In a tale that went viral, a family found themselves in a bewildering situation after unwittingly purchasing $10,000 worth of Disney+ gift cards, believing these would be redeemable at Disneyland. Andie Coston took to TikTok to narrate the misadventure that threw their eagerly anticipated Disney vacation into disarray.
And you thought your day was going well, bad
Originally planning the vacation for 2020, the family was compelled to defer their trip due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a proactive move, Andie’s parents decided to invest in $10,000 worth of Disney+ gift cards, envisioning their use for tickets and restaurant reservations during the rescheduled trip.
Fast forward to Christmas, the chosen time for the family’s Disney adventure. All 16 members were geared up for the excursion, and to economize, Andie’s parents had purchased the $10,000 worth of Disney gift cards in advance. However, a hiccup emerged when attempting to load and use the cards correctly for ticket and reservation purchases.
Andie took to TikTok to explain their Disney+ mess
Andie explained on TikTok, stating, “We finally planned it for this Christmas. All 16 of my family members were going. To save some money, my parents bought 10k of Disney gift cards to purchase our tickets and restaurant reservations.” The plot thickened when she revealed what happened next. “I went home this weekend, and they were having problems loading the gift cards correctly and purchasing the tickets,” she said.
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The root of the issue lay in an unexpected twist. The family had mistakenly purchased $10,000 worth of Disney+ subscription gift cards instead of the intended theme park vouchers. A perplexed Andie humorously remarked, “That’s a lot of Disney+ subscriptions.”
The family tried to find a way to fix their mistake
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the family urgently sought assistance through a video, seeking a way to transform their Disney+ streaming gift cards into their intended Disney Parks gift cards. With their departure imminent and Christmas causing a surge in park ticket demand, anxiety ran high. Andie conveyed their predicament, stating, “We leave in 6 days and the parks are selling out of tickets because it’s Christmas. My mom is distraught, Dad frustrated, and the kids worried we won’t get into Disney.”
Complicating matters, the cards’ backs had already been scratched off, rendering them ineligible for return. Seeking a resolution, they reached out to Disney. Fortunately, the company, after being contacted, facilitated the transfer of the gift cards, allowing the family to utilize them in the parks as originally intended.
Relief at last for the frustrated family
Reflecting on the experience, Andie expressed relief, saying, “I am so glad we were able to get it resolved, especially for my parent’s sake. It was also good to hear that my parents are not the only ones who have experienced this.” She added, “I received many messages and comments from people telling me that they or someone they know have had similar experiences. I hope that this story makes more people aware of the card difference so no one else experiences this.”