Just thought I would share this quick cautionary stale to encourage people to get travel insurance and an EHIC (if you're a citizen within the European Union)...
My partner and I very much enjoy Sequoia Lodge - we always stay in the Golden Forest Club and get excellent rates due to our annual passes... So last December, we booked a 6 night stay in a Golden Forest Club room for around £500. We managed to get Standard Premier Eurostar tickets for £130 return each. So the total cost of the holiday (without food and drinks of course!) was £760'ish...
We had a wonderful stay. On our very last day, we checked out of the hotel and stored our luggage at the park luggage store nearer the train station so we could make a quick getaway in the evening. Following lunch, my partner became unwell and rapidly deteriorated. It was at this point I was fairly certain we were not going to be travelling back on the Eurostar that night. I went back to the Golden Forest desk in Sequoia Lodge and asked whether we could extend our stay an additional night. The lady at the desk said they were fully booked. At this point I explained the situation, that my partner wasn't in a position to travel and I asked whether any of the other close by Disney hotels had any room. She would see what she could do. Some how she managed to get a room, non Golden Forest but in Sequoia Lodge. She said because the hotel was fully booked the room rates were very high, so she will see how much she's able to discount it. I did say we will take it anyway, but she insisted on trying to get it discounted. At this point, she pulled out a huge paper binder with codes all down the pages. She made several calls to managers and she was able to discount the room by 30%.
The lady on the desk said that once in the room, we could call an internal Disney number and request a doctor - but there would be a charge (90 EUR). Despite not being a Golden Forest room, the lady provided us with the card that allowed us to access the lounge. This ended up being very useful, as the doctor oddly advised to drink lots of full-fat coke and water! I was able to frequently go down to the lounge and collect these and take them back to the room.
I did not arrange any specific insurance for this trip - nor did we have our European Health Insurance Cards with us. I have a UK bank account which does include Worldwide Travel Insurance (which automatically covers partner and children), so I called their 24/7 Medical Assistance number. I have to say I was very impressed. They clearly stated my options, advised on local hospitals, offered the use of a translator. They said as long as the attending doctor agreed my partner was not fit for travel, they would cover all reasonable costs. Disney arranged for a doctor and they arrived within about 45 minutes. The doctor prescribed some medication and between Disney and the doctor, they arranged for it to be portered to the hotel so I didn't need to do this. Fortunately, the next day my partner was feeling much better and we were able to travel back.
Well, I'm glad insurance covered it, because that extra one night stay ended up costing almost as much as the entire 6 night holiday! I couldn't believe it. In all, we were out of pocket £705. Around 200EUR of that was just one additional night in Sequoia Lodge at Christmas in a standard room, £360 was the price Eurostar charged us for new one-way Standard Premier tickets on the same day of travel. Plus the 90EUR doctor fee, then there were prescription and porterage fees. Our insurance reimbursed all the costs in full - minus a £75 excess.
The other interesting thing was that we had never stayed in a standard room at Sequoia Lodge until this additional 1 night stay. And don't think I ever would stay in a standard room again considering the price tag. I didn't realise how different the room categories were. There are just lots of little touches missing from these rooms. Small things that when added up make a difference, like no pad and pen - which I only realised when I was on the phone to the insurers. No kettle of coffee machine. No proper hair dryer (it was a weird pipe connected to a box on the wall with a hole in it!). Wafer thin towels (yes, they even lower the quality of towels!). Basic hair and body-wash in one stuff, rather than separate shampoo, conditioner, body-wash and soap. The minibar fridge was in the bathroom (what the?). To me, these are just basic things that should be present in any standard room - not just club level. Very disappointing Disney does this.
Anyway, just thought I would share this learning experience!!
My partner and I very much enjoy Sequoia Lodge - we always stay in the Golden Forest Club and get excellent rates due to our annual passes... So last December, we booked a 6 night stay in a Golden Forest Club room for around £500. We managed to get Standard Premier Eurostar tickets for £130 return each. So the total cost of the holiday (without food and drinks of course!) was £760'ish...
We had a wonderful stay. On our very last day, we checked out of the hotel and stored our luggage at the park luggage store nearer the train station so we could make a quick getaway in the evening. Following lunch, my partner became unwell and rapidly deteriorated. It was at this point I was fairly certain we were not going to be travelling back on the Eurostar that night. I went back to the Golden Forest desk in Sequoia Lodge and asked whether we could extend our stay an additional night. The lady at the desk said they were fully booked. At this point I explained the situation, that my partner wasn't in a position to travel and I asked whether any of the other close by Disney hotels had any room. She would see what she could do. Some how she managed to get a room, non Golden Forest but in Sequoia Lodge. She said because the hotel was fully booked the room rates were very high, so she will see how much she's able to discount it. I did say we will take it anyway, but she insisted on trying to get it discounted. At this point, she pulled out a huge paper binder with codes all down the pages. She made several calls to managers and she was able to discount the room by 30%.
The lady on the desk said that once in the room, we could call an internal Disney number and request a doctor - but there would be a charge (90 EUR). Despite not being a Golden Forest room, the lady provided us with the card that allowed us to access the lounge. This ended up being very useful, as the doctor oddly advised to drink lots of full-fat coke and water! I was able to frequently go down to the lounge and collect these and take them back to the room.
I did not arrange any specific insurance for this trip - nor did we have our European Health Insurance Cards with us. I have a UK bank account which does include Worldwide Travel Insurance (which automatically covers partner and children), so I called their 24/7 Medical Assistance number. I have to say I was very impressed. They clearly stated my options, advised on local hospitals, offered the use of a translator. They said as long as the attending doctor agreed my partner was not fit for travel, they would cover all reasonable costs. Disney arranged for a doctor and they arrived within about 45 minutes. The doctor prescribed some medication and between Disney and the doctor, they arranged for it to be portered to the hotel so I didn't need to do this. Fortunately, the next day my partner was feeling much better and we were able to travel back.
Well, I'm glad insurance covered it, because that extra one night stay ended up costing almost as much as the entire 6 night holiday! I couldn't believe it. In all, we were out of pocket £705. Around 200EUR of that was just one additional night in Sequoia Lodge at Christmas in a standard room, £360 was the price Eurostar charged us for new one-way Standard Premier tickets on the same day of travel. Plus the 90EUR doctor fee, then there were prescription and porterage fees. Our insurance reimbursed all the costs in full - minus a £75 excess.
The other interesting thing was that we had never stayed in a standard room at Sequoia Lodge until this additional 1 night stay. And don't think I ever would stay in a standard room again considering the price tag. I didn't realise how different the room categories were. There are just lots of little touches missing from these rooms. Small things that when added up make a difference, like no pad and pen - which I only realised when I was on the phone to the insurers. No kettle of coffee machine. No proper hair dryer (it was a weird pipe connected to a box on the wall with a hole in it!). Wafer thin towels (yes, they even lower the quality of towels!). Basic hair and body-wash in one stuff, rather than separate shampoo, conditioner, body-wash and soap. The minibar fridge was in the bathroom (what the?). To me, these are just basic things that should be present in any standard room - not just club level. Very disappointing Disney does this.
Anyway, just thought I would share this learning experience!!
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