So happy about the pin and now so MAD! -- UPDATE

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

GRRR... I finally got a pin that we can actually use. I could go for free dining when it's not blazing hot out and I could finally get to see the Christmas decorations like I've dreamed about for so long!

So we are booked for September free dining. My dh already bought trip insurance. He called to price out the pin offer and they said that they could not transfer over the trip insurance because the dates are too far apart.

I could understand if we were canceling that we wouldn't get the money back, but we just want to change dates! We aren't asking for the money back - just to transfer to a different time. It doesn't make sense to me, especially since their reason was that our dates are too far apart. This implies to me that if the dates were closer, it would be transferable.

I'm so mad right now about this. The $100 plus we paid for insurance and the $100 plus my DH would decide to pay for insurance again is not chump change to me. So basically, if that's how they are going to do it, we won't go later in the year. I'm so mad right now about it, I'm thinking about canceling September. I know maybe this is stupid and overreacting. I'm sure I'll feel differently in a couple of days, but it's my knee jerk reaction at the moment. I know I'm lucky we can even go, but I'm just disappointed.

Next time he pays for something nonrefundable I'm going to make him find out if it's transferable and have him get detailed information ahead of time. I wish he had just waited to buy it.

I guess we can try calling again tomorrow to make sure the CM was right about this, but I'm guessing that was the right info.

 

[queenie1]

I don't buy travel insurance from Disney. When I do get it I buy it from another company who covers more for less. I have changed dates with them without a problem. I think you have a year window if I remember right and they cover pre-existing conditions if you buy it close enough to the date of of your travel purchase.

If you do change and you want insurance you should get a quote from other companies. Not sure if I can put their name on here or not but if you search travel insurance it's the one that ends in ex.

 

[robinb]

Well, bummer . The good news is that you are going to WDW in 69 days!

FWIW, I never buy trip insurance and I travel all the time.

 

[Cupmom]

I'm confused. Can't you just cancell the September trip? It is before the 45 day cut off. You should get a full refund.

 

[Bete]

I know you won't like me here, but the cooler weather and Christmas activities are well worth it for $100 more. Most important is you won't be there for hurricane season; that's why FD is offered in the fall. I spend way more time in the parks in December than I ever do in September. September is too hot and it's too rainy. I would switch in a heart beat.

I'll tell you a secret. One of the main reasons I like Christmastime is the Candlelight Processional at Epcot; it's a must see in my opinion. To get reserved seating for it you need to buy a dinner package for it. This dinner package costs more than a regular meal at the restaurants in question; because, you get reserved seating for the show. People in the regular line wait for three hours and sometimes they don't get in for the show. Also, they get the worse seats in the house. For the last two years the dining plan covered the package for dinner without an appetizer. Anyway, this package can cost $55 a person (depends on the restaurant) OOP and like the other years you should be able to use your DP for it.

I would make the change in a heartbeat. Try to skimp on something else to make up the $100 difference.

 

[RMulieri]

Welcome to Disney trip insurance. I changed my dates by one week and lost the money on it. The trip insurance i only good for the dates it i originally booked for.It does not transfer over.

 

[Rosanne]

I'm confused. Can't you just cancell the September trip? It is before the 45 day cut off. You should get a full refund.

The trip itself is fully refundable but once you pay for trip insurance that part is not refundable. It would be nice if they would move the trip insurance over since she is before the 45 day window but I'm betting Disney makes a lot of money off of people cancelling or rescheduling their trips for reasons not covered by the insurance.

Still, personally, I would go with the December trip and like the PP said, get insurance through another company if you get it.

I'd loooove to go in December. If I was guaranteed a deal I would have definitely gone with December. We got a good deal for August with kids play and stay free but if I could have gone for the same price (we got incredibly cheap airfare too) in December I would have so been there.

Go in December and have a great time. It will be wonderful!!

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Thanks for the comments.

We talked about it last night and we're going to try again to see if they'll transfer it. DH found some info that said it is nonrefundable upon cancellation, which we already knew, but it didn't say upon changing dates. So we'll see...

If not, we said we'd talk about sticking with September or going in December and just not buying trip insurance. lol

We're driving, so we don't have to worry about flight delay problems. If we get sick, we have our own regular health insurance. So the only issue would be losing time in the parks or having to stay longer if sick.

I did get sick at DW once, nothing too major, and we had trip insurance, which took care of everything, but had we not had it, I'm not sure how that would have worked out. I suppose if we weren't allowed to change flights (flew that time instead of driving), I would have flown home sick. I would have been exhausted, but I wasn't so sick I couldn't move.

I guess we'll see what we decide....

 

[snykymom]

My guess is that Disney contracts out the trip insurance, and the dates are written into the insurance contract. I don't think there's much that Disney can do, just as they can't waive any airline change fees just because you booked a flight through Disney Travel.

 

[nowellsl]

I've never bought trip insurance, but I did have a family situation that caused me not to be able to go on a trip we had planned in May. I called the day before we were to check in and was able to move it up to August. I even moved it again to later in August with no problem. Actually was able to upgrade to a moderate resort at the time for only $5.00 more because the AP rates were cheaper. I would book December and leave off the insurance. That way you can move it later if you have to and not lose money.

 

[Bete]

Thanks for the comments.

We talked about it last night and we're going to try again to see if they'll transfer it. DH found some info that said it is nonrefundable upon cancellation, which we already knew, but it didn't say upon changing dates. So we'll see...

please inform us how this works out. I might be doing a date change myself and I have Disney Travel insurance, too. Your post is giving me hope that I can do it.

There's a big difference in my opinion between cancelling and changing dates. The one bad thing here is Disney's insurance may view it as a cancellation and then another booking; so, this lingo becomes somewhat critical. Good Luck and let us know if it worked. TIA

 

[goofy4tink]

The issue will be that you aren't able to just change the dates. You have to cancel the first reservation and then make a new one. Disney isn't stupid....they know full well that people are going to change their minds. Most people don't worry about that insurance, until they try to make a change in dates.
I added the trip insurance one time....never did it again.

 

[mbanks21]

Its because the insurance is through TravelGuard/AIG. You have 14 days from booking to cancel the insurance without penalty. After that its locked in. If your dates move by a few days they can usually move it as well but youre changing by 4 months, Disney loses the money if they dont charge you again.

 

[RMulieri]

In all likelihood you won't be able to transfer the insurance. I do not add my insurance till right before the 45 day mark..that way if I change dates I don't lose my insurance money. Trip insurance only insures the dates it is booked for.

 

[Sandisw]

Unfortunately, I also lost insurance when I wanted to change dates for my travel, and it was a change that was different by a week.

Good luck and maybe you will get lucky.

 

[nowellsl]

The issue will be that you aren't able to just change the dates. You have to cancel the first reservation and then make a new one. Disney isn't stupid....they know full well that people are going to change their minds. Most people don't worry about that insurance, until they try to make a change in dates.
I added the trip insurance one time....never did it again.

I didn't have to cancel - just changed the dates. The reservation # stayed the same for both moves.

 

[tinka-belle]

While having trip insurance is a good idea, I find only about half my clients take it. I always advise only to put it on the WDTC res either at final payment time or if purchasing nonrefundable air tickets thru Disney (which few people do). The insurance is nonrefundable once on the reservation and beyond the Travel Guard "change your mind" window. This way if there are changes or cancellations before the 45 day mark and flights are not booked thru Disney there are no penalties involved on the Disney portion of the trip.

As a TA, I like the insurance company that ends in "ex" too. Good rates and flexible about a trip date change, but their maximum coverage means purchasing within a few weeks of your initial trip deposit.

Both the WDTC insurance and the EX insurance are very good about claims and handle them promptly.

 

[Bete]

I called Disney Travel today myself. This has been bothering me big time; because, I may be in the same boat with changes and I have Disney travel insurance on my current booking.

Anyway, I think the important keyword is Modify your reservation. You have your same reservation number and this is the key element to keeping your existing Disney travel insurance from what I'm being told. It may be easier for a CM or in their best interest to cancel an existing reservation and do a new one then to modify the existing one. I've been thinking about this and I feel there's a conflict of interest here with the CM and I'll explain. If your existing reservation is cancelled then the new CM will get credit for the new booking. I can see why the new CM would want to cancel your old reservation and make a new one. I don't think the CM gets a commission from a booking, but I know they are rated on the number of real bookings they get; so, this would be the natural path for a new CM to follow to get credit for it. With a modification, they wouldn't get credit for the booking. It's not ethical exactly, but I'm sure there's nothing against doing it, either. It's a loophole for the CMs and if it's going to benefit them, then they will do it. If you get an uncooperative CM I would hang up and try again. I called a second time and the CM agreed with what I said here.

Also, I wouldn't try to do too much in the same modification. I explained my particular circumstances to the CM and I was told I could do both without losing my Disney travel insurance. The first scenario is adding a week to an existing two week vacation for a total of three weeks. Another scenario for me would be to drop my first week and on the back end of my existing second week add a week more for a total of two weeks, not three. I would be switching my dates in the second scenario. Now, the reason I would be doing this switch would be to get the new promo for free dining and I'm trying to meet up with friends and that's why I want to change my weeks around for the dates. Anyway, I wouldn't try to get the new promo for free dining and change my dates in the same modification if it causes any issues with the CM; I would do it one at at time. So, whichever is more important to you I would do it first. Then, I would make a second call to do the next modification if necessary. Now, if you have an extremely good CM then you might be able to do all your modifications at once. I would certainly try for everything at once, but if it doesn't work then do the next best thing, one by one changes.

It didn't sound right to me about the Disney Travel insurance. It didn't make sense to me that there was absolutely no give on their part. Who would get this insurance if it was that inflexible?


Again, the operative word is to Modify your existing reservation!

 

[Luv2Roam]

It's not Disney Travel Insurance. It's Travel Guard, who Disney buys from. My guess is their hands are somewhat tied, depending on the timing etc, just as they are with the airlines. They can only do what is dictated to them, without taking the hit themselves.
I am not saying this is true, but with modifying dates what I would hate to see if you filed a claim. (And it would be through Travel Guard.) And they in turn say, sorry -- your trip insurance covered these dates (your original dates), not this set of dates you are filing a claim against.
And maybe that is not a factor. (Just the worrier in me. ) Although I would hate to find out the hard way.
I would agree with pp stating waiting until nearer actual travel if someone may really have issues and need to cancel or change their travel dates.

 

[Bete]

I'm not saying a Disney travel insurance company. I'm talking about the insurance you get from Disney direct through their channels. If this is Travel Guard; so, be it. I will call Travel Guard after the weekend and I will ask them the same questions. I will post at that time what they have to say about it.

I was told by the CM that they would just change my dates for the insurance if I had a change in dates for the trip. I tried two separate CMs on this question and both gave me the same answer that you could change. If I call Disney to make my changes and I don't call Travel Guard for my date changes this should work. Also, I don't call Travel Guard to buy the insurance; I call Disney; so, they should know how this works. I'll take it one step further with Travel Guard to make double sure it's correct from what I'm getting from Disney.