DVC with friends

[Kim Gillihan]

we are packing to leave thursday for our first trip! So exciting, our friends, family of 4 are staying with us at AKV in 2 bedroom. I invited them to join us, that was a lot of the reason I wanted to buy dvc. Its her kids and husbands first time. I have an only child, so its a win win for us to vacation with friends. I can see her offering me money or to buy dinner etc.. but I am fine if she doesnt as well. I meant it as a gift. Everyone is different.

 

[rocketriter]

When you are staying with friends on your points do you take them as guests or do you split the cost (pp as it were)?

Different groups need different solutions. When my wife, kids, and I traveled to WDW with her brother and his husband, we provided the room in a BCV 2-bedroom. Plane transportation from the west coast was their own responsibility, and we took turns paying for meals. Buying their own air tickets guaranteed that they would take our dates seriously; we've read stories of folks who have relatives who try to change the schedule long after points are committed. Letting them join us on our room points was our gift to them, and it was much appreciated.

 

[DizBub]

We take our adult kids, their spouses and grandkids every year so we need a 2 bedroom. We provide the room and they pay for their own food, tickets and transportation if they fly.

The only time we ever took money was one year we had to move the trip from early June to late June resulting in needing exactly 24 more points. My daughter felt so bad that she offered to pay for the OTU points so I didn't have to borrow and I let her. Then she decided that they wanted to stay 8 nights instead of 7 so she paid to rent 48 extra points from another member.

 

[Meriweather]

BFF and I go somewhere every year for a birthday celebration. We split costs.
WDW is the same. She pays maintenance fees on the points used and all her own expenses.

When it is the kids and their families, we supply the room and they pay their other expenses

 

[starry_solo]

What are VIP day passes?

 

[DeeCee735]

We don't ask for compensation of any kind when we invite guests to either of our timeshares. If we rent one car between us we split the cost .We go Dutch on meals as
well .If our guests pick up a dinner one night, we pick up the next . It's just the way we prefer it. With our DVC and Marriott, they're our home away from home and we figure we'd be going with or without guests, so it's just the way we are happy doing things .

Whatever works for you is the way it works for you, there's no specific procedure .Enjoy your trip and your guests!

 

[DeeCee735]

No charge for rooms, I let them pay for our airfare and rental car and a few meals...

Just kidding, if I ask them to come, no money changes hands. I provide the room, they pick up their travel, food and passes. Usually they will pay for a dinner or 2 for us.

 

[John-DVC]

Is VIP passes the VIP tour? If so those are pretty pricey. Might be a good break even thing to do.

Ive charged exactly the maintenance fee in the past and also no charge. Personally I do not round up on the /point but may round up or down on the total owed number.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I agree with others that it depends on how the trip came about and everyone’s financial situation involved.

My sister and I co-own our contract. I think because we’re on the younger side, our friends expect to contribute to the room cost. We don’t charge family members, but do split points at cost ($10) when friends come along (particularly because we then book two rooms or a 2BR).

 

[bumbershoot]

When you are staying with friends on your points do you take them as guests or do you split the cost (pp as it were)?

So far I've traveled with extended family and with a dear friend. I haven't asked for any money. First trip with family they covered one character meal for the family. Other trips with them if we have a kitchen cousin's husband takes part in making breakfast for everyone. I think my friend covered a meal for me (but I still owe her a decent amount of money from the 90s that she has forgiven but I have not, so I still feel like I'm paying her back slowly). I try to not wish family would do more.

Just how we do it.

 

[PaintsWithAllTheColors]

We’re going with friends in May. We are a young couple (23) and that means a lot of our friends aren’t yet married like us or even in serious relationships. Two single girlfriends are joining us and in order to comfortably stay together, we had to spring for a 1-bedroom. What we did is ask them to chip in $50/night. They had no issues whatsoever and found it a way better option than staying offsite and having to rent a car!

Now, we also have a brother/sister-in-law with two kids who will probably never be able to afford a WDW trip, though it would be a dream come true for them. We’ve already told them that if they ever are in a position to pay for tickets and food, we would love to provide a room for them. I think it completely depends on your situation and relationships with the guests. Genorosity is an incredible thing and no matter what, you’re helping them experience something they might not have otherwise

 

[keaster]

Same as many above, when we take friends we don't ask for any money for the room. Then we each pay for our own stuff (food, tickets, etc.)

 

[quandrea]

Like many others—it depends. My best friend and her two girls joined us in 2015. I paid for the 2br villa, the girls’ park hopper passes and all the meals/groceries in the villa. My friend treated us to lunch one day, paid airfare and for her pass. I was happy to do it. I love her girls like my own and she is a sister to me. That may have been their only trip ever.

In January, dd’s best friend and her mom came. The mom paid the equivalent of a studio rental rate ($14 per point, Canadian). They handled all costs themselves. This was more of a “we are on holiday together” rather than “they are travelling as our guests.”

Last October, another close friend joined us for a few days. She had her own studio. She rented from us at the above rate. Still an amazing deal on the room.

My best friend’s older daughter may come again in August. I’ll cover the villa, all meals both in and out of the room and the park hopper option on her pass. She’ll pay for her Air and base pass. She is older now and saving up for the trip.

 

[Sleepy425]

When it is my parents or sister, we ask for nothing for the room. Of course my parents always end up bringing gift cards and putting them towards our charges, since I often pay for meals in order to get the discounts (if I book anything that requires prepayment before the trip, I never ask them for the money. My parents do a lot for us, so we are happy to pay for some special meals or experiences). My dad always over estimates by quite a bit and ends up paying more than their share of meals, so I feel that it more than works out for all of us.
We brought my FIL for a once in a lifetime trip (he is disabled and the two nights away from home took a lot out of him physically) and paid for all his flights, food, everything. We just wanted him to have the experience with the kids. We asked for nothing from him, but he insisted on giving us a very substantial amount of money to put towards the trip for the kids to have fun with.
When friends came down with us in Sept, we didn't have enough points for the whole trip so they paid for the Ft Wilderness Cabins the first two nights. They are military, so they got great rates on them. They also got us discounted military tickets for our daughters, we paid for them but it saved us $400+(our girls didn't have annual passes since they weren't three the prior trip). In all I felt like it was pretty fair - they used us for our DVC and annual pass discounts, we used them for their military discounts, and we all had a great trip.
We have to book a 2BR for our family of 6, so for now it isn't a big deal to have others come along and use the lock off. When the kids are older and want more privacy, I can see us asking for help financially if friends want to come and we need to spring for a grand villa. But my parents and sister will always get a free ride. They save money all the time helping out with kids.

 

[DeeCee735]

My sister and her teenage daughter have always wanted to go to Disney. I have offered every year for years to bring them, room on me with our points. My husband doesn't go as often as I do and the long weekends where he doesn't join me have always been with family or friends, so it was a great surprise when my sister finally said yes! I get the room with the points, she pays for their flights and tickets and we split our meals.

They have joined me twice now, and we are hoping to do it again in the fall. This time I think I'll buy my niece the park ticket for her 18th birthday/high school graduation. My sister tells me all the time she'd probably never have gotten there if she had to rent the room as well. I LOVE being able to share my DVC with my family and friends and my husband and I both feel what's the sense in owning it if we can't share it...sharing it just makes it all the better for us as well.....

 

[Paticake]

We have travelled with friends and family many times and it is always out treat. That being said we certainly appreciate a meal or 2 for this consideration. A couple we travel with often pays for groceries and several meals. They are avid WDW vacationers and know the value they are getting.

 

[.landry]

This is a pretty particular situation. we didn't invite them. They have been before and we thought doing a trip together with the kids would be fun. There is no planet where they would allow us to cover the room, regardless. The way we look at this is as if it were a hotel on vacation. If it were a friend or family member and different financial situation we would make an entirely different choice.
My question was really about how other people handle it and its been interesting to hear it. Im pretty comfortable with our choice around this.

 

[tidefan]

Also, be careful on traveling with friends. Disney trips can put a lot of stress on all parties if you don't have shared expectations up front, especially if one group is a keep-to-the-schedule type and the other is go-with-the-flow...

 

[Ddaba1]

We have DVC and when we bring guests we don't ask for money for the room. That's just how we work it, though. We only expect them to pay their food and ticket costs.

Next year will be our first year having people with us. We are doing exactly what you said. My DD is having two friends coming with us and we also have a family of four joining us. We did not ask for any money for the room but they have to pay for tickets and food.

 

[SomDayMyPrnceWillCom]

My daughter is the actual owner of the DVC but I do pretty much all the planning for any trips. She didn't want to go and gave me points to use for my b-day/Easter week/Spring break so it was just going to be my son and me. I wanted another adult to go as well so one of my friends who has never been to WDW said she'd go. She's paid for her ticket and will pay for her food. That's the only thing I'm expecting. If she offers to pay anything else while we are traveling or when we get there, that'll be a bonus but I'm prepared to cover all of my expenses either way. Since my son is 4 and not tall enough to ride all rides, we'll be child swapping some and I just appreciate having another person on the trip with me. I can't decide if I'm more excited to go for my birthday this year or the fact that I'm taking her on her first trip and excited for her. Either way, we're going to Disney!