Disney Florida in July

[fluckityfluckfluck]

Hi All,

I've booked for 12 days departing third week July. Booked flights direct with Virgin, and Disney direct, staying in Disney hotel. The flights were £6k paid on CC, I owe a balance of £7k on the Disney package - only paid £250 deposit. It's due the first week of May.

Any advice on how I should proceed? I would much rather cancel and get my money back at this stage. Terrified Trump will open America and really would not want to go as things stand. Should I pay rest of balance in May or how is best to proceed?

This was the trip of a lifetime, and I can't afford to lose the money. Thanks for any advice!

Disney are being very good about refunds at the moment. I think until June at the moment but I’m
Sure that will be extended. You can also move your holiday with no admin cost.

We're in the same bought as you. Fly 16 July. We've paid about a third of our holiday costs so far. We're holding on to see what happens and because we'd rather cancel and get money back that move if the uncertainty continues. Do you have insurance and have you spoken to them to make sure you're covered ? One issue that concerns me is that insurance seem to say they won't cover a postponed holiday if that's also cancelled
Due to Coronavirus

I had a policy in place when I booked that expires this month. I took an upgrade in my bank account last month that includes world wide travel insurance.

@Dreadpiratered do you think I should pay the balance then?

I think it's a very personal decision. First I would call both insurers and understand what you are covered for (the old one may cover you as holiday was booked when it was valid the new one may not) and also understand your excess. Second, I'd think about your financial position. We've already been impacted by the virus as DHs promotion has been pulled, we are also in industries which may or may not be impacted by a recession (one industry may do well). We can still afford the holiday but would rather not be splurging (we booked premium economy and club level) right now (we were celebrating 2020 being a much better year than 2019 which was shitty for us - our perspective has understandably changed !). Third, I'd think about what you want to do with your holiday this year, both our parents are vulnerable and we haven't seen either for three months, if possible we'd rather spend our holiday time with them.

I would discuss with your current insurer whether they would offer protection if you renewed the policy. Were the flights and Disney bit booked separately? If so you need to flag this to your insurer and ask what your coverage is and also discuss with both companies.

I would definitely prefer to cancel in light of current circumstances. We are going with a friend and to rebook would be logistically very difficult

This is tricky it's hard to know what to do, we go in september but want to cancel or postpone too

Not all insurances cover for Covid if you are not following fco/who advice, if there are no rules slot say you can’t travel I’d triple check you can get your deposit back

Just because trump opens his borders doesn't mean we will be able to fly there.

The chances of anyone being able to travel
This year slim. We are meant to be going in May, we are just waiting for the ban to cover our travel dates and we will be rescheduling for May 2021.

I'd happily lose the Disney deposit as only £250 at the moment but have paid £6k flights in full

I would cancel. Florida has a lot of cases and chances that you can safely travel there this year are very slim, no matter what happens with the year. Do you really want to go to the Disney in the year of a pandemic? You know the pandemic won’t be over in the summer and lots of tourists and locals can easily spread it in a place like Disney (personallt I don’t believe they will be open in July).

We're in the same position, due to go mid July, have booked and paid £2k for flights with BA in full, only paid £150 deposit with Disney. I want to cancel but if we do, we'll lose the money we've spent on flights.

I'm hoping the flights will be cancelled so we can get a refund, then rearrange for next year. Our balance is due toward the end of May so going to see how things are looking then. BA are offering vouchers for bookings up to 31st May at the moment so I'm keeping an eye out for this being extended.

Your issue will be the flights. If you had booked all through Disney your deposit would've been higher but you would've had till may to pay the lot and or get dates moved.

If Virgin are up and running then and you choose not to go your insurers probably won't pay out.

A lot can change between now and May - wait and see the situation

I'd wait and see too, things are changing rapidly. You won't get your money back for the flight unless it doesn't go.

Have you considered rescheduling for 2021 OP?

We were due to go this August but, as others have commented, even if everything is open again I wouldn't feel 100% safe or,relaxed to go this year.

We're just waiting to hear about Disney Dining offers for next year.

@SpinMill we’re in almost exactly the same position, have BA flights booked which cost us just over £2k, everything else is cancellable and we hadn’t bought our Disney or Universal tickets yet.

We’re hoping to go next summer but going to try and get a refund from BA rather than a voucher, I’d rather have the money in my bank account than their’s tbh. If you phone them you can request a refund, you just have to wait absolutely ages to get through to someone - I did it for some flights I had booked to London in May the other day. Plan on waiting until the end of April and then I’m going to try calling them, they’re pretty understanding - I just explained that I was going to London for a particular event which wasn’t being rescheduled so wouldn’t have any guarantee of being able to use the voucher in the next 12 months.

As much as I hope that we will be going to the USA next year (our plan was NYC, DC and Orlando) I’m not entirely convinced that international holidays will be back on the table by next summer.

www.businessinsider.com/disney-world-to-furlough-43000-workers-while-closed-2020-4

No chance anyone is going to Disney anytime soon. 2021 more likely.

I have the same issue, Disney in July, Virgin. Trip of a lifetime, most expensive holiday I ever booked. BE WARNED: you cannot get in contact with virgin, no matter how hard you try. They won't accept phone calls unless you are travelling within 72 hours, same for messages and social media. All emails I send get auto reply out of office. You can't cancel in app as it requires you to call the above phoneline which you aren't allowed to due to the 72 hour rule.

So you cannot physically cancel. You literally can't do it! My balance date passed this weekend and I couldn't cancel. No means of doing so. I am really frightened they will pursue me for the money because I couldn't cancel. If you cancel before your balance is due you only lose the deposit. Once that date comes, you are then liable for 30% of balance if you cancel. I have written them a letter but hold out no hope of them cancelling the holiday for me. I would write a letter in your position. All emails and phone lines and social media are essentially blocked off to you unless your travel is within 72 hours.

We are in exactly the same boat. Due to fly 21st July. Flights booked and paid for (United Airlines 5K there’s 6 of us) Disney is just a £200 deposit due in May. We had the free DDP and had booked a villa for the second week to do Universal. First time going too holiday of a lifetime costing 14K.

United are saying that if you cancel before the end of the month you can have a 24 month credit note, I B would rather get a refund then you can chose which airline to go with.

I’m resigned to the fact we aren’t going this year, the deposit for the villa and Disney we can lose but not the flights. Am going to book as soon as the free DDP comes out for next year. I think it’s going to be more expensive and heaving as it’s the 50th anniversary.

I’m a teacher and can only go in the Summer too. Feeling a bit gutted.

@fluckityfluckfluck, , the simplest way to check is to get an email / something in writing from the company you're booking with to say that in the event of a cancellation you will get a full refund. Some airlines and tour operators are claiming force majeure (and have severe cash issues) and using this to offer credit vouchers against future travel rather than a refund. Don't fall for that.
I've spent the last 3 months issuing full refunds so don't pay anyting until you get this confirmation in writing.

In addition, all teh Disney parks are closed and from local concierges on the ground, they're unlikely to open soon given the uncertaintly and mess over lockdowns in Florida. Disney are not going to risk lawsuits for CV-19 despite the huge unemployment / loss of income issues they're facing.

I’d try and reschedule.
Going to Disney Florida in the summer is madness anyway. You have no idea how hot it is and how strong the sun is. It is also the middle of hurricane season (May-Sept). I lived in Florida for work for 4yrs. Not far from Orlando, on the coast. Their winters are warmer than an English summer.

Best time to go would be October half term or Easter break. You’ll still be swimming outdoors and getting a tan. It will be lovely and warm, sunny but not so hot that you can’t walk around the Disney park without getting heat exhaustion.

That question wasn’t asked Plan. Totally unnecessary response. I think most people know how hot Florida is.