Free Lodging for Family

[rowbear]

It might be interesting to see how many of us give free lodging to family members for family vacations.

Free lodging means that points were used to upgrade a room or get additional rooms to accomodate family members. If they went with you and slept in the room you had already planned to get it does not count.

So far we have given out:

1 1br
7 studios
1 upgrade 1br to 2br

So are your points just for you or are you like us and taking additional family here and there is part of the joy of ownership?

EDITED TO ADD:

For you new owners DO NOT let this poll in influence you in any way. It is not your responsibility to provide vacations for anyone but yourself. I don't do it because I feel obligated I only do it to enhance my own enjoyment. I have never once sacrificed a future vacation for my family. Our points are for us first and if we can bring additional family members great, if not, they stay home.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

We always treat family..
Our next treat for the entire both sides of the family will be this October. We have four nights in a Cottage at Vero, followed by 10 nights in a Kidani grand villa.

It's only my wife and me, so that's a lot of space for family...

MG

 

[Chuck S]

I've given lots points to friends and family over the years. And they're great to use as wedding gifts, if the couple want to go to WDW for their honeymoon. I've never charged for a guest, but they usually do buy a nice dinner out or a dinner show, depending upon their financial situaton. They do all have to pay for their own park tickets and meals.

 

[Claire L]

We had loads of DP's to use last year so treated DBIL and DSIL to 10 nights in a studio at AKV

Claire

 

[TINKERIFIC]

I was very interested in what others do. We are new owners. We bought in for the larger accomodations and kitchen. Plus, we always love to travel to WDW with family members. With the larger accomodations, we can all room together!!!

I do not plan on having them "rent" the additonal points we use to accomodate them, but I might suggest they pitch in for the additional grocery expense, etc.

If we go alone (2 adults 2 kids) we would get a 1 bedroom (minimum). In June 2010 we are getting a 2 bedroom to accomodate by DB, DSIS, DN and DF. Wish I could get a grand villa, but we do not have enough points. My DB and DF have offered to buy groceries and treat us to a TS in return for the lodging. I think that is fair.

 

[quirty30]

I was very interested in what others do. We are new owners. We bought in for the larger accomodations and kitchen. Plus, we always love to travel to WDW with family members. With the larger accomodations, we can all room together!!!

I do not plan on having them "rent" the additonal points we use to accomodate them, but I might suggest they pitch in for the additional grocery expense, etc.

If we go alone (2 adults 2 kids) we would get a 1 bedroom (minimum). In June 2010 we are getting a 2 bedroom to accomodate by DB, DSIS, DN and DF. Wish I could get a grand villa, but we do not have enough points. My DB and DF have offered to buy groceries and treat us to a TS in return for the lodging. I think that is fair.

I'm with you. Also a new owner and looking forward to having family join us on our visits, and would only hope in return that they buy a meal or two. I would also consider renting points to friends if for whatever reason we can't use them ourselves or bank them.

 

[CarolMN]

If we invite others, they do not pay for lodging. We get a larger unit and stay together. In all cases, the guests paid for at least one of our meals and usually paid for the van as well.

Only twice have we made reservations for someone when we were not traveling. Both times were for our daughter, who was stilll living with us (college) at the time.

None of our family or friends expects anyone else to pay for their vacations. Maybe that's one reason we get along so well.

 

[arthur06]

We will be going "home" for the first time in Oct. We are taking MIL with us. We will be in a 2br. (Me, DW, MIL, DS2, DS11months). We are actually paying for her flight and tickets! (Eventhough she is WAY better off then us!). We figured the moments of watching her first grandsons enjoy Disney and all the things that they (MIL and FIL) have done for us the last couple of years, the least we could do is this!

In the future we won't pay for flights and tickets, but the rooms???...Sure! But for this first time, its all on us!

 

[rowbear]

None of our family or friends expects anyone else to pay for their vacations. Maybe that's one reason we get along so well.

You'd be surprised how well a family gets along when you pay for almost everything too.

 

[maburke]

Family stays without charge, we rent to friends. My BIL let us stay on his points many times before we bought in. Now I have a true appreciation for his generosity!

 

[Pakey]

We regularly give our points to friends/family as we own way more than we can use now (thanks to addonitis in prior years). We even treated my husband's ex-wife and her husband to a week at BCV earlier this year.

The only tough thing about it is when they go without me. It's hard to listen to someone else's anticipation when I know I'm not going.

 

[DisneyWalker44]

I would never thing to tell anyone else what to do with their points (and their family)...

But DVC is my home - you don't charge family to stay in your home. In fact, one of the main reasons I bought DVC is to be able to share vacations with friends and family.

 

[arthur06]

We regularly give our points to friends/family as we own way more than we can use now (thanks to addonitis in prior years). We even treated my husband's ex-wife and her husband to a week at BCV earlier this year.QUOTE]


That might be a little to generous for my liking!

 

[rowbear]

We regularly give our points to friends/family as we own way more than we can use now (thanks to addonitis in prior years). We even treated my husband's ex-wife and her husband to a week at BCV earlier this year.

The only tough thing about it is when they go without me. It's hard to listen to someone else's anticipation when I know I'm not going.

We have only sent someone without us once. I feel like it enhances my vacation to have various family members with us which is how I can justify doing it so often. They get to have the time of their life but it is not all about them it is about us too. It would be sort of weird for me to hand out vacations that did not include us... that would be harder to justify.

The one time I did do it was for a business conference. They had fun but it wasn't purely a vacation.

 

[RLRDA]

We have only owned for 5 years but I voted that we share points "regularly". "Occasionally" is actually more accurate - we have treated family twice (both times they joined us on vacation). We've taken 4 DVC vacations so that's 50% of the time! I think I chose "regularly" because if anyone ever wanted to join us we'd be open to it. I don't know if I'd ever book a vacation for someone with our points when we wouldn't be there though. We have so few that there aren't many (any!) left over to share in that way.

 

[rowbear]

We have only owned for 5 years but I voted that we share points "regularly". "Occasionally" is actually more accurate - we have treated family twice (both times they joined us on vacation). We've taken 4 DVC vacations so that's 50% of the time! I think I chose "regularly" because if anyone ever wanted to join us we'd be open to it. I don't know if I'd ever book a vacation for someone with our points when we wouldn't be there though. We have so few that there aren't many (any!) left over to share in that way.

That certainly fits my definition of regularly. You have done it in the past and you will likely do it again in the future. We have not even done it 50 percent of the time (38.4% to be accurate) but that is still pretty regular.

 

[ToddyLu]

My belief is to give free points and lodging to family. DH thinks they should buy points. His Mom just reimbursed us for her room, she was getting one at Pop, and paid us that to stay in a Studio SV room at AKV. We have 2 studios reserved in AKV. She knew she was getting a bargain...anyway I picked renting points since that is what we have done so far....we just joined DVC last month.

 

[rowbear]

I would never thing to tell anyone else what to do with their points (and their family)...

But DVC is my home - you don't charge family to stay in your home. In fact, one of the main reasons I bought DVC is to be able to share vacations with friends and family.

I agree with that in principle and it was one of the reasons we purchased as well but I can certainly understand it if someone else doesn't take it being home quite as literally.

I view it this way. If a family members asks me if they can go (without a prior invitation) and I agree then I might reconsider the free policy because I might be sacrificing some of my own plans to do so. If I invite a family member it is because I planned for it and it is ALWAYS free to them.

 

[quirty30]

We will be going "home" for the first time in Oct. We are taking MIL with us. We will be in a 2br. (Me, DW, MIL, DS2, DS11months). We are actually paying for her flight and tickets! (Eventhough she is WAY better off then us!). We figured the moments of watching her first grandsons enjoy Disney and all the things that they (MIL and FIL) have done for us the last couple of years, the least we could do is this!

In the future we won't pay for flights and tickets, but the rooms???...Sure! But for this first time, its all on us!

I am bringing my MIL along in Sept. for our first visit home as well, and I also paid for her airfare. I agree that it's wonderful for grandparents to experience Disney with their grandkids. And even though it's only 4 of us (me, my 2 kids and my MIL) I got a 2 br. villa because much as I like her, I want us to have have our own beds : )

You'd be surprised how well a family gets along when you pay for almost everything too.

That is too funny

We regularly give our points to friends/family as we own way more than we can use now (thanks to addonitis in prior years). We even treated my husband's ex-wife and her husband to a week at BCV earlier this year.

People thought I was a practically a saint for planning a recent family trip and inviting my ex and his girlfriend to join us. But they stayed at another resort and paid for it themselves, though I did splurge on some special perks like a Wishes cruise and my ex's birthday dinner at Yachtsman. You have totally one-upped me with the above - kudos to you for your generosity.

I would never thing to tell anyone else what to do with their points (and their family)...

But DVC is my home - you don't charge family to stay in your home. In fact, one of the main reasons I bought DVC is to be able to share vacations with friends and family.

Amen to this. Next time I invite the ex and gf to join us, it will be in a 2 br. villa and I only hope we have as great of a time as we did last month.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

But DVC is my home - you don't charge family to stay in your home. In fact, one of the main reasons I bought DVC is to be able to share vacations with friends and family.

Good way of putting it.

We're taking 14 people "Home" with us next year, and have taken friends and family even before buying in with DVC at no cost.

I look at it another way too. We have been very successful in our careers (myself more then my partner, but we're very comfortable all the same) and our ability to take friends and family is a perk that we enjoy.

Seeing my nephew who is almost 3 smile ear to ear when he see's June at Hollywood and Vine or my brother-in-law who is a Green Beret as giddy as a school boy at Disney and cry watching his son experiencing Disney or our good friend talk non-stop after her trip with us to friends and family is all the payment I'll ever need.