Sharing 2BR with relatives - on MY points

[Tooneric]

Going on our first trip home next month to BCV. (Yeah!) We had a 1BR for 7 nights. The grandparents (my inlaws) are joining us now for 4 nights, and we landed a 2BR last week for the 4 nights after a short waitlist period. It's only costing me 45 points extra, but the grandparents want to pay their fair share. Question is, which do you think is fair? Or do you have a better way to settle this?

A) $1080. They booked a Fla. resident rate room for 4 nights at BC for $1080 total in case the 2BR didn't come available.

B) $1560. A cash room (studio) at BCV would have been about $1560. (Seems high considering A)

C) $450. DVC points seem to rent for $10, so at 45 points that's $450. (Seems low considering I am forgoing points I planned to use in 2005)

D) $650. My annual dues are $650 on my 175 points. (i.e., they pay my dues for the year and come off cheaper than option A...)

E) Don't charge them anything, get them drunk at the Rose and Crown and talk them into buying into DVC (so I can "borrow" points from them down the road!), and DW thinks I'm soooo nice that I deserve a little extra magic on the trip... A risky strategy, but it could happen...!

Your thoughts???

e

 

[WOW]

We did this last June with some of our relatives. They wanted to pay, but I didn't want them to. So instead they paid for a lot of the dinners, transportation costs etc. That worked out really well.

I do like the idea of getting them to buy DVC and borrow some of their points!!!!!!!!!!

 

[beacher]

Loved all your options and the accompanying logic. I would suggest $540 as one-half of the Fla. rate for the $1080 room they booked as a back-up. More than covers you if you choose to rent 45 points next year at $450, but doesn't go as far as paying dues on a full year for four nights. One-half $$ of the private room they would have had seems fair for starters - but I would accept letting them get you drunk at R&C and maybe a nice dinner or two!

Or, you could ask the difference in the cash rates between the 1BR and 2BR and see what that margin multiplies out to over 4 nights...

Cheers,

 

[lenshanem]

and DW thinks I'm soooo nice that I deserve a little extra magic on the trip...

Be careful, you might end up having to either add on or definetly get those in-laws to buy so you cna have extra space for any "gift" from that "little extra magic".

I took my parenst in December . They ended up apying for the room offsite the first night for us, gas for the drive and most meals. Worked out just fine.

 

[llp479]

We've taken several trips with relatives. When my BIL and SIL come with us, they rent the rental car. When my mom and dad joined us last March, they picked up several meals, and DH's golf. My mom came with us in August, and she picked up a couple of meals and bought the Sea World tickets.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

I find that bringing family or friends on a nice vacation is part of the fun of being a DVC member. For that reason, I would vote "E".

Good luck with that 'extra Magic'

MG

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

Sometimes we have guests pay for the Fri and Sat as cash nights, and then we pay for the 5 weekdays (on points). If you are able to book Fri and Sat as cash nights, you can link the cash and points stays together so you won't have to change rooms.

 

[kathleena]

Are they paying for the entire two bedroom for four nights or just compensating you for the extra points. I'm confused by "A". Is that the extra cost of a studio to add onto the 1br?

My first vote would go to having them pay for other things on the trip - whatever they think is fair. Rental car, meals, groceries for the room etc. I would tell them what I pay for the extra 45 points per year in maintenance fees and what they rent for on the market in case I had to rent them the following year.

Then I would go for E and see what happens. hahahahahah

So if they are compensating for the 45 points, I guess I'm leaning on C. They know how much it would cost them to stay there as FL residents - they can do the math and you will probably end up around D.

Most of all - have lots and lots of fun on your trip!

 

[HookdonWDW]

I wouldn't charge them anything, and instead, have them pay for a nice meal one night, and perhaps see if they would be willing to babysit one night. I know that our parents would be glad to get extra kid time without us at WDW!

If they insisted that they pay something, I wouldn't charge them $10.00/point for the extra 45 points. I would charge them my cost per point, which would be about $267.00. There should be some benefit in renting points from family instead of strangers

 

[goldilocks_63]

After all,

Haven't the grandparents paid for you or your wifes family trips all these years, plus, I don't know, college education, maybe even grad school.... or maybe part or all of the wedding, or gosh, money towards that first house....

I know this may not be your situation, but if it is, I think if you're lucky enough to be able to join DVC, you should sprinkle some of the magic back on your own family who has been there for you all those years...

And, as you suggest, you really look like a gentleman, which is a rarity.

Being kind and generous when you are blessed is always classy.

Goldi

 

[robinb]

I have charged nothing for our families in the past. Sometimes they will pay for dinner. Sometimes they will pay for a weekend cash night. Sometimes they don't offer to pay for anything at all.

Tell your in-laws this a gift and if they want to pay for a family dinner or baby-sit so you get an adult-only dinner that would be suffecient .

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I vote for option "E" also. The one time so far that we had family share our DVC with us was over New Years 2002 - and we went right past the 2 bedroom choice and used a Grand Villa. I have no idea how many extra points this cost us , because I never have looked it up.

I will say that trip remains one of the best memories that I have of my family , and of DVC. We are all so busy that having a week of "just family" time was a true joy. As I remember, we provided the room and our 10% dvc discount on the UPH tickets, and about half or less of the groceries. They either drove or flew down , and helped with the groceries too. We all came out well in this situation.

BTW, here's another vote for gettin' lucky afterwards. You are inviting TWO grandparents - doesn't this mean that you deserve to "get lucky" twice !

 

[gopherit]

Go with "E".

For starters, for a non-DVC'er, you start talkin' pts and dues and and banking and borrowing and such, and your guests' eyes will kinda glaze over with that "huh?" look, and they will all swear you have joined some sort of Disney cult, and that serious intervention is necessary!

We have taken BIL/SIL/nephew with us, and the first trip, we really didn't let them pay for anything. They bought a few nice dinners here and there, and offered to pay 1/2 groceries, but we said keep yer dough -- it's our pleasure. And it was, really! I felt so proud opening that door of our 2br VWL villa saying, tada! Yours, for the week! Enjoy! (We even gave them the master BR for the week, generous souls that we are!)

For this trip, they have offered to pay again. So we are doing our first night at BCV (enjoying SAB!) on a cash ressie (their treat) in a 2br (but on our DVC discount, at least!), then moving to a 2br at BWV for the next 8 nts (on our BWV points!). After they leave, DH and our crew will move to a 1 br for about 4 more days.

The fact they (your ILs) are offering to pay "their share" tells me they are a generous sort who would be happy to do their part in other ways besides straight cash (DVC membership might be a *stretch* , but certainly some meals and a bit of babysitting should be feasible! :yes: )

But a note: if 2 br accommodations limit your vacationing power, then be verrrrry careful about scoring those "extra points" with dw... you might just score a grand-villa sized family in the bargain!!

 

[msdis]

I gave my family 200 points last year for free, no compensation whatsoever for their own 2 br and all I got was a vacation from he** Lesson learned. DBIL & family are going this year same time, DH threatened me to not open my mouth. NO MORE SHARING. Good luck, in our case it ruined a family. Well it wasn't that good to start with.

 

[vernon]

While I understand that in some circumstances it is right not to charge anything at all, I do think there are decent arguments to be made for charging something or having a pre-discussed agreement over them picking up a particular cost that both parties feel fair. Obviously much depends on the relationship and circumstances of your (now) extended family, but I think the strongest reason I can think of for having an agreement/cost is that many people feel uncomfortable accepting "charity" , they may in the future REALLY want to repeat the trip (hopefully it will go well ) but not feel able to start the conversation in case you think they are just after a free holiday. IMHO it makes everyone's life easier if all parties think they have had a fair deal. As someone has said, if they aren't aware of DVC or how it works trying to explain $ cost per point may just confuse them. I've usually adopted the "sales pitch" of saying "your room if you got it from Disney would cost you $X (fortunately you have a figure to hand that they know is correct) , if you would like me to I can rent theroom using my points and get the room for you at $X/2 (or lower)" . I would probably include a comment like " at the moment I have the spare capacity in my points that I'm able to use them in this way, that isn't guaranteed to be that way in the future because of the way the points system works, but it is a possibility it may work in the future" Kinda gives you a pre-hinted at excuse just in case it doesn't work out well for you and you want an unhurtful way of discoiuraging them in the future LOL.

In previous trip that I have been on it could be flights, park tickets, non WDW accommodation within a longer trip (we cover the DVC rooms and they pay for hotels in Tampa, I-drive etc for the whole group) or a cash payment. For non cash payments I try to have a rough idea of what I think is a reasonable cost and try to find an item that comes in slightly below the cash figure. Previously I've used what the number of nights would cost (rack rate) at the cheapest WDW hotels. I'd guess that the All Stars are currently $100-110 per night. So maybe $400-500 looks, IMHO, about right.

I see nothing wrong in making some charge or agreement where they pay for something in return for you getting their room for them. Whatever you (plural) all feel comfortable with is the best solution.

 

[lenshanem]

I understnad it is a bit harder to use poinst for in-laws than your own side of the family from experience!

Like I said earlier when i took my parents last they picked up most of the meals, etc. I am going back with them thsi summer and they are excited about it cause I've asked my brother to go, too. My girls are very happy to go with their uncle!

But... Guilt made me plan to set aside points for a trip with the in-laws. Nobody seems that excited and I can make a safe bet BIL and SIL won't offer a penny, I woudln't be surprised if they except us to pay for all the food, too. They are young and spolied and except everyone to pay their way... I'm dreading when they have kids cause I can guess they'll be asking us for points often. Plus, this trip since there are more of us I have to use more points. Talk about pain!!!

I was even surprised with this upcoming trip my hubby has with his Dad to OKW for Braves spring training that his Dad didn't buy the tickets. We ordered them.

I think it is nice to be generous with our points, but I think there is a fine line and soemtimes you have to be careful or soem will start to just assume they can get a free trip every year.

 

[David in Manassas]

Interesting discussion......

Last year we invited my inlaws and my brother in law to join us at DVC Hilton Head. I had enough points to get them their own 2 bedroom unit for the 5 nights we were there (in July). We split the groceries and on the last night they took us out to the Crazy Crab for dinner. I was so glad they came (I love my inlaws!) that I didn't mind the 165 points. But now you got me thinking...that was probably $1500.00 worth of lodging

This year we invited another family to join us and I was lucky to again snag another 2 bedroom unit for them for 5 nights, again in July. These people are extremely generous so although I am not expecting it at all..I'm sure they will want to offer something. After I say no 10 times and they finally break me down, you have given me some food for thought...hmmm food...perhaps that "A Private Affair" would be a good compensation

David

 

[jaclark]

Originally posted by lenshanem
I think it is nice to be generous with our points, but I think there is a fine line and soemtimes you have to be careful or soem will start to just assume they can get a free trip every year.

THis is a great thread - we are currently going through a similiar situation. What you have to take into account is the people you are going with whether they are family or not. Are they appreciative or more the "moochers" type. My hubby's parents have never been to WDW. We offered to take them on next trip in November, 04. Offered to take hubby's sis family as well and told them to upgrade to a Grand Villa, it would be about 200.00 for the week. They were a no go.

Now, if we switch to when THEIR kids would be out, and not charge them, it's more inviting to them. I feel they won't offer to pay a red cent so we asked them to split the cost of the groceries for the week with the parents. Parents feel this is more than fair.. Still haven't heard yet of the SIL family is going... His parents are very appreciative people. Wish I could say I felt the same about the sister

Anyway, if we all get to go, it will be a great trip for the kids (my three and their two).

Best wishes to all,
Annette

 

[Tooneric]

This is great! Thanks for all of your input. I love reading these boards but rarely post. I may have to participate more often!

After I read my own post, I found myself leaning towards option E. And after my first reading of all of the posts, and given that I do get along very well with my in-laws, E may be the way to go. I'm sure they will offer to pay for some meals, etc. And it's a chance for me to show them a little kindness for giving me their wonderful daughter. So thanks to everyone for all of the great input.

And what is this "Private Affair"? I remember reading something about that. Is it a spa treatment offered for couples? Oh, and thanks also for the warnings about the consequences of that "extra magic"! Gotta go update my "Things to Bring" list. - right after I read these posts again...

e

 

[Tooneric]

Oh, and Kathleena, option A is the Florida resident rate they were going to pay for a standard room at the Beach Club Hotel if the 2BR at BCV did not come available.

This has been helpful. After rereading the posts, I could see where I could justify asking them for half of what their room would have cost (option A), but this is an opportunity for me to do something nice for them, so I'll probably go with E.

Any way you add it up, the extra 45 points isn't costing me that much in the long run, not to mention the savings on any meals, etc., they pick up.

I like the babysitting idea as well, whoever mentioned that!

e