Vacation Insurance

[E-Ticket4]

Hey Everyone.
Looking at the Disney web site and running some estimates for dates - I see that the insurance is $123.00. Then this morning I see on CNN how vacationers are being frauded by some vacation insurance companies. I looked at some old insurance docs from Disney - lovely that the Disney Travel Guard is thru AIG. Do they really need more of my money so they can get their millions in bonus'? Thats another story I guess. but what does the gang here think? Worth it? Have you ever needed it? Do your credit cards offer vacation insurnace?
Thanks!

[Gregandmel]

That's such a tough call! We went back and forth about it and decided NOT to add it to our already expensive trip. My thinking was this: we booked through Southwest and even though their tickets are non-refundable, I could've booked another date within a year from date of purchase and received "credit" on what I originally paid. (I think that's right - someone correct me if I'm wrong). We had already purchased our Magic Your Way base tickets from AAA which, as long as they hadn't been used the first time, we could hold onto them until we were able to go. I'm sure we would've been out of $$ somewhere along the line, but the chances of something happening were slim, so I chanced it - but it made me nervous!:unsure:

[Disney Doll]

We never do trip insurance and I use the same reasons as the previous poster.

[sassafras]

My sister had this insurance on one trip. Her husband (who has had open heart surgery) got very sick and just wanted to go home to see his own doctor. When she tried to file a claim, she was put through all sorts of rigamaroll before they would let her file a claim. She did eventually get part of her money back, but not until they put her thru the wringer! I haven't purchased it since then.

[the other micki]

You can actually cancel your trip at a pretty late date and still get almost all of your money back from Disney. I decided to take my chances and cancel if need be, rather than buy insurance.

[TheVBs]

We bought the insurance the first couple times, and have passed on it since. We've thankfully never needed it, and as someone else pointed out, you can cancel pretty late and get most of your money back anyway. If I remember correctly, you may have to pay for your first night stay, which you could get back through the insurance company, but when you factor in the cost of insurance, it's not that great a deal.

[tinksmom02]

We always get it, we figure it's better to be safe than sorry. If you knew the luck my family has had, you'd probably agree.

Thankfully, we've never had to use it.

To each his own, I guess.

[Belster]

Another vote for no!!! We do not get it because it is true you can cancel fairly late or even reschedule if needed and I also think that you would have to pay your first night stay.

[Brian]

We've never purchased it for a Disney vacation, but we purchase it for our beach vacations. It's something we've always bought in case of hurricanes, especially since we travel around that time. However, last year we actually had to use it due to a death in the family and needing to cancel our trip. It took two months from the the time we filed the claim until the time we received our money. (We received all of our money back, aside from the cost of the insurance itself.) For what it's worth, we used TravelGuard.

So, based on that, I wouldn't hesitate to use TravelGuard again. I guess it's just a matter of whether or not you think vacation insurance is right for you. It's a tough call, and really depends on the cancellation policies of your trip. For our beach trip, we would've lost several thousand dollars (large family trip - 2 condos). We've only ever needed to use it that one time, but were glad we had it when we needed it.

Like all insurance, it's a gamble. Good luck in your decision.

[illini]

We've never bought it. We buy a package from WDW and their cancellation policy is really good so I don't see the point. Then again, we never buy electronics warranties, either.

Like a PP said, though, we do buy travel insurance if we're travelling to the beach during high hurricane season. That's a whole different game!

[disneyfan328]

we buy it for our trips to the beach on a yearly basis and also for our trips to Disney - Travel insurance covers much more than what I am seeing listed above - yes you can get pretty much all of your money back from Disney for cancelling - but most travel insurance covers things like if you are ill and have to go to an urgent care ( this happend to DH at the beach) our health insurance wouldn't cover it so we sent it in as a claim to the travel insurance people and we were reimbursed within 30 days which is their standard time frame.

I believe from what I was told that travel insurance also covers things like if someone knocks your camera out of your hands while on vacation or knocks it into a fountain - you can get reimbursed for that - loss or delay of luggage etc etc. I think that the 130.00 we paid to insure my self, DH and our 2 kids it is well worth it if something happens. DH medicine alone for that incident at the beach was over 100.00. In this day and age (and with 2 of us with health problems) you just never know so I recommend it. Peace of mind if nothing else.