Those who bring friends.

[hmire]

Our first DVC trip will be in Nov. Friends of ours (2 adults/1 infant) will be coming with us. We will hopefully be staying at BLT, BWV, or BCV for 5 nights. Since we are using a good bit of points for a 2 bedroom. How much should I ask them for? She has offered to pay.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

When we bring friends we usually don't charge them anything but one couple will not go if they don't pay something....paying for a meal etc does not work...so we charge them the dues on the difference in points between a 1 br and a 2 br

 

[zavandor]

You might charge what you paid for MF for the points you used to make her part of the reservation. If she will occupy a room, half the points you paid for the 2B should be OK.
Or you might charge a little more than the MF alone, to take into account what you paid the contract.
Or you might charge 10$ a point, but that would be renting, not bringing a friend.
Or you might let her pay for some dinner, if you don't want cash money.

 

[Tramp68]

Depending on how close the friends are and if they pay for other things... The points cost about $2 per point per year without finance charges and about $5 per point for dues, so the cost of a room is close to $7 per point.

I would charge a MAX of $7 per point on the difference between a 1BR and a 2BR if they insisted on paying, but most likely would not expect anything from them at all.

You do not mention how many are in your party. A good payment comprimise would be for them to provide a night or 2 of childcare for you to go out on your own and maybe charge them enough to cover a romantic dinner for the 2 of you. (Of course I would reciprocate for them as well with the childcare part.)

Another option would be to charge what they would pay at a value resort...

 

[a742246]

Since they offered to pay, plus you have young children of your own. I think $7.00 a point would be a good compromise, basically you are charging your costs. If I were your friends I would be happy to pay your costs. The difference from a one bedroom upgrade to a 2 bedroom will be about 10 points a night.

Note: I would just charge the difference between a 1 bedroom and a 2 bedroom.

Anyway you will have a great time!

Good for you!!!!!

PS I was able to check on BWV there are still 2 bedrooms units available (pool view) from 11-15 to 11-21.

 

[hmire]

Thanks!! Did you notice what they had avaiable at BLT?? We have family of five.

 

[hmire]

Thanks!! Did you notice what they had avaiable at BLT?? We have family of five.

 

[supersuperwendy]

We don't charge family or friends who come with us. I provide the accommodations but they buy park passed, dining, airfare themselves

 

[juncker]

We wouldn't charge friends if they joined us. If they insist on paying and you really don't want to take money, then come up with a low value that you thing would be fair. I'd still feel bad. Maybe I'd take them out for a nice meal with the money.

... now if it were my family (instead of friends), I'd charge them the full cash rate for the room for the entire stay (plus psychiatric fees).

 

[Disbroads]

Our first DVC trip will be in Nov. Friends of ours (2 adults/1 infant) will be coming with us. We will hopefully be staying at BLT, BWV, or BCV for 5 nights. Since we are using a good bit of points for a 2 bedroom. How much should I ask them for? She has offered to pay.

Not sure how long you've been reading these boards, but I notice your join date of 4 months ago. How familiar are your friends with how DVC works, and how frank can you be with them?
There have been many stories posted out here about people who did what you're doing, only to have the friends back out at the last minute, leaving them with no availability for the 1 bedroom and points going into holding even if they can move to one.
With that said, show them the points charts and the point totals for the 1 versus 2 BR along with the going rental price of what, $10 a point? Then perhaps propose a number less than what you would expect to pay if the tables were turned.
Most importantly, make them understand that committing to a two bedroom is, indeed, a commitment. Maybe avoid any hard feelings in October.

 

[luckyman_apd]

We had friends take us last year. They did not charge us a thing. They changed from a 1 br to a 2br. They insisted on taking us (and we were very grateful) because it made their trip more fun. They had more than enough points to do it too. What we ended up doing was setting up an online grocery order with the Garden Grocer, gave them the username and password and told them to put whatever they wanted on the list. So we bought the groceries for the week and the delivery to the room, and I bought him several beverages throughout the week while we were there.

What dates are you going? I can check BLT availability right now for you. I can tell you Nov 9 is full.

 

[ONealFamily]

We are upgrading from a 2 Bedroom to a Grand Villa for our trip to Aulani because another family wanted to join us. The only thing we are having them pay for are the 5 one time use points we will have to buy to make the reservation. So even though the cost is well over 200 additional points and we will have to borrow from the future year to make it happen, we figure it's our way we can help bless another family.

But then again, when we bought into DVC, we did it with the intention of sharing it with friends and family on a regular basis. It's all already paid for and dues are budgeted into our personal budget each year so I don't need to make money back on anything. The way I look at it, we didn't budget the 75 dollars for extra points so the other family will be covering that.

I know that's outside the norm, but that's just how me and my family roll.

 

[rentayenta]

Our first DVC trip will be in Nov. Friends of ours (2 adults/1 infant) will be coming with us. We will hopefully be staying at BLT, BWV, or BCV for 5 nights. Since we are using a good bit of points for a 2 bedroom. How much should I ask them for? She has offered to pay.

We've been treated by friends and friends have treated us. No money was exchanged. We did pay for their first night in a hotel before checking into DVC and we split the normal costs like groceries. We did treat them to dinner and drinks.

When we treated it worked the same way. We didn't have a hotel the night before though. We spilt the groceries and booze. They treated us to drinks.

We offered money, they declined. They offered money, we declined. This trip they'll be our ride to the grocery store saving us a bundle on a cab so we'll thank them with DH making his amazing tri tip for dinner one night at the THV for the 10 of us.

It was the same family both times and cannot wait to meet up again this year in WDW!

 

[wildernessDad]

We don't charge them for the room, personally. But we're not paying for their meals, airfare and tickets!

 

[luckyman_apd]

Just to let you know right now there is availability for 2 br from 11/10 through 11/18 for BLT LV. Any date after that is booked up. Hope this is the week you are looking to travel. I can't tell you about the other resorts thought.

 

[Deb & Bill]

When we invite someone, they buy their own tickets and pay for their own food. They may pay for a meal for us or prepare a meal in the villa. But we don't charge them anything to visit.

Last June, I took eight additional teenagers with us. They bought their own tickets and brought any spending money. We paid for the two nights in hotels going to and from (one night each way) for three hotel rooms. We bought the groceries and paid for the gas. We paid for breakfast for 11 at Chef Mickey's. I had several of the parents give us extra cash (I think we had about $500 extra to use on groceries and gas) and some provided extra food for the villa - snacks, beverages, water, etc. It was a graduation event and they had a blast. But it was a one time thing.

 

[mopee3]

We don't charge them for the room, personally. But we're not paying for their meals, airfare and tickets!

This is us but looking at these responses I am begging to feel I have been taken advantage of by my friends and family. In the 5 years of trips no money has been given or asked for nor expected? Maybe I am missing something? No I quess not.

OP I think you should ask those who want to pay to do so to the amount they would feel comfortable with, that way it's not at your suggestion for the amount and when you look at them you will both feel good about the deal.

Just my, never too be humble opinion

Moe

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Wow. You are all much, much nicer people than I am....

Turns out our vacation this fall coincided with when friends of ours were heading down to California (we booked a 1 bedroom at VGC for 4 nights before they arrive). What we offered them was this:

We'd get a 2 bedroom lock-off for the nights they are at Disney, so there will be plenty of bathrooms and beds for our daughters, and what it would cost them would be $850 ($10/pt x 85 points - which is the number of points that 5 nights in a studio would have cost them).

They get all the luxuries of staying at the VGC including laundry, full kitchen (to save on meals) and everything else, and it costs them $170 night (all-in).

We get our dues/taxes for the year pretty much covered (200 pt contract) and they get to stay for less than 1/2 (parking, sales tax, etc) what they budgeted to pay to stay on site.

Judging by everyone else's responses, I guess I should feel bad about asking for money, but I think I'm being fair, and they think it's more than fair (they keep telling us they don't think they are paying enough), so I think I'm ok with it.

Putting my lawyer hat on, I guess that maybe the difference with my situation is that our friends were going anyway, as opposed to inviting friends to come down with us. If I invited someone to come to Disney, I would hope that they would offer to pay something, but I wouldn't ask them to.

Am I a horrible person????? I need to know, and who better to tell me than anonymous people on a message board...

 

[luckyman_apd]

Wow. You are all much, much nicer people than I am....

Turns out our vacation this fall coincided with when friends of ours were heading down to California (we booked a 1 bedroom at VGC for 4 nights before they arrive). What we offered them was this:

We'd get a 2 bedroom lock-off for the nights they are at Disney, so there will be plenty of bathrooms and beds for our daughters, and what it would cost them would be $850 ($10/pt x 85 points - which is the number of points that 5 nights in a studio would have cost them).

They get all the luxuries of staying at the VGC including laundry, full kitchen (to save on meals) and everything else, and it costs them $170 night (all-in).

We get our dues/taxes for the year pretty much covered (200 pt contract) and they get to stay for less than 1/2 (parking, sales tax, etc) what they budgeted to pay to stay on site.

Judging by everyone else's responses, I guess I should feel bad about asking for money, but I think I'm being fair, and they think it's more than fair (they keep telling us they don't think they are paying enough), so I think I'm ok with it.

Putting my lawyer hat on, I guess that maybe the difference with my situation is that our friends were going anyway, as opposed to inviting friends to come down with us. If I invited someone to come to Disney, I would hope that they would offer to pay something, but I wouldn't ask them to.

Am I a horrible person????? I need to know, and who better to tell me than anonymous people on a message board...

I don't think anyone can say what is right or not. They are YOUR points to do so as you please. We couldn't believe our friends were willing to spend more points to bring us along. Well, as it turns out, they've kinda overdone the whole disney thing and without friends to go with them, the wouldn't have enjoyed themselves as much. So to them, the value of using the extra points was much greater to them to have us with them. We got a Disney trip for half of our normal cost. It was a win/win.

Now, the contract we just bought is only 125 pts. That's all we will need for our current plans over the next 5 or 6 years. The contract we bought has 94 extra points. We are taking grandparents with us our next trip, and my mother is insistent on paying me for the points we are using. So right now, my plan was to charge her our per point cost, which is about $6.30 this year. Now we are not going next year, so I kinda have to use all 219 of my points this trip, and feel bad taking her money. But she is insisting. But I'll tell you if we WERE planning to go, those points would be a little more valuable to me, so I wouldn't be as upset taking her money

It's all up to the owner what they would do. I don't think any of the scenario's listed here are wrong in any way.

 

[jekjones1558]

We never charge family or friends. Sometimes our guests have bought a meal, sometimes they have given us a gift card, sometimes nothing. All of these are fine because we invited them as guests. That said, if a DVC owner wants to determine a fair price I would say the dues on the points needed to upgrade the size of the room would be appropriate. If you book an entirely separate room for guests (we always do), I don't know what to say. I would not feel comfortable charging friends even the dues costs of a 1 bedroom when I have invited them as guests.