OT? Not sure: Conflicts with Bringing Family to DVC

[disneycrazed139]

Sounds like we're overdue to add a new item to the list of potential DVC "cons": Alienating family members who don't understand timeshares and expect you to fund their vacations!!!

Here, here! There are just so many issues here...even if family does understand the cost involved, you get into who to bring, how to book it, last minute cancellations, and, of course, privacy issues.

I was so excited to share DVC but probably will make it more of an exception to future trips than the rule from here on out.

 

[barbnbrian]

This has been a very interesting topic. Thanks for the replies, I'd love to receive more replies on how others handle charging their families to come along. I love to go with my sister & her family, but my hardworking family shouldn't have to foot the bill of their vacation.

I am thinking about doing a trip next Aug. with her & my niece and me and my 2 DDs going down ahead of the husbands and 2 DSs. We could go down early and get our Disney fix, and when the guys come in, move to a bigger type rental and have the relaxing part of our vacation. I was thinking of only charging them for the nights that her husband and son come down, since we would then need a bigger place. I was thinking about $100 per night, since they would pay at least that at one of the other resorts. Does this sound reasonable to other?

 

[senecabeach]

Amazingly...I have the exact opposite problem .

I can't get anyone, either side of the family, interested enough to commit 11 or 7 mos. out........
to join me on a DVC vacation!!

Can't imagine...they have kids, 5,6,8,10 yrs. old, have never been to WDW, and I guess are just too busy with their schedules.

How wonderful it would be to see their faces on a first visit..oh well...

My DH passed away a few yrs. ago and I have no children....so.......I just plan for "ME" or a friend or two and we have Disney Days!!

So glad I didn't include them when I bought my pts..

 

[Lora]

Originally posted by barbnbrian
I was thinking of only charging them for the nights that her husband and son come down, since we would then need a bigger place. I was thinking about $100 per night, since they would pay at least that at one of the other resorts. Does this sound reasonable to other?

I already responded, but thought I would add this. The reason I charged my parents the All-Star rate is that if they were going on their own, that's the kind of room they would have gotten. (After doing 2 trips with us, my dh decided to just cover their room with our points.) My parents didn't have a big income because they worked for the Salvation Army. If my parents had enough money for a moderate or deluxe room, maybe it would have been different.

If you make an offer to your sister and her husband, they can decide if that is what they can/will do. They can always get a different room. Depending on how familiar they are with the Disney resorts, they may think $100 is great - or too much.

I have one sister w/ 4 kids. I would need to get a 2BR for her, which I cannot afford. I also know that there is no way she would pay for renting the points for it. She would most likely go off-site somewhere to save money. That's just her style.

I certainly agree that you should not have to foot the bill for your friends or relatives. For many on these boards, it's not a big deal because of their income and points. Others basically have enough points for their own family.

 

[SimbaCub]

I tried to have a "family" trip where I had booked a 2 bedroom and a separate studio for my sister, her husband, and their little boy at OKW--why not a Grand Villa, because her little boy is too rowdy for the rest of us to deal with and they don't believe in teaching him to behave as well indoors. . . Anyway, I offered the studio to them and our dad and his wife were going to have the studio side of the 2 bedroom and my youngest sister and I would have the 1 bedroom side of the 2 bedroom--my dad's idea as he didn't want to deal with the kitchen and they wanted the extra privacy to take naps if needed away from my nephew. My sister, the one with the child, thought it was too expensive for them to pay for their own plane tickets, admission tickets, and food while down there so she declined the trip. . . When I didn't "offer" to pay for the rest of the trip for them she said she had to get brakes in her car and that cost them the ability to go to Disney World. Some excuse. Never again will I do this for that sister. I now bring mostly the friends I have had since college who are more like relatives anyway and they always offer to do something for me as I am providing the room.

As for bringing my dad and his wife, they always offer to pay for meals for me but I pay for the big stuff we do like MVMCP and CP when we went in December. I don't feel right having them pay for all of my meals. They have been my most gracious guests to date and I have the best memories with them.

So, some family can make a trip awesome while others may be a burden--as can some friends. I will always offer to take those who appreciate the offer and have a smile on their faces when they ask me if they can come down with me again some other time!! Smiles are priceless as are the wonderful memories!!

SimbaCub
VWL/SSR Nov/Dec 04

 

[DVCTiff]

Originally posted by senecabeach
Amazingly...I have the exact opposite problem .

I can't get anyone, either side of the family, interested enough to commit 11 or 7 mos. out........
to join me on a DVC vacation!!

I feel the same way! Fortunately, my dad and his SO had to be in FL anyway, so we showed them around and they finally got the Disney Magic. But they live in CA and probably won't be joining us much. In the meantime, DH has a big family and we're planning to get a GV in 2006 (we don't plan on asking for any money, but everyone has to pay for their own park tickets, food, etc.). We'll see how that pans out. There are a few new babies that will be old enough by then to provide an incentive for the parents, but since none of them has been there before they may not know what they're missing. We may have real problems once they go for the first time! I just figure if they all bail, we'll start calling friends and celebrate my 40th instead!

 

[rocketriter]

Originally posted by senecabeach
Amazingly...I have the exact opposite problem .

I can't get anyone, either side of the family, interested enough to commit 11 or 7 mos. out........
to join me on a DVC vacation!!

Can't imagine...they have kids, 5,6,8,10 yrs. old, have never been to WDW, and I guess are just too busy with their schedules.

You might be able to do what my mother did when my folks retired to Florida. You would announce that when each child reaches a certain age (say 11 or 12 with your bunch), that child gets a special trip to WDW with you. It's much easier to schedule one child than an entire family, and all the children will remember their private trips with you for the rest of their lives.

 

[tamu91]

This must be a universal problem with DVC members with extended families.
When we purchased DVC several months ago, this was one of the issues that crossed my mind. That also is one of the reasons why we purchased more points than what our immediate family needed.
We plan on taking either side of the family on every trip because being able to share the magic moments with our families is what sold me to DVC in the first place.

 

[adriannabannana]

Well, so far the advice I've gotten here seems to have worked; there are no complaints from the Grandparents yet. Of course, we'll be seeing them this weekend, so we may hear it then.

SimbaCub--isn't it unreal when someone actually thinks that they'll be getting a free trip with an invite to stay with you on a DVC stay? Without hitting the lottery, who can afford to pay for their guests entire vacation? That's just crazy.

I have to agree that the biggest problem with bringing guests is that they somehow think that there is no costs involved after you buy your membership. Somehow, I think, this causes people to ask for things they never would if they were invited on a 'regular' vacation.

 

[chainkid]

I haven't asked anyone to pay for the DVC lodging but I do expect for them to buy their own park tickets, food and airfare. L have on occasion given free airfare as christmas presents one year and then park tickets the next and then visit the 3rd year. This is done only for neices and nephews who I would normally have bought a present for anyways. Some people buy us a dinner but for the most part they find Disney to be soooo expensive that they can barely scrape up the dough to go so I don't expect anything. I enjoy their company and since we are empty nesters still working full time we are in a muchbetter position than most of our friends and relatives who still have younger children or college expenses. I guess I love have family around and until they are in better financial shape, I try to make the trips as cost effective for them as I can without breaking my budget. But as I stated before I only invite people who will enhance my vacation and not others who I can't tolerate for more than a few hours. Every family has a few relatives like this, the grin and bear it during the holidays kind. I suppose if someone offered to pay me something and I thought they had plenty of dough then I would accept it gladly...I'm no fool LOL

 

[sparkspeak]

Wait a minute...
If you tell friends and relatives how much you paid for your points, they think you're nuts...but...if you invite them to stay with you, they think it's free?