesn't conflict with the funeral or memorial service (I'll be attending my parent's memorial next week).

I would totally understand anyone who wanted to cancel or reschedule in these circumstances, but I just wanted to offer my personal point of view as another option.

 

[cm8]

I am so sorry for your loss. I will keep you and your DM in my thoughts and prayers

 

[TLinden16]

Sorry for your loss.

I'm going to move this to our resort board in case the folks over there have additional input.