Questions about Trip Insurance?

[Dominion]

I'm curious if most people purchase trip insurance? If so, do you get it thru Disney with the package? If I understand correctly, the full amount due in full 45 days prior to our trip is refundable if we have to cancel for any reason, minus the $200 deposit and the cost of the trip insurance at that point. If its $151 for the insurance (quoted to me by my travel agent), I'm not sure its worth it? Unless people have trouble getting the refunds without it or something like that?

A little backstory...we are going with my parents and due to health issues my dad has had, they have had to cancel 2 big vacations in the last 3 years alone, so we definitely want to be covered!

Thank you!

 

[Dominion]

I should have added...we are driving, so air travel costs are not an issue! We are only purchasing onsite hotel and tickets at this point. May add dining plan later!

 

[gtpoohbear]

We have never done it before, but are planning to add it this time. I'm not as worried about having to cancel before we leave, as you get most of your money back even if you have to cancel rather last-minute.

What worries me is something happening while we are there to cut the trip short. I've had too many people I know recently go on vacation only to have to come right back home because someone got sick or had a family emergency. I'd be constantly worrying the phone was going to ring with bad news, and there goes our vacation for the year, no way to get a second chance.

If I understand correctly (and hopefully I do, since I'm counting on doing this!) you can add the vacation insurance through Disney right up until you make your final payment, but once you buy the insurance it's non-refundable. So I didn't see any point in buying it early - if I wanted to cancel my package today I could, and I would get my $200 deposit back. But if I had already bought the insurance, I would NOT get the $150 back. So i saw no reason to buy it before I had to. (Someone please let me know if I am understanding this policy wrong!)

 

[minnie mum]

We never go on any vacation without trip insurance. What happens if you have to cancel a week before your vacation. Or a month? What happens if there is an emergency during your vacation? It's insurance, just like you have for your home or your car or your life. Hopefully you'll never have to use it. But you would really miss it if something happened. I will pay $150 if it means I don't have to worry about a $5,000 trip. Given your parent's history I think it might be very wise to purchase this insurance just before the 45 day final payment is due.

We have never purchased trip insurance from Disney. You can usually get more comprehensive and less expensive insurance elsewhere. Have you checked to see if you have some coverage already with the credit card you used to make your reservation? Have you looked at insuremytrip.com? There are other sites that offer good travel insurance as well. I'm guessing that you aren't looking for a comprehensive package, but only cancellation and interruption coverage?

 

[Marthasor]

I should have added...we are driving, so air travel costs are not an issue! We are only purchasing onsite hotel and tickets at this point. May add dining plan later!

I would agree, given your circumstances, that you should purchase some type of insurance. You and the PP are correct. Disney's insurance is $75.95 per adult and once it is purchased, it is non-refundable.

As another OP stated, there is no reason to add insurance to your package until you are ready to pay in full. I have purchased insurance through Disney and through insuremytrip.com. I happen to like purchasing the Disney insurance as I have found things go much smoother when you go to file your claim, but, you will probably find cheaper coverage through insuremytrip.com

Here is a thought. Have you considered making a room-only reservation? As opposed to a package, with a room-only, you only have to put down one night's deposit which is fully refundable up to 5 days prior to check-in (as opposed to 45 days with a package). At the 5 day mark, if everyone is healthy enough to go, you could then add tickets and dining and the insurance plan. You would have to pay in full at that time and then you would be covered for your trip. By doing room-only, you basically give yourself 5+ extra weeks of time to see if everyone is healthy. If you do have to cancel within that time frame, at least you won't be out the insurance $$ and you get your one night's deposit back. I think it's a waste to spend $151 on insurance 45 days prior to your trip just to get a $200 package deposit back. If you were flying, I would have a different opinion.

The insurance only makes sense to me if you do room-only for now, create a package with tickets and dining, if you choose, at 5 days out when it really looks like you are going, pay in full with insurance at that time and then you are covered for the time you really need it - the 5 days prior when room-only cancellation fees would kick in and for your actual trip. I hope that makes sense?

 

[DebbieB]

I'm curious if most people purchase trip insurance? If so, do you get it thru Disney with the package? If I understand correctly, the full amount due in full 45 days prior to our trip is refundable if we have to cancel for any reason, minus the $200 deposit and the cost of the trip insurance at that point. If its $151 for the insurance (quoted to me by my travel agent), I'm not sure its worth it? Unless people have trouble getting the refunds without it or something like that?

A little backstory...we are going with my parents and due to health issues my dad has had, they have had to cancel 2 big vacations in the last 3 years alone, so we definitely want to be covered!

Thank you!

What if something happens after you arrive at the resort? At that point, your trip will not be refundable. Another thing insurance covers is if someone gets sick while you are there? If you are flying, what about the additional cost to come home early? Or stay longer if someone is sick? Insurance isn't just about cancelling in advance.

 

[bennifer]

Get the insurance! DH and I were planning our wedding at Disney (small, just our parents and my DS) for April 2009. We booked and paid for almost everything when I found out I was pregnant. Not a big deal, right? In most cases no, but my dr refused to let me fly (Sheesh, high risk pregnancy) or drive for the 20 hrs it would take to get there. VERY happy to have the insurance! You never know what's going to happen.

 

[deltadisney]

There are other companies out there who offer trip insurance for a fraction of what you pay through disney. For example, we used Allianz and paid $72 for all of our insurance, and I believe it is a lot broader than the coverage offered through disney and covers things such as flight, medical, and lost property. As for health issues, a lot of policies will not cover a pre existing condition-so insurance may not cover the situation you gave with your parents. However, if you purchase insurance 45 days before your trip, some policies would cover pre existing health issues. I would make sure about that though.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I work in insurance and have a business degree...I'm risk-averse by nature! I get the trip insurance. I am a AAA member and I can get pretty cheap insurance through them. It gives me peace of mind, especially when flying. The weather in the winter can get nasty where I live, so I felt really good having it on my recent trip. Of course I didn't end up needing it, but I was still glad I bought it!

 

[momof2twinboys]

We used it last October. I was so anxious about our trip and the cost of it that I was losing sleep. It was our most expensive vacation ever - 10 days with airfare, meals and tickets. Once I purchased the trip insurance through Disney I never worried about it again.

It was cheaper through Disney than other companies and the Disney pkg had much better coverage - cancellations due to illness, death of a family member, illness of a business partner that would require you to stay home to run your business, jury duty and more. There also was not a pre-existing condition that it had to be purchased within 10 days of original payment.

We couldn't afford a problem with our trip and the insurance was $156 for our family of 4 - kids are free and it's based on your age.

Sandy hit while we were there and it did not affect us but other people in our resort could not go home because the airports were shut down - they were from Jersey and had to stay several more days. The trip insurance would've covered that.

 

[davedmaine]

Yes, definitely get the insurance.
I'm always amazed at people who get upset with airlines or Disney, etc., when they can't get a refund after they had to cancel a trip due to someone's illness. Not spending the few extra bucks for insurance just doesn't make sense to me when you're shelling out thousands for a Disney vacation..

 

[Herfnerd]

We ALWAYS get trip insurance on all our vacations - use InsureMyTrip.com for better premiums and coverage.

Just be sure you understand about pre-existing coverage. If your father has health issues and you purchase insurance two weeks or more after you book/put a deposit down on the trip, it becomes a bit more complicated.......