Your Flight to Disney World is Canceled. What Happens Now?

Despite planning out the picture-perfect Disney World vacation, sometimes the unexpected can happen. For one reason or another, you may find yourself with a last-minute flight cancelation just days, or sometimes hours, before you’re set to take off. This holiday season was no exception, with thousands of flights canceled at the last minute, leaving passengers scrambling to rebook.

What do you do in those situations? Depending on your scenario, it can seem like a complicated process, so today we’re going to smooth out those wrinkles and make an otherwise stressful situation hassle-free!

Airline Reservations

First thing is first: you’ll want to see if and when you can get on a plane that will take you and your travel party to Disney World! When you book your original flight, make sure you review that airline’s cancelation policy in the event that you need to rebook at the last minute.

Consider adding traveler’s insurance to your reservation to make the cancelation and rebooking process easier, especially if you’re traveling to Disney World during hurricane season. It may be worth the cost, but keep in mind that it won’t be the best option for every family.

As your departure date approaches, keep a close watch on your flight status so you can act the moment a delay or cancelation takes place. The sooner you act, the more options you may have for rebooking. Sign up for text alerts when you book your flight so you can be among the first to know if or when your flight status changes. Keep an eye on the weather as well if you’re traveling during a time of year where weather may impact your flight.

If your flight is canceled after you have arrived at the airport, head to the desk to see if you can get rebooked on the next scheduled flight. If your rescheduled flight is on a new day, then you’ll have to rearrange your Disney World hotel and ticket reservations.

Disney World Reservations

If your flight to Orlando is canceled and you need to rebook to a later flight, you will likely have to reach out to Disney World to modify your reservations. Much of this process can be done online. Simply log onto your Disney account and go to “My Reservations,” and then click on “Modify Reservation.” If your reservation cannot be updated or modified online, please call (407) 934-7639. Keep in mind that a change fee may apply.

In the event of a hurricane, Disney World is very flexible in their cancelation and rebooking policies. Be sure to read up on their hurricane policies if you decide to travel during that time of year.

When it comes to theme park tickets, the good news is that you can modify those up until midnight EST of the day prior to your first valid use date. Just head to “My Plans” on the My Disney Experience app, then select “Tickets and Passes.” From there, select the tickets you wish to modify and select “Change Ticket.” Remember that you’ll also need to modify your Park Pass Reservations if the dates of your trip change.

Also, make sure you double check your Advance Dining Reservations to see if you have any impacted reservations. Disney will charge the card on file per person if your party is a no-show. Dining Reservations can be rebooked to a later date, or canceled altogether at least 24 hours prior to the reservation by calling 407-WDW-DINE. In general, it may be a good idea to have a back-up plan ready to go, especially on your arrival and departure dates, in the event that your flight is canceled.

Double check to see if there are any other Disney reservations, such as tours or special experiences, that may be impacted should your flight get canceled and you need to rebook. These reservations may also carry a no-show fee.

Other Third-Party Reservations

If your Disney World vacation involves any other third-party reservations, such as a car rental, then you’ll also want to review those confirmations to see what their cancelation or change policies are.

We hope you never have to go through the process of having your flight to Disney World canceled, but if it happens, we hope these steps help to make the experience go a little smoother! Be sure to follow along for more travel tips ahead of your upcoming Disney World vacation.

Click here to read about the ways you’ll need to pack differently for Disney World in 2022.

Have you ever had your flight to Disney World canceled at the last minute? Share your experience in the comments!

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