Have you had this problem ....

[KerTggr]

I also have a policy that if I invite someone and they say they are coming, and then change their mind shortly before the trip, they will NOT be invited back again. It's too much hassle to change a late reservation and or find a replacement guest. I have only had one couple do that to us, and they have constantly asked to be invited again, but I wont budge on that one.

We are new DVC owners so haven't run into this issue. I agree with the burn me once and done type of response though. Life is stressful enough - you don't need to add onto it with other people's drama.

To me, it's just all about communicating clearly from the start. We usually do not ask family to pay, but we are clear about what park tickets and meals will cost (if we're not paying for those). We usually do not have to upgrade our accommodation for family (5-9 in a 2BR), or would not go without them, so replacing a canceling party has not been a problem.

I totally agree! While this upcoming trip will be our first one as DVC owners, my DSis has been an owner for almost 15 years. She gave the whole family (Her family, DBro, me, DH and the grandparents) accomidations for Christmas on 2 separate occasions. It was just natural that when she mentioned their next trip and we were owners that she & I started talking about linking reservations and taking a long trip. Though we've also had the discussion that not all DVC trips will involve both families.

Now that we are planning, I have been sharing excel sheets with the family so they know how much it is going to cost them (food + tickets + est souviniers, etc). We are cooking some, but a big draw for us on vacation is being able to eat out and be waited on - especially since we don't eat out very often in regular life.

We have taken extended family and work it out that we pay everything for DH's parents.

DH's siblings and their family pay us something for using our points for the room. What they pay is based on how much they would pay at where they would have stayed on their own at a value resort. Then we reduce the price a little. They have a deluxe villa with a kitchen and washer and dryer for less than a value resort. We share a 2 bedroom, thus the reduction in price for loss of complete privacy.

We are a one income family while his siblings have two incomes. We don't believe we are responsible for providing them a vacation, but do try to make it an affordable nice vacation.

This is very nice of you! We always appreciated when my DSis & BIL would extend the invite for us to go with them and stay in their villa. We are happy to be able to start returning the favor. (Took us a bit longer as I am considerably younger and also took me longer to find my "prince")

 

[LouisianaDisneyFan]

To the OP, I think you handled the situation appropriately by explaining the point situation to your friend. It's unfortunate that your friend assumed they could just jump into your vacation free of charge, but now that you've explained the situation clearly, then future problems can be avoided. I don't know if I would question this person's friendship because of her assumption though... sometimes people who are unfamiliar with how DVC works truly don't get what is involved (cost or planning wise) with our membership. They have the misconception that we paid a one-time purchase price and now we've just magically got all of this "free" travel time to use from now on!

 

[JaxDisneyFans]

We almost always take my DM with us to DVC. She is getting up in years and I want DD to have as many memories with her on vacation as possible. The day will come when she can't make the trip any more and that will be a sad day.

Having said that, my DSis always hints and gets her feelings hurt that we don't also take her and her family. She implies, in her drama filled way, that DM only goes on vacation with DH and I, not her. Well we are paying DM's way, inlcuding room, tickets, food, and scooter (when she needs it)! Of course she goes with us, the woman is on a fixed income and absolutely couldn't go otherwise.

The thing is, DSis doesn't really like WDW, she wants to like WDW, but she just can't make herself. Further, she can't fake it. The whole trip always turns into a stress filled drama trying to make her happy. But once again, the guilt has overcome DM and she feels she can't go again if DSis doesn't go also so she was going to skip our F&W trip next Oct. She totally gets that DSis is unreasonble (not to mention no fun on vacation), but she will sacrifice her fun and stay home just to keep peace in the family. To keep that from happening, DSis has been invited to join us in Oct. Wish me luck and patience.

On another note, we have taken friends and they usually spring for a meal or two (and a round of golf) in exchange for free accomodations.

 

[Plutofan]

The problem is that most people think DVC is like most timeshares where you own the timeshare forever. Since DVC reverts back to Disney after so many years it is really a prepaid vacation plan. What they do not realize is that you are actually out of pocket cash for their stay. What you have that you could give them for free is the right to a deluxe room at a discount which is basically what you purchased when you became a DVC member.

 

[rynosmom]

2 of DH sisters have asked to come with us in the past few years and they cover their tickets and food and both have were nice enough to treat us to dinner one night while there. Someone did ask us sometime ago if we would let them use our timeshare for their vacation and when we mentioned a cost they seemed shocked. I'm sorry we purchased DVC for our vacations not someone elses. If I want to treat you I will and if I want to charge I will.

 

[rynosmom]

The problem is that most people think DVC is like most timeshares where you own the timeshare forever. Since DVC reverts back to Disney after so many years it is really a prepaid vacation plan. What they do not realize is that you are actually out of pocket cash for their stay. What you have that you could give them for free is the right to a deluxe room at a discount which is basically what you purchased when you became a DVC member.

Very good way of looking at it!

 

[sean-1966]

double post

 

[sean-1966]

Someone did ask us sometime ago if we would let them use our timeshare for their vacation and when we mentioned a cost they seemed shocked.

Ok, I would have been a little perturbed. Not cool....

 

[Disnydad]

I once invited my sister to stay with us and she showed up with two extra persons. I flat out told her they could not stay with us and the extra couple paid for a studio themselfs.

 

[Sunshine22]

I haven't had the problems with family or friends that I've brought. However, I am a bit worried about our upcoming trip.

Each of my teen dds is bringing a friend on our Spring trip. To avoid monetary issues, I sent emails to their parents listing their costs for the trip including their own airfare, park ticket, and $ contribution toward meals (used DPP as guideline for $ since I have TIW card; I plan to cover groceries, snacks, etc.). I didn't want to have any awkward conversations later about expenses. If we were able to cover all food and park tickets, we would, but we are not in a position to do so this year. I agree that communication upfront will hopefully avoid ill feelings later!

 

[Harlemgirl720]

I haven't had the problems with family or friends that I've brought. However, I am a bit worried about our upcoming trip.

Each of my teen dds is bringing a friend on our Spring trip. To avoid monetary issues, I sent emails to their parents listing their costs for the trip including their own airfare, park ticket, and $ contribution toward meals (used DPP as guideline for $ since I have TIW card; I plan to cover groceries, snacks, etc.). I didn't want to have any awkward conversations later about expenses. If we were able to cover all food and park tickets, we would, but we are not in a position to do so this year. I agree that communication upfront will hopefully avoid ill feelings later!

 

[twinboysmom]

OP, yes we have had these problems. I have complained a couple times on these boards. We are bringing some friends in May for their 3rd and last trip on us as far as I am concerned. I mentioned the other day we had made our reservations for our December trip and our friend mentioned that they had hoped we would be going in October so they could use their annual passes again. Really? I think some people just don't understand.

 

[maburke]

OP, yes we have had these problems. I have complained a couple times on these boards. We are bringing some friends in May for their 3rd and last trip on us as far as I am concerned. I mentioned the other day we had made our reservations for our December trip and our friend mentioned that they had hoped we would be going in October so they could use their annual passes again. Really? I think some people just don't understand.

This is why I would be afraid of ever hosting friends without cost. I'm already struggling with the fact that I don't want to invite one family again, who paid. (This thread brought back the memory of them spontaneously deciding to leave their child in the villa with us so they could have a nice dinner out. We would dearly love someone to do that for us, but it clearly didn't occur to them to offer.)

 

[Starr W.]

Don't know if this was a DVC trip or not, but when my eldest son was in 3rd grade 2 of his classmates did the 2 family trip to WDW for Spring Break. It must have been WWIII.

I helped out in the classroom and the week when they came back the teacher was telling me she checked her email that morning and had messages from both mothers saying please move their daughters across the room from each other as we don't want them socializing together. The teacher said both girls told her both sets of parents got into quite a few fights while at WDW about the whole trip.

As for the poster with the Dsis, we took her once and . That was 3.5 yrs ago, I might ask her to go for our F&W trip in early November.

 

[burberryplaid]

We are fairly new DVC members but it is situations like the OPs that are the reason very, very few friends know we are DVC members. We haven't even told any family yet although we are considering asking DH's parents and possibly his brother and brother's wife to join us, in which case we will tell them.

We will definitely communicate what the additional costs will be & make sure everyone knows that they are welcome to join us but they are welcome to do their own thing to. For everyone's sanity, I think we will all get our own studio as well!

 

[dianeschlicht]

make sure everyone knows that they are welcome to join us but they are welcome to do their own thing to. For everyone's sanity,

That's the one thing we have had issues with in the past. For some reason, some guests feel they have to do absolutely everything together as a group. Or some just want the "tour guide" services they know we an provide. It gets really old when you can't get away from your guests 24/7 for a week!

 

[LVSWL]

Agree. 24/7 is a lot! I really don't think it matters how close you are or how long you have known each other. Traveling to WDW with others is a very intimate experience, especially if you are staying in the same villa. Everyone has "expectations", that's normal, but we may not all have the same expectations about rising early, staying up late, prices of meals. It can be the best of times or it can be the worst of times..