I feel so popular now that I own DVC...

[Golden Rose]

Ever since we bought DVC, we seem to be acquiring new best friends.

As in, "We're so glad we're your best friends. Wouldn't it be fun to all go to Disneyworld together?"

Now, admittedly, the people we've been hearing this from are people we like a lot. Some of them, we'd even considered taking with us at some point. Nevertheless, we seem to be discovering new degrees of closeness with a variety of friends.

(Now my true best friend of 25+ years and her DH always stay at the CR, so I'm not sure they would even come with us unless we managed to book BLT...)

I'm mostly amused by it... but I'm also trying to figure out how on earth to invite so many of my best friends along without hurting others' feelings. (Which is how I ended up with 11 bridesmaids in my first wedding. But that's another story.)

Has anyone else "enjoyed" this response to their DVC purchase?

[thesupersmartguy]

Well, they don't stop me when I walk by a DVC sales booth anymore:rotfl:

I have owned for a week now, and have enjoyed the "Welcome Homes" I get when the sales people see my logo hat.:rotfl2:

[RSHEALAND]

We had a similar thing happen when we first purchased. Apparently people believe that there was no purchase costs and that you would want to take your trips around their schedules. Some people even think you should purchase more points so you can take them every year.

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We had a similar thing happen when we first purchased. Apparently people believe that there was no purchase costs and that you would want to take your trips around their schedules. Some people even think you should purchase more points so you can take them every year.

No, I keep getting the silent...oh I thought you guys were smarter than that...you bought a slimeshare???.....treatment.

[Buckeye Fan]

Wow! I don't know what is worse...the treatment you're getting or the one we got, which was, "REALLY? You're going to Disney World AGAIN?"

In my family, it truly is the BEST KEPT SECRET! ;)

[tinkertastic]

No, I keep getting the silent...oh I thought you guys were smarter than that...you bought a slimeshare???.....treatment.



SLIMESHARE!!!!!!

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:
:rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

My DH and are getting ready to put some offers in on some resales. There are quite a few people we wouldn't dare tell for this exact reason. Everyone seems to want to give you their opinion on what a "bad move" buying a timeshare is. And in Disney's case, I just can't agree, it's perfect for us.

[bethy]

We haven't told anybody except for our parents about our recent purchase for the two reasons already stated above. ;)

[Fellowship9798]

We also keep knowledge of our DVC membership to just a few close family members. I don't want to get into awkwardness over not offering to give away our points for free to people who don't understand the purchase cost or maintenance fees involved.

We'll take my parents gladly as they covered quite a number of Disney vacations for me as a kid but that's about it.

[gk90]

No, I keep getting the silent...oh I thought you guys were smarter than that...you bought a slimeshare???.....treatment.

SLIMESHARE!!!!!!


My DH and are getting ready to put some offers in on some resales. There are quite a few people we wouldn't dare tell for this exact reason. Everyone seems to want to give you their opinion on what a "bad move" buying a timeshare is. And in Disney's case, I just can't agree, it's perfect for us.

LOL, we've spent many nights at BIL's house so I was thinking we might offer him & his wife a few nights in a studio. But I'm having 2nd thoughts ;) after he told DH that we were idiots for buying into a "slimeshare" (he didn't use the term but I'm sure he would have if he'd known it!)

We're going next summer with DSis, BIL and their kids (having spent many weeks over the years in their house) and I've deliberately not mentioned "timeshare" in connection with DVC--I just told her that we bought points in the vacation club and left it at that. She's a banker and I know she would believe that it's her duty to lecture me about wasting money on a timeshare!

[BroganMc]

It can be great sharing your Disney love with family and friends. Just make sure you set the dates that work best for you first. And never expect anyone who didn't go through the purchase decision to have the same appreciation for it.

We don't keep it a secret that we own. It works for us and that's all that matters.

[Granny]

As in, "We're so glad we're your best friends. Wouldn't it be fun to all go to Disneyworld together?"

Now, admittedly, the people we've been hearing this from are people we like a lot. Some of them, we'd even considered taking with us at some point. Nevertheless, we seem to be discovering new degrees of closeness with a variety of friends.

(Now my true best friend of 25+ years and her DH always stay at the CR, so I'm not sure they would even come with us unless we managed to book BLT...)

I'm mostly amused by it... but I'm also trying to figure out how on earth to invite so many of my best friends along without hurting others' feelings. (Which is how I ended up with 11 bridesmaids in my first wedding. But that's another story.)

Has anyone else "enjoyed" this response to their DVC purchase?

I think it's great that you are so generous as to consider inviting others to stay with you for a DVC stay. It's a nice benefit of DVC to have the kind of accommodations available to make such trips convenient and affordable.

But just to be fair, you should know that there are many, many threads about DVC owners who have nightmares when inviting friends and family. People don't understand "locking in" and committing to a vacation and why that's important. They don't understand room capacity limits and why they can't invite a couple others at the last minute. They don't see the issue if they cancel last minute.

Trips with families and friends can be great. If you decide to do so, you might want to start a thread asking advice on how to foresee the potential issues and avoid them.

Enjoy your DVC membership! :)

[dianeschlicht]

Your friends and family will chide your for buying a "slimeshare" until you take them to Disney and they experience it. Then they will try to invite themselves along at every turn!

We treat family and friends to trips with us all the time. We love being able to do that. Believe it or not, there will come a time when folks wont want to come with you!!! It's kind of nice to have that break too. We have learned that while it's fun to take family and friends along on a trip, it's also nice to save a few days at the end for ourselves. We don't like to "commando park hop" anymore, but guests always want to, so those last few days are for "us"!

[Coach81]

We have brought my brother in law, and this coming Feb trip we will be bringing my Mom and Stepdad. My kids are very excited that they are going to be able to bring their grandma and grandpa to their favorite place, and show them around!

[alldiz]

I would love to bring some friends....I just can't spare any points for them:lmao:

I can't even manage to bank my points for a year to do DCL:headache:

Hmmmm...I wonder what that announcement will be tomorrow.

OP....Congrats you your purchase:goodvibes
Kerri

[Tara]

Congrats on your purchase - and welcome home!! :cool1:



Hmmmm...I wonder what that announcement will be tomorrow.



Announcement?

[Golden Rose]

[QUOTE=dianeschlicht;29096504]

We treat family and friends to trips with us all the time. We love being able to do that. Believe it or not, there will come a time when folks wont want to come with you!!! QUOTE]

I don't believe it. :lmao: We have a small child and many friends with small children. Many of us were "regulars" at WDW even before we had kids, so I honestly can't see having any trouble finding friends to join us should be choose. Seriously, we're got a trip planned with family for January and we've already had 3 different (friend) families trying to get us to plan trips with them. (Although it wouldn't surprise me at all if some of them ended up being such converts to DVC that they bought their own points eventually.) Plus assorted other friends who think we should get a Grand Villa and invite our whole group. Since "our group" consists of about 25 people right now with four more babies expected in the next few months, a Grand Villa isn't going to be enough. So while I like the idea in theory, while we're the only only DVC members in the group, we certainly aren't going to be trying that any time soon!

I've been following posts about all the trouble people have had when making reservations with/for friends for a while. Yes, the stories make me a bit nervous. But I've done trips with friends and family before - mostly cruises, admittedly - and never had any trouble. The only difference for us if we take another family will be going for the 2 bedroom instead of a 1 bedroom, and I'm sure that with any notice at all, we can find another friend or family member to join us. (And, worse case scenario, we end up with extra space we aren't using.)

[dnoyes]

Our best friends looked at us like we were crazy :lmao: They, like so many other people think WDW is the same as DL. So I offered to give them a tour in person ...... we leave tomorrow at 7AM :thumbsup2

Over the last few months they have been checking out sites and talking to other people about Disney to get ready for the trip. I think they are more excited then we are. I get about 5 phone calls or e-mails every day saying "did you know" we can do this, that, you name it.

I'll never forget the blank looks on their faces when I asked them in June where they wanted to eat in December :lmao:

[JasonDVC]

My wife and I chose to tell ony about 3 people. When I am asked what DVC is I don't say "timeshare" I say we bought a stake in Disney property and in exchange we recieved points for free stays.

We bought in mainly for us and our kids(to be). If family or friends want to join us for a trip or cruise, they're welcome to come.

[jimmacmn]

We take family and friends with us all the time. Most have enjoyed the trips and have asked to go back with us. Several have even purchased their own points after they have gone with us.

[WaltEeyoreWorld]

We were so concerned about how you select those that can come and those that can not that we purchased a 300 pointer just to bring family and friends every third year (7 to 8 rooms) and a second 150 pointer for just us to go down and relax. That way we can bring the whole extended family. Now to find out how many will show up... ;)

[Liljam]

We took our family on our first trip as DVC members with us. It was actually my DH, DS 3 mths, DS12, DB, DB BFF, Dad, Mom, and Stepdad and myself in a GV at SSR. We've decided that instead of taking multiple WDW trips per year we'd like to save our points to take one big trip for our family and/or friends each year. The year my DB turns 21 is the one year we will be doing 2 trips due to a short stay for a "trip" around World Showcase.

I do have friends who have hinted at going with us, but I fear they would cancel or they would expect more from me than I am willing to spare in time while on vacation. With my own family, they know that I will come and go and that I will meet them now and then, but I just have several notions that taking friends on my points and time would be more trouble. Now, that said, I wouldn't mind at all planning a trip at the same time as a friend who is funding their own trip and making their own plans. That way we could make tentative plans to meet up. My friends would all love for me to "show them the World" but I'm a little selfish in wanting that time for myself and my family first!

[magicalmcwho]

Hi Goldenrose and fellow Houstonian,

I am looking for friend to take us on trips, just kidding.

We have taken freinds and families and have sent two of our neighbors for free. I enjoyed the look on my neighbors faces when they said "I guess we will go and take the kids and 5 days is enough" with no excitement. Then upon their return the neighbors say "what a great time they had and wish they coud stay longer" and they are all excited that they had that much fun, the parents even more than the kids.

Jim.

[wildernessDad]

But just to be fair, you should know that there are many, many threads about DVC owners who have nightmares when inviting friends and family. People don't understand "locking in" and committing to a vacation and why that's important. They don't understand room capacity limits and why they can't invite a couple others at the last minute. They don't see the issue if they cancel last minute.

Hear hear! Had friends that I don't talk to anymore because I made the mistake of inviting them to WDW. The wife got into it, but the husband didn't to say the least. I asked him how he liked Wilderness Lodge and he said, "It's okay, I guess." Huh????

[Tennesotans]

We've had a mix -- we've invited four families that have declined our offer...
and we've also had three trips where immediate family joined in. I guess its
a mix. I think we get more negative response than positive about owning
a timeshare at Disney.

In a "previous life" I had access to another timeshare... and we were able
to trade out to OKW on a lark... and I was stunned at the difference in
quality (for my needs). I'm there in four weeks... count me thrilled :)

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We prefer NOT to travel with other people, although when my mom finishes her cancer treatment I would like to take her to WDW for a few days.

We have one couple we are friends with who LOVE Disney and have been to WDW 4 or 5 times. When we bought in at AKV they IMMEDIATELY suggested a 2 bedroom villa so we could all stay together. Um, no. I told them we don't have enough points for that. Which we don't. But if we did there is still NO WAY I would share a villa. If we do take my mom I am going to put her in her own studio - not in mine!

A lot of our friends own DVC already, so that takes the pressure off of us! :rotfl:

[rkwier]

We have also limited who we have told about our DVC purchase for a number of reasons. Years ago, DMIL & DFIL purchased a timeshare at another resort and thought it was the greatest thing (still do) since sliced bread. We have visited with them a few times and were really unimpressed. In fact, the last time we were there in 2006, the unit was so dirty that I actually checked the bed for bedbugs - yuck! We decided then and there that we were not "timeshare" people, but we had not been to DVC yet! Needless to say, DMIL would be verrrry hurt if she were told.

Secondly, we too are selfish with our vacation time since we have precious little of it. Even a long weekend away to unwind is so wonderful. That was part of the appeal of the points system of DVC for us - we can stay for as few or as many nights as we would like to as long as we have the necessary amount of points saved up.

Thirdly, we would receive never ending grief from my side of the family if we invited say, one DB and not the other DB or not DM, etc. We live far away from our families. We make it a point each year to make at least one trip home to visit them. In fact, in the last 19 years, we have had vacations that did not involve going home only 3 times - 5 yr ann, 10 yr ann & 20 yr ann. Anyways, we have been asking my DB & his family to come visit for the entire 16 years that they have been married and not once have they ever come. We figure if they can't visit us where we live, why would they be able to visit us in Florida.

And finally, we are just very private about our finances, so we would be very selective about who we told anyways.