A grandmother claimed a dream trip to Disneyland Paris turned into a nightmare after an ‘admin error’ left her family stranded outside the park gates on the final day of their break.
Sue Batters, 68, from Allhallows on the Hoo Peninsula, forked out over £3,000 on a three-day holiday for herself, her two daughters, and five young grandsons in May.
After spotting the value package deal on Facebook, offered by London-based agency Times and Travels UK, she decided to do some extra research before booking.
Though she was initially sceptical, as she regularly books holidays with renowned agencies such as Jet2 and TUI, she explained she investigated the company’s website, its reviews and ensured the trip was financially secure.
The grandmother recalled having a ‘bad feeling’ at the time, but went on to book the entire trip on her credit card and made sure she was ‘protected.’
The package deal included travel by Eurostar, hotel accommodation, and tickets to both Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park.
But on the final day of their trip, the group was left devastated when their park passes suddenly stopped working.
Speaking to Kent Online, she 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.’
Sue Batters, 68, from Allhallows on the Hoo Peninsula, forked out over £3,000 on a three-day holiday for herself, her two daughters, and five young grandsons in May
After spotting the value package deal on Facebook, offered by London-based agency Times and Travels UK, she decided to do some extra research on the company before booking
Staff at the park informed the family that their tickets had been cancelled and encouraged them to contact the travel agency.
After hours of unanswered calls, they were finally told that the tickets had been revoked two days before they had even set off – due to a £497 discrepancy caused by an administrative error.
Sue, a semi-retired driver, insists she had paid the full amount for the holiday and said the situation left the family heartbroken.
She described how the once-in-a-lifetime trip was ‘ruined’ as the family were left standing outside Disney with ‘five crying children.’
Forced to purchase new tickets on the day for £650, Sue was advised by the agency the cost would be reimbursed. But, nearly three months on, she has yet to receive the full refund.
According to the grandmother, Times and Travels UK has since apologised and acknowledged the mistake, blaming their ticket supplier for the sudden cancellation.
The company has now offered to reimburse her in installments – starting with £459 followed by two £100 payments. Sue has since declined the offer, instead requesting a one-time full repayment.
Sue said: ‘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.’
The package deal included Eurostar travel, hotel accommodation, and tickets to both Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park
But on the final day of their trip, the group was left devastated when their park passes suddenly stopped working
As seen on Trustpilot, the majority of reviews left for Times and Travels UK are five stars.
But Sue, who has since contacted Citizens Advice, highlighted a similar experience by one reviewer who had booked a trip to Disneyland Paris.
They also claimed their tickets to the parks were cancelled and found this had been done by the agency’s supplier.
Times and Travels UK told Kent Online: ‘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.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Times and Travels UK for further comment.
After hours of unanswered calls, the family were finally told that the tickets had been revoked two days before they had even set off – due to a £497 discrepancy caused by an administrative error
According to Citizens Advice, customers who book package holidays are entitled to compensation if, like Sue, they have had to spend extra money because of a problem, which is called out-of-pocket expenses.
They urged travellers to report any issues with their trip as soon as possible and contact the customer service department of the tour operator to claim compensation.
The advice charity also stated that if a company makes an offer holidaymakers think are too low, they can ask for a higher amount.
The next route is to complain to a trade association, such as the Association of British Travel Agents, or taking the firm to a small claims court as a last resort.
