Free Dining folks did you get trip insurance?

[beachgrl001]

I will be getting TI but first I got to get
Airline Ressies, then I will get insurance to
cover my whole trip.

same here

 

[Neelloc]

I didn't get it... if for some reason we can't go we would just postpone and not actually cancel. You can reschedule your trip without penalty right up until you check in (as long as the new trip costs at least as much as the old one did).

Disney hardly ever closes due to bad weather, so I figure if they are open, we will be there!

As I've learned, it's easy enough to cancel before you go, but the problems fall when you are already on vacation. Like with me, where I was hospitalized near the end of my vacation, delaying our travel back home. The airline would have charged us a change fee, plus the difference in airfare. Plus, you have the added expenses of extended hotel stays, car rental, etc.

Or, if something happens back home and you need to cut your trip short, this would cover it.

 

[thunderbird1]

We didn't go through Disney, but did get trip insurance through insuremytrip.com. We've never done it before, but dh says they're predicting a bad hurricane season, and his parents are both over 80, so we want a little more protection this year.

Like others, I'm not worried about parks closing, but about having to leave if something happens to dh's parents or a hurricane delaying the beginning of our trip. Which brings me to an OT question: we're scheduled to check in on the LAST day of free ddp (9/22). If weather delays our arrival, I'm not so much worried about being able to change dates of the trip, but more about preserving the free dining. If we arrive a day or two late because of weather, will we still get our same free ddp package? Just curious if anyone has any ideas or experiences.

 

[catsrule]

nope

 

[teacher100]

Don't you have to pay for your trip in full a couple of months before your trip with the package? If you cancel do they give it back without insurance? The past two Champions on Ice shows my family has gone on one of my kids got sick. We had backstage passes and everything! It hurt enough not being able to recoup the $70.00 for their ticket! My mom kept them because it was just overnight, but if it were a Disney trip there is no way I could take the rest of the family and leave them. I would probably get insurance for that reason unless I can find a way to quarentine my family for a couple weeks before the trip!

 

[nicknamy1996]

We never have. I don't know what it covers (hospital stays???) I've always skipped it because of the generous cancellation policy and the fact that the tickets can be used in the future. If I recall correctly our money at risk (if we canceled the day before we arrived even it was $200 and the insurance cost $119. Not even close to being worth it. We drive and stay cheap though. Is the insurance cost the same for a $900 vacation and a $8000 vacation through Disney?

 

[C_leen]

I don't know what level I'm going to get, but I'm going to think of it as 'health insurance.' My whole heart is wrapped up in planning this trip for my family and if something seriously goes wrong and derails it, losing the magical moment and the money might either put me in cardiac arrest or at least a deep depression!

Disney's now does cover flights that you make on your own. I haven't gotten the trip packet yet from my TA, but she told me not to buy it right away and compare online. I looked at my credit card and it was very very basic coverage. With insuremytrip.com you can get opt for all sorts of situations.

 

[Rustysmom]

Does anyone know if the insurance you buy from Disney covers illness in family members too? My mom is 82 and not in the best of health, and I'm so afraid that I might have to cancel if she gets sick. She's not coming on the trip though, but I'd still have to cancel if she needed me.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Don't you have to pay for your trip in full a couple of months before your trip with the package? If you cancel do they give it back without insurance?

I could be wrong, but I don't think so. The last 3 times I went I didn't have anything charged to my cards (aside from the down payment) until the day I left Disney. Since I have the Disney Visa, and it gives me 6 months of 0% interest on purchases of Disney vacations, I don't expect to pay for my Sept 2007 trip until March 2008.

 

[JenniferAtl]

We always get trip insurance - you never know. We get it through our TA and it is only $33 per person. It covers pre-existing which covers us because my sister has brain cancer.

 

[Victoria'sMom]

We did not purchase it this year. We live on the coast of Georgia so Hurricane season is second nature to us

 

[thunderbird1]

Does anyone know if the insurance you buy from Disney covers illness in family members too? My mom is 82 and not in the best of health, and I'm so afraid that I might have to cancel if she gets sick. She's not coming on the trip though, but I'd still have to cancel if she needed me.

Our policy (Travelex booked through insuremytrip.com) does include parents. Along with hurricane season delays, my dh's 80+ year old parents were the main reason for us purchasing the travel insurance. Like others, I'm not as worried about having to cancel before we go, because most things are either refundable or re-schedulable (if that's a word) but rather if something happens during our trip and we have to come back in the middle. I don't remember what the exact requirements were (like whether the family member had to be hospitalized), but it's pretty simple to put together a quote at insuremytrip.com then read what each insurer covers. We got quotes from just over $100 up to nearly $400 for a 14 day trip.

 

[brooke1]

I just got my Disney pkg stuff in the mail..

it says

trip cancellation and interruption
covers you if you cancel or interrupt your trip for covered reasons. this includes airfares purchased as part of a walt disney travel company pkg,through a travel agent,or on your own..

 

[missmun52]

I noticed that it said it can be added before the last payment but my Vacation for Sept. Is already paid in full. Does that mean I will not be able to add it??

 

[Disney Fans]

I never use to get Trip insurance until 3 years ago. We were traveling with another family and there daughter got sick and had issues. The insurance really helped them while on the DCL. I would assume it would work just as well at WDW.
And then with all the other things that can just happen. The biggest being we planned a Thanksgiving Disneyland trip last Nov. and the night before the trip one of our sons got really sick, ( flu) he couldn't travel the next day. We called and got 100% refund on everything but the insurance cost of course.
I say get it!!! But always ask if everything is included, because sometimes air is and sometimes not, etc. Our trip for Free Dine has air included and I think for just $119.00 to cover the cost of 4 of us is worth every cent!!!

 

[perd]

All those who are not getting Insurance....why not??

The only reason we would not be there is something catastrophic - like a death in the family or someone near death. My parents are not in the best of health so that is what is in the back of my mind. If it came to that, I would just lose my $200 and the money would be the last thing on my mind.

 

[canwegosoon]

I never use to get Trip insurance until 3 years ago. We were traveling with another family and there daughter got sick and had issues. The insurance really helped them while on the DCL. I would assume it would work just as well at WDW.
And then with all the other things that can just happen. The biggest being we planned a Thanksgiving Disneyland trip last Nov. and the night before the trip one of our sons got really sick, ( flu) he couldn't travel the next day. We called and got 100% refund on everything but the insurance cost of course.
I say get it!!! But always ask if everything is included, because sometimes air is and sometimes not, etc. Our trip for Free Dine has air included and I think for just $119.00 to cover the cost of 4 of us is worth every cent!!!

ITA>>>>I usually never get it, because I do not usually travel in hurracine season...but the last few trips my children have gotten Chicken pox and strep right before we have (with in 48 hours of leaving)...so I am no taking my chances on this trip...I figured for the $100(including airfare) it was well worth the investment.

 

[missmun52]

If a hurricane happens and you need a room do you have to pay for it and have them refund you the money. I saw something in the booklet about wiring money in some instances.

 

[luvtogo12]

I was not asked if I wanted insurance but they automatically added it on.
Can I call and have them remove it?

 

[kelscross]

When Hurricane Frances was making it's way to FL in 2004 we didn't cancel our trip. We were to arrive the day the Hurricane was predicted to hit. We went a day early, booked a room at ASMO for that night..the airline didn't charge us a thing to up our reservation (which I was surprised). We spent the night at ASMO, played at the pool, went to DTD (we didn't have park tickets for this day) and then first thing in the AM we went to the Poly for our package to begin. At first Disney wasn't going to transport us (understandable) and we were going to get a cab to take us over to the Poly, but at 6am we went to the lobby and the CM's that morning were horrified to know that we were instructed to take a cab over to the Poly. They transported us. We had called the Poly that night to ask how early we could check in, 6am. So we get there about 6:30am and they check us right to our room.

The poly was much different than ASMO during the impending hurricane. At the Poly they brought in entertainment and characters. At ASMO they essentially shut everything down (including restaurants) the night before. The day of the hurricane we played in the pool (parks were closed), had lots of entertainment and about 4:30pm they asked for us to go to our rooms and stay in our rooms for the next 24 hours. They provided boxed breakfast/lunch/dinners for a minimal fee (5.00 I think) and recommended you buy one for each meal for the next 24 hours.

The next day around dinner time, they called each room and announced that the hurricane had pretty much passed (slow mover) and Ohana would be open for a buffet for a very minimal fee. The parks were closed for two days (the day before and the day of) and much to our surprise we were offered comped tickets for two days (which we didn't even ask for)

So...long story short...I'm not getting trip insurance.