Attitudes from family about your trips...

[lenshanem]

OK... We always got a little attitude about how often we went to WDW, typically once or twice a year. This year is a big year for us, it is the first time we bought APs and we're still fairly new DVC owners in the scheme of things, having bought about a year and a half ago.

So... We're really working our APs. We've had one trip with the four of us, another with my parents and brother, now two trips for just hubby and me, then one more trip with the four of us for spring break.

Then... We should have a rather long break, we will have borrowed points and plan on going to VB and HH for the next trips with DVC anyway.

But... The attitude I'm getting! Talk about guilt! The trip in February is special - mine and hubby's 10th wedding anniversary, but this trip next week is something we just kinda planned last minute. I'm leaving my youngest for the first time and I'm feeling guilty as it is, but then I'm getting attitude about going to WDW again to boot!

Basically, hubby suggested we get away for a few nights. We already have the APs, already have the DVC points to use, we are a half day's drive away... Seemed easy enough, just needed to put aside spending money - but the guilt I'm getting. Geez... putting a damper on things.

Anyone else ever get this?!?

 

[Beca]

I got SOME guilt just for buying!!! My mom came to stay last week, and she had been looking for a really small contract to "get her foot in the door". Well, lo and behold, a 50 pt VWL (with 47 banked points) hit the market!!! Mom grabbed it, and hasn't come down to earth, yet.

Then my sister called her and said, "Beca didn't try to sell you into "that timeshare thing" did she?????? Mom replied, "No..she didn't try to "sell me". DS says, "Good, because my friend ***** says it is the WORST timeshare and the biggest scam you can own!!! She did a LOT of research and it's just like anything else from Disney...you pay a LOT for the name!!!"

I always thought my older sister was kind of dumb....now, I know it's just her friends are leading her down a dark and "unenlightened" path !!!!! Of course, now my mom is "questioning" her purchase. TTS said they have a waitlist a "MILE" long for mom's contract!!! So, she is going thru with it....but, if some people don't agree...why can't they just "hush up" about it, and not spoil others' fun!!! She is APPALLED that my mom spent $3900 on a "timeshare"....oh, if she ONLY knew what I have spent!!!! Hee heee!!! But, she has always considered ME kind of dumb (it just shows the depths of her stupidity )

But, really....she has put a damper on the joy that came with Mom's purchase...it makes me SOOOO mad!!!



Beca

 

[pplasky]

We get hassled about our trips to WDW also. This is how we choose to spend our money and I am tired of other family members judging all the time. Of course most of them don't know about DVC, yet. That would just be another way for them to judge how we spend our money.

 

[Kadorto]

She would have no trouble selling if she decided to. We just bought 200 points at VWL and I'm already tempted to add on another 50-100.

 

[bwvBound]

Many years ago ... after researching both the timeshare market in general and the specific product we intended to purchase (Worldmark) ... I phoned my mother to confess to her our plans.

She laughed ... and told me that she and my father were already Worldmark owners. They had joined more than a year earlier ... but hadn't wanted to tell anyone. She was much relieved that our pre-purchase research had brought us to the same product! (It must be hardest on the first group who took the leap!)

Since then, we've learned that owning timeshare (or being members of a vacation club if you prefer) has certainly increased our opportunity and desire for f a m i l y vacations. We've pulled off big family reunions (booking six 2-3 BR units via rented credits) for a summer week at the beach ... joined smaller family groups for ski weekends ... and are now less than 2 weeks away from spending a long weekend at "our ranch" with a group of 11 celebrating O'Hana before my youngest brother is deployed for active service.

There is no question that joining a larger group of like-minded consumers to share in the mutual benefits of common ownership has made our lives better!

 

[3DisneyNUTS]

We got major negativity. I have two SILS and one is in the position to buy with cash and the other is not even close. So when SSR's 79 pp was about to end I told the wealthier SIL and she was ready to buy until no so wealthy SIL made her back out of talks with the guide.
She made DVC seem so negative on how you have to plan so far in advance and how you you have to pay maintence fees. AND the best one yet we were only encouraging her to get the $250 disney bucks.
So needless to say she never purchased and now with SSR being 95 a point IMO it is her loss.
So the not so wealthy SIL always gets weird when we talk about our unpcoming trip. Saying things sarcastically like "GOOD FOR YOU!" and generic comments meant to blow us off. I don't care really. I know it is just out of jealousy.

 

[Tennesotans]

It *IS* an amazingly emotional minefield! It was a real issue to tell various members of our family both from "they will be suspicious/critical" camp and they "they will be competitive/jealous" camp. We have some friends who are Disney-o-philes but aren't too keen on timeshares (no sharing the excitement with them I guess).

I know I have the desire to "win family and friends over" -- I want to invite various factions and have a wonderful time at DVC. I'm sure I will get over it and that its a MUCH bigger deal to me than anyone else in our family.

We are such "newbies" that we are still learning what we like (which resorts, which times of the year, VB, HHI, wondering about cruises and ....). Its great to have so many OPTIONS.

Its nice to have the boards to confirm that this is somewhat common. It will all play out in a few years (..I just get anxious and impatient...)

 

[db78]

That's why this Board is no nice. At we all understand the excitement of DVC and can relate to one another. Not one of my friends and family understands, so we never talk about it. I won't let them be negative about something I enjoy so much.

 

[rocketriter]

We get a wonderful combination of guilt and jealousy—from the same people! On even numbered days of the week they tell us we wasted our money on a timeshare, and that we shouldn't go to Disney because there are so many "educational" places to travel. (These relatives, by the way, never travel.) On odd numbered days of the week they try to invite themselves along for free, and act like we're not team players when we say our points are already committed.

We've learned in other areas not to be influenced by them. Our relatives are like the weather. (Sometimes they're like hurricanes!). We get out of their way when they start to blow, and the rest of the time we ignore them.

 

[lenshanem]

Ya the funny thing is the second trip I took on this AP with my parents and brother was actually gonna be at VB instead of at WDW. But my brother insisted on WDW. This is the same family that is giving me attitude about going so much. I love my Mom to death, she is my best friend - but wow she is giving me a guilt trip about leaving. Doesn't understand why I want to go there again, not telling her co-workers she is watching the girls cause I'm going back to WDW - cause it is "embarrassing". I was feeling bad enough about leaving my babies! Then I'm really working the courage to wear this costume to MNSSHP and she sees it on me and makes a face. Tells me she thinks it is stupid I'm going back to WDW and to MNSSHP. I just want to know I'm not the only getting grief.
My cousins have a timeshare up in the mountains near Dollywood. I never hear anyone give them grief about it. Why me? If anything Orlando has much more to offer IMO, plus I can go anytime I want and go to VB, HH... They are stuck in the same week every summer!

 

[DVC-Don]

We know a couple who made fun of us going to WDW every year. This same couple would go to the mountains of Vermont every July and rent the same cabin for two weeks and I never made fun of them.

One year they took a vacation to Hilton Head. One day they were driving by the DVC - HH and went in thinking they'd ask about Disney Cruise Line info. Guess what? They are now DVC members!!!! HA!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

As I posted in a very recent thread...we have told no one about our DVC purchase. My parents feel like these types of things are totally frivolous. Also, I have some other family members that are not well-off financially and I know they would be bitter that we have extra money for luxuries when they barely have enough to get by.

Everytime we even mention we have an upcoming trip to the "World" our family and friends just kind of roll their eyes with that "there she goes again" look. Sometimes I just want to slap them! I think that's why I enjoy these boards so much...I don't have to feel guilty or ashamed of my love of all things Disney.

 

[debloco]

We have only told those family and friends who we can trust to not be jerks about it. Basically that means we can't tell my DH's side of the family. For my FIL "rule #1 is NEVER buy a timeshare!", rule #2 is "see rule #1". I have already gotten enough grief from his side of the family for our many Disney trips. His parents are the ones who, when they visited EPCOT, said they didn't like it because, after all, they've seen the "real thing" by going to many of those countries that are in World Showcase. Oooh, you could have toasted a marshmallow over my head I was so upset at their snobbery! I've found I just need to hang out with people who "get" the Disney thing, or those who don't but still know how to be gracious and polite about it.

CLC Tiger Pom Mom

 

[Chuck S]

My family has an agreement, my cousin won't criticize my Disney trips and I won't criticize him for spending his $$$ on a "deer lease" so he and his family can shoot animals, drag a carcass home, then clean it for a few pounds of meat.

 

[LeftCoaster]

Originally posted by debloco
We have only told those family and friends who we can trust to not be jerks about it. Basically that means we can't tell my DH's side of the family. For my FIL "rule #1 is NEVER buy a timeshare!", rule #2 is "see rule #1". I have already gotten enough grief from his side of the family for our many Disney trips. His parents are the ones who, when they visited EPCOT, said they didn't like it because, after all, they've seen the "real thing" by going to many of those countries that are in World Showcase. Oooh, you could have toasted a marshmallow over my head I was so upset at their snobbery! I've found I just need to hang out with people who "get" the Disney thing, or those who don't but still know how to be gracious and polite about it.

CLC Tiger Pom Mom

Sounds kind of like a cousin of mine. She was offered free tickets to Evita when it was out here. "I can't see it. I saw Patti Lupone on Broadway and nothing else could compare." When some of us went to Disneyland one day for all the Christmas stuff, she wouldn't watch the fireworks. "I was in London for the Millenium and the fireworks were so amazing. They ruined all other fireworks for me." At 42, she spends her days doing nothing. Well, she shops. that's it. She doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend and is generally a miserable person. My attitude is drop the attitude and enjoy life.

 

[goldilocks_63]

or, you can decide, at age 40 or whatever, that it is your life, it's half over (or could be sooner as in Rich- miss ya), and that you would like to enjoy it.

If you knew you only had one more year to live, and didn't do this, would you regret it.

I'm not saying to be selfish, give of yourself, and of your time. I'm just suggesting that you start being more descriminating as to where and how you spend your time and happiness.

If you're not hurting others, and makes you happy, go for it.

Some people are just too scared to be happy, and let life pass them by....

Lead by example. Have fun, make money, and pass on the wealth and generousity.

Goldi

 

[Disney Doll]

My response to people who try to "guilt" me is "Am I asking you for the money to do any of this?".

That tends to shut them up.

 

[Snow Shoe]

I have many friends who are “hunters”. Every year they go to the same deer stand, duck pond, elk mountain or fishing hole, year after year after year! Then they ask me why do we go to the same vacation spot all the time. I reply, don’t you go to the same deer stand fishing hole, etc.... That usually shuts them up.

Family finally has gotten the message that “we are disney fanatics”, so LAY OFF!! Yep, we own 2 DVC resorts, proud of it, and love going to them and Disney! DVC is such a wonderful way of vacationing knowing that for years to come, we have such great choices of places to stay at.

 

[Halle]

We became DVC members in 1993. We did it without consulting anyone...at tax time I was almost afraid to tell our accountant about it. Much to my surprise he said it sounded like a wise decision as long as we didn't view it as an investment. I was on cloud nine until he called me a few months later to get aaaalllllll of the information. I held my breath as he said I've researched it thoroughly and it really is a good deal if you love Disney. He and 2 of his 3 children are now owners! I really love telling skeptics ( jealous family members) about that!!! It still is on the top of our list of great investments, because we love being there.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Originally posted by Snow Shoe
I have many friends who are “hunters”. Every year they go to the same deer stand, duck pond, elk mountain or fishing hole, year after year after year! Then they ask me why do we go to the same vacation spot all the time. I reply, don’t you go to the same deer stand fishing hole, etc.... That usually shuts them up.

They hunt deer...we hunt mice. Why is that so hard to understand?