how does DVC and travel insurance work?

[snoopy5386]

Just wondering... we tend to travel alot in the fall, if we had to cancel due to a hurricane it would obviously be with less than 30 days notice, our points would go into a holding acct. How does travel insurance work when insuring a timeshare such as DVC? Any experiences in this area?

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I do know if you insure your points that they give you a monetary value for the points if you have to cancel your trip. For example, 85 points might be worth $400. I'm just making numbers up here, though. I don't understand if that means you also get the points back in a holding account, or if you get the money in place of the points. I'd definitely rather have the points even if they are in a holding account. I can't imagine that you wouldn't get the points back, too. Does anyone know the answer to this?

 

[mcorbo]

The member web site indicates that reimbursement from insurance will be in cash, not points. If I recall, it is somewhere around $5 per point.
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Put your mind at ease by including travel insurance in your vacation plans. As a Disney Vacation Club Member, you can purchase travel insurance directly from Travel Guard® International. Coverage will protect you from losses on reservations using Vacation Points/Reservation Points, cash or a combination by providing cash reimbursements (not Vacation Points or Reservation Points) for specific circumstances.

The premiums for the plan are paid directly to Travel Guard International before the reservation cancellation penalty begins. For more information, call Travel Guard International directly, toll-free at (866) 690-6858† and reference Disney Vacation Club ID#007004. Members outside the United States can call collect at (715) 345-0505†.

 

[snoopy5386]

$5 a point?? That is so crappy, they are worth so much more than that. $500 wouldn't even get me a week at a value resort for goodness sakes. Any others with experiences?

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

So the only way you get money instead of points is if you cancel on the date of arrival or if your trip is interrupted; otherwise, you will get your points back but in a holding account. Is this correct? Anyone know?

 

[Chuck S]

So the only way you get money instead of points is if you cancel on the date of arrival or if your trip is interrupted; otherwise, you will get your points back but in a holding account. Is this correct? Anyone know?

That would make sense, as I don't see how they (the insurance company) could give you money if the points aren't completely lost.

As to the OPs question, specifically. Weather related emergencies, where they have stopped travel to/from Orlando Airport or have caused the resorts and parks to go into lockdown, thus preventing your arrival at the resorts, have usually been handled by MS as special cases, returning the points to their use year, just as if you had cancelled 31+ days out. But there are restrictions, like the dates have to fall within periods that are truly advised by the weather service to be unsafe, and people are advised not to travel.

 

[Disney_Villain]

$5 a point?? That is so crappy, they are worth so much more than that. $500 wouldn't even get me a week at a value resort for goodness sakes. Any others with experiences?

We don't use the insurance at $5/point UNLESS we have a big amount of points booked immediately before the end of our UY (which we would normally try to avoid). I agree with you about the insurance cost! You only recoup the maintenance fees in the end.