Death in the family

I hate to ask this question and bring the mood down, but unfortunately, I imagine this is more common than we think and I'm hoping someone on the boards will know the answer.

We are scheduled to start our vacation in just five days. A member of our party just found out that his father, who is battling lung cancer, will likely not make it more than a few more days. What is Disney's policy as far as reimbursement in a situation like this? I hesitate to call Disney directly and ask, since the reservation isn't in my name.

I am hoping to do as much of the legwork as possible on this concern so that he can focus on the more important things he needs to do right now.

Disney has often worked with folks in this situation. An outright cancellation may cause a cancellation penalty but a postponement due to circumstances may not. So sorry to hear about the impending loss!

I would call and ask, even if the reservation isn't in your name. They can give you the information, generally speaking. Also, you may want to call back to see if a different CM gives the same answer.

Would most of the group still make the trip? This would likely make a difference in the answer.

Jan

We were in Disney when my BIL died- which was a huge shock since he was only 34. They were great and very understanding. Refunded some things and postponed some others. So sorry to hear.

We had to cancel once because of a similar family emergency about a week before our reservation. If we would have cancelled with a refund, we would have had to forfeit the late cancellation fee which was $200 I believe. The easiest way to handle it was to just reschedule it for some arbitrary time a few months in the future. A month or so later, we decided when we would actually be able to go and then called and rescheduled. They were very accommodating and easy to work with. With as many people as they have visiting WDW, unfortunately I would imagine these situations arise almost daily.

Thanks, all, for the advice and thoughts. I didn't even know where to start with this.

Yes, the rest of us will still have to go for the sake of the little ones who already can't sleep from excitement! I wondered about postponement, as this was going to be his first time and he was really looking forward to it. I'm thinking a trip a few months from now may be just what he needs to get him through this.

My son was in the PICU for a few days in the beginning of the month and our trip is scheduled for January 27th. My uncle thought to call and find out what they would do if we were unable to travel. The reservation isn't in his name and he called without my knowledge, but I was grateful he found out just in case. It was certainly the farthest thing from my mind. They told him in these situations they are always willing to accommodate and would postpone the trip until we were ready with no penalty. We didn't purchase insurance. It's nice to know they do the right thing. Thankfully everything is fine now and we will be going as scheduled.

We had a death in the family just a few days before a trip a few years ago. We had booked through Magical Journeys and our wonderful agent rebooked everything for a month later with no penalties (and no stress on our part).

I'm so sorry for your friend's impending loss. Hopefully you were able to work everything out OK?

And Disneyfan1979, aren't the MJ agents the best!? They watch out for their clients like they would their best friends.

His father did pass away the night before we were to leave. We just arrived today without him. MJ took care of everything. I emailed on Sunday night. By Monday (today) when I arrived in Orlando I had an email from our helpful MJ agent saying it was taken care of -- credited back to my account. Quite a relief, but it makes me feel guilty to be at the Happiest Place on Earth knowing what he is going through.

Don't know how much of a Disney fan your friend is but perhaps you could schedule a trip with him/her when he is up to it.
Going through a funeral and grief is very wearing on the soul. I know when I went through my own loss it got to the point where I just couldn't hear one more person tell me they were sorry for my loss. Nothing against them, I know they were well meaning, besides what can you say to someone going through that. And maybe the best thing is to just be there for your friend, even if you are just a voice on the phone.