How Disney Holidays have been influenced by Thomas Cook and what guests can do to save their travel plans
If you read the news this week, you may have heard the terrible news that British international travel company Thomas Cook Group has stopped all business. From this devastating loss, all package tours and flights booked through the company have been canceled.
As a global travel company, Thomas Cook also booked package tours to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris. Here's a summary of what Disney is saying in the middle of the upheaval, and how the holidays are affected.
Walt Disney World Holidays
Guests who have booked Walt Disney World flights including packages directly through Disney may have been due to flights with Thomas Cook airlines. In this case, The Walt Disney Travel Company has announced that they are partnering with their travel partners to assign flights to guests and will prioritize flights in order of departure date. Guests already on site due to fly home with Thomas Cook flights booked through Disney are encouraged to contact the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) direct line at +44 1[ads1]753 330 330 with details, to be placed on new flights or scheduled flights with other airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
It has been confirmed that Disney will waive any change fees that would occur if a guest's flights were canceled. Similarly, cancellations at no charge and full refund will be made if there is no alternative to changing the holiday. To do this, guests should email [email protected] with the topic 'Thomas Cook Cancellation', but be on the lookout for delayed response times.
However, many guests can book Walt Disney World package holidays directly through Thomas Cook. Unfortunately, since Thomas Cook acted as agent in this sale, Disney is under no obligation to assist guests or provide alternative arrangements for them. Travelers are asked to check www.thomascook.caa.co.uk or the ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents) website www.abta.com for more information. For flights only booked through Thomas Cook, the ABTA website may also provide advice on passenger protection and rights under these circumstances.
Walt Disney World will not offer any discount on packages booked to compensate for losses due to Thomas Cook Cancellations, and guests will be asked to book their trip subject to availability and pay the applicable price. For tickets booked directly through The Walt Disney Travel Company, the full refund may be issued (regardless of who booked the rest of the package), provided they have not been used. Guests must email [email protected] for more information.
Disneyland Paris Holidays
Similar to Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris cannot replicate Thomas Cook bookings for the resort. Any orders placed in place of a lost Thomas Cook order must be made subject to availability and will be priced at the current price. For guests who have ordered Disneyland Paris packages through other agencies independent of Thomas Cook, Disney recommends that you contact your agent directly.
Have you been affected by the cancellation of Thomas Cook flights and holidays? For more information, check out the dedicated Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris Thomas Cook FAQ pages.