How much do you have a child's friend pay...

[DIZZNY]

if you bring one along? We are planning a trip in March: 6 days at Disney and then a 3 day Disney cruise. Our 10 year old wants to bring a friend along. It would cost for the plane ticket, park ticket, and we would have to upgrade our cat 6 to a cat 4 on the cruise. That is at least $1000 not counting food and extras.

I was just wondering what others ask the other child's family to pay?

 

[ILuvTigger]

For one of our trips next year, my sons best friend is coming along, the only thing we ask is they pay for his air fare, park tickets, and spending money for souvenirs he may want. We will be taking care of meals, and 2 bedroom villa.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Whenever we invite a child to go with us, we pay for everything. If we invite adults, we just provide the lodging. The kids usually bring spending money.

 

[DIZZNY]

I figured the answers would vary. We have invited families to go in the past and they paid for everything except we would get a 2 bedroom and not charge them.

We have never had a lone child come before. The biggest problem is that the cruise portion would entail us requesting an upgrade to cat 4 and that would be an extra $500 itself. The airfare would be about $300 and the tickets about $250. That will be pretty steep if we pay for it all but having the friend will sure help entertain our girls. They might not even fight us about the kids club on the cruise and my husband and I could have alone time...priceless. Well, $1000-1300...maybe not priceless.

 

[Anal Annie]

I haven't had this situation yet, but I would probably talk to the childs parents first, (before mentioning it to the kid himself) and offer some sort of financial compromise...I would probably say I would cover the accomodations & meals if they will foot the bill for airfare & park passes which should be nominal in comparison.

(PS) You might consider pricing 2 connecting non-verandah cabins like Cat 9's VS the Cat 4 - that is often cheaper! And don't forget to get all of the permission slips you would need to take a child that is not yours!

 

[ladycop67]

My daughter took a friend last year, only thing we had her pay for was her ticket and any spending money she wanted to use. We drove so we didnt have airfare to worry about.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Isn't there more involved if you want to take a child out of the country? I don't know, just asking.

Bobbi

 

[cigarboo]

I think the cruise portion is the "problem." I think having to change catagories makes it significantly more expensive, to the point where it's difficult to offer to pay for everything. I've often considered taking my DS's friend(and we did once). We paid for everything, but it really wasn't that much more because the lodging would have been the same with or without the extra guest. The airfare and park tickets I paid in exchange for the mom dogsitting for us during the trip. It would be hard for me to offer to take someone and ask for $1000 to cover expenses, or any money for that matter. To me, inviting usually means take the person(child) as if I were taking him to the zoo. I would not charge for admission and lunch... that's just me though. I do think it's very reasonable to have the parent pay for airfare and park tickets plus $$ for souvenirs. Now, if it gets too expensive, the parent may choose to not have the child go. I mean, if they have to spend $1000, they may just choose to save that money and go on their own trip. I guess it depends on the finacial situation. But the cruise portion seems like the spendiest. I agree with pp who said to discuss it with the parent first.

 

[anabelle]

I would say that if you invited the child, you should not ask for funds from them. I know it is a lot of extra funds, but inviting means paying.

 

[Dean]

If you invited them I'd say the hard costs which would be the air, park tickets and child portion of a cabin. I would not personally ask them to chip in due to the need for a cabin upgrade. Have you looked at getting connecting lower cabins instead of moving up?

 

[backyardponder]

I think the situation can have a lot to do with this. For example, for Spring Break we are letting our 9 year old DGD bring a friend to VB. The friend's father is a police officer. Mom is a stay at home mom with 4 kids. About 6 months ago they moved into a new house. Although I don't know their financial situation, we have decided to cover the friend's expenses because we think finances are probably tight.

 

[dallastxcpa]

If the parents were willing to allow the child to fly alone maybe you could just invite the child for the WDW portion of the trip. The only thing with flying a child under 12 without accompaniment you will have to have a non-stop flight for them to return on.

 

[wulfekamp]

We took my daughters friend to Disney two years ago and had them pay airfare and spending money. We paid DDP and park tickets. I don't think I would take someone elses child on a cruise ship. If the child were to get sick or hurt out of the country and you not being legal gardian. I would be nervice about that.

 

[DIZZNY]

We didn't officially ask the child or her parents. My daughter was discussing the vacation with her friend and the little girl asked us how much it would approximately cost if her "family" went on the cruise. Remember, we are talking about 9 and 10 year olds. She must have tried to convince her parents t go and I suspect the parents told her they weren't planning on a DW trip so she decided to ask if she could just go alone with us. ( Remember, we are talking about 9 and 10 year olds.) The mother called today to ask us what our daughters were apparently dreaming up. So, we started thinking about how much it would actually cost and how difficult or easy, depending on how you looked at it, it would be, financially and otherwise. She is a very well-behaved child so we didn't automatically dismiss the idea. The cruise portion, I agree, seems to be the most difficult and expensive part. We have the extra room at DW since we have a 2 bedroom and we have had 2 families in a row have to cancel so far. I am not too worried about medical problems on-board since their insurance is the same as ours but the trip insurance would have to be changed...hmmm. Another problem... Oh well, maybe next time. thanks for all your thoughts.

 

[bethy]

I would say that if you invited the child, you should not ask for funds from them. I know it is a lot of extra funds, but inviting means paying.

This is my feeling also. Including a souvenier or two (I'd get the same stuff for my kid and for their friend.)

I didn't realize it was all that common for parents to allow their kids to go on trips with other families though. I'm probably a control freak but I don't think I could allow my kid to do that until at least age 14 or so . . .

 

[greenpea89]

We have four children so we frequently have their friends travel with us. It's really a fun experience for everyone!

We have never asked a family to contribute to their child's expenses (airfare, room, etc.) and do not accept it when offered. Our feeling is that if we invited a guest then we pay. If we are traveling as separate family groups though it's a little bit different and we each cover our family's individual portion but a child traveling alone, without their parent when we invite them, we feel that's our responsibility.

When traveling outside the country we have never had a problem. We just take the child's passport with us and request letters from their parents authorizing us to take their child out of the country on holiday with us and giving us the right to approve medical care in their absence (fortunately we have never needed either document). We also cover different parenting and behavioral expectations with both the child and their parents (eg. we do not leave our children in child care centers or alone in the room so we let the parents know this additionally we do not allow the kids to go out alone - since two of our children are teenagers this is actually something that different families have vastly different attitudes about so we don't want a child to be disappointed if they see this trip as a time to run around alone, whether it's Bali or Disneyworld, because we just don't allow that - yet, anyway!).

Just be sure to manage expectations and this can be a terrific way to travel. Have fun!

 

[rigsby25]

If we invite a child - especially to make the trip more fun for our own children, we pay for everything except spending money for souvenirs. If we are there and we buy something for our own children, for instance sun glasses, we would also buy the friend the same thing. We have had to upgrade to bring another child - which led us to DVC in the first place. However, things might be different in your case where the mother of the child approached you. I would be curious to hear what the conversation was. I cannot imagine inviting a child - and expecting them or their parents to pay. With adults and relatives, we just say "we can put you up with us". We don't really invite them.

 

[ILuvTigger]

For one of our trips next year, my sons best friend is coming along, the only thing we ask is they pay for his air fare, park tickets, and spending money for souvenirs he may want. We will be taking care of meals, and 2 bedroom villa.

I guess I should have given a little more info....I wouldn't normally take a "friend" of one of my children, but since this is my friends son (met through our sons being best friends). I feel comfortable doing so, as does she. The only reason, I ask of these fees being taken care of is, because her family is going Jan 2009, and asked if my son (15) could go, and mentioned the only thing he had to pay for was park tickets and shopping money, they would provide the room, food, and travel expenses (they are driving). I do not have a problem with that....to be honest, I wouldn't want, nor feel comfortable with someone splitting the entire bill. When we invite neices and nephews we pay for everything, but when it comes to adults, we just take care of the lodging.

 

[cigarboo]

I think OP's situation is workable as far as negotiating a money amount for the child's parent's to pay. It's sounding more like the child's mom has approached her about it, as apposed to OP actually giving a full blown(unsolicited) invite. I think it makes a difference because if I were the parent, I would certainly not approach my child's friend's parent and ask them about a trip and expect them to pay that kind of money to take my child. If I wanted my child to go, I would inquire with the full knowledge that I would pay the entire way for my own child and be thankful that a family would want to add my child to their vacation. I imagine that these girls get along very well, that both sets of parents are entertaining the idea at all. For me(if I wanted my child to go and can pay), it would be a shame to not let them go because of a miscommunication in paying. I think if the other parent was not willing and prepared to pay her child's fare, she would not have approached OP about it. I think it's definitely workable. Don't give up. Just add up the entire amount of what it will cost to take DD's friend, so that her parent knows what kind of money we're talking about. I think it would be fair to meet her halfway. If I were that parent, no way would I consider having another family cough up that kind of money to take my child. I actully would feel weird/bad if I didn't pay.

 

[Sammie]

This is my feeling also. Including a souvenier or two (I'd get the same stuff for my kid and for their friend.)

I didn't realize it was all that common for parents to allow their kids to go on trips with other families though. I'm probably a control freak but I don't think I could allow my kid to do that until at least age 14 or so . . .

The best advice I was ever given concerning vacations was not to travel with someone else's child to WDW unless you had traveled with this child before. I wish they had told us before we learned this lesson the hard way.