Sharing Expenses

[disney junky]

Do you ever ask for help with the expenses if you take someone along to on your DVC vacations? Just curious. It does cost to own.

 

[Matty B13]

I would work out any cost to your friends and family long before you every plan a trip with them, make sure they know what the expected costs are.

My family isn't in a position to just give free rooms to people, so we charge our friends/family for the room, which is worked out before hand. I look at it, that since we "fronted" the money for DVC they get to enjoy the massive discount for a DVC room on us, and should help out with some cash for the room.

 

[Dracarys]

We just did a trip and brought both sets of grandparents along. We charged the maintenance cost for the points used to reserve their rooms. When we ate at restaurants, we paid so everyone got the DVC discount and they paid us back later.

This was our first trip booked with DVC points. I think as we become long term owners we may not care as much to be reimbursed by family. Friends we might still charge, but for us just recouping the maintenance cost is enough.

 

[cvjw]

We invite family and friends to join us every year using our dvc points. If we invite, we pay. We never expect compensation since we asked them to join us.

 

[quandrea]

If I invite friends, I pick up the room cost and the cost to fill the fridge. I enjoy doing it. My friends pay for their air and park passes. They also invariably cover the cost of a meal as a thank you. These friend trips are precious to me. Wonderful memories. I’m planning one for June 2020. Hope to do a grand villa for five nights!

 

[JETSDAD]

We invited family in December so we covered the room even though they offered to pay something...they covered the rest of their costs. If they were to ask to use our points that would be a different story but if I offer that's on me. The biggest thing is just being up front to set expectations before anyone commits to anything.

 

[skippytx]

Depends. We're going adults only next month and invited my BIL and his wife along with us. We're staying in the same size room as we would be if we traveled solo, so no charge for the room as I would be using the same amount of points with or without them. We go dutch for meals, and they'll split the Amazon Prime order with me. We get along great though and have vacationed together for over 10 years so no drama here.

When we travel with both of our families, I ask them to pay 10 dollars a point for the difference between the 1 bedroom we were already going to book, and the 2 bedroom unit we end up booking. I think that's totally fair. Last trip it was an extra 85 points, and they had no issues paying 850 bucks to share a 2 bedroom villa for 8 nights at BLT. If I rent points to family that take at trip we're not going on, I ask for 13.50 a point, about what what I would get from David's for them.

So yeah, if I have to use extra points, I ask them to kick in a bit. If I'm using the points regardless I don't.

 

[gillep]

I have not in the past, and can't imagine that I would in the future if we are all traveling together and staying in a single unit. If I am booking multiple units, it would depend on the circumstances. If someone asked to use our points on a trip without us they would definitely be paying for those points, although I am not sure I am nice enough of a person to use my points in that way. When we took my mom and her husband, and all stayed together in a one bedroom, they did pay for all of our meals while there, so that was quite nice.

 

[AdamsMum]

Do you ever ask for help with the expenses if you take someone along to on your DVC vacations? Just curious. It does cost to own.

I do, my family and friends know that I can't foot the bill for their hotel. If I offer or they ask to use or accompany me on a DVC trip, I discuss the maintenance fees. I only ask them to pay for the actual maintenance fee cost for the points they use, or split the cost with me. They're okay with that. My kids, that's different, mom always foots the bill. Actually for a lot more than the fees, but now that they are grown, I'm just happy to have the time to spend with them.

 

[LYSE]

I'll rent them the points cheap...but I have to cover my cost per point per year + conservative opportunity cost.

 

[craigkerstiens]

A common theme throughout the thread seems to be a bit of we can afford it so we're happy to pay, or we can't just pay for others so we ask them to. If you're in a position to cover it for others then it is entirely up to you. Likewise whomever is coming along may be perfectly in a position to contribute. We've done both for friends/family all depending on the situation. Of course we have them cover their tickets/food regardless, and then for the room we often have them split the dues equivalent for the points we use on that trip.

 

[Dean]

Do you ever ask for help with the expenses if you take someone along to on your DVC vacations? Just curious. It does cost to own.

No, but I do expect them to cover their own expenses (dining, travel, tickets, etc) other than sometimes for the kids and grandkids. What's reasonable depends. If someone called and asked to use my timeshare I'd expect them to cover my real expenses as a minimum, after that it would depend on specifics. That said, it's not unreasonable to do so but I've found that people often don't understand about timeshares and I've seen instances of very reasonable numbers that were asked of traveling companions where the companions though they were being ripped off because they saw the timeshare as free to the individual. In part it depends on how you got there, what you can afford and the like. Realize that with vacations, esp Disney, the worst tends to come out in people. So if someone is crazy or a problem normally, they'll likely be a problem or crazy on steroids where Disney is concerned.

 

[crisi]

If we invite we cover the cost of the room. The costs of everything else is "it depends." When we brought my daughter's friend in high school, we picked up everything - she brought some money for souvenirs. But generally, adults pick up their own park tickets and meals and airfare - and - like others - generally buy a meal for us as a thank you for the room - or sometimes stock the fridge.

 

[keaster]

When we go with friends we cover the room cost with our points. We split the cost for groceries for the room but when eating out each pay for our own meals. Also each pay for our own park tickets, flights.

When our daughter brought a friend one year we asked her parents to pay for her plane ticket and park ticket, we picked up the cost of food and room!

 

[tb1972]

Same as Crisi. We have taken high schoolers with us mostly at our invitation. We cover the room, stock the fridge and pay for any table service meals we eat together. They're on their own for air fare, park tickets, souvenirs and any quick service meals they eat in the parks without us around.

Once we took a child as a favor to a neighbor who was taking her other child on a senior class trip during Spring Break. The younger child was a friend or my DD's so we agreed to take her along with us on Spring Break last year because she had nowhere to go and couldn't stay home alone for a week.

 

[cmwade77]

Usually for us, if we bring someone it is a cast member and they get us into the parks. I wouldn't feel right asking them to pay money for the room. If we get the dining plan, they do pay their share of that of course and pay their own airfare.

The other thing we sometimes do is bring my parents and siblings, but I am not going to charge them either.

 

[com_op_2000]

We have never charged for a room for family or friends. We have even given away stays as Christmas gifts.
When we bought in we knew that we would be doing this so that we can enjoy their enjoyment of a DVC stay without worrying about room cost.

 

[kniquy]

Do you ever ask for help with the expenses if you take someone along to on your DVC vacations? Just curious. It does cost to own.

Absolutely and anyone you are taking should know that you have yearly fees associated with owning. A good way to let them know they are getting a great deal would be to give them the price it would cost going through a rental company and then just let them know how much per point you are charging them. Everything in black and white.

When we took my in laws - we needed to get 2 Poly studios for 3 nights and then a 2 BR at Kidani - if it were just my family of 5 we could have just gotten one poly studio and a 1BR at Kidani- so I figured out the difference in points and charged my inlaws for the cost of points based on the MF - it came to about $500 - so we just asked them to book the HEA dessert party for our party of 7. They paid for a few dinners so we felt all was fair.

 

[jbh275]

I do, but I usually offer it as an set price. Hey, I can get you a discount on the room if you want to some with us. I usually charge $10 per point for friends which is between $180-250 per night. I try not to get too involved with explaining the points, they could care less.

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

We take my SIL & her family every two years. We cover the whole cost of the room, the kid's park tickets, and kid's plane tickets. SIL/BIL cover all their own costs and also the kid's food. We love having them there and it would be cost prohibitive for them to come as often as they do.

Invited my brother on our F&W trip this year and covered the room as well (he took the pullout in a studio). Due to his UNBEARABLE snoring next time he covers the point difference of a studio and 1BR