Sue Batters paid more than £3,000 to treat her two daughters and five grandsons to a three-day break in Disneyland Paris – but things went wrong on the final day
A grandmother was left in floods of tears when her dream family holiday to Disney turned into a nightmare after their park tickets were unexpectedly cancelled.
Sue Batters, 68, splashed out over £3,000 for a three-day Disneyland Paris trip for her two daughters and five grandsons.
The package deal, booked through Times and Travels UK, included Eurostar travel, hotel accommodation, and entry to the two main theme parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. However, the family’s joy was short-lived when on the final day of their holiday, their Disneyland passes were unexpectedly cancelled.
Sue, from Avery Way, Allhallows, on the Hoo Peninsula, said: “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.”
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The London-based firm has since apologised and confirmed that the day passes were cancelled by its supplier without notice.
Despite initial scepticism about the package deal, which she discovered on Facebook, Sue had done her due diligence, checking the company’s website and reviews, all of which were positive, and ensuring its holidays were protected by a professional trade body.
She then decided to proceed and reserve the getaway for late May, including herself, her daughters Rebecca and Hayley, plus her grandsons Archie, Alfie, Freddie, Stanley, and Parker.
Everything was perfect until the final day when their passes ceased functioning while attempting to enter the Walt Disney Studios Park.
The party of eight was informed by personnel that their passes had been revoked and they should telephone Times and Travels UK for help.
After attempting to reach the travel company all morning, the family were eventually informed at 1pm that the tickets had been cancelled two days prior to their departure due to a £497 discrepancy.
Sue, who works as a semi-retired driver, maintained that she had settled the complete cost of the holiday and ultimately discovered there had been an “admin error” which resulted in the cancellation.
She continued: “This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I spent all my savings on a magical holiday, but this ruined it. I was meant to be a lovely trip away for the family, but instead we were standing outside Disney crying with five children.”
She was recommended to purchase fresh passes at the venue, which she did for £650, with assurances they would be reimbursed.
Sue has yet to receive the reimbursement, but Times and Travels UK told her they were working to process the repayment and apologised for the delay in doing so. 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 rejected this, insisting on a one-time full payment.
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.”
Times and Travels UK has yet to respond to a request for comment.
However, in response to Sue’s review on Trustpilot posted on 7 July, the firm explained 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 firm 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.”
Based on Trustpilot data, the vast majority of customer reviews for Times and Travels UK award the company five stars.
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