I don't know if this is the OP's case, since she hasn't shared all of the details. But I agree with you that if would indeed be foolish to be socking away Disney gift cards for a future trip if you don't have an adequate emergency fund in place. In fact, it would be short-sighted to be planning a trip at all if that were the case.
A lot of people use gift cards as a saving method because they just aren't good at saving money otherwise. It's sort of like those people who intentionally get a big tax refund so that they can use it for a vacation or other luxury. But instead of giving the money to Uncle Sam, they give it to Mickey Mouse. Both saving methods tie your cash up so that you can't use it for other purposes. It can be a good thing if you're inclined to blow through any chunk of money you have. But it backfires when you need a chunk of cash for emergencies.
You'll notice that the OP has chosen to do the grown-up thing and cancel her trip so that she can take care of her financial obligations. I give her props for that. How many people would tell her "the-kids-are-only-little-for-so-long-and-you-never-know-what-will-happen-tomorrow-so-go-anyway-and-worry-about-the-bills-when-you-get-back"?
I'm hoping that things work out for the OP and that she updates us when she gets it all worked out. In the meantime, I'm going to keep saving my cash the old fashioned way. I'm hiding it under my mattress!
Guess if I had a choice to give it to uncle Sam or Mickey mouse......ummmmm I'm gonna go with the mouse too lol! But again, I have never been given a choice. 
This is exactly what I do.
