Do you take out trip insurance on a disney vacation ?

[scottmel]

This past summer we did Adventures By Disney Backstage Magic and I purchased insurance independently. SO GLAD I DID. I got so sick a month before the trip and honesty I NEVER get sick. EVER. Been 10 years since I had a cold!! Got super sick and was within days of cancelling the trip. Ended up being able to make it but was so thankful I would have had it to rely on....Having said THAT, I would NOT purchase it for WDW b/c I use Southwest Airlines which allows you to change plans for free, WDW hotel is incredible about allowing you to move your reservation into the future....and no really other costs are tied up. We purchase tickets separately so we would just save those for future trip

 

[DVC-Don]

Only for cruises.

 

[BalooFan]

I have purchased it since I learned the hard way that bad things can happen, even when you are at the happiest place on earth.

 

[SoonipiLady]

I usually do. I work in the service industry at a resort. Unfortunately, vacations are only approved several weeks in advanced. Even on a short trip, which is all we take now, I can get 75% back for any reason upto 48 hours before departure.

 

[Stinky_Pete]

I have never taken out trip insurance for any vacation. Even cruises where you only get a full refund if you cancel something like 75 days in advance. For a Disney trip, where you can get a full refund within 45 days, no.

I also don't book my flights months and months in advance. Unless there's some incredible sale, the prices don't seem to change much. I might book far in advance if I'm using frequent flyer miles.

I guess if I had a job where I couldn't secure my time off in advance then maybe I would do things differently. But the further in advance I block time off the better.

 

[MomToOne]

Usually, no - the small risks I face are not worth the cost of the insurance. But in situations where risks are higher, then I do. For example, one year during the recession where my company had had several rounds of layoffs and no one knew when the next round was coming, AND my father was not the healthiest and could have taken a turn for the worse at any moment, then I took out insurance that allowed me to cancel for job reasons or illness of a non-travelling family member. Another time we were going on a cruise with my elderly mother - in that case, I didn't take it out for me, but I did for my mother, primarily for the medical evacuation coverage in case she needed to be rushed back for medical reasons.

If you are going to take out insurance, be sure to read the policy details CAREFULLY to make sure all the situations you want it to cover are in fact covered. Coverage varies dramatically. I remember reading about a cruise that was delayed getting back because of a medical evacuation off of the ship, leading to a lot of people missing their flights home. The way most travel insurance is written, many of the people who had insurance ended up still not being covered and many had to pay for new plane tickets home when the airlines had no sympathy - the same as everyone who didn't have insurance. (And the cruise line didn't cover it either, because of the technicalities of their contracts.) In my examples above where I've taken out insurance, I had to really search for a policy that enabled me to cancel for job-related issues AND the illness of a non-travelling family member (many just allow you to cancel if someone in your travel party is sick). When I was insuring my mother, I had to search to find a policy that included a high dollar amount of medical evacuation coverage and that allowed evacuation back to her home town, not just the nearest US hospital, because that was important to the family. As others have said, Insure My Trip is the go-to website to find not only the cost of different policies, but the details of what they cover as well.

 

[thedjwaver]

This is from the Chase Sapphire web site most if not all credit/debit cards carry some sort of protection
Travel Protection*
TRIP CANCELLATION/TRIP INTERRUPTION INSURANCE
If your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses, including passenger fares, tours, and hotels.

AUTO RENTAL COLLISION DAMAGE WAIVER
Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad.

TRAVEL ACCIDENT INSURANCE
When you pay for your air, bus, train or cruise transportation with your card, you are eligible to receive accidental death or dismemberment coverage of up to $500,000.

TRAVEL AND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SERVICES
If you run into a problem away from home, call the Benefit Administrator for legal and medical referrals or other travel and emergency assistance. (You will be responsible for the cost of any goods or services obtained.)

LOST LUGGAGE REIMBURSEMENT
If you or your immediate family members' checked or carry-on bags are damaged or lost by the carrier, you're covered up to $3,000 per passenger.

TRIP DELAY REIMBURSEMENT
If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.

BAGGAGE DELAY INSURANCE
Reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by passenger carrier up to $100 a day for 5 days.

 

[LBlovesM&WDW]

We used to buy through the Disney website until my niece got sick (two ER visits) on one of our trips. We didn't even get enough money back to cover what we paid and lost tons of park time, dining reservations, etc.

 

[Jajone]

We used to buy through the Disney website until my niece got sick (two ER visits) on one of our trips. We didn't even get enough money back to cover what we paid and lost tons of park time, dining reservations, etc.

Most insurances would not cover lost park time because of ER visits.

Most people are describing cancellation issues before you leave, but I have personal experience needing the insurance during or delay getting home. Because of this I never go without. I just returned from a July trip in which our flight was cancelled because of a thunder storm. Had expenses from having to stay another night with 5 of us in a hotel, transportation back and forth from the airport and food. All of which will be covered. Hubby and I flew down a day early for a cruise in October a few years ago. Cruise was delayed 3 days because of a hurricane. Insurance paid unexpected costs of hotel room and food. These are simple things. If someone were to get sick enough to be in the hospital, medical flights home are in the 10-20,000 range.

 

[g8rben]

Most insurances would not cover lost park time because of ER visits.

Most people are describing cancellation issues before you leave, but I have personal experience needing the insurance during or delay getting home. Because of this I never go without. I just returned from a July trip in which our flight was cancelled because of a thunder storm. Had expenses from having to stay another night with 5 of us in a hotel, transportation back and forth from the airport and food. All of which will be covered. Hubby and I flew down a day early for a cruise in October a few years ago. Cruise was delayed 3 days because of a hurricane. Insurance paid unexpected costs of hotel room and food. These are simple things. If someone were to get sick enough to be in the hospital, medical flights home are in the 10-20,000 range.

Did you get the insurance through Disney in this situation? That's the type of coverage I'm looking for but I have a room-only reservation and so need to go third party for insurance and I'm looking for good recommendations.