Why do we even try to take other people??

[aDVCguy]

<---- Us on our next trip!

<---- Family members no longer invited...
due to greed!

 

[wildernessDad]

We try because it's fun and we try to project the fun we have onto them. We want to see their eyes when they look at the resorts, etc.

I should have realized that my first experience with this was going to be a disaster when I turned to my guest and asked how he liked Wilderness Lodge after he had entered for the first time. His reply, "Well, I just got here."

 

[SusieBea]

We try because it's fun and we try to project the fun we have onto them. We want to see their eyes when they look at the resorts, etc.

I should have realized that my first experience with this was going to be a disaster when I turned to my guest and asked how he liked Wilderness Lodge after he had entered for the first time. His reply, "Well, I just got here."

Yep, this is exactly it in a nutshell!

 

[BEASLYBOO]

We've had DVC since 2000 and up to this summer, we had been fortunate to never have a family/friend cancel. I love these these friends but after all I went through to get them into the same resort etc at the last minute, and then they cancelled. I was not happy, but you know, once burned, they won't lure me in again!

 

[DenLo]

We bought into the DVC with hopes of inviting family from time to time. It looks like the best advice here is for us to decide the dates and make the invitation. And then tell them they have to decide by the seven month mark if they are coming. And then we can change our reservations without too many problems if they cancel. I also like the idea of telling them that if they cancel for anything other than an emergency after the 7th month mark, they'll not be invited again.

I really think I wouldn't invite family to come during the 4 month rule period as my nerves would be shot worrying about last minute cancellations. Since we have a February UY that would eliminate December family trips for us. Besides many people often run out of money at the holidays so I would think there'd be a higher rate of cancellations. Since we live 1000 miles away a last minute trip in January probably wouldn't be possible. Of course, that assuming a reservation is available.

Hmm, maybe I'd consider trip insurance, but since we plan to only provide the room for our family, I'm not sure insurance would really replace the value of the lost points.

Wow this might be harder than I thought. But I still think we'll give it a try and invite family from time to time.

 

[chepic]

I bet you any amount of money that you ask any DVC member and they will have a similar tale of woe. We have invited people on almost each and every trip we have ever taken with our points...since 1997...and some have worked wonderfully, and others have really stunk. Some guests have been extremely grateful, others have barely said thank you. We just keep plugging along and try to do the things that will make OUR trips the best.

cheryl

 

[ToddyLu]

We leave tomorrow. When we bought into DVC this year MIL and BIL jumped at the chance to go to Disney and stay Deluxe. We have 2 studios at Kidani for 9 nights. I have great parents and love my husband's family....so we are ready for fun. I can't imagine the stress of planning and then the let down of others not appreciating such a lovely gift.

Bless you all for trying to spread "the Love" and "the Magic".

 

[keishashadow]

I should have realized that my first experience with this was going to be a disaster when I turned to my guest and asked how he liked Wilderness Lodge after he had entered for the first time. His reply, "Well, I just got here."

just when i thought i've heard it all

OP sorry, u do have a positive attitude, don't let it ruin your trip.

 

[famsen]

Oooooh, this subject hits home with me!
I tried to be nice. My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago after much pain and suffering for several years. My mother and uncle doted on her every day for the last three years. The whole family was very sad when she passed but we also knew it was time to say goodbye to her. She suffered so much. She was the one person that really held the two sides of the family together. She was the main reason we all made sure all the cousins and grandkids and husbands and wives got together to celebrate special holidays.
So to honor her and her wish to see that we all stick together as a family, I suggested that DH and I would use our DVC points-free of charge to any of them, to get a couple of 2 bedroom villas next September for all of us to take a 5 night family vacation together in honor of grandma.
Now mind you this is still 11 months away. Three days went by and not one family member responded back in any way. I wasn't looking for a firm committment right away but I at least wanted some feedback to see who was open to the idea. After the fourth day, I just emailed everyone and said forget it.
Then I got responses. My one cousin actually had the gall to tell me that she didn't know what she would be doing next year. I really wanted to respond, "Um....now you do!" That's why I was notifying people a year in advance so they could have this plan made if something else should come up. I took this whole situation personally, as an insult. All I said they would have to pay for would be airfare and whatever type of park tickets they wanted to get. I said we could even pool money together to cook most of our meals in our own rooms! I was GIVING them a 5 night stay at a deluxe Disney vacation villa! All I got in return was the sound of crickets chirping.
I will never ask anyone to come with us again.

 

[eliza61]

To answer your question. Because we're nutz. We keep watching those stupid Disney dvd's and commercials and in our fantasy it's our families that are running happily into Mickeys arms. Bites us in the you know what every time. LOL.

I've got a sister who can't commit to a trip to Walmart, much less a trip to the world.
Family, gotta love 'em

 

[famsen]

To answer your question. Because we're nutz. We keep watching those stupid Disney dvd's and commercials and in our fantasy it's our families that are running happily into Mickeys arms. Bites us in the you know what every time. LOL.

I've got a sister who can't commit to a trip to Walmart, much less a trip to the world.
Family, gotta love 'em

You are so right about those commercials and false fantasies about our families.
That's definitely me.

 

[edk35]

Sorry this happened to you. I tell you what....I have read so many stories just like your story.... that we have YET to invite one family member on our 6 DVC trips thus far. IT SCARES ME!!!! We have met friends there...but they are DVC members too. I am sure we will take the plunge one day....but for right now...we are just not going there.

 

[bumbershoot]

Totally with you! We love to share, but my son and family put so many restrictions on us for this trip, and now they can't go anyway. I guess we'll both be enjoying the space of a 2 BR--maybe we'll sleep in different bedrooms lol

I think I read about your restrictions...unless there's another Dis'er out there who wasn't allowed to be at Disney while the "other" grandparents were there...when I first read a post about it I had this image that the other gps were thinking you'd be peering around corners, trying to catch glimpses of the grandkids, and somehow the grandkids would know you're there and flock to you, LOL.

I wish you luck! And if we had any extra $ for this year, we'd take you up on the jokey offer of the studio!



All of this worries me...our very first WDW experience is going to be a "please, local cousin+family and aunt, instead of ASMusic, please come join us at DVC resort x, y, or z for a long weekend" experience...oh I hope it goes somewhat well...

 

[appleorchard]

I think I read about your restrictions...unless there's another Dis'er out there who wasn't allowed to be at Disney while the "other" grandparents were there...when I first read a post about it I had this image that the other gps were thinking you'd be peering around corners, trying to catch glimpses of the grandkids, and somehow the grandkids would know you're there and flock to you, LOL.

That's me, and it's my son and daughter in law who thought we'd be peering around corners, lol. I think they though we might be in passing monorails and the kids would be pounding on the windows, saying, "Wait! There goes GRANDMA!"

It's a big place, we told them we'd stay out of the way. It is funny how you run into people at Disney though, even when you're trying not to!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Oooooh, this subject hits home with me!
I tried to be nice. My grandmother passed away a few weeks ago after much pain and suffering for several years. My mother and uncle doted on her every day for the last three years. The whole family was very sad when she passed but we also knew it was time to say goodbye to her. She suffered so much. She was the one person that really held the two sides of the family together. She was the main reason we all made sure all the cousins and grandkids and husbands and wives got together to celebrate special holidays.
So to honor her and her wish to see that we all stick together as a family, I suggested that DH and I would use our DVC points-free of charge to any of them, to get a couple of 2 bedroom villas next September for all of us to take a 5 night family vacation together in honor of grandma.
Now mind you this is still 11 months away. Three days went by and not one family member responded back in any way. I wasn't looking for a firm committment right away but I at least wanted some feedback to see who was open to the idea. After the fourth day, I just emailed everyone and said forget it.
Then I got responses. My one cousin actually had the gall to tell me that she didn't know what she would be doing next year. I really wanted to respond, "Um....now you do!" That's why I was notifying people a year in advance so they could have this plan made if something else should come up. I took this whole situation personally, as an insult. All I said they would have to pay for would be airfare and whatever type of park tickets they wanted to get. I said we could even pool money together to cook most of our meals in our own rooms! I was GIVING them a 5 night stay at a deluxe Disney vacation villa! All I got in return was the sound of crickets chirping.
I will never ask anyone to come with us again.

What a wonderful way to honor "grandma." I'm sorry it was not well received by your family.

Bobbi

 

[bumbershoot]

That's me, and it's my son and daughter in law who thought we'd be peering around corners, lol. I think they though we might be in passing monorails and the kids would be pounding on the windows, saying, "Wait! There goes GRANDMA!"

It's a big place, we told them we'd stay out of the way. It is funny how you run into people at Disney though, even when you're trying not to!

Wow. I told my husband about that request/order, and he just about fell over. It's not like we have parents who have been terrific grandparents, either...but we just tend to think that if we had really good, solid, follow-through-on-promises (for instance, my dad was supposed to visit over the summer and still hasn't showed up...for my 40th birthday seemed to think he would win the father of the year award for remembering what day I was born on...that sort of thing) and not make us crazy, parents, we'd be overjoyed for them to be at disney with us...

 

[appleorchard]

Wow. I told my husband about that request/order, and he just about fell over. It's not like we have parents who have been terrific grandparents, either...but we just tend to think that if we had really good, solid, follow-through-on-promises (for instance, my dad was supposed to visit over the summer and still hasn't showed up...for my 40th birthday seemed to think he would win the father of the year award for remembering what day I was born on...that sort of thing) and not make us crazy, parents, we'd be overjoyed for them to be at disney with us...

Unfortunately, we'll jump through any hoops to see our grandchildren...but if/when we redo this trip, we're going to have to change that restriction, or not go with them

Since we're paying for the 5 day tickets and the room for three nights, we can't afford another hit like this.

 

[appleorchard]

While I don't know your circumstances I can tell you I'd never have the guts to cancel a vacation on my parents or in-laws that was already made unless the world was falling down around me. Respect thing in my book!

I really didn't make it at all clear in this post; canceling wasn't a whim on their end; my son lost his job 3 weeks ago. He's looking hard but probably won't be working in time to play catch up. We could pick up all their costs, (we're paying for tickets and room already--it's their Christmas gift))but we're more planning on helping with the grandkid's school costs if necessary. Plus we don't want to pay the costs for the nights we're not allowed to be there lol.

 

[WolfpackFan]

In spite of all these issues related with inviting family and friends, DW and myself would love to be in that situation. Unfortunately my family doesn't "understand" Disney. The think it's ridiculous that two grown 50-60 year old adults keep going back time after time to the same place. It doesn't matter that my DB goes to the same beach place a couple of times a year and plays golf. That's an "adult" vacation while going to WDW is for children. On my wife's side she really doesn't have a whole lot of family we could invite. We have been down to WDW with friends before but they are also DVC members and go as often as we go, so it's not the same. And at the speed DS35 and DD30 are going regarding getting married and having children, it doesn't look like we'll ever have grandchildren to take. So in spite of all the problems, I wish we were in the situation as some of you all and able to invite family (even with the problems). I'd love to be in MK with about 10 family members around us having fun .

 

[LVSWL]

Thinking back, I believe we have only had ONE truly enjoyable trip with friends/family. That is taking into consideration from invitation through the end of the trip. All of our other trips just seemed to have so much stress/anxiety or problems involved no matter how hard we tried to be sure that things worked out.
We tried very hard to "explain" DVC to our friends..the time frame for booking, the points..etc. Still ended up eating a couple of days on both trips with the same couple on two trips when they decided to "come in later in the trip than planned". If we had known, we could have booked our trip differently. The time they were there was great, but the stress leading up to the trip, not knowing when they would show up, not wanting to cause hard feelings made us feel uncomfortable. Tried to keep it from happening the second trip but it happened again.
We took good friends at Easter this year for 8 days. Leading up to the trip, we were on the same page on everything it seemed, everyone so! excited. Once there, they complained a lot, didn't want to do much, but would'nt go anywhere without us, then left two days early!!! Would have loved to have known that ahead of time. We paid for a Friday and Saturday night at Easter in a two-bedroom with our points when we didn't need it!!! We were NOT happy about that. And then the wife had the nerve to write me a nasty letter after we got home. Needless to say they are off our list.
That being said, we always "dream" about taking friends, who love Disney as much as we do, but also are worried about "wasting" anymore of our precious vacation time with our kids tied up in drama.