Question about vacation insurance

[MicMouse]

Is the vacation insurance offered thru Disney really necessary? It seems as though the insurance is geared more toward those flying to Disney World vs. those that are driving. I don't need to guarantee against late flights if I am driving, right?

I guess I don't really understand the ins and outs of the insurance. Any insight into this would be helpful.

Thanks!!!

[DizneyRox]

I have never purchased trip insurance, never had to use it. The saving I've had by not purchasing it has exceeded the cost of another trip at this point, so I am ahead of the game in my opinion.

I still don't plan on getting it, there's nothing that I can think of that would prevent me from going on vacation where I would be upset at losing whatever it is that I might lose. For example, if there was a death in the family, I wouldn't be griping about a little lost money.

[faline]

If I have room only reservations, I generally do not buy trip insurance. However, on the rare occasions when I've had a package plan, I have purchased the travel insurance.

[irish1967]

Originally Posted by DizneyRox

For example, if there was a death in the family, I wouldn't be griping about a little lost money.

I think this shows where it really does depend on your situation.

We HAVE purchased travel insurance for our next trip. We have a grand gathering planned for next summer and are staying at the CR - between the number of people and 4 rooms at a deluxe resort - if we had to cancel our plans (and we DO have a grandparent who will be celebrating her 98th birthday next year so cancelling the plans is certainly within the realm of possibility) the amount of money we would lose with a last minute cancellation would be substantial.

I guess you need to look at your situation and consider the possibilities - what if you are delayed for a day due to mechanical difficulties for example?

Good luck, it certainly isn't a clear cut decision by any means and with the cost of vacation at WDW - adding additional cost isn't easy to justify - but is may actually be the right decision for your situation.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

We always drive and we always get the insurance. It includes cancellation insurance, medical etc...for piece of mind its relatively inexpensive

[LW_DFREAK]

Curious...do you always purchase the insurance directly from Disney or have you used other resources? I am having difficulty making the decision now too. I have always purchased it,but I am on the fence if it is worth the cost. I am doing the land/sea vacation.

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I usually purchase it and have actually had to use it before. We were going on a cruise and our flight out of Boston was cancelled and they rescheduled us for a flight the next day. The insurance covered our hotel room in Boston even though that was our home base.

[MickeyChick]

I bought it for our upcoming trip because we're flying in from Philly and I have an insane fear of delayed flights and lost luggage.

[faline]

Originally Posted by LW_DFREAK

Curious...do you always purchase the insurance directly from Disney or have you used other resources? I am having difficulty making the decision now too. I have always purchased it,but I am on the fence if it is worth the cost. I am doing the land/sea vacation.

I have purchased it directly from Disney and have, on another occasion, used an alternate source to which I was referred by Magical Journeys.

[IamaDisneyFan]

I also had questions about the trip insurance. When we made our reservations for next year (36 DAYS!!), I asked what the details were for cancelling or postponing if an emergency were to occur. I was told that to cancel would incur a $200 fee. To postpone, it would cost us $50 only if our changed package would cost less than what we are paying now. So, as long as the package price remained the same or went higher, we would not pay a fee. Hope this helps and have fun!

[Taja]

Originally Posted by LW_DFREAK

Curious...do you always purchase the insurance directly from Disney or have you used other resources? I am having difficulty making the decision now too. I have always purchased it,but I am on the fence if it is worth the cost. I am doing the land/sea vacation.

I definitely would purchase travel insurance for a holiday that includes a cruise. You can purchase third-party insurance--it can be a better value than that offered by Disney or other travel operator.

And no offense to Disney or other reputable cruise operators, but I would purchase third-party insurance for a cruise over any offered directly by the cruise line. Most will cover you if the cruise line goes out of business or otherwise defaults on your agreement. Read the policy carefully to be sure.

[prprincess]

I ALWAYS purchase travel insurance. Someone must have been looking out for me when I booked a cruise in 1998, because I'd never bought it before. Lo and behold, my luggage was placed on the wrong flight and never arrived in Tampa in time by the time we set sail. All I had was my carry on which contained a change of clothes, my bathing suit, and my toiletries.

I called the insurance company and was told that I would be reimbursed for any clothing or necessities I needed (up to a certain amount per day, of course). So thankfully, I bought what I needed at our first stop in Key West. Finally my luggage was delivered to me on the last day of my cruise in Cozumel. I later submitted my receipts, and received a check for the amount I spent.

It really took the edge off of what could have turned into a horrible trip.