By February 2022, like many North American consumers, I had been bitten by the revenge travel bug.
My small family and I, like many people, have had a difficult time during the pandemic. Working remotely from home with two children under the age of five meant I often felt lonely, even without the added pressure of lockdown and COVID-19 fears.
Once everyone was vaccinated, we started considering a Disney World vacation. I've always wanted to experience this iconic theme park. My parents aren't much of a traveler, so I never traveled as a child. Now that I have children of my own and they were at a “good age” to experience the magic of Disney, it felt like the right time.
I thought (mistakenly) that it was a simple process and wasn't worth my time on trip advisor. I learned early on that Costco offers travel services. Since I shop frequently with my Gold membership, I expected the level of customer service in my travels to be on par with my past experiences at warehouses.
It was a mistake I won't make again.
Costco Travel Hidden Costs
After some preliminary research, we found a great deal on a Walt Disney World vacation. We booked it eight months in advance and were looking at a total of about $7,000 CAD (CAD) for four people and him, including flights, for six nights. I paid in advance.
In the summer, travel costs started to pile up. Worried about COVID-19-related cancellations, he paid $500 for additional travel insurance. My son's car seat was too big for the plane, so I bought a new one. I found out that the resort didn't offer airport shuttle service and it wasn't included in the package I purchased, so I booked that as well.
That summer, the post-pandemic travel surge caused passport processing delays across the country, forcing people to pay extra for expedited shipping. I found out that my departing flight would require me to leave the house around 3am, so I booked a shuttle so I wouldn't have to drive.
Then disaster struck. While I was away at a work meeting, I received a robocall from Costco Travel. The timing couldn't have been worse. After hours on the phone (at the time I was supposed to be attending programming), I learned that my return flight had been cancelled.
Costco Travel was really useless. They offered him a flight a day later for the same price, but he could not extend the hotel stay. Feeling stressed and pressured (and just wanted to get back to the conference), I booked as many flights as I could on my original departure date.I was charged an additional $400. per passenger.
At this point I was feeling very anxious about traveling. I expected there would be additional costs (insurance, passport, etc.) but nothing like this. But I was already in too deep.
Travelers don't know what they don't know
One of the main hidden benefits of having a travel advisor is the knowledge they provide: only It comes with experience. The reality is that no matter how much you search on the internet, you still don't know what you don't know.
My biggest mistake was thinking it would be easy and save money to buy packaged items from Costco 8 months in advance. Not only did the flight change cost me a lot of money (and a lot of stress), but I also missed out on the resort's promotions.
I thought I knew a lot about planning a Disney vacation. My aunt was also planning a similar trip before the pandemic and she gave me lots of great information. I watched hours of her YouTube videos and scoured Reddit message boards for advice and tips. I felt ready. I wasn't ready.
There were a lot of details that I had overlooked. We traveled in October, when there would normally be fewer tourists, but with the post-pandemic surge in travel and the reintroduction of Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween His Party, the crowds Sometimes it became unbearably dense. I didn't find out about the special ticket event until the dates were sold out, so I missed out on what would have been a great bonus memory.
Also, we were not prepared for how far we would be walking from our resort room to the main building and bus stop. I love walking, so I never thought that was a potential concern, but since I flew there, I didn't have a stroller for my youngest. He had a really hard time making that trip, especially after a long day at the park.
Why I will no longer book family vacations at Costco
To be fair, we had a great vacation. There's a reason why Walt Disney World is so popular all over the world. And I appreciate all the information this community has made available online. We found some great hidden gems, were able to ride most of the attractions we wanted, and made some great memories.
And I recognize that some of these problems are bound to occur. I don't blame Costco Travel for all the little things that went wrong. Rather, I view it as a learning experience.
Some of you reading this may have had good experiences using Costco while traveling. If you like what this site has to offer, you should use it. But for me it's not worth the hassle.
Looking back, I wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared for the level of planning required for the trip. Not only was this my first Disney trip, but it was also my first family trip. I had to learn about Genie+, Lightning Lanes, dinner reservations, hotel discounts, and more. At the same time, I had to figure out how to travel abroad with my children for the first time since COVID-19. I was naive to think I could do it all myself without spending a lot of time and effort.
When we booked the trip, we thought the total cost would be less than $10,000. In the end, the five-night trip cost him well over $12,000, and that was after cutting back on dining experiences and souvenirs.
I wish I had contacted trip advisor before booking at Costco. Someone smarter than me might have pointed out that it would be better to rent a car and forego the expensive character dinner. Postponing my vacation by a week would have reduced the crowds significantly. Maybe you should consider an all-inclusive stay in Cuba.
As an avid supporter of local businesses, I would be happy to pay for the consultation. And I'm sure my modest girlfriend's $10,000 budget would have been better in the hands of an experienced professional. I may not have gotten cheaper flights or better accommodation, but I probably would have had a better experience overall. That's what really matters.
We are currently planning our next family vacation.
Have you heard of similar OTA horror stories? Contact us at smilner@travelmarketreport.com. Also, if you know of a good travel advisor for family vacations in central Ontario, please send them to us.
