Trip Report-No more invited guests!

[FreeTime]

Once again I am saying that I have finally learned my lesson and will not invite anyone with us again (I know I will because I just love watching the kids that have never been have their first experience).

Anyways, we had rooms 4520/4521 and then over the weekend we also had 4526. I was very disappointed in these rooms at OKW. The main reason was because there was mildew everywhere! In the showers, on the window blinds, and on the doors. Other than that the rooms were pretty much okay. Except for the fact that DS and I felt like we were staying in a studio with a king size bed. We did not get to relax once during the entire stay as our guests took over their studio part of the room and the living room! The villa was a mess! On Thursday I had had enough and came back and cleaned up their mess.

We hit the parks pretty hard, as our guests wanted to use all of the days on their tickets and wanted us to go with them. DS and discussed with each other how glad we are to have joined DVC and not have to tour commando type.

Surprisingly, the guests paid for our dinner at Hollywood and Vine one night. In addition, they bought groceries (another shock, but much appreciated).They didn't, however, babysit one night as agreed so that we could have an adults night out.

Wishes was great!!!!

On the trek home we decided to cancel our June trip as we have had too much Disney (we are also going in Dec). But now after I have gotten settled in, I am ready to plan for June!

Thanks for listening! And in the future when you see me on the boards talking about taking guests, remind me of this trip!

 

[Chuck S]

Originally posted by FreeTime
And in the future when you see me on the boards talking about taking guests, remind me of this trip!

I feel your pain.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I, too, feel your pain, but you are much smarter than I was, since it took FOUR terrible trips to learn my lesson!! I must be as dumb as a rock to take 4 bad experiences before learning my lesson. What did it finally take? Returning to our villa to find our guests' teenage daughter having sex on the couch!! That's not something you can just casually mention to her parents when they talk about taking another trip with us!!!

 

[floridafam]

Returning to our villa to find our guests' teenage daughter having sex on the couch!!

 

[crisi]

On the plus side, Cruella, she didn't choose your bed.....

We took my mother in law and had a much better experience than I anticipated. We took along her sister so she didn't need to spend every moment with her - and her sister is great (we got the best thank you note). They respected our time and space, we respected theirs. I did book a Disney cruise before leaving, thinking that if I did get too upset at the way the vacation was flowing, I could look forward to the cruise. But it was really so pleasant for everyone that I'm thinking about who else we'd like to take.

However, I'm pretty sure that we will always try and choose our guests carefully - and maybe book a studio for them rather than putting them in the second bedroom. And with our mere 150 points and kids that won't stay on the sofabed forever, we may be looking at only a few more years of guests.

 

[Cruelladeville]

Thank you, crisi, for finding a silver lining!! But every time I see her parents--and his, for that matter--I just can't help but remember the view! He certainly didn't put his best foot--uh, well, never mind.

 

[FredS]

Originally posted by FreeTime
...Anyways, we had rooms 4520/4521 and then over the weekend we also had 4526. I was very disappointed in these rooms at OKW. The main reason was because there was mildew everywhere! In the showers, on the window blinds, and on the doors. Other than that the rooms were pretty much okay....

What happened about this??!! I have never had a room at OKW that was not spotless. I assume you called housekeeping -- did they promptly get the rooms cleaned of mildew? Any explanation or excuse provided? Are you certain it was mildew? (Window blinds generally are not a good surface for mildew to grow, for instance.)

Sorry you had such a bad experience with your guests. We have only shared our visits/points with friends or family in a nearby room, not sharing the same unit, and I doubt that will change because I can envision the same sort of problems.

 

[poohj80]

I understand your pain, but we have had different experiences. We won't be going with extended family again. We all move at different speeds and like totally different things so we felt slowed down and the rest of the family felt like they were on a race. Also, family didn't want to spend any extra for the fun things like MNSSHP or MVMCP or La Nouba where we did. No matter how many times we suggested maybe going our different ways for an afternoon so we could all do the things we liked, they always said no as they just wanted to spend time with us.

For the first time this past Dec, we invited friends to join us and that was a blast! We would do that again in a heartbeat, but the family can make their own vacation plans.

 

[Dean]

We have always had good experiences with family trips but we lay down the rules ahead of time. The rules are very simple:

• You don't wait on us and we won't wait on you!
• There will be Alcoholic beverages!
• No smoking in the unit or on the balcony if it opens into the LR our our BR.
• Everyone pays for their on costs!
• All share in Groceries!
• Each family/group is responsible for at least one group evening meal! They can either pay for a restaurant or prepare one, their choice.
• And the most important rule of all is IF YOU DON'T LIKE THE RULES, DON'T GO!!!

It's very simple. We have always furnished the units at our expense. We rotate who we ask within both sides of the family. If one doesn't follow the rules, we don't ask them again, period. So far, no one is in that group. The only people we are leary about are my brother and family who tend to cancel last minute and my Grandmother who can't remember anything, gets her feelings hurt easily and says mean things to people. But I cut her some slack in her situation, I think she deserves that. If there are people we know up front are freeloaders or just difficult to go with; we don't ask them in the first place.

 

[westjones]

We have never vacationed with others, but this year we are going on the Disney Cruise with friends. I guess, in my mind, I want to take parallel vacations. We are all on the same ship, doing our own thing, but meeting up from time to time.

I am a little nervous that they may want to do a LOT of stuff together (and I am not a 'group' person). I am hoping it all works out.

In December, we have invited my sister to join us at WDW, and she will be with us the whole time since she isn't married with kids joining her. There will be 5 of us. We will see how it goes.

So for me, I think parallel vacations sound like fun; but I would not want to share the whole experience together.

DJ

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Oh man, can I relate to this. We invited some neighbors to join us at Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri one year. If I had a baseball bat someone would have been hurt, my wife had to keep reminding me to be silent.

I keep our DVC rooms cleaner than my house in Illinois, so I would have done the same thing you did and cleaned.

Isn't it funny, they promised to watch our kids while we did a parents night out. But alas, it did not happen. At least I can close off the bedroom doors at DVC when we need time.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We do similar to Dean, and we can honestly say we have never had a major problem with guests. Each group is a bit different, and setting guidelines right off is the best bet. If we have guests who are pinching pennies, we tell them that we will always have breakfast items available for them, and we will fix one main meal during the time we are all there. Beyond that, they can provide groceries if they want more in villa meals, but we like to go out to eat at Disney, and we WILL do that. They are welcome to go along (dutch treat, of course), if they choose.

As to the mildew...I am really surprised about that! We always stay at OKW, and have never had a bit of trouble with mildew, stains, or things in poor repair. The only thing I have ever seen have a bit of a problem is the blinds, because people like to break them and not report that they are broken. We just returned Wednesday from a week in building 29 (2913, dedicated 2 bedroom right below a GV). It was in GREAT shape and had all new appliances etc. Even the tile had been reglazed.

 

[Nick@ VB+OKW]

Originally posted by Cruelladeville
IWhat did it finally take? Returning to our villa to find our guests' teenage daughter having sex on the couch!!

...............

Cruella
Did your guests' daughter say if the sleeper sofa was comfortable? We have had many complaints about the comfort of the couch sofa here on the boards.

 

[Deemarch]

There will be Alcoholic beverages!

Dean, I assume you meant to put a NO in this sentence...But maybe it would be better if you did some drinking! hahaha
I would make the hosts forget the guests indiscretions!

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by Deemarch
Dean, I assume you meant to put a NO in this sentence...But maybe it would be better if you did some drinking! hahaha
I would make the hosts forget the guests indiscretions!

Actually we meant there would be alcohol. Exactly 6 Corona's to be exact for a full week. Almost half my alcoholic consumption for the year. A max of two per day and one per sitting. I usually bring leftovers from the 6 pack and my wife gets aggravated when they're still there in the Fridge a year later. This rule is for the benefit of my Mother, Grandmother and Brother. My brother is a Church of Christ Minister and my Mom and GM quite the lecturers. As a matter of fact I have Corona's in the Fridge now from two years ago and from last year from our HH trips the last two years.

We frequently vacation with my Sister and her family and are quite close to my BIL as well. Though my Sister is 4 years younger than my wife and I, my BIL graduated with us in 76. During elementary school he went to school with me for a couple of years, moved to CA then back to AL and graduated with my wife at a nearby High School. He was very pleased when I set the formal rules as he and I usually get a 12 pk of Corona for the week and split them.

 

[Zurg]

There will be Alcoholic beverages!

I'm Not sure I would let that slide to number 2 on the list.

But I guess no sex on the couch would be a good one.

 

[PamOKW]

If there was mildew on the blinds it sounds like something went very wrong with the a/c. The air conditioning in Florida not only cools but also prevents the mold/mildew from growing. Friends of ours almost destroyed their condo when they first moved to Florida by turning the a/c off when they went away for a week. Sounds like DVC wasn't aware of the problem to have let you move in. Housekeeping should have closed off the room until it was completely cleaned.

 

[manning]

Returning to our villa to find our guests' teenage daughter having sex on the couch!! That's not something you can just casually mention to her parents when they talk about taking another trip with us!!!

I might be the odd ball here, but I would tell her parents in a way no one would have liked it.

My home (welcome home), MY standards.

 

[GILTPRDSDM]

I learned my lesson with shared digs years ago. So now when we take someone to Disney with us,(this March my parents) I always book at the Boardwalk Villas. My wife and Iare DVC members. We give them the room as a gift. I book the two bedroom ,lock off. We let them stay in the one bedroom side and we are on the studio side. When they leave after five days we then move over to the one bed room side for the rest of the two weeks and Disney rents out the studio. This way there room is there room. Ours is ours. We may share the kitchen with them but they don't come over to our side and make a mess and we shut the doors during the day and night. No one is making a mess in our room. Family or no family. Never share a condo with other guests. It always presents a problem. Good Luck.

 

[msdis]

Been there, done that, my family. Almost made the offer with DH for his family and HE put his foot down. NO MORE GUESTS!!!!

Know how we learned our lesson and will be reminded for a long time..............we added on by 150 points just to do their trip, and we borrowed from the next year including all of our other points, and now we are soon to borrow from 2005. As long as we keep borrowing we will always be reminded of how 1 bad trip has set us behind for years to come.