Family Purchases $10,000 in Gift Cards for Disney Vacation, Only to Realize They're for Disney+ (Exclusive)
Andie Coston tells PEOPLE her family wasn't the first to mix the two up, but she hopes they'll be the last
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Disney (L), Disney+ (R)A family's long-awaited Disney trip seemed momentarily in jeopardy when the grandparents in charge realized a major error.
TikToker @aofthecoast, Andie Coston, shared a now-viral TikTok where she gave real-time updates on her family's Disney vacation, beginning by explaining that the big family trip was originally scheduled for 2020 and subsequently postponed after the pandemic hit.
"We finally planned it for this Christmas. All 16 of my family members were going. To save some money, my parents bought 10k of Disney gift cards to purchase our tickets and restaurant reservations," Andie explained.
"I went home this weekend, and they were having problems loading the gift cards correctly and purchasing the tickets," she continued, then showed the physical gift cards and revealed they're all for Disney+, Disney's streaming service, and not for use related to the theme park.
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At first, Andie issued a call for help in "getting the money in the right form."
"We leave in 6 days and the parks are selling out of tickets because it's Christmas. My mom is distraught, Dad frustrated, and the kids worried we won't get into Disney," she shared.
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Things developed quickly as the TikTok and her follow-ups, answering questions she was getting from commenters, went viral overnight.
Andie clarified the mix-up happened in part because her parents don't use streaming services and were unaware that there was a difference. "It was a honest mistake," she noted.
Furthermore, since the couple was trying to input the gift cards on Disney's gift card website, the numbers were already scratched off the back, which made them ineligible for return.
People chimed in with different ideas for how to remedy the issue in overwhelming amounts. Andie also learned that her family wasn't the only one this had happened to.
"That's been a comfort to my parents," she shared.
Less than 24 hours after her first TikTok about the situation was posted, Andie was able to find a resolution. Disney reached out to the family and were able to "turn the $10,000 of Disney streaming gift cards into $10,000 of Disney Parks gift cards."
The family is now looking forward to enjoying their long-awaited trip and cherishing the moments together. Speaking with PEOPLE about the experience, Andie expresses her gratitude for everyone involved in handling the situation.
"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 tells PEOPLE.
"I received many messages and comments from people telling me that they or someone they know have had similar experiences. I hope that this story makes more people aware of the card difference so no one else experiences this."
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