Need quick answer: can we get a refund if someone in our party doesn't go?

[moopdog]

My DD13 decided she really, really doesn't want to go after all - we leave in 7 days! We have paid for our trip in full! I am wondering if we'll get any money back from Delta or from Disney (park ticket cost) if she doesn't go... anyone know the policies?

Thanks.

 

[rgf207]

I am pretty sure you wont get your money back from Delta. The best you will get will be a credit towards a flight to use within 1 year. Unless you purchased a refundable ticket. Also, did you book a WDW package or a room only. If you booked a package there might be a fee to change but since you are not cancelling, you may not need to pay the extra $15 per night for someone that is not there. As far as the ticket's are concerned, I can't answer that.

 

[moopdog]

We booked a package...so maybe we won't take a loss for the room, but the park tickets....??? I could live with credit for another flight, but would it have to be in my DD's name? That would be silly.

 

[kirbsam]

Let me see if I got this straight. You are planning a vacation and one week before you are going, your 13 year old daughter decides she really doesn't feel like going??? Wow.

 

[ciniagara]

Thanks Kirbsam I am not the only one that noticed that. P.S. I have a 13 year old daughter. Not a chance

 

[kaytieeldr]

Delta will not refund your money. They will allow you to cancel the ticket and apply what was paid toward the purchase of another ticket for the same passenger within one year of the original purchase date. There is a $75 or $100 change fee, plus any applicable fare difference. For example, if the ticket cost you $150 dollars, the credit will be $50 (on Delta) or $75 (on Song), then you pay the difference between the credit and the new fare.

If you booked a package and are cancelling any member of your party at this late date, chances are it's too late for any type of refund. Contact the party through whom you booked the package, whether it's Disney directly or a Travel Agent. As for the tickets, no, if your daughter's portion of the package is non-refundable, her pass is also non-refundable. However, even if it expires fourteen days from first use, that fourteen days doesn't start until the first day the pass is used to enter a park. So you can hold onto it and use it next year or ten years from now.

 

[AllyBri]

Tell DD that she really, really, really has to go because there are a lot of hardships in life we must face and having fun at WDW is just one of them.

And
If that don't work.......remember you are the MOM and you says goes.

 

[ryan840]

What is your daughters reason for changing her mind a week before the trip? (No judgements, this has just really sparked my curiosity)

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Just my own non-parent opinion, but I'd say "Fine, but the cost anything we can't get refunds on is coming out of your allowance."

See if she changes her mind then.

 

[Brian Noble]

moopdog: I'm afraid you are out of luck on the airline ticket if it is non-refundable. You will get part of the money as credit for a future flight, but only for your DD (or someone else with her name) and only for a flight within one year. Check the terms of the ticket you bought---your confirmation email should have them, or you can just call Delta directly.

You may be able to change your package and not buy her WDW ticket. But, if you can't, I believe wholly-unused tickets *may* be transferred from one person to another. But, once anyone uses a day, that same person has to use all of the other days too---and the finger scan makes sure this happens.

Finally, before we all make a bunch of assumptions about moopdog and her daughter, there are several legitimate reasons why the daughter might not want to go. For example she may have decided that she can't miss school.

 

[moopdog]

Okay - yes, you're right about the 13-year old thing. I actually agree with you all. Unfortunately it's out of my hands since she's my "step" daughter! Since she's only with us part of the time, and since we were going during the school year, we asked her and her mother their opinions & thoughts about if she wanted to go ect. We asked this back in JANUARY when we were making the arrangements. I have been telling DH that I thought she would change her mind - but I thought it would be more like a couple of months prior - not a week!

She has a list (literally) of reasons why she doesn't want to go and they are all very trivial (miss her boyfriend, friend of the families baby's due date is during our trip, miss the big fair she goes to each year, will miss 2 football games/dances, and her latest is fear of hurricane)!! There ARE a couple of legitimate reasons: fear of getting behind in school (she has trouble in algebra) and not wanting to be away from her mom that long (I totally understand that one).

In the long and short of it - if she lived with us 100% of the time and wouldn't have another parent to stay with while she stayed and we went - there's no way she'd have a choice. Our other kids for example that are with us all of the time, have NO choice and never will (ha-ha). BUT... she does live with her mother and that's exactly where she'd be if she didn't go to WDW, so she's actually still be "home".

Personally, I think she just has the jitters and needs to hear from us that "it's okay if you don't want to go" and then I'm pretty sure she'll say she still DOES want to go. I think she doesn't like the fact that she has no control, so when she finds out she has a little bit of choice left, she'll feel better and choose to go after all (I hope).

The only thing that bugs me the most is that she made the decision and has kept saying it all along that YES she did want to go. But over the past few months and then weeks, her list of reasons for not wanting to go have appeared and she's getting more and more negative about it, and I just wish I could be IN HER HEAD and know what she really wants!

Okay - that's it.... thanks for the answers so much... wish us luck with our drama scene queen!!

 

[Brian Noble]

Good luck! My own DD7 is 7-going-on-13 in the drama queen department, so I have some mild inkling of what you are going through...

 

[pyrxtc]

I feel for you -OP-. I am a stepmother and I am waiting for my DSD's mother to say she can't go days before we leave. I am writing a ote to the teacher for her to pass in on Monday. My DSD is 11 and not a drama queen (I have an 8 yr old that has been all her life though) who will be very upset if she can't go.

 

[PCFriar80]

I'll go!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

I'll go!!

Dang! Why didn't any of us think of offering first! Have fun on your last minute trip with your newly-adapted* family, PCFriar!

*spelling intentional

 

[trip]

Since she is 13 I suppose that she is in high school. When my DD's were in high school, they would have loved to go to disney but when the reality of missing a week of school set in - they too would have said no. Too much homework to return to. Maybe this is part of the reason. Missing elementary school isn't ususally as hard to make up for lost time.

 

[ciniagara]

My apologys I think I jumped the gun. Good luck

 

[AllyBri]

She has a list (literally) of reasons why she doesn't want to go and they are all very trivial (miss her boyfriend, friend of the families baby's due date is during our trip, miss the big fair she goes to each year, will miss 2 football games/dances, and her latest is fear of hurricane)!! There ARE a couple of legitimate reasons: fear of getting behind in school (she has trouble in algebra) and not wanting to be away from her mom that long (I totally understand that one).

It is understandable if she is concerned about being away from her Mom for a week. Pixie dust to all.

 

[justplaingoofy]

Alot of you may not agree with me, but I say ... go without her, have fun and get a voucher for her ticket.

As far as $$ you are out, I'd tell her she's responsible for paying you back.

School work is the only excuse I'd accept, but you can get assignments ahead of time.

 

[NADINENURSE]

It must be something with 13 year olds. Mine is doing the same thing, could they be speaking with each other !?!?!? Maybe it is just the age, also 13, now with a fear of planes, where did that come from, never mentioned it before on our previous 4 trips. It makes me very very sad, I plan the trips for months, down to every detail , have charts, maps, log books, plans, etc. I was very hurt when she mentioned this to me, as other posters have said, the 6 days mine will be missing school will never be remembered again, but the family being together will. I am a nurse and can not take time off in the "traditional "school holidays as that is also traditionally the time when nurses are most needed (ie: any holiday, pick one). I also feel the school puts pressure on them, 'oh you will miss so much". Well, the school can go take a flying leap, my kids do not stay home for any excuse, go to school when they are sniffling or the weather is bad, or when she has her "monthly" problem or any other whim... They are only out for the most 6 days in a year for our family to be together when they can, and we get homework, and we do it, and we make a class presentation with pictures, I know, maybe my DD is annoyed at the work she has to do in Disney, perhaps it would be easier to stay home, well TOO BAD to my DD..You will come, You will have fun, just as you have done for the past 4 years...Life is precious.. enjoy these things while we can... and feel thankful we can do this, that we don't live in New Orleans and are suffering the work things in life, but to the OP, boy, do I also feel your pain !!!