Free Lodging for Family

[ILuvTigger]

LOL... I know who you feel except that I haven't figured out a way to get the numbers to work for me. In my case, I would love to stay in a GV sometime (particularly AKV), but I can't find a way to justify it. Even of my youngest sister and her family come, all I need is a 2 bedroom. My other sister isn't that interested in WDW and neither is her son.

But one of these days I'll figure out a way to justify it.

I am the same way. We are a family of 4 and want to stay at THV, and AKV grand villas. When we bring family, we get them seperate rooms, I love my privacy. I am ok booking the 4 of us at THV, but can't justify AKV GV's. LOL

 

[quirty30]

LOL... I know who you feel except that I haven't figured out a way to get the numbers to work for me. In my case, I would love to stay in a GV sometime (particularly AKV), but I can't find a way to justify it. Even of my youngest sister and her family come, all I need is a 2 bedroom. My other sister isn't that interested in WDW and neither is her son.

But one of these days I'll figure out a way to justify it.

Tell you what, my kids and I will join you and then you can justify the grand villa. My grandma was born and raised in NH; we're probably long lost cousins. We can even call it a grand gathering

 

[gtrist4life]

We became members in 2003 with sharing in mind. Our plan was to take every other trip with just our family, and then alternate giving points to my side, DW's side, and friends. We pick up lodging, everything else is up to guests, So far it's worked out pretty well. Here's a summary

2004 - Hilton Head - Our family
2005 - Boardwalk - Our family, my mom, and my sister's family
2005 - Disneyland - Our family
2007 - Vero Beach and Boardwalk - Our family, DW's parents, and her brother and his wife
2007 - Saratoga Springs - Our family
2008 - Wilderness Lodge - Me and DW
2008 - Boardwalk - Our family, and our really good friends family
2009 - Vero Beach and Animal Kingdom Lodge - Our family
2010 - Boardwalk - Our family, DD's friends (College Graduation!), and yet to be determined. It may be DW's late sister's kids, BIL and friend or it may be my Brother and his wife or some other lucky relatives

Only issue is that we need more points! We're always borrowing, but we've done pretty well for the 180 points we have.

 

[Donald is #1]

Tell you what, my kids and I will join you and then you can justify the grand villa. My grandma was born and raised in NH; we're probably long lost cousins. We can even call it a grand gathering

 

[corpcomp]

We don't even tell the family about it.

Several years ago we bought a investment vacation home in the Outer Banks and when my wife told the extended family, within a day they were lining up asking for free summer weeks there. We advised them that since we have to rent it to cover the mortgage, we could not afford to give it away to relatives. Several stopped talking to us as a result.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

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.

Ditto! We have taken friends/family about 7 times. One time our dear friends accompanied us and did not offer a meal or anything but 2 weeks after our return they gave us a new computer for Christmas! Just their company was gift enough, but WOW!

 

[rowbear]

LOL... I know who you feel except that I haven't figured out a way to get the numbers to work for me. In my case, I would love to stay in a GV sometime (particularly AKV), but I can't find a way to justify it. Even of my youngest sister and her family come, all I need is a 2 bedroom. My other sister isn't that interested in WDW and neither is her son.

But one of these days I'll figure out a way to justify it.

No way. When we take family that have to be in their own space. I like taking family but as DVCers we have a very different idea of a Disney vacation experience. I don't want them thinking we are going to do everything together because we will not be. If they want to get up and out early I don't want them disturbing me. We plan group activities and we will even do park things together to a degree but I am not going to be subjected to someone's ride hit list. They are buying their own park passes so they need to get whatever value they want to get without me slowing them down. I get to go a lot more regularly so rushing around the parks and standing in long lines is not really necessary.

 

[photobob]

We made honeymoon reservations for my son for three weeks from today at Vero Beach on our points. I don't know that that will become a habit. They will be welcomed to travel with us and we'll upgrade our room size to accommodate them. I don't have a large contract so I don't think we'll be sending them on solo trips.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

No way. When we take family that have to be in their own space. I like taking family but as DVCers we have a very different idea of a Disney vacation experience. I don't want them thinking we are going to do everything together because we will not be. If they want to get up and out early I don't want them disturbing me. We plan group activities and we will even do park things together to a degree but I am not going to be subjected to someone's ride hit list. They are buying their own park passes so they need to get whatever value they want to get without me slowing them down. I get to go a lot more regularly so rushing around the parks and standing in long lines is not really necessary.

This is precisely how I feel. That said, we don't mind if people come and go from our accommodations. We have a cottage and GV booked for October with several branches of both sides of the family coming and going. We encourge everyone to come and go as they please, and we'll meet for dinner or drinks later on. Even that's optional.
Point is we feel we can have that flexibility and still stay under one roof. I hope I'm right.

MG

 

[DVC Mary]

I'd like to add another choice to this poll. "If it's only 1-2 people & they'll fit in the accomodation we were already planning, then it's fine."

If we have to rent an entire additional room for people, then we charge a reduced rental fee.

If it's someone close to us that we get along w/ well, then we've had them stay w/ us. For example, we've taken grandmas individually, BIL, close friend, AND they fit in the room size we were planning studios or 1 BRs.

We don't have a huge contract & we are a middle class family raising kids, saving for college, etc. . . . . you know the drill.

My only exception to this is if my relatives EVER come from Ireland I'll splurge for rooms, GV, whatever just to make it happen. If they come all that way, then it's on me. When we've gone there they go out of their way to treat us to a fantastic time & we return that joy when they visit Chicago.

Will my attitude change some day? Sure when the kids are grown & we are financially more stable. We've told DSs that when they are h.s/college age, they can start bringing a friend, but the friend has to pay for their airfare & park passes. We'll get a bigger room & cover meals.

 

[alldiz]

I haven't owned long enough....or have enough points to give any away....Of course Mom comes with us....but I don't think that counts.
Kerri

 

[disney4metoo]

-We have booked at AKV Concierge room for my sis for three days.

-I have a GV booked for two nights our family (4) plus six of my son's friends at VGC.

-Christmas time for a two nights at VCG with my mom and our family.

-Years ago, when we were much younger my sis used her timeshare for us and now I am please to be able to bless her after all these years!
She will use her timeshare for a week in Orlando and then add the three days AKV Concierge to her stay!

I would love to give out a few nights at VGC to a teacher at my son's high school. He works so hard for the high school kids and I know it would bless him and his family.

I just wish I had more points to give them out to more people; I guess it time for another add-on!

 

[preedymtnwest]

I purchased DVC last year for several reasons:

1) I love to go to Disney!!!
2) I like the option of "nicer" (and larger) accommodations.
3) I was excited that one was going to open on the west coast finally (I'm a Washingtonian).
4) Oh, and did I mention that I LOVE to go to Disney?

Anyway, during a Christmas 2007 trip to WDW (first one with both the DSs), we went to the DVC pitch and I was hooked. My DM had passed away just a few weeks before, and I knew she wasn't going to be needing the stocks we were holding for her. With both my parents gone, and my DSis and I sharing a love of Disney, it seemed appropriate to splurge with some of my unattached wealth on DVC so that we could keep my family's tradition of vacation-taking alive.

Since my DSis and her DH (also a Disney-lover) are not in the same financial situation, we are happy to be able to extend our vacations to include them and their DD and DS. The 8 of us travel well together and we had a fun first DVC trip Feb. 2009 to BCV and a 3-day DCL. We had to borrow points and buy some extras to do it all, but it was worth it. They paid for their airfare, food at WDW, park tickets, and rental car.

This coming Feb (2010), we're going to extend the family even farther and invite our one and only cousin and his family to our new home, VGC (they live in San Jose) and we'll have a GV for 3 nights while they are with us. My cousin, his DW, my DSis and I were first at DL together in 1968, so it will be our first time there together in 42 years! It's a splurge on points again (though not as much as last year!), but it will be worth it to share these experiences with them. We provide the lodging; they pay for everything else for themselves. I love being able to do that.

My DSis will reciprocate by giving us lodging at an Oregon oceanfront timeshare of my parents that she has taken over the maintenance on. It all works out in the end.

I don't know if we'll always travel together, but it's nice to know that I have the means to offer if I want to, and the option to house us all together!

P.S. Can anyone PLEASE tell me how to get my DVC resort logos to work in my signature???

 

[Donald is #1]

P.S. Can anyone PLEASE tell me how to get my DVC resort logos to work in my signature???

Looking at your signature, you are almost there. Just change the second "[ i m g ]" (note that I added spaces so that the text would show) to "[ / i m g]" i.e. you are missing a slash "/" on the second "img".

 

[disney4metoo]

Did you get your signature to work?

 

[BBG-BLT]

We gave away all of our 300 incentive points. 80 some odd to our Nanny for a 4 day trip for her and her boyfriend July 4th week (studio)

and the rest to another family that are going to go the same time we are (9/26-10/3) 1BR SSR.

We're so happy they're going with us and happy we could give some away - I love Disney magic and am very happy to share.