Trip Cancellation Insurance

[mkb3]

I thought my credit card covered cancellation insurance, but turns out it covers everything but trip cancellation. I have since obtained a CC that does offer cancellation but the card ships today and I have to pay my balance by Wednesday. Any recommendations for an insurance company? Disney's seems pretty expensive compared to the past.

Also do you think it's worth it? I know tickets are non refundable within 30 days, but I've read Disney will reschedule if a death or illness would occur before departure. My airline tickets were book with Southwest Points so I'm not worried about that aspect.

 

[barkley]

have you considered contacting the new credit card's customer service to explain the situation and see if they will provide you with the information you need to process the payment prior to the card's arrival?

 

[mkb3]

have you considered contacting the new credit card's customer service to explain the situation and see if they will provide you with the information you need to process the payment prior to the card's arrival?

Yes they said I had to wait.

 

[lanejudy]

What are the terms of the new card to get the insurance benefit? Does the full amount have to be charged to the card, just the final payment, etc?

I've always found WDW to be quite accomodating with their change and cancellation policies that I have not felt insurance to be necessary. They will generally allow you to reschedule, and at most it involves a $50 change fee.

 

[mkb3]

Good to know! I do not anticipate anything happening but if it were to happen, a rrschiid all I would want, not a refund!

 

[mmbrad02]

I also agree that WDW seems to be very accommodating and I never purchase trip insurance when we go there. The only time I really want insurance personally is when we cruise. I bought once through the cruiseline (Carnival) and once through a third party.

 

[Heather07438]

I thought my credit card covered cancellation insurance, but turns out it covers everything but trip cancellation. I have since obtained a CC that does offer cancellation but the card ships today and I have to pay my balance by Wednesday. Any recommendations for an insurance company? Disney's seems pretty expensive compared to the past.

Also do you think it's worth it? I know tickets are non refundable within 30 days, but I've read Disney will reschedule if a death or illness would occur before departure. My airline tickets were book with Southwest Points so I'm not worried about that aspect.

Honestly I don’t think it’s worth it. Even if the tickets end up non-refundable, they are still worth face value credit toward a new ticket purchase. As long as you plan to hit the parks again in the future, then your money will not go to waste. And you’re not concerned about the flight, so what’s left is the room. I think they just charge one night or $200 for last minute no excuse cancellation, right?

 

[_19disnA]

Have never purchase trip insurance for any vacation, Disney or elsewhere. One year our home had some storm damage that prevented us from traveling and both the airline and hotel where we planned to stay were very accommodating. I think they treat that differently from someone who just changes their mind at the last minute and decides to not travel. They both seemed to have unadvertised rules for how to handle such situations. Trip insurance just seems like a waste of money and then there are probably all kinds of exclusions written in the fine print to minimize their payouts.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

We have used allianz trip insurance and ticket insurance for a concert.
There are diffrent kinds know what you want to save money.
Medical reasons, weather, lost belongings, etc.
We usually just take medical because for any reason our sons doctor would write us a note.
They were the most affordable.

The concert tickets was the easiest, I filled out a claim form they looked up if the tickets were used the sent a check took about 10 days. It was for a show in Orlando. It was postponed and I ca t make the new date.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Have never purchase trip insurance for any vacation, Disney or elsewhere. One year our home had some storm damage that prevented us from traveling and both the airline and hotel where we planned to stay were very accommodating. I think they treat that differently from someone who just changes their mind at the last minute and decides to not travel. They both seemed to have unadvertised rules for how to handle such situations. Trip insurance just seems like a waste of money and then there are probably all kinds of exclusions written in the fine print to minimize their payouts.

I used to feel this way too, even for trips to Europe. As time went on, I realized there are a LOT of things that make me want to cancel a trip. One year, my MIL had a heart attack the day we were supposed to fly to FL and sail on a Disney cruise the next day. She ended up getting a stent and insisted we go but honestly if it had been my own mother, I would have cancelled.
Another cruise, we flew to WDW 2 nights prior. The next morning after flying, we had breakfast at Ohana and while waiting for a table, a neighbor texted dh asking if we were ok. He says, "Sure! We're in Disney World!" So he tells us how a tree fell on our house. I figured it probably isn't so bad; maybe my dad could throw a tarp on the roof until we get home. Ummm, no. Once he started texting photos, I knew we had to get home asap. Our house got a good chop into it, with branches coming through the kitchen ceiling. A branch went right through the refrigerator door and took it right off its hinges. Police & firemen arrived to help our older ds (and our cat) get out safely. (The gas was not yet turned off and we learned later that having our furnace get smooshed, created 4 gas leaks.)
Altogether it was close to $70k in damage plus almost 7 weeks living in a hotel. It would have been MUCH longer but our BIL is a contractor and was ready to start by the next day, once the tree was removed. It was a crazy time.
My point is, shet happens and sometimes you can't just leave to take a vacation no matter how badly you feel you need one.

 

[MillauFr]

Don't waste your money on buying insurance. It is just flushing money down the toilet.

 

[Jimsig]

Trip insurance just seems like a waste of money and then there are probably all kinds of exclusions written in the fine print to minimize their payouts.

Don't waste your money on buying insurance. It is just flushing money down the toilet.

Ask the guy who traveled to Mexico and needed emergency surgery if it was flushing money down the toilet? He told them he had health insurance and he was told they don't take it and would need to come up with cash upfront to pay for it. They told him it would be $35,000. They were able to scrape up the money. Their trip insurance reimbursed them so they were not out anything, except the premium, in the end.

Most people think of TI as covering things before they go and never think of what may happen during their trip. Break a leg on an excursion and with TI you are covered. You do need to make sure the policy covers what you are looking for and follow the directions on making a claim. Now a trip to Disney or anywhere else in the US for most people, especially for a US Citizen, does not need TI IMO as your health insurance should cover you and Disney is very helpful etc.

7 years ago we purchased TI for our Alaskan Cruise and land tour and needed a policy that included a pre-existing clause due to my wife's cancer. Less then 30 days before our trip my wife had issues and needed emergency surgery and would be unable to cruise as the recovery time was 3 months. TI made us whole on everything we we were unable to get a refund on. Yes if we had gone on the trip I would have been out that money, but having TI allowed us to go 2 years later with out having to pay twice for the trip. Our DD was then old enough to go with us which was a nice bonus

 

[Jimsig]

I know it's too late for the OP but some TI policies have to be purchased within so many days of making your first payment on the trip so if biying TI take that into consideration.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I know it's too late for the OP but some TI policies have to be purchased within so many days of making your first payment on the trip so if biying TI take that into consideration.

No. In order for pre-existing conditions to be covered, it must be purchased within so many days of first payment. Usually this is approximately 14 days. We buy comprehensive insurance for cruises usually around the time that we make our final payment.

When you consider that most cruises require final payment at least 90 days prior to sailing and the fact that at-sea emergency transportation costs tens of thousands of dollars, I find it to be inexpensive peace of mind. Of course this all depends on your income and how much you spend on the vacation. For some people, a $14,000 vacation is no big deal and they wouldn't care if they lost it. We'd be very upset if we did.

 

[maxaroni]

We have bought and used TI. We never thought much about it, until my mom got very sick. Depending upon where we traveled, we purchased TI. However, never needed it concerning my mom. We did use it for an accident that happened while we were away. I fell and fractured my wrist in 3 places, all of it was covered under my TI. It was out of the country and our own insurance wouldn’t have covered it. Upon returning home, I needed surgery for my wrist and anything not picked up with my own insurance didn’t cover the trip insurance picked up. Having a high deductible health plan, it certainly was nice to have everything picked up with the TI.

Like most insurance, it’s a crapshoot as to whether it will be used or not.

 

[Jimsig]

No. In order for pre-existing conditions to be covered, it must be purchased within so many days of first payment. Usually this is approximately 14 days. We buy comprehensive insurance for cruises usually around the time that we make our final payment.

The reason I said it was too late for the OP was that their final payment had already been paid. They said they had to pay it by Wed the 5th and I posted on the Sat the 8th. The Pre-existing clause is why I also said "some policies".

 

[afan]

Ask the guy who traveled to Mexico and needed emergency surgery if it was flushing money down the toilet? He told them he had health insurance and he was told they don't take it and would need to come up with cash upfront to pay for it. They told him it would be $35,000. They were able to scrape up the money. Their trip insurance reimbursed them so they were not out anything, except the premium, in the end.

Most people think of TI as covering things before they go and never think of what may happen during their trip. Break a leg on an excursion and with TI you are covered. You do need to make sure the policy covers what you are looking for and follow the directions on making a claim. Now a trip to Disney or anywhere else in the US for most people, especially for a US Citizen, does not need TI IMO as your health insurance should cover you and Disney is very helpful etc.

7 years ago we purchased TI for our Alaskan Cruise and land tour and needed a policy that included a pre-existing clause due to my wife's cancer. Less then 30 days before our trip my wife had issues and needed emergency surgery and would be unable to cruise as the recovery time was 3 months. TI made us whole on everything we we were unable to get a refund on. Yes if we had gone on the trip I would have been out that money, but having TI allowed us to go 2 years later with out having to pay twice for the trip. Our DD was then old enough to go with us which was a nice bonus

There's also a difference between a WDW trip, which I'm guessing this is since crusises aren't sailing right now, and your examples. I absolutely get buying it for a cruise and for some trips outside the lower 48, but a domestic trip on SW to WDW? Way, way less need.

But it's also important to know what travel insurance will cover and that can be totally dependent on the state you live in. I bought it for a trip to Japan/China that I need to reschedule and for most people if a typhoon or something happens you are covered, but not in my state. Mind you I pay the same price as those that get that coverage and I'm on the hook for evacuating myself. But when I reachedule it I'll pay for it again for all the other reasons you gave.

 

[Jimsig]

There's also a difference between a WDW trip, which I'm guessing this is since crusises aren't sailing right now, and your examples. I absolutely get buying it for a cruise and for some trips outside the lower 48, but a domestic trip on SW to WDW? Way, way less need.

I agree, that's why I wrote " Now a trip to Disney or anywhere else in the US for most people, especially for a US Citizen, does not need TI IMO as your health insurance should cover you and Disney is very helpful etc. " A few people were saying that TI is never worth it, they didn't specify Disney trips only.

I would never buy TI for a trip to Disney as everything would/should be refundable and/or the amount that you would not get back would be low enough to not make it wort buying TI. Why buy a TI policy for say $150 dollars when the only thing you my not get refunded is an airline change fee (though some of those fees are now going away)? One year, after we had to cancel the Alaska trip, we booked Disney (room only) and my wife said we should get TI. I told her if we had to cancel, we would just change the Disney reservation to a later date and at worse we would be out a total of $300 in airline change fees so it wasn't worth paying $150 to save $150. She said that made sense.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

The reason I said it was too late for the OP was that their final payment had already been paid. They said they had to pay it by Wed the 5th and I posted on the Sat the 8th. The Pre-existing clause is why I also said "some policies".

I have bought trip insurance after the PIF date. I was surprised they allowed it but yes, they did. Keep in mind, PECs are not covered then and each policy lists its # of days to "look back" such as 60 days. So if I am after my PIF date, suddenly develop a herniated disc, then buy insurance just in case, if I attempt to submit a claim for said herniated disc, they would look back and see that I was treated in the last 60 days. If I have an injury unrelated, then it's covered. We book through an online agency that offers a variety of insurance companies and types of polices.

 

[yaya74]

Just want to share my recent experience with Allianz.
My family always buys travel insurance for our Disney or Universal vacation. Just because we usually drive down to Orlando and there is a lot of money at stake. We have used it three times. We didn't have to make any claims previously. But during the recent trip to WDW in July, DS9 started having some flu-like symptoms, from fever, sore throat to runny nose. We took him to a nearby urgent care that accepted our regular medical insurance. But because of the high deductible that our plan has, we had to pay $110 for the visit (including a rapid test) and $20 for the med.

Upon returning, I submitted a claim to Allianz requesting reimbursement on our out-of-pocket expense. My claim was approved for my reimbursement request and I am now just waiting for the check to arrive in the mail.