Those who bring friends.

[zavandor]

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

You did exactly what I would. Maybe we are both orrible people.

 

[rentayenta]

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...

Of course you're not horrible. Stingy maybe but not horrible. I'm totally just kidding. I was surprised our friends wouldn't take money and we in turn then didn't take money. We were going anyway as well. There is no right or wrong, as long as both parties feel comfortable- that's all that matters.

We'll have extra room room in our THV and may have some friends join us for a couple of nights. I won't be charging them.

 

[ONealFamily]

Am I a horrible person?????

Yes
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Joking
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Me and my wife personally like doing nice things for our friends. We figure we have 50 years or so worth of vacations ahead of us. Well, 47 after splurging on this Grand Villa. But I also would rather give someone one of our spare computers rather than sell it to them or even if we were getting rid of a car, I would rather give it to a friend and have them just pay the title transfer fees than sell it to a friend.

But then again, that's just me.

 

[dbs1228]

I think it is whatever you and your friends are comfortable with.

When we bought in 3 years ago DH and I had agreed to charge people staying with us a fee of 50.00 per night but after bringing our best friends last Dec. we decided to give them the stay as birthday gifts (they are DD's god parents) and they were so grateful, it was one of the best trips to the world we had! After that we decided as long as people are staying with us we will not charge them if we get them a separate room I will charge them the maintenance fees. You and your friends have to do what works for you. Enjoy

 

[taaren]

I do not "charge" my friends anything, but they do offer to kick in since they know it costs us $$ for the MF's, etc, and we would not have bought as many points if we weren't planning on having a group every vacation. For us it makes the trip more fun, and its great for DS5 who loves not being an only child on vacation.

This year they're kicking in ~$75 per night, which is what it costs us to go from a 1 bedroom to a 2 bedroom. In past years they gave what they could, sometimes paying for meals, etc rather than handing us cash. This is the first year I named the amount due to the fact I had to transfer in extra points since we're going for 2 weeks instead of 1.

 

[k3chantal]

We are bringing our friends to AK (two adults, two kids). We are staying in a two bedroom savanna view room. We are not asking them for anything.

I would imagine that they will pick up a couple of the dinners, as a way of saying thank you, but if they don't I am not going to be hurt or angry.

I may feel this way though because I know we make more than they do and the cost of the passes, airline tickets and food will be enough for them.

 

[mcraige]

We took invited some friends of ours a few years ago for 5 days/4 nights. I paid their airfare (use airline points) and room (DVC). They paid for all of the park tickets. We each paid for our own meals. On the last night, they insisted on giving me more money, so I accepted $100. We were both happy.

We've invited some friends to go again this year. We haven't asked for any money, and do not want to accept any.

 

[ppoe65]

You did exactly what I would. Maybe we are both orrible people.

Lets make that three of us. We have done this on two separate occassions and both times our friends thought they were getting a great deal.

 

[arthur06]

We have never asked for money from anyone. That being said, we have only taken parents/grandparents. We have paid for flights, but not every time. We just kinda pay by who gets the bill when at dinner.

We have never taken any friends tho. We just don't have what we would consider friends that we could travel with, and get along with for an extended period of time when sharing the same room. If some of my friends were interested in going, I would have them put in money.

We see our friends more then we see our family most times. Thus, we have always left vacations as family time, for now.

 

[AnnaS]

Everyone should do what they feel comfortable with - you know your finances, relationships, etc.

Having said that - we have invited family, friends and our children's friends (16 and up - twice). We have never charged and would not take money. We have had a meal paid here and there, a round of golf once for my sons and a gift sent home from Omaha Steaks. My son's friends (three of them 18) mailed us a nice thank you card - which was very nice and I appreciated the thought. My son was happy, I was happy.

I honestly would not care if they did not treat us to anything - I enjoy their company. I love sharing the Disney experience with them. Of course I do it when I have the points.

Hopefully they don't back out and everyone gets along and has a great time - that is more important.

(the three girls 16 were invited for my daughter's 16th and we got lot's of thanks you from the girls and the parents - again, had a good time and that was all that mattered).

 

[luckyman_apd]

We took invited some friends of ours a few years ago for 5 days/4 nights. I paid their airfare (use airline points) and room (DVC). They paid for all of the park tickets. We each paid for our own meals. On the last night, they insisted on giving me more money, so I accepted $100. We were both happy.

We've invited some friends to go again this year. We haven't asked for any money, and do not want to accept any.

If you're ever short of friends....We'll go with you

 

[Geomom]

We don't charge anything. We've had our DVC since 12/08 and invited DH's cousin's family in 2010, and friends in 2012. All we asked for was 1 night of babysitting so we could go to Jellyrolls. (Both times we were lucky and ended up staying at BWV.) We normally only stay in Studios, so we find it a treat to book a 2BR with family/friends so we get to enjoy the luxury of the 1BR side. We do say up front, that we are only covering 'room.' All the other expenses for their family must be paid for by themselves--meals, airfare, park tickets, etc.

Our most recent trip in 2/2012, the other family was in Florida 2 days before us, with a car rental that they were going to drop off at the Dolphin hotel--so we did ask them to pick up groceries for all of us--with the plan of splitting the grocery bill. But...they refuse to take any money for it, saying it's a way of thanking us for sharing our DVC with them. This family kept asking if they could pay us anything, and we refused. This family has invited us down to their vacation house on Cape Cod for a weekend every year--inviting them to Disney was our way of repaying them.

 

[AnnaS]

I forgot to ask - have you booked your trip yet? Don't waste any time, it's a busy time then. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[hmire]

We have decided to split up maintenance fees. So friends of ours are going with us in Nov. I will be using all of my 210 points on a 2br. So she is paying $400. I guess I am horrible. But that is what we decided...lol.....I am still in the process of buying resale (sent to ROFR Mar 1st). I need a 2 br. I had them pick their favorites (since I have many, many years to enjoy the resorts). I am hoping for BLT, BCV, BWV, or AKL...(In that order is what I will try for). Nov 15-Nov 20 are the dates we are going.

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have decided to split up maintenance fees. So friends of ours are going with us in Nov. I will be using all of my 210 points on a 2br. So she is paying $400. I guess I am horrible. But that is what we decided...lol.....I am still in the process of buying resale (sent to ROFR Mar 1st). I need a 2 br. I had them pick their favorites (since I have many, many years to enjoy the resorts). I am hoping for BLT, BCV, BWV, or AKL...(In that order is what I will try for). Nov 15-Nov 20 are the dates we are going.

You'll be lucky to get OKW or SSR.

 

[AnnaS]

We have decided to split up maintenance fees. So friends of ours are going with us in Nov. I will be using all of my 210 points on a 2br. So she is paying $400. I guess I am horrible. But that is what we decided...lol.....I am still in the process of buying resale (sent to ROFR Mar 1st). I need a 2 br. I had them pick their favorites (since I have many, many years to enjoy the resorts). I am hoping for BLT, BCV, BWV, or AKL...(In that order is what I will try for). Nov 15-Nov 20 are the dates we are going.

You are not horrible - go and have a good time. Good luck with choices - maybe, maybe AKL. Then again, because you have a 2 BDR - you might have some luck. There is always the waiting list.

If you are waiting for your resale to book - then I agree with Deb & Bill - maybe SSR or OKW.

 

[LindaDVC]

If folks join us - then it is our treat for the room.
My parents often joined us and would pay for alot of the meals and babysit for their grandson (which they enjoyed since didn't get many opportunities to do that ) !

however when sister and brother in law wanted a seperate vacation without us we rented the points to them -- for those trips.

We are thrilled to have a couple from our old home meeting us in Disney for a weekend at the end of the month!

No right or wrong answer to this -- just good to discuss with the folks you are sharing with based on financial needs etc!

Linda

 

[Snurk71]

Lets make that three of us. We have done this on two separate occassions and both times our friends thought they were getting a great deal.

4...

We did something very similar with DSIL (slightly different numbers because we were also treating DW and DSIL's parents and were splitting all of their costs - airfare, room, meals, tickets). No hard feelings - they got a good deal and we about had our MFs covered for the points used.

 

[SamSam]

We have decided to split up maintenance fees. So friends of ours are going with us in Nov. I will be using all of my 210 points on a 2br. So she is paying $400. I guess I am horrible. But that is what we decided...lol.....I am still in the process of buying resale (sent to ROFR Mar 1st). I need a 2 br. I had them pick their favorites (since I have many, many years to enjoy the resorts). I am hoping for BLT, BCV, BWV, or AKL...(In that order is what I will try for). Nov 15-Nov 20 are the dates we are going.

Not horrible at all! Please!!! Everyone does what works for them. We usually charge people coming with us (friends) $5.00 a point, to cover our annual dues. They're getting a fantastic deal, and we love having them there and they love being there with us.

Occasionally we get rooms for family members at no charge, but that's a gift from us to them. We have gifted points to many family members through the years, including a wonderful trip last month to celebrate our 40th anniversary...all rooms on us (23 family members...yes, lots of borrowing,etc. going on for that.

There's no right and wrong, just what works for you and your family/friends.

 

[gdrj]

I think every situation is different. We've gifted rooms to family and friends in the past, call me selfish but I don't like to share my time at Disney with others. We like to do what we want, when we want...parks, food, pool, shop, etc...One of my concerns of charging would be what would be fair. Fair as to what our friends would perceive as fair. When you think of the 2nd bedroom or a studio) "a standard hotel room". I know what the value of staying on property is but the casual fan I don't think understand what they are getting (and I don't want to sell them on it).

If I were going to charge I would charge on the low end or do some type of swap (tickets, dining plan etc...)