When people come with you...

[N&B'smom]

LOL We knew we'd be going back to WDW next year, my parents wanted to come too. We said fine. But they do not want to come for free, they expect to pay a portion. They then mentioned this trip to other family members who were upset they were not included, they are now coming as well. It's a long story but that's the Reader's Digest Condensed Version. lol It is NO hardship at all having my parents with us, we all get along wonderfully. BUT that being said, we're looking to offset some of the costs of what we had to pay out earlier this Spring. We haven't even gone on a single trip using points yet. I do not think it's horrible to have my parents chip in for something!

Shelby

 

[shelleyz]

I dont feel so bad now for wanting to charge my MIL $5 a point for a studio. Heres the situation. I was saying how I wanted to go in February when my DS6 has February vacation the week starting on Presidents Day, and she invited herself to go with her husband and 2 of her granddaughters. She did not invite herself to use our points though, she will stay at Pop Century. It will be about $650 at Pop Century but I was going to tell her I would get her a studio at SSR where we are staying,which is 65 points and she could pay me $5 a point. It would save her $325 which I know she could use for the rest of the trip. I am going without DH, with our 2 sons and a neice so it would be nice to have them closer to us also. Us at SSR and them at Pop Century would kinda be a pain.

Edited to add: Thats if there are any studios left that week. I already have mine booked.

 

[CherCrazy]

LOL We knew we'd be going back to WDW next year, my parents wanted to come too. We said fine. But they do not want to come for free, they expect to pay a portion. Shelby

It sounds like you are on the right track and are trying to work out a fair price for them.

Good luck with trying to ditch the other 30 people they invited!!

 

[Mouse Ears]

I think a lot of it depends on family circumstances. I invited my parents to join us last year (our second trip) because I really wanted my kids to have the special time with them. They have limited resources and really had little desire to go to WDW and would never have done it on their own. But since I covered their room, flights and passes, they couldn't refuse. They bought the kids some souvenirs, helped with food and snacks, and let my wife and I go out alone for an evening.

It was a great trip that was worth every penny I invested (and hurricane Jeanne certainly made it extra memorable).

For our next trip, we invited my wife's parents. This time, we have offered only room since they are very eager to go and have the means to cover the rest.

Now, if family ever tries to invite themselves, I'll gladly help them find some rental points!

 

[JR]

I would put them in the second bedroom and charge them nothing.

JR

 

[goofy4tink]

I"m looking at just this issue for '06. I'm traveling with my dd and another mom and her dd. We will be staying at BWV in a 2 bdrm villa. Dd and I will take the master and the other two will get the 2nd (studio) bedroom. I have no issue with treating them. However, this other mom has no problem dropping $3000 for deluxe accomodations. And she has told me repeatedly that she is going to pay for her share of the room. So, whether I like it or not, I have figured it this way. A studio would be 71 pts...$10 a pt....$700. I have mentioned a figure in this neighborhood and she has not been too happy about it...says she knows it costs a lot more than that. Well, of course it does...about $320 a night for a studio, but there is no way that I am charging my friend $1600!!! So, we will probably come up with something in between. I would say she can buy the food but I'll be using my DDE card. Why do friends make it so hard to be nice to them!!!!

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) It is not that hard to charge parents.
2) The calculation is somewhat straight forward.
3) Just use the following formulae, and just total the amount
. . . number of boyfriends/girlfriends scared away (x) $1
. . . number of one-week groundings for staying out too late (x) $2
. . . number of bad meatloafs (x) 50¢
. . . number of times they embarrassed you in front of friends (x) $1
. . . number of times they brought out the nude baby pictures (x) $3


NOTE: If total exceeds the net worth of both parents, subtract 50%.

 

[dianeschlicht]

LOL, Rusty Scupper!

Then for all the times Mom kissed a hurt, subtract $1
For all the times Dad payed for your movie subtract$1
For all the times Dad gave you the keys to HIS car when he really wanted to use it himself, but he thought you would be safer than in yours, Subtract $5.
For all the times you got a hug or a kiss, subtract 50 cents.
For all the times Mom slipped you some extra money, subtract $1...
Looks like we're even now.

 

[jiggerj]

1) It is not that hard to charge parents.
2) The calculation is somewhat straight forward.
3) Just use the following formulae, and just total the amount
. . . number of boyfriends/girlfriends scared away (x) $1
. . . number of one-week groundings for staying out too late (x) $2
. . . number of bad meatloafs (x) 50¢
. . . number of times they embarrassed you in front of friends (x) $1
. . . number of times they brought out the nude baby pictures (x) $3


NOTE: If total exceeds the net worth of both parents, subtract 50%.

LOL!!!

my 2 cents- I would not and will not charge my parents. MIL is another story .When dear MIL "tells" me that there is just not enough room for my 2 dd's to go (not her grandkids) and that they go enough anyways("they can stay home") I decided I would not charge her for any points because she will not be joining us. My points, my kids, my decision. (sorry if I sounded mean but you had to be there and the expression on my dd's face was enough)

 

[jaime washburn]

move forward with no guilt!!
Letting them pay rack rate while you are a member and have the ability to get more reasonable rate for them wouldnt have been nice, but you saved them $$$. I say it is great!!, Charge your cost and dont look back.
You did something nice, You are right, if it wasn't financed then it could be looked at differently, but it is not like you are making a profit.

I would do the same thing for my parents. Hey in ten years when I actually own it, then maybe it will be free, but till then, look at is an ability to give your family a great discount. That is what it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mark&sue]

We bought more points than we needed so we could take friends with us.

We are taking two families with us next year. I have not asked for money but I would not mind if they gave me a few bottles of vodka while we are away!!!!

Mind you the price of the flights from UK during school holidays times is $3,717 per family!!! It goes down by three times out of school times.

I would love my parents to come to WDW but they won't fly now they are in their 70s and like someone else said there is no way I would go with my in-laws!!!!!

Hope you enjoy your holiday so much as it is really nice to see your loved ones enjoy the pleasures of Disney.



Susan

 

[RichieGraciemom]

we are going with my sister on a trip planned for two years, and then we decided to buy into dvc. We charged her 600 dollars for one week in a studio. thought that was fair and wanted to cover only the major part of our dues for the remained of the year half of next. thought there would be discount codes and averaged out what it would of cost her and us at a mod for those seven nights with a code. cant wait to go and would have brougth her for free but did not want to start that.

 

[Mary2816]

Charging your parents just doesn't seem like the right thing to do...sorry.

 

[TriMom]

I guess that I am in the "bad child" camp. I charged my Mom and Sis. This is our story. There was a total of 7 going and we had decided that we were going to stay in a DVC 2 BR. We first looked at rack rates... way to high. Then we deicided to rent. About $3000 for our stay. We divided that between the 3 families going. DH and I realized that $3000 would go along way toward buying our own points. LOL! So we kept the plan to split the vacation costs, bought our own points, and used the rental money towards paying cash for the points. I didn't feel bad at all because we originally talked about splitting hotel costs.

 

[southtown]

That is exactly what we are doing with friends of ours that are joining us next year. They are not subsidizing my vacation at all and they are getting a great rate. I rented points for them at $10/pt and I am only requiring them to get the points needed to upgrade from a 1BR to a 2BR. It's a pretty sweet deal for them and I am happy that they are joining us.

This is what we did when some friends came with us. They only paid $80/night as that was the difference between a 1br and a 2br. If you think about it they got IMO a better then deluxe room for value price. I made the deal with my friend at work and he paid me right away and had no problem paying it as he knew he was getting a great deal. He told me during the vacation that his wife asked what they paid us and when he told her he said she was suprised they didnt pay more. They were very happy and there were no complaints from them and they actually cant wait to do it again.
I think its a win/win situation when you can have good friends come along and you can cut them a good deal and it helps offset some of your trip cost. You have to think you just spend thousands for this and you shouldnt feel guilty for asking for a little in return. Is it really fair for the other people to expect a free room(and a great one at that) for nothing?
But now that I think of it family is different. I would hope/think that they would know they are getting hooked up and would be willing to do something whether its money or meals or something for there stay. I know my family would but from what I have read on some of these boards not all families are like mine.

 

[JCW]

N & B's mom - Thanks for understanding. Once our DVC is paid for, then I would never dream of charging my parents. But right now, it's just not possible.

I wonder if charging our parents will put us on DVC's 'bad member list'

TheRustyScrapper -

Add to your list $3 x # of times you were made to eat liver for dinner (because they "love liver")

 

[DVC-Don]

Kinda like inviting the parents to your lake house and then charging them the going rate in the area for a hotel room cause you have a mortgage on it.

 

[JCW]

"Kinda like inviting the parents to your lake house and then charging them the going rate in the area for a hotel room cause you have a mortgage on it." -DVC Don

+++++

You say tomato, I say tomatto...

that's what makes this world such a wonderful place to be.

 

[TDC Nala]

I charge $20 a night to anyone who stays with me except for my parents, and my brother and his family. And it isn't to help pay for the DVC, but to help pay for maintenance dues.

If I stay with friends who are DVC members, we split the points and do transfers.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

I don't know, it all depends on the situation. If I invite them, they pay nothing and I expect nothing. But if they say hey can we come, and I had no intentions of getting a larger unit, well then they would definately help pay the difference.

We have a 2 bedroom for New Years, we invited my parents, they said no, so I offered my inlaws the space for 2 nights as a Christmas present, 2 nights over New Years, with the kids, plus birthday celebration for my son at Hoop Dee Doo. Now my parents decided, gee maybe we do want to go. We could squeese them in, that would be 8 in a 2 bedroom, not my idea of vacation. so I said your welcome to join us, but I am out of points, try to get a room, or I will try with my DVC discount. Sounds harsh, but they should have taken me up the first time!!! Plus why should we be crammed!