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Credit: Inside the MagicA guest at Walt Disney World Resort recently expressed deep disappointment after the resort closed its parks during Hurricane Milton, impacting their pre-purchased Lightning Lane access.
The parks closed on October 9 and 10 as the hurricane swept through the area, prompting Disney to prioritize guest safety by pausing operations. However, this measure left some guests, like this one, frustrated by the lack of flexibility in Disney’s refund policy for park closures.
The guest, who had spent $138 on Lightning Lane passes for October 10, attempted to contact Disney’s customer service three times, only to be met with a refusal for a refund. “They refused to refund after three separate phone calls,” the guest shared in an online report. This incident left the visitor asking for advice from others on how to proceed.
Related: Hurricane Rafael No Longer Threatens Disney World, but New Disturbance Looms
Hurricane Cancellation Refuses Refund
Lightning Lane is Disney’s paid system that allows guests to skip standby lines for popular attractions. While generally offering greater flexibility and convenience, the policy on refunds during unexpected closures remains a point of contention.
Disney’s policy typically involves offering alternative solutions, such as rescheduling, rather than direct refunds for unused Lightning Lane passes due to park closures.
In similar cases, some guests have had success requesting Disney gift cards or rescheduling unused Lightning Lane passes to future dates. As of this report, Disney has yet to respond publicly regarding specific refund policies for services impacted by Hurricane Milton’s closures.
The experience has sparked conversations among Disney fans, with many wondering if more flexible refund policies should be in place for extreme weather events. The full post reads:
“Extremely disappointed in Walt Disney world!!! We were there though Hurricane Milton and they closed the park on 10/9 and 10/10. We had lightening lane prepurchased for 10/10. We couldn’t use them as the park was closed due to the hurricane. THEY REFUSED TO REFUND AFTER THREE SEPARATE PHONE CALLS. What else do I do? It was 138$! Any other suggestions?”
Guest Seeks Resolution
For guests who find themselves in a similar situation, some suggest reaching out to Disney’s Guest Relations in person or requesting to speak with a supervisor. Others recommend emailing Disney’s customer service to have a written record of the exchange, which can sometimes result in different outcomes.
As Disney’s approach to guest policies continues to evolve, guests impacted by events like Hurricane Milton hope for a resolution that balances business policy with customer satisfaction during unforeseen events.