A Midwestern family's Disney World trip was saved by a holiday miracle after they accidentally purchased over $10,000 worth of gift cards to Disney's streaming service instead of the theme parks.
Andie Coston of Normal, Illinois, told USA TODAY on Wednesday that her family had been planning the vacation of a lifetime to Disney World in Florida since 2020 when the pandemic derailed their plans to take their children to the “most magical place on earth.” made.”
The family decided to go to Disney this month, and Coston's parents thought they had purchased $10,000 in gift cards to the park to fund the adventure for a total of 16 family members. But they made a mistake: They bought about 100 gift cards worth $100 for the Disney+ streaming service.
“We were all confused and amazed at what had happened,” Coston, 41, said. “The absurdity was funny, but then the realization that we might not actually make it to Disney was sad… It's always been the one big trip I can take my kids on.”
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Andie Coston asks TikTok for help
When her mother couldn't resolve the issue with Disney's basic customer service, Coston turned to TikTok for non-refundable and non-transferable gift cards.
“It’s over 70 years of Disney Plus,” Coston wrote on the video, which has more than three million views. “My mom is distraught, my dad is frustrated and the kids are worried we won’t get into Disney.”
With the support of the video and a friend who works for the company, the family was able to transfer their money to the right gift cards.
The family had to photograph each gift card
The company required images of the back of each Disney+ gift card to complete the transfer. Coston said her mother and niece spent about four hours emailing the photos Monday night when another inconvenience struck them.
“Their internet is down,” Coston said. “You can only send a limited number of images via email. My mom said they were up until about 11:45 p.m.”
She added that her parents have to send some of the photos through the mail. Although the process was slow and tedious, she is grateful they were able to transfer the funds.
The Andie Coston family had to email photos of each Disney+ gift card to Disney in order to redeem their money for the theme parks.
The trip is finally set in stone
After a hectic trip, Coston's family is ready to embark on their highly anticipated vacation. Coston said they were able to maintain their original flights as well as book a nearby resort and restaurant reservations.
Coston is most excited about seeing her kids have fun and try new foods. She also hopes to reconnect with the Fairy Godmother actor, who played Snow White when Coston visited the parks as a child. Just like the gift card debacle, she's all about telling family stories.
“This will be a legend that will be passed down through generations,” she said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Family buys $10,000 in Disney+ gift cards in lieu of planned Florida trip