Refunding a canceled a Trip?

[SEA333]

Hi - our 45 day mark is September 30th, and I was going to pay the trip off today, but after a conversation with DH last night, there are a few reasons that he brought up that makes me think that we should cancel and not go after all. We will lose the cost of our airfare, which is about $600. We were going to surprise the kids, so it's no big deal with them because they don't have any idea that I was even planning a trip.

My question is, I have already paid 2/3's of the trip. I have been waiting to pay the rest "just in case", but I need to decide soon. How much will I lose if I cancel? I booked through the Disney Destinations website, where you put $200 down, and can make payments until the 45-day mark, if that matters.


Thanks!

 

[Kristibo42]

Why do you have to cancel?

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

You may be able to get your deposit back today only. Call and ask. Check with the airline on a future credit. Southwest allows for credit up to one year from date of purchase.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[HM]

If you cancel before 45 days from trip, you can get ALL your money back (except any insurance premium you may have paid).

 

[Lehuaann]

You have until the 45th day (Sep 30) to get your $200 deposit plus any other payments made toward the MYW package refunded - minus vacation insurance and/or any other fees assessed by third party suppliers hotels or other suppliers.

44 days and under, there is a $200 cancellation fee.

Can you reschedule your trip or get credit for your flights?

 

[mm1971]

Hi - our 45 day mark is September 30th, and I was going to pay the trip off today, but after a conversation with DH last night, there are a few reasons that he brought up that makes me think that we should cancel and not go after all. We will lose the cost of our airfare, which is about $600. We were going to surprise the kids, so it's no big deal with them because they don't have any idea that I was even planning a trip.

My question is, I have already paid 2/3's of the trip. I have been waiting to pay the rest "just in case", but I need to decide soon. How much will I lose if I cancel? I booked through the Disney Destinations website, where you put $200 down, and can make payments until the 45-day mark, if that matters.


Thanks!

As long as you cancel prior to the 45 day mark it should be 100% refunded. That is Disney's policy and what was clearly explained to me a few weeks ago when we booked for next year. Even after the 45 day mark, you will get most of it refunded minus the deposit and fees for cancellation. If you definitely plan on canceling, I would do it sooner rather than later.

It sounds like you both would like to take a trip, but it doesn't make sense right now. Can you postpone the trip maybe and move the airfare $$ so you don't lose it? Some airlines depending on what type of ticket you booked will allow you to postpone (even with a transaction fee it may be better than just eating the $600). Disney will allow you to rebook at a later date and move the deposits to that new reservation at no cost to you. That sounds like a better option than losing a significant amount of $$. If you have to cancel, just call Disney and explain the situation. They will have no issue getting everything taken care of.

 

[angierae]

Why do you have to cancel?

Why is this relevant? If the OP wanted us to know, they'd have told us.

 

[bumbershoot]

Why is this relevant? If the OP wanted us to know, they'd have told us.

Often people can add a different perspective, or other ideas, or some reality an OP hasn't thought about, that can help them work it through.

Losing $600 on airfare would be really really hard for me to deal with....eek.



OP, you probably got an email or something with the cancellation info in it when you booked. Check there for the info!

 

[Pembo]

Before you cancel, did you consider renting a condo to save $$ on your trip? We stayed in a 2 bedroom, sleeps 6, at Windsor Hills for $89/nt in summer season. Definitely a huge price difference from staying on site.

Just offering another alternative so you don't have to lose that $600 airfare.

 

[SEA333]

Why do you have to cancel?

Well, among other reasons, DH promised his mom a long time ago that he would bring her to DW - it has to do with her messy divorce and a lot of hurt feelings between her and FIL, who took my SIL and neice to DW about 8 years ago but nobody else. It's a long story, but the short version is that MIL is not physically able to manage walking around DW (she can barely walk up a flight of steps), we both know she will hate it - she is NOT the DW type by any means (she hates kids, for one...), she is mean to our kids so she is never with them alone...etc, etc. BUT, DH feels that we are betraying her if we go. He doesn't feel like he needs to bring her at all anymore, but he doesn't want to rub it into her face that we *are* going and she is not. Right now, I am not willing or able to add a 6th person to our trip - we would be paying for EVERYTHING for MIL if she comes.

But the biggest reason is my own. My position at work is being moved out of state, and although we will be financially fine for about 8 months even if I don't find something right away, *AND* I will 95% be able to find another position in my office doing another function, there is always that what-if. Our trip is a HUGE deal and we will not be able to get this good of a deal again, but a deal isn't a deal if you end up needing the money down the line, right??!!

SO, between DH starting to have 2nd thoughts, and me being a natural worrier, I have to decide. I will know about my work situation well before we leave for the trip in Nov, but not before the 45-day mark on Sept 30th.

 

[mkymouse40]

I'm very sorry to hear about your situation(s). My husband, daughter and I all lost our jobs several years ago when the economy tanked, so I certainly know how you feel. I too had a trip planned at that time and I made the tough decision to go ahead and take the trip because I felt like we really deserved it. Funny though, I got a fantastic job a few weeks before our trip was scheduled and was asked to start the week my trip was supposed to take place. Believe it or not, I told them about my vacation and asked if I could start later and they said yes, so I actually started Christmas week!!

Normal people would have given up the trip and definitely not wanted to start Christmas week, but I'm a Disney freak, so that was not even an option. My trip turned in to a celebration of getting a new job instead of a treat for my depressed state.

Sorry, getting back to you. You are between a rock and a hard place with the family situation. You have to do what your heart tells you to do. I would contact the airline and see what the change or cancellation fee is versus banking it for a later date, which is usually one year. Then, I would tell my husband he has one year to figure out his mother situation because you and the kids are going to Disney. If he talks to her he will probably find out she says she doesn't want to go anyway. Also, by that time, you will have a new job hopefully and save a little more money to pay for MIL if she does go.

Good luck to you and we all pray for you to find a great position with your company so that problem will be resolved.

 

[Colleen27]

Given what you've posted, I would try to separate the two issues. The MIL thing needs to be resolved whether or not you take this specific trip at this specific time, because essentially your DH has promised something that isn't in the best interests of anyone involved. Even if you find a great new job and are rolling in dough, the issue of his promise to take someone who will make your trip miserable will be there when you try to plan any future trips. So unless you're okay with not going to WDW until MIL is no longer physically able to join you or spending a lot of money on a trip that will likely be a bad memory (traveling with someone who can't walk, dislikes kids, and is mean to yours), you need to sit down with your DH and get that squared away.

Regardless of whether or not you postpone this trip due to the job issues, you need to find some common ground on taking your MIL along.

 

[SEA333]

I'm very sorry to hear about your situation(s). My husband, daughter and I all lost our jobs several years ago when the economy tanked, so I certainly know how you feel. I too had a trip planned at that time and I made the tough decision to go ahead and take the trip because I felt like we really deserved it. Funny though, I got a fantastic job a few weeks before our trip was scheduled and was asked to start the week my trip was supposed to take place. Believe it or not, I told them about my vacation and asked if I could start later and they said yes, so I actually started Christmas week!!

Normal people would have given up the trip and definitely not wanted to start Christmas week, but I'm a Disney freak, so that was not even an option. My trip turned in to a celebration of getting a new job instead of a treat for my depressed state.

Sorry, getting back to you. You are between a rock and a hard place with the family situation. You have to do what your heart tells you to do. I would contact the airline and see what the change or cancellation fee is versus banking it for a later date, which is usually one year. Then, I would tell my husband he has one year to figure out his mother situation because you and the kids are going to Disney. If he talks to her he will probably find out she says she doesn't want to go anyway. Also, by that time, you will have a new job hopefully and save a little more money to pay for MIL if she does go.

Good luck to you and we all pray for you to find a great position with your company so that problem will be resolved.

Thanks! We were lucky in a way because we were told in August, and my end date is currently December - I am actually travelling out of state in a couple weeks to help with the transition. I have applied for 2 open positions in my current location, and even if I don't get those, they will leave two more openings...which will leave two more....etc etc. Plus, the way things were set up with people's end dates, I am one of two people who have a Dec end date, which I *think* was done purposely because there are two people with earlier end dates that are one step above us with the same manager. I am in more of a leadership/supervisory position, and the spots one step above are more strategic-based. I am pretty sure my manager set it up this way on purpose so she could keep me and my co-worker after the other two are gone. All scenarios above will come with a significant salary increase. So, in the job area, I'm not TOO worried - and even if none of that happens and I really *do* leave the company in Dec, DH and I had already decided to move forward with our vacation plans. But I am the kind of person that ALWAYS worries about the worst-case and want to have a plan!

As for DH's mom, I would honestly rather cancel than go anywhere with her. She is very unhappy and complains all the time. She used to watch our kids after school (we paid her what we would pay daycare) but she was so mean to them, put them down, called them names, and talked badly about me, that we found another sitter and I do not let them around her very often and never alone. She puts me down whenever I see her when DH is not around, then acts super-sweet when he is in the room. She also has horrible arthritis and joint pain that is worse than it has to be due to her poor overall health. She hates being around kids - they annoy her. She hates being in the sun and heat, which could be hit or miss in Nov. Even with a scooter, a vacation with her. She would be horrible on any vacation - I can take her in little doses at a time - the thought of spending a vacation with her makes my blood pressure skyrocket LOL

DH does not want to vacation with her either, but he feels bad that his parents divorced and his mom has had such a hard life while FIL moved on to have a wonderful life and new wife (we we all LOVE). He would rather just not go to DW, go somewhere else so he doesn't have to feel guilty that we didn't bring her. My reasoning is that he told her this 12 years ago when we only had one child and she was in much better health (we were going to go when DS was 3, but we decided to have another baby instead and the promise was for that trip only and we do not still owe her this 12 years later. DH disagrees LOL but was willing to plan and book the trip anyway. Now he is having 2nd thoughts.

P.S. I started in my current company on December 20, 2010....