Family bailed on Christmas trip - need to vent

[Shelly F - Ohio]

Their loss
Your gain. You can probably get someone to rent that week. I am sure it is a hard week to find a resi for. Put out a thread and make the best of this mess.
If all else fails make the most of it and go without them! you would have a blast.
Good luck to you!

 

[eliza61]

I too also invited family members on vacation this year. August at the VWL. One of my siblings is very much like my family and so we rented a studio for her and her daughter with no worries. My other sister can't commit to dinner ressies so when she said she also wanted to vacation with us, I told her "great' and politely charged her a 2 night non refundable deposit. I know that sounds mean but she has changed her mind to many times in the past and what pisses me off she just smiles like its no big deal.

 

[greenban]

We've had family bail twice on us. The first time we had a GV at OKW and they decided they didn't want to go about 3 months out. We then invited some friends and had a great time. The second time I waited a while to make the reservation to see what they would do and sure enough they bailed just before I made it. There won't be a third!

AYE CAPTAIN:

"If ye fool me once, shame on you! "

"If ye fool me twice, shame on ME! "

ST-TOS, words to live by from Montgomery Scott.

-Tony

 

[bpmorley]

I too also invited family members on vacation this year. August at the VWL. One of my siblings is very much like my family and so we rented a studio for her and her daughter with no worries. My other sister can't commit to dinner ressies so when she said she also wanted to vacation with us, I told her "great' and politely charged her a 2 night non refundable deposit. I know that sounds mean but she has changed her mind to many times in the past and what pisses me off she just smiles like its no big deal.

That's not mean at all. If she cancels I would send her a bill for the points she's wasting.

 

[beachblanket]

Sigh...ever since we bought into DVC in 2000, in the back of my mind I've had this "some day" dream of basically doing what the OP described, bringing extended family down to WDW for Christmas using our points. A story like the one here is a nice wake up call to remind me of the risks involved in that.

Remind? Yes, because frankly, I'm already getting a small taste of them: last Christmas, my wife came up with the idea of us inviting her mother to go on a cruise with our family. After some research, we picked a February 2007 cruise out of NYC to the Caribbean and booked two cabins, one for us and one for her mother. We waited five months and broke the news of the "gift" to mother in law back on Mother's day.

Yes, that was fun. But after all the initial excitement, reality started to hit.

Mother in law drags her feet on getting her passport application in (despite the fact we handheld every part of the process, getting her BC, filling in the app, paying the fees, etc.)

Mother in law starts wanting to change (and frankly downsize) all our pre-cruise plans (which involved a stay at a nice NYC hotel pre-cruise, broadway shows, etc).

Wife and mother in law are now arguing about shore excursions and dining plans.....arrrrrgh.

Yes, as spiceycat put it, "only family makes us jump through loops." Or maybe that should be "nooses"....

 

[Pa@okw95]

Violated what should probably be the first and firm rule of owning DVC. Do not make reservations for family and friends! Okay, an overstatement perhaps, but aaargh!

Just after Christmas last year, a perfectly intelligent part of my extended family was very excited about going to Disney after Christmas and over New Year's Eve this year. Once they priced it with CRO, they asked if I would book on points, as it would be much cheaper, even paying me for the points. As the size of the group would involve me borrowing points, I really walked through the entire process, and asked that they be sure (as reasonably possible, of course) that they were going to go, and if there were any changes that I needed to know ASAP as this was a very busy time and reservations would be tricky to make and change. I thought it was clear.

I do the whole day-by-day, calling as soon as MS opened to make the somewhat convoluted reservations. Whew, got them. Not two weeks later they need to change something because one of the college-age students would rather do X than Y. Okay, I make the calls to rearrange. I also reiterate that changes are not easy during this time period. A few weeks later, again, they want to make significant changes. I call and have to waitlist a bit, but it comes through.

Last week they told me that they want to arrive two days later than originally planned. I decided to wait to shorten the stay, as I figured it would change again before long. I guess you know what comes next. Now they "don't think they can make it" after all. One of the family members "might" have a work conflict. I will not do this again. If I can make a simple reservation without tying up points I might need, fine. Anything more involved, nope.

I feel a little better now.

Welcome to the club!! Been there done that-you are not alone.

 

[manning]

Don't get involved with a jealous, competitive grandmother. We did, but didn't know it.

We had arranged a trip with my wife's neice family. All of a sudden they cancelled (within the 30 day limit, of course). Come to find out grandma, who was a travel agent at the time, Arranged a trip, prior to ours, to WDW with her family. She knew we were going. On top of that the neice wouldn't say why they cancelled, like we wouldn't find out. Within 3 months we did and she couldn't figure out how we found out. I said simple, all I had to do was sit back and listen. They won't be asked again.

My wife used to do nice things for the family and they have the nerve to say we are selfish. Now we are.....to them!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm sorry that these things have happened, to OP and the others. I suppose we have had a plan B, mostly our using the points during whatever time would be left on our UY, and inviting other people at a sort of last minute deal, but we've not had any bad experiences, and we truly have had great/magical ones.

Bobbi