A family’s dream trip to Disney World almost turned into a disaster when the grandparents in charge of planning realized they had made a major mistake. Andie Coston, also known as @aofthecoast on TikTok, shared the family’s story in a now-viral video.
The trip was originally planned for 2020, but due to the pandemic, it was postponed to Christmas of 2021. To save money, the family purchased $10,000 worth of Disney gift cards to use for purchasing tickets and restaurant reservations. However, when Andie went home to help her parents prepare for the trip, she discovered that all the gift cards were for Disney+, the company’s streaming service, and not for use at the theme park.
The family was devastated and worried about being able to get tickets for the park, which were selling out quickly due to the holiday season. Andie reached out on TikTok, asking for help in getting the money in the right form before their trip in just six days.
Overnight, the TikTok video and follow-up posts went viral, with people offering suggestions and support. Andie learned that her family was not the only one to make this mistake, which brought some comfort to her parents. Less than 24 hours after her initial post, Disney reached out to the family and was able to convert the Disney+ gift cards into ones that could be used at the park.
Andie expressed her gratitude for everyone involved in resolving the issue, stating, “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 hopes that by sharing their story, she can make others aware of the difference between Disney+ gift cards and ones for the park, to prevent similar incidents from happening.
