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Gran cries after family turned away from Disneyland Paris despite paying 3,000

Sue Batters paid more than 3,000 to treat her two daughters and five grandsons to a three-day break in Disneyland Paris but it was all ruined after an admin error

[Sue Batters with her five grandsons]

Sue Batters with her five grandsons

A family alleges their dream Disney getaway was destroyed following an administrative blunder that resulted in their park passes being revoked. Sue Batters splashed out over 3,000 to surprise her two daughters and five grandsons with a three-day adventure at Disneyland Paris.

The all-inclusive package, arranged through Times and Travels UK, covered Eurostar transport, accommodation, and entry to both major theme parks Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. The 68-year-old explained that everything went smoothly until their final day, when their Disneyland passes abruptly ceased functioning and they discovered they had been terminated.

She revealed: "I was in tears. My grandchildren kept asking me why I was crying. What are you supposed to do when you have five children who want to go to Disney? They did not understand why we could not get in.", reports the Mirror.

[Anne]

Anne

The London-based company has subsequently issued an apology and acknowledged that the day passes were terminated by its provider without warning.

Sue, a resident of Allhallows, on the Hoo Peninsula, Kent, had initially harboured doubts about the package offer that appeared on her Facebook feed, as she wasn't acquainted with the travel agency.

Nevertheless, she researched the business thoroughly, examining its website and customer feedback, which were overwhelmingly favourable, and verified that its holidays were safeguarded by a recognised trade organisation.

Overjoyed, she went ahead and booked the trip for the end of May, including her daughters Rebecca and Hayley, and her grandsons Archie, Alfie, Freddie, Stanley and Parker.

Everything was running smoothly until the final day when their passes ceased to work while trying to enter Walt Disney Studios Park. The party of eight was informed by staff that their passes had been cancelled and were advised to contact Times and Travels UK for help.

After spending the morning attempting to reach the travel agents, the family were finally informed at 1pm that the tickets had been cancelled two days prior to their departure due to a 497 discrepancy.

Sue, a semi-retired driver, insisted that she had paid the full cost of the holiday and eventually discovered there had been an "admin error" which resulted in the cancellation.

[Kids]

Their Disneyland passes abruptly ceased functioning and they discovered they had been terminated

She expressed: "This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I spent all my savings on a magical holiday, but this ruined it. It was meant to be a lovely trip away for the family, but instead we were standing outside Disney crying with five children."

She was advised to purchase new passes at the park, which she did for 650, and was assured they would be refunded. Sue is still awaiting the refund, but Times and Travels UK have informed her they are processing the repayment and apologised for the delay.

According to its terms and conditions, its package deals are financially protected, and it takes responsibility for its suppliers under the Package Travel Regulations. Sue revealed that the company has proposed a payment of 459 followed by two instalments of 100 each, but she has declined this offer as she prefers a one-off payment of the full sum.

The grandmother expressed her concern: "What if someone did not have the money to buy the tickets at the door? Not everyone has that option, and it is not a small amount that you might have extra.

"I always book holidays with the likes of TUI and Jet2, but I checked it out and it looked fine. I did have a bad feeling, so I booked it on the credit card and made sure I was protected.

"In the back of my mind, I was worried."

[Sue's grandkids kept asking why she was crying]

Sue's grandkids kept asking why she was crying

However, in response to Sue's review on the online review platform Trustpilot on July 7, the firm clarified that the day passes were cancelled by its supplier without prior notice. It added: "We acknowledge this was frustrating and we sincerely apologise for the stress it caused.

"As soon as you made us aware, we investigated and confirmed that you will be refunded for the cost of the cancelled tickets. This promise still stands, and we are working to process it.

"We have never refused your refund, and at no point did we say we would not take responsibility. We understand the delay has caused frustration, and we truly are sorry."

The company stated: "Times and Travels UK is a registered travel business. We have helped hundreds of families and couples travel to Disney, Asia, and beyond, and we take our reputation seriously.

"Our small team is still working through a backlog due to a recent internal change in management, but no one has been ignored or left behind intentionally, and every pending case is being resolved.

"We hope you will allow us to complete the process and make this right."

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