How can I make family understand??!

[Boo]

We just got back from MH and had a great time. But the best part of it is knowing that we can go back again soon. So being the perpetual DVC planner, I'm already looking ahead to our next use of points! On the past trip, DD 4 asked if we could bring her cousins with us next time. So when DH talked to his sister upon our return he asked if she'd be interested in bringing her family with us to WDW for Christmas '05. Her response? How can I possibly think that far in advance!! Part of me wants to say, fine then nevermind. But the rational part of me says she just doesn't understand how DVC works with bookings and windows.

What have you found is the best way to explain DVC to friends/family when extending invitations who are completely clueless about points/windows and timeshares in general?

We'd like to include my in-laws, but to pull this off- it's gonna take time to plan. Advice?

 

[RumpleMom]

I can understand. We booked the 2 bedroom, asked the in-laws who said yes, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they don't back out. I told MS we will have anywhere from 3 to 8 staying and that I would have to let them know later. Our 3 are going no matter what and if the others do back out DD can invite some friends along. But you can be sure these particular in-laws won't be invited again.

 

[WDWLVR]

I know our family just doesn't get it. We've invited my in-laws to stay in a 2-bedroom with us and they just don't get Disney. Now we just book a week for them at Vero and they are happy.

I've tried to tell them you just can't pick any week and you can't do it too close in. Last year I couldn't get them the week they wanted. I think they are learning slow but sure.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

I've been thinking the exact same thing. We haven't even been home for our 1st visit, and I already have "point dreams" planned into January '08. We're planning on taking friends with us to a SSR 2BR for March Break '06 which, of course, means making the ressies in April '05. I had planned on starting on the friends now (we have a list of 3 families with one getting ROFR), but figure I'll just make the ressie in April '05 and work from there. We can always change the ressie from 2 BR to 1 BR, but I wouldn't even dream of being able to get a 2BR instead of a 1BR if our friends want to come.
I must say that those DVCers who are dedicated to making the points work through banking and borrowing must be among the most organized folks in the world -- even if I'm just trying to make myself feel better about my messy desks at home and at the office.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Boo
So when DH talked to his sister upon our return he asked if she'd be interested in bringing her family with us to WDW for Christmas '05. Her response? How can I possibly think that far in advance!!

Personally, I can understand how she feels. We're more than 18 months away from Christmas '05. That means you're still 7 months ahead of your booking date.

If it were me, I'd table the issue until Christmas '04. Face it, all you need to decide by mid-January is travel dates and room size. You will only be able to book your home resort, so that's not an issue. You don't need to worry about PS, airfare or park itineraries for a loooooong time.

If you're seeing these people around the Holidays in 2004, spend some time together and personally explain why it has to be booked so far in advance, what the ramifications are if you have to cancel, and so forth. Then give them a few weeks to work out their calendars and hopefully you'll be on the phone to MS in January '05.

 

[Pa@okw95]

You have a very common problem, most people except for honeymoons do not plan vacations as far in advance as we do at DVC. They do not understand and they never will. What happens often is you find yourself booking rooms for relatives and friends and 1/2 of them back out because it was just too far in advance for them to really be serious about a trip anywhere.

 

[Boo]

originally posted by tjkraz

If it were me, I'd table the issue until Christmas '04. Face it, all you need to decide by mid-January is travel dates and room size. You will only be able to book your home resort, so that's not an issue. You don't need to worry about PS, airfare or park itineraries for a loooooong time.

Yeah, you're right. it is a long way off. I guess I'm just used to long-distancing planning b/c it helps us budget the expense. That way by time we go, the vacation is usually completely paid for. But you're correct in that I have to remember not everyone thinks that way and there is plenty of time! Thanks!

 

[mikesmom]

I feel your pain. We have relatives we really enjoy spending time with and we've talked a couple of times about them going to the Food & Wine Fest, but work and other schedules interfered for them.

They spent a few days with us this week and YESTERDAY they said "maybe we should think about going with you this year, we probably have time- we'll talk about it for a few weeks". Had to tell them of course that our ressies have been made for months - we could check MS, but maybe talking about NEXT year would be more productive. (sigh)

 

[Nanajo1]

I asked my DB a year and half ahead so he could plan financially. We supply the room but there is still airfare and incidentals to consider. We have a lot of points that need to be managed so I like planning two trips ahead. The family is getting it now. We've already had requests from family for Feb '06!
We love to share the magic.

 

[gracelrm]

I'm not sure there is a way to make family understand! We started talking about a family trip 18 months ago and began explaining the whole process to a large family of college educated teachers, engineers, political science majors, business and accounting folks! We wrote about it, discussed it at all major holidays where everyone was together and even sent out emails with ABSOLUTE deadlines for cancelations with it spelled out clearly and still have had people back out after the 31 day cancelation window. That being said, I think in all aspects of life, no one "gets" what you do, unless they do it too.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We only have one invitee who "doesn't get it". The others understand that we have to plan far ahead, but I usually contact them about 13 months before the trip. Then if there is interest, I tell them we will be making firmer plans 11 months out. I have them make a committment by that time, and I usually suggest tickets for some event during the trip, and they pay for those tickets when we book. This would be like CDS or a backstage tour etc. I find they are less likely to back out if they have made some sort of financial committment, even if it is a small one.

 

[Paticake]

We talked to our family last Thanksgiving about going the week after Thanksgiving this year. I bought each family Birmbaums guide to WDW(one reg),one for kids for Christmas. We have been forwarding everything esp. pictures regarding SSR to them. I bought my teenage nephews DisneyQuest tickets for their B-days. We recently purchased our plane tickets. I know they all think I'm obsessed but everyone seems to be excited and we are still 6 months out.

 

[crisi]

I don't think its that far to plan out - some families don't move too fast on these decisions. And, as has been mentioned, you may have other people to talk to if she doesn't want to go - the early bird gets the worm on generous offers of DVC points.

I'd go back to her and say, "I know its early, think about it in the back of your head. If you want to know budget or anything to think, give me a call. I will need to know by January if you want us to get a room for you (pay for your room, get a room for cheap for you, whatever the invitation is) or you may end up paying for your own room."

If she says "why so early" let her know there are 80,000 DVC members, a thousand rooms to go around, and EVERYBODY wants to travel at Christmas.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I agree that your sister needs to make a financial commitment in order to minimize the urge to back out of the deal. Why don't you go with the suggestions listed above about why you must plan far ahead, and also give her a list of things to do at Christmas( especially The Osbourne Family of Lights and the Christmas Candlelight Processional). since the Candlelight Processional is just absolutely AWESOME, you need to have ressies in advance at the restaurants to get a good seat, a sort-of reserved one. So you need to get the dinner package, $28.95 and up, depending on the restaurant you want to go to. Once you reserve this, you can't get a refund, so your sister would be more likely to go to WDW, knowing that she stood to lose a bit of money. Besides, Christmas is the absolutely best time of year to go to Disney. While it is always magical there, Christmas is twice as magical. Oh, yes, one more wonderful thing to do there See the tree lighting at Epcot. They have these huge arches right in front of the tree, that light up and blink in time to the Christmas music they play, and louder passages are brighter, and instruments each have their own color lights blinking--it's like SEEING music. It was just awesome, I stood under the arches for an hour, watching the music. It really made my trip special

 

[SueOKW]

Our family would SO not understand we've never told them. That's our way of dealing with it!!!