Could This Gen Z Trend CHANGE how Disney Vacations Are Booked?

Ever since the pandemic, people have had to CHANGE how they travel…especially in Disney World.

Cinderella Castle

We saw changes to booking policies, updates to attractions, and the addition of more digital features like MagicMobile and Disney Park Pass reservations. Quite a few changes have been made by travel companies, but there’s one big change that the new generation is looking for when they travel.

According to a survey from Statista, Gen Z is prioritizing flexibility in vacations more than the older generations. The survey asked how much subjects would be willing to pay extra for a hotel that offers free cancellation, and 29% of Gen Z respondents said that they would pay $50 or more. That’s compared to 28% of Millennials, 15% of Gen Xers, and 9% of Baby Boomers.

©Statista

36% of Gen Z respondents said that they’d be willing to pay between $1-$49 extra for flexibility, while 34% said they wouldn’t pay extra for flexibility. That means that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z travelers would pay at least some amount for free cancellation at a hotel.

Grand Floridian Resort

So how does this affect Disney World? Throughout the pandemic, Disney World adopted a much friendlier cancellation policy that allowed guests to cancel trips without penalty later than usual. Currently, the cancellation policy is as follows:

For cancellations made 30 days or more prior to guest arrival, amounts paid, minus cancellation fees assessed by third-party hotels or other suppliers, non-refundable runDisney race registrations, non-refundable travel protection plan costs, and other amounts owed, will be refunded.
For cancellations made 2 days to 29 days prior to guest arrival, amounts paid, minus a cancellation fee of $200.00 per package and minus any cancellation fees assessed by third-party hotels or other suppliers, non-refundable runDisney race registrations, non-refundable travel protection plan costs and other amounts owed, will be refunded.
For cancellations made 1 day or less prior to guest arrival or for no-shows, the full price of the package is non-refundable.
No refunds are given for cancellation of any personalized products or experiences.
No refunds will be made for early departure from hotel and for unused or partially used admission tickets, options or features, including meals.

Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Currently, there isn’t a way to pay extra for free cancellation on a Disney World vacation. The only thing that comes close is purchasing the Travel Protection Plan with your vacation. According to the Disney World website, “The Travel Protection Plan provides coverage if you cancel or interrupt your Walt Disney World, Disneyland or Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa package for covered reasons described in the plan such as illness or injury. If you cancel due to a covered reason, the Travel Protection Plan will provide a refund for the prepaid, nonrefundable travel package, including the cost of airfare that is scheduled for travel within 7 days of the travel package.”

Yacht Club Lobby

So is Disney World falling behind the times? It’s possible. With Gen Z looking for more flexibility, it’s possible that those who want to visit the theme parks might choose to stay offsite at a location with more relaxed policies.

Beach Club Resort

Disney World theme park tickets are also nonrefundable and nontransferable, but if you have to change your travel dates, it’s often possible to modify the dates on your tickets for travel in the future. So if you’re looking for flexibility or your travel plans are unpredictable, you may have a better chance of adjusting things if you purchase tickets and lodging separately, rather than as a package deal.

Disney World Theme Park Ticket Cards

We’ll make sure to keep you updated if Disney World adjusts its cancellation policy in the future, and we’ll keep you in the loop with any other rules and regulations that you need to know about for your next vacation! Stay tuned to DFB!

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