When family uses points?

[6mouskateers]

Just curious how everyone deals with family coming along with them. When we plan some future stays we want to come up with a fair plan for sharing expenses. Does anyone charge family "going rate" for points? How do you come up with a figure that makes everyone happy?

For our trip in Sept it has become a non-issue (thank heaven!), but the next trip may be different. I am actually getting crazy enough to be considering Christmas in 2007! So that would mean we need to start planning now!! (but that is another issue for another thread )

DH and I had talked about having their share cover most to all of our maintainance for the year-it seemed to be almost equal to what they would pay at a value-mod (depending on time of year) with our FL resident rate.

Would appreciate any insight!

 

[Dean]

Just curious how everyone deals with family coming along with them. When we plan some future stays we want to come up with a fair plan for sharing expenses. Does anyone charge family "going rate" for points? How do you come up with a figure that makes everyone happy?

For our trip in Sept it has become a non-issue (thank heaven!), but the next trip may be different. I am actually getting crazy enough to be considering Christmas in 2007! So that would mean we need to start planning now!! (but that is another issue for another thread )

DH and I had talked about having their share cover most to all of our maintainance for the year-it seemed to be almost equal to what they would pay at a value-mod (depending on time of year) with our FL resident rate.

Would appreciate any insight!

IMO it depends on the context and families involved. If you invited them without an indication of cost, it's hard to slip it in later unless they volunteer. If you want to rent them the time, it takes a different approach. I'd say their share should be no more than the number of points you're spending extra because of their presence times $10 per point. Most would be far less and there are all different formulas and perspectives for how much.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would not assume that just because we bought into DVC that our family members would want to pay to come with us and stay in DVC accomodations. I have invited friends and family and then they have been our guests.

I don't think that it's too early to "plan" for Christmas '07, but lots of people who don't own DVC do think it's crazy to plan so far ahead! Talk to the people who you think are interested and ask what they think they're going to be doing regarding accomodations, but be clear that you are not inviting them to come with you gratis.

Bobbi

 

[Chuck S]

I think every family handles this differently. We handle it depending on who we invite. Usually, our guests treat us to a nice meal or dinner show, we don't "charge" for the room. They pay for thier own meals and park tickets. If they can afford more, they take us to more dinners

Some members charge just like any other rental, $10+ per point. Some charge the maintenance fees on the points they use, that seems pretty fair.

But we look at it like this...we wouldn't have invited them if we didn't want them along. And there are some family membes that will not receive an invitation, ever, even if they were willing to pay $10 per point.

 

[LoveMyDVC2]

I plan to use points for part of the trip. Example: I'll book a studio for my family of 4 and I'll use additional points to book a studio for my guests Sun-Thur. If they want to stay the fulll week, they only need to pay for the weekend. (2 days) This allows me to save my points so I can take more friends and family. My guests think it is great because they are only paying for two nights to stay in a lux resort for a week. I also use the DVC discount on the two nights reservation. When paying cash the price is no different (in most cases) for a Mon or a Sat. So I save a little!!!

I plan on doing this July 2007

 

[bicker]

We always invite our guests (family or friends) to stay with us in our villa, our treat. Our expectation, however, is that they will cover all the rest of their own expenses (admission, dining, souvenirs, transportation, etc.) On occasion, we'll help out with one or more of those things, for a family member for whom a WDW vacation, even with their lodging covered, would be a stretch, but that's similar to grabbing the check at an expensive restaurant, when we can afford it more than the folks we're dining with.

 

[rinkwide]

...How do you come up with a figure...?

Rack rate. (However, our family is a bit dysfunctional.)

 

[Madi100]

We have invited some friends to go along with us next year. We expect nothing.

 

[crisi]

So far, its been our treat. But they've always been travelling with us, which I think is an important distinction. AND, we can afford to treat, which is another important distinction. I suspect in a few years we may "rent" points to my sister for what I figure is my point cost (about a $2 per point base plus dues).

 

[dianeschlicht]

When we invite family and friends along, it is just that....an invitation, and we don't expect payment for accommodations. Even when we have gotten a GV instead of a 1 or 2 bedroom, we have considered them our "guests". All but one time, our guests have done something for us in return. Some pay for a special meal out at one of the WDW sit-downs, others have taken us to Circque du Soliel, and others have done other nice things like that after we have gotten home. I figure they are already putting out money for transportation, food, and park tickets, and I enjoy having them as my guests. Now, if family or friends invited themselves along, or wanted to "borrow" my points, I would charge them the going rate. I agree with Dean though, if I was also on the same trip, I would likely only charge the difference between the accommodations we would have originally gotten and what we would need to accommodate them.

 

[Pluto 2]

it depends what family members they are if its for my mom and dad i will never charge them for the points.

 

[momsgoofy]

It seems that everyone has some great extended family...that is awesome! For the most part, we do also, but that said...the first trip that I'm using points and taking any extended family is in July. Dsis and I are doing it this way...she's springing for 3 nights at YC (std) and I'm springing for 4 nights in a studio at SSR. We will each cover our own expenses for food, travel and extras. DH and I are torn on the idea of asking anyone else simply because most of the extended family has larger family units than ours (3) and the cost of travel, food, and other expenses would still be rather high for them. Now, we have considered inviting DH's mom and my dad, as both are widowed and on their own and we would love to be able to give them a little magic...just not sure how much they would enjoy going and once we ask one family member the others (in our family) will expect their invitation. (Smack head here like Homer Simpson.) Now, a friend for DS, that would be great if he could chose...

 

[6mouskateers]

Thanks all for shaing your thoughts.

We try to meet SIL and some other extended family in WDW once a year or so and we all pay our own expenses. She had thought about DVC also, and when we were buying in she was thinking she would "go in" with us, but I didn't think it was a good idea-I wanted our own contract with no one else involved, as much as I love her. You know about mixing family and money... So DH and I decided to buy and she was "still looking" which made us VERY glad we did our own contract. So it's really not a matter of "inviting" them. It's understood they will help pay some expenses. We thought it would be great to get a Grand Villa with SIL et al (and maybe MIL) for Christmas 2007. I want to be fair, but really don't want to pay for EVERYONE'S vacation, especially when it will eat up all our points for 2 years or so.

Now, in Sept we "invited" my folks so that's a completely different arrangement.

 

[dianeschlicht]

LOL, I get it! The inlaws pay but not your family!

 

[Judique]

LOL, I get it! The inlaws pay but not your family!

Good catch, Diane! We see a lot of that on here. Usually depends on which spouse is posting.

 

[6mouskateers]

Good catch, Diane! We see a lot of that on here. Usually depends on which spouse is posting.

Oh now,now girls, It may seem that way but not really (well ok, maybe really


It's my folks 50th anniv in Sept so that's why they are "the chosen ones" at that time. My brother and his family were considering coming and he wasn't going to "let me" take care of their lodging . Their plans didn't work out, which I'm glad he told me sooner rather than later.

SIL has a friend and her daughter that come along sometimes and sometimes the DH's sometimes not, it gets a little complicated. Then sometimes the plans change and it gets frustrating. I am (unfortunately I guess) a planner and don't do well flying by the seat of my pants at zero hour. SIL on the other hand, does everything at the last minute, is usually late for stuff etc etc. I love her dearly but it makes me insane. DH and MIL also, I might add, She is the only one in the family that got that genetic predispostion to tardiness.

But anyway the friend is SIL's friend, not ours really, so that's why we would need to come up with an equitable plan in advance for my sanity (there's that nasty planning again )

 

[crisi]

LOL, I get it! The inlaws pay but not your family!

I know its a joke, but we DO see a lot of families who have different arrangements for their parents than their siblings. We took my inlaws "all expenses" because they are a broke small family. But my parents and sisters are getting "room only" because they can all save some cash, and its more people. We also see alot of different arrangements when this is a regular occurance, as it appears it may turn into for the OP - if her SIL is going to "expect" to use the points every year (or every other year), she should cover the costs, where when we invite people, we are often inviting people who have no intention of going to Disney and wouldn't if part of the vacation wasn't paid for.

In this case I think its fair that you charge her "cost plus" - enough that she still has an incentive to buy her own points and not tempt her to think that you bought her a contract she is "sharing" with you. I would also set aside that money, because human nature being what it is, she may never buy her own contract as long as its easy to use yours, and you may want more points. If she does buy her own contract, you'll have a small savings account that you can spend.

 

[mom2rb]

When we bring our parents or our younger siblings we don't charge. DH and I both have two much younger siblings that are in college. The only thing we ask is that you babysit our boys so that we can have one night out. Next year my older brother and his family will join us. He will pay the difference between a one bedroom and a two bedroom, at $10 a point. So around $70 a night. He refused to stay for free so we agreed to this. It is still cheaper than All Stars and my boys get to have their cousin with them.

 

[arminnie]

I booked a 2BR (instead of my usual studio) a couple of years ago. I wanted to treat a friend who had recently been diagnosed with MS and another friend with ovarian cancer.

I also invited the one with MS to bring her mother (who had never been). Unfortunately the one with ovarian cancer was not able to go. At the last minute I called a friend in another state who had been with me on my very, very first trip in 1980.

They all offered to pay something, but I did not accept. I had some extra points I was trying to burn from buying a loaded contact anyway. We had the best time.

Last year I took a friend and got a one BR (she took the LR). She had taken me on a trip to Mexico at a condo earlier in the year so it was a nice trade.

I had to cancel the member cruise last year because of surgery for my dad and had some points that I couldn't use so I let my sister use them for a business trip.

I love my solo trips and am looking forward to one since I've been with newbies so much the past few trips. It's fun to introduce someone to WDW, but I'm looking forward to not being the tour guide on my next trip.