Anyone lie to friends and family about availability?

[MEM]

OP, your question was anyone lie to family and friends about availability?

How about - I haven't even told them I'm a member - since 2006. Must've slipped my mind.

Same here!! And its my extended family's own fault that I have such a poor memory.

 

[BroganMc]

I'm currently in a quandry what to do about my brothers next year. Their wives are convinced traveling to Disney over summer school break would be more relaxing and easier. But just the little bit of Spring Break crowds these past twoo weeks have been too much for my Dad and I. We originally invited them to join us in October over the Columbus Day break, but the SILs are trying to convince us to change dates.

So it becomes an issue of how badly do you want family or friends to join you. In my experience, people do not understand the rigors of Disney or DVC until they start planning their own vacations here. I'm secretly hoping my SIL's plan for a June vacation this year turns into an eye-opening disaster for her. She thinks because she managed a couple days over July one year (when she was at a conference all day) that Disney in summer is no problem. And her kids think if they go with their aunt in a wheelchair they'll be able to walk on all the rides.

Bottomline whatever Dad and I decide to do, once the reservations are made there are only cancellations... no changes.

 

[happydvcmember]

ok here is my story
my brother and his family were all feeling sad because his wife's father passed away from lung cancer, so me being the nice guy i am called and asked them if they all wanted to go to dworld with us and no cost to them so they all said yes so i booked 2 two bedroom villas at akv, they were all happy this is the date they wanted so 3 weeks go by and he calls me and asks me if there is a way to move the trip to July because he has work and can't get out of it, so i saw ok ( little upset ) call ms and get our ressie for July 1st and now its more points for me, so i call him and tell him its booked and they are happy once again( short lived ) again 3 or 4 weeks go by and he calls me again and asked me to change it again because their daughter wants to go to a summer camp for 2 weeks and they don't want her to miss it, so now i'm really upset and i tell him i will call him back cause i needed time to cool off, so i talked to my wife and tell her whats going on and she feels the same way i do we don't want to wait any longer to go so i called him back and told him we don't want to change the dates again long pause..... and he says well we don't know if we can go now their daughters plans are too important to change and he feels we are being unfair so after a few choice words i tell him that i am going to cancel his ressie and just go with my family, So i called and took his off and just added another week for us.

I just can't believe someone one can be so rude to someone who is trying to be nice to them and give them a FREE vacation and his words were "we were being hart less for not changing our plans for them" i just hung up the phone before i said something i would later regret. So do you all agree with my choice or do you think i did the wrong thing ?

The Crocetti Family

 

[castleri]

I just can't believe someone one can be so rude to someone who is trying to be nice to them and give them a FREE vacation and his words were "we were being hart less for not changing our plans for them" i just hung up the phone before i said something i would later regret. So do you all agree with my choice or do you think i did the wrong thing ?

The Crocetti Family

I for one just hope you got your reservations for the time you and your family really want to go. You definitely did the right thing by hanging up before saying those words you would later regret and also the right thing in refusing to change the dates. It sounds as if the camp thing came up after your plans were made. Seems like most summer camps are more than just two weeks and they could have worked the dates for that around the WDW trip since it came up at a later date. Obviously they do not realize the value of what you were offering them either in monetary terms or more importantly in family terms of togetherness and a chance to spend time with people who obviously care about them and what they have gone through. Hope you enjoy your trip and make good memories with your family.

 

[Chester's Mum]

OP, your question was anyone lie to family and friends about availability?

How about - I haven't even told them I'm a member - since 2006. Must've slipped my mind.

Me too!

 

[dzorn]

Cannot lie about availability when most do not know we own.


Denise in MI

 

[Disney_Daddy]

We live a little more than an hour away from Disney so we will often invite local family (in-laws, grandmothers, etc) to join us for one or two nights.

But the invitation is always made AFTER we have made our reservation. If they can join us, great. If they can't then we say, "oh well, maybe next time."

With this approach, we can make our plans and get excited for ourselves. Then if family can join us for one or two nights, then all the better.

 

[a Really Bad Egg]

Perhaps it is better to just leave these as offers and and if extended family can't go, so be it.

It may be over the top, however, to criticize a child's athletic ability or a family's decision to change plans because their daughter wants to attend camp.

The simple fact is - and seems to be very hard for some to deal with - is that not everyone thinks a Disney vacation is the end all to family fun, togetherness, or whatever other value you may put on it.

Maybe watching little Timmy just get out there on the playing field - no matter how he performs - warms the heart of a mom or dad.

Maybe a daughter attending summer camp with her friends will be just as memorable an experience in her eyes than going to Disney - and mom and dad are proud of her decision to attend.

Perhaps your extended families are not as ungrateful as they are just not as knowledgeable of 11 month windows, ADRs, etc. etc. They probably haven't done any research and are just asking if plans can be changed without any malice intended.

If we are good enough to offer the accomodations, perhaps we should use that same kindess and consideration before we level undo criticism when plans change.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Perhaps it is better to just leave these as offers and and if extended family can't go, so be it.

It may be over the top, however, to criticize a child's athletic ability or a family's decision to change plans because their daughter wants to attend camp.

The simple fact is - and seems to be very hard for some to deal with - is that not everyone thinks a Disney vacation is the end all to family fun, togetherness, or whatever other value you may put on it.

Maybe watching little Timmy just get out there on the playing field - no matter how he performs - warms the heart of a mom or dad.

Maybe a daughter attending summer camp with her friends will be just as memorable an experience in her eyes than going to Disney - and mom and dad are proud of her decision to attend.

Perhaps your extended families are not as ungrateful as they are just not as knowledgeable of 11 month windows, ADRs, etc. etc. They probably haven't done any research and are just asking if plans can be changed without any malice intended.

If we are good enough to offer the accomodations, perhaps we should use that same kindess and consideration before we level undo criticism when plans change.

Humpf, is this any way for a Really Bad Egg to talk?

 

[dianeschlicht]

I don't care about the marginalization of the family vacation. Its their family, if soccer practice is more important than vacation for them, that is the values their family holds, and I actually don't see any issue there. Different than mine, but not wrong. And I can admire a family that says "you made a committment to be at soccer every week, you will be there every week." That's one of the reasons we don't make those committments.

I do care about someone who is so rude that they think a new committment should override an existing one. There have to be extenuating circumstances ("my sister scheduled her wedding that week" "oh, Sue will still be exhausted from chemo, can we postpone a few months") for that to be OK. Sports events are not extenuating.

I guess I feel the same way you do, Crisi. Actually, I guess my guests feel that way too, because we have yet to have anyone actually back out for any reason. I did have a couple (friends) beg to come with us some time, so I scheudled the trip on their dates, and then they decided it wasn't a good time. The good thing is that they told me this about 5 months ahead, so I was able to find other friends to go in their place. And if I hadn't found anyone, the worst that would have happened was that we would have had a 2 bedroom for the 2 of us. Not necessary, but also not the end of the world.

 

[crisi]

I guess I feel the same way you do, Crisi. Actually, I guess my guests feel that way too, because we have yet to have anyone actually back out for any reason. I did have a couple (friends) beg to come with us some time, so I scheudled the trip on their dates, and then they decided it wasn't a good time. The good thing is that they told me this about 5 months ahead, so I was able to find other friends to go in their place. And if I hadn't found anyone, the worst that would have happened was that we would have had a 2 bedroom for the 2 of us. Not necessary, but also not the end of the world.

Well, and that's part of the politeness. Saying "oh, dear, we are so sorry, we aren't going to be able to go with you this year - Bob just got promoted and he simply can't take time off in June" - particularly with several months notice - is very different that saying "Oh, Bob got promoted and we can't go in June, can you reschedule for September?"

The first gives me, as the host, three options - "I'm sorry sorry" - and then I make arrangements to bring someone else. "I'm so sorry" and we take our trip without you as planned, or "oh, if we move it back a few months, would that work?" And maybe we move it back to September.

And what I decide to do will depend on what my purpose in inviting you along was. We moved the trip we are taking in October twice for my family. First because my little sister's job was problematic (she won't be coming now anyway) and the second time because my other sister would be in recovery from chemo and her youngest would be not yet two. Waiting six months she'll be that much more energetic and her baby will be that much older.

 

[JodyTG]

ok here is my story
my brother and his family were all feeling sad because his wife's father passed away from lung cancer, so me being the nice guy i am called and asked them if they all wanted to go to dworld with us and no cost to them so they all said yes so i booked 2 two bedroom villas at akv, they were all happy this is the date they wanted so 3 weeks go by and he calls me and asks me if there is a way to move the trip to July because he has work and can't get out of it, so i saw ok ( little upset ) call ms and get our ressie for July 1st and now its more points for me, so i call him and tell him its booked and they are happy once again( short lived ) again 3 or 4 weeks go by and he calls me again and asked me to change it again because their daughter wants to go to a summer camp for 2 weeks and they don't want her to miss it, so now i'm really upset and i tell him i will call him back cause i needed time to cool off, so i talked to my wife and tell her whats going on and she feels the same way i do we don't want to wait any longer to go so i called him back and told him we don't want to change the dates again long pause..... and he says well we don't know if we can go now their daughters plans are too important to change and he feels we are being unfair so after a few choice words i tell him that i am going to cancel his ressie and just go with my family, So i called and took his off and just added another week for us.

I just can't believe someone one can be so rude to someone who is trying to be nice to them and give them a FREE vacation and his words were "we were being hart less for not changing our plans for them" i just hung up the phone before i said something i would later regret. So do you all agree with my choice or do you think i did the wrong thing ?

The Crocetti Family

I TOTALLY agree with your choice! I think he's the one being selfish.

 

[huey578]

I would have done the same thing

Ditto!

 

[Tarheel Tink]

My story:
Dear friend called me about a year ago and wanted to know when we would be going to Disney again because she would LOVE to come at the same time and book a place. We told her our dates and offered to get a 2 bedroom so she could stay with us free. She was thrilled, grateful, wanted to pay her way, etc.
All went well and I got a BW 2 bedroom during Flower/Garden Festival that included her birthday and our anniversary. Great, wonderful, etc. UNTIL she realized about a month ago that her 4 dogs would need someone to care for them while she was gone. What!!! You just now thought of that? What about a kennel? Oh, no! Petsitter? Oh nooooo!
It came down to having to cancel the BW 2 bedroom and leave that plum spot to Epcot and all the ADRs I had booked and get the only available 1 bedroom left that week at SSR. Guess what? Now she can make it for a night or 2 and wants to sleep on the couch bed and also wasn't thrilled about "German food" at Biergarten. A few tense words from me made her shut up very quickly and agree the buffet would be wonderful the night she was there!
The people we love can drive us nuts! I still haven't asked who is watching the dogs....

 

[DisDaydreamer]

This is why I don't invite Little Timmy! Good Luck with the rest of your trip.

We subscribe to the same school of thought.

We tried the friends and extended family stays way before DVC. Didn't work then not happening now.

 

[anabelle]

That is why I don't even bother. My family and I have been trying to get a family vacation together for years. We can never seem to schedule it. It is too hard. Everyone's work situtation is different. We had to reschedule a Disney vacation last year because of DH's work. His boss paid for any difference in cost, but it was still a pain.

The honest truth is that most people (including Bosses and family) don't get what goes into planning a Disney vacation. Just getting meals together for a large group of people means you have to make ADR's six months in advance. It is not like moving the weekend you are planning to go to Cedar Point.

PS
I coach soccer and kids miss games all the time for vacation. I just like to know in advance. But please don't say he sticks a soccer. Most kids stink at soccer to start. My daughter isn't a star player either, but she loves it. She loves it as much as she loves Disney and that is saying something.

 

[SusieBea]

I can't "top" most of your stories. I've never had a problem when we've invited friends to share w/ us. It seems family are the ones who have some sense of entitlement. About ten years ago, we invited BIL, SIL and 2 DNs to go at NYEve w/ us. Their girls and our 2 were between prolly 20-12. We had a 2 bdrm at OKW. There were 8 of us, so we'd be at capacity. So BIL calls up and wants to know if his oldest daughter can bring her boyfriend for freakin' sakes. DH says, sorry, no. We won't have the room. It was a little icy for awhile on that trip. (BTW, the "couple" broke up about 6 months later. )

 

[BroganMc]

It came down to having to cancel the BW 2 bedroom and leave that plum spot to Epcot and all the ADRs I had booked and get the only available 1 bedroom left that week at SSR. Guess what? Now she can make it for a night or 2 and wants to sleep on the couch bed and also wasn't thrilled about "German food" at Biergarten. A few tense words from me made her shut up very quickly and agree the buffet would be wonderful the night she was there!
The people we love can drive us nuts! I still haven't asked who is watching the dogs....

Couldn't you have just kept the BWV room? Or downsized to a 1bedroom. I thought all the BWV rooms were lockoffs.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

Couldn't you have just kept the BWV room? Or downsized to a 1bedroom. I thought all the BWV rooms were lockoffs.

I asked but they said no- if I find out I could have I may have a hissy fit here at home! I didn't want to waste the extra points for an empty 2nd bedroom. If anyone on the waitlist got a 2 bedroom BWV, you are very welcome!

 

[Deb & Bill]

Couldn't you have just kept the BWV room? Or downsized to a 1bedroom. I thought all the BWV rooms were lockoffs.

They could only downsize to a one bedroom IF there wasn't a waiting list of the one bedroom for that time period. To downsize means to cancel the existing reservation and rebook. If there isn't a waitlist.