When family & friends are not supportive or "don't get it" about DVC

Jenniebee

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 1, 2019
Hi - So I have been considering DVC for like 4 years seriously, doing research, learning all about it. But even before that I was always peripherally interested in it like since it was introduced! I am now finally taking the leap and doing this. I thought my extended family (parents/siblings) would be happy like I envisioned us all going together. This is something I want to have for myself and my kids, yes, but also to share, my kids and my sisters kids together on a family vacation, etc. But they are kind of pointing out downsides and reasons to not do it. It's kind of bursting my bubble.

Here are some of the things being said:

-"If you can afford to do this, why not take that money and put it in a savings account?"
-"Do you really want to keep going to Disney every year?" (eye roll) or "Don't you want to go anywhere other than Florida?"
-Regarding resale: "Are you sure it's not a scam? My friend bought a timeshare once and it was a scam/not real"
-"Who will you go with once your kids don't want to go with you anymore?" (I am a single mom)

There is more but this is the highlights.

I thought I would be like let's get a 2 bed villa and we can all go! But this reaction is like uhhhh a bummer...
 
ugh. I feel for you. DH‘S family is like that..the eye rolls and everything! We invited them all to come with us and got a GV. Their comment as we were in Epcot was ”if you want to go to Italy, why don’t you go to Italy...”.

Bottom line is you are owning for you and you should do what’s right for you. My side of the family bicker over who gets to come with us so that’s not much better..lol!
 
Congratulations!
I am a single mom too, and my kids have grown up. I've travelled with family and with friends, and solo. I have two solo trips under my belt, and I had a wonderful time on both trips.

You invited your family to go to a fantastic resort, for much less than the cost of paying direct, they blew you off. Their loss. Trust me you don't want to be at disney with anyone who isn't into it.

My kids still love Disney, but there are more restrictions on when we can be there together due to them working (so grateful). I'm meeting my son at BWV in Feb 2020.

Your family will get over it. Instead of saying "Disney again?", They now say so when are you going to Disney this year?

Enjoy!
 
Frankly, we didn't ask anyone's opinion when we bought. It's not a secret, but in my case we have family that has trouble staying within relational boundaries, so we made it clear that this was ours to do with as we please. I see that maybe some of them have a real concern you're being scammed, but maybe after you have it for a few years they'll understand you weren't taken advantage of.
 


Frankly, we didn't ask anyone's opinion when we bought. It's not a secret, but in my case we have family that has trouble staying within relational boundaries, so we made it clear that this was ours to do with as we please.

Yeah I mean I am doing it either way... LOL. But I didn't want to be like I am hoarding it! So many people on message boards say they do extended family trips and how enjoyable it is. My niece has never even been to Disney and my sis has said she wishes they could go but have trouble affording it. I saw it like if I had DVC they could stay with us and it would cut down on their cost.

I sent her a video of a 1-bed villa walkthrough and she was like - so much space - what do you need all that space for? What's wrong with a regular hotel room? I was like oooookay....

To each their own I guess... can't say I didn't offer!
 
Yeah I mean I am doing it either way... LOL. But I didn't want to be like I am hoarding it! So many people on message boards say they do extended family trips and how enjoyable it is. My niece has never even been to Disney and my sis has said she wishes they could go but have trouble affording it. I saw it like if I had DVC they could stay with us and it would cut down on their cost.

I sent her a video of a 1-bed villa walkthrough and she was like - so much space - what do you need all that space for? What's wrong with a regular hotel room? I was like oooookay....

To each their own I guess... can't say I didn't offer!

Oh I think you were being extremely kind and generous! I just shake my head at people sometimes.
 
My family is that way. DH's, luckily, is not and SIL also owns DVC so we do many trips with his side. I have dragged my mom to WDW and she makes all kinds of negative comments the whole time. Last time was May 2017 and the Xmas before we were sitting around talking and my bro said something like 'hey ma, you excited for the Disney trip?' and had this smirk on his face. And my mom replied 'Oh yeah, big whup...don't think so'. I was mortified. Like I knew she wasn't a big fan of Disney but I was paying and it was a just girls trip with my twin DDs who were graduating HS (and their friend). That was the LAST trip to WDW for her. She does enjoy the DVC HHI resort so we do go there. Took her this past August. I did learn that us 2 in a studio doesn't work so next time she comes to HHI I will get a larger room type (where we sleep in different rooms and have our own TVs). IF she comes again. We'll see.

But I do get lots of negative responses about owning DVC and going a couple times a year. I get the 'again...why don't you go other places?'....and from folks who go to same beach house every summer. Like it's the same thing. They don't get it. What I tell them is this...we started with little kids who loved the magic. Then as they got older, and knew the property and could come/go on their own while DH and I did our thing, we were all happy. The tween/teen years they could sleep in, get on bus and go when and where they wanted. DH and I could stroll world showcase with drinks in hand and the kids would run off to Test Track or head off to Typhoon Lagoon or whatever. If kids wanted QS and DH and I wanted TS...we could do what we all wanted. ANd we felt safe letting them loose at WDW. Now as 20-somethings they enjoy similar things that DH and I enjoy. Though they still sleep in late and stay out late (DH and I are usually in bed by 10-11pm...LOL).

And once the kids schedules got to be where they couldn't go as easily (HS and college) DH and I started going sans kids sometimes (mostly for F&W). We enjoy it. Though the mouse is making adulting at WDW tougher and tougher (made our fave signature, AP, into character meal...made our lovely Maelstrom into Frozen garbage....made Mizner's Lounge into photo op, Enchanted Rose kiddie bar...making Epcot into play land...). Maybe, OP, you can find a friend who will enjoy a F&W trip with you. Or F&G. I'd soooo go as ladies only trip. My girls trip with my mom was during F&G (though she had ZERO interest in F&G so I think I was able to hit up ONE booth).

Go for it and enjoy. Ignore the nay sayers. You will find folks who love it too. (In full disclosure my love is waning and we are cutting back but we did just have 4 WDW and 4 HHI trips in past 12 months. Crazy a lot and too much so we need a break).
 


Welcome to the world where everyone has an opinion as to how someone else should spend their own money.

-"If you can afford to do this, why not take that money and put it in a savings account?"
I say this to everyone who buys a new car. I am 47 years old and have not spent the cost of a new car in total on all the cars I have had in life! But thats just me, I dont see the point to it.
(by the way - a savings account doesnt even keep up with inflation, so technically you are losing money there)

-"Do you really want to keep going to Disney every year?" (eye roll) or "Don't you want to go anywhere other than Florida?"
Isn't that your choice? (although this may be the one semi-valid point)

-Regarding resale: "Are you sure it's not a scam? My friend bought a timeshare once and it was a scam/not real"
It's not. They reputable companies are legit. (I would not buy it on ebay) While I would not expect this to continue. contracts have been appreciating. My 2 can be sold for a profit. My sister bought BLT resale about 5 years ago at 98 a point - check out that value of a 200 pointer now...

-"Who will you go with once your kids don't want to go with you anymore?" (I am a single mom)
A. Sell it
B. Still go - next time you are there look at how many people are there without children. Disney killed the slow season by appealing to couples more.
 
-"If you can afford to do this, why not take that money and put it in a savings account?"

To this I wonder do they mean I should not take vacations at all? Because this is money that is earmarked for vacations, and I go somewhere every year. So I get the warning, but I am going to go on vacation. We go to Disney every other year at least and on the off year last year I went to Universal... LOL.
 
Do what is right for you and your kids....never mind what others say. If you have done your research and know all the pros and cons, got for it!
 
Sadly the timeshare industry (many fully legit) and its spin-off industries (the scams) have earned a horrible reputation. It is not inappropriate to view timeshare, as a whole, with stink-eye. Likely some of the comments coming from family are intended as well-meaning words of caution. Take them as that and just say, "Thank you."

FWIW, we phoned my parents the day before we took a scheduled tour of a particular timeshare club (not DVC) some 20 years ago. We said, "We've done our research; we are taking the formal tour and intend to purchase if our questions are satisfied." Low and behold their reply was a shocker! From my Mom, "That is great to hear! We purchased that same timeshare last year and never told anyone about it. If you guys like it, having done your research, it must be great. Can't wait to learn more from you ..." LOL ... they never told anyone?

We took many grand adventures with our timeshares as multi-household family gatherings. Timeshare is a super way to host family and friends, share time and space w/out having to clean the house or redo one's landscaping. Hip Hip Hoorah for "good" timeshare.
 
Part of it comes from the classic negative connotations of a timeshare. Until we bought in 1992, I never would've dreamed of owning a timeshare...high pressure sales, offers of fabulous free gifts for attending a presentation, worthless resales...those were the norms for most timeshares...and they still happen today. Of course, saving your money aspect could also apply to people that bu new cars every two years, people that smoke (yes, you are literally burning up your money), drink heavily, and so forth. Everyone has the right to spend their disposable income any way they wish. For now, I enjoy Disney, as I have for 60 years, and that is how I chose to spend my money. You can spend yours any way you wish.
 
I still get some of the same types of comments when I say I have a Disney trip planned. People can’t believe that I am okay with just going there.

But, it truly is a place that makes me happy. While I have done other trips, and they were all enjoyable, I just tell people that if I have to choose, then Disney is where that will be.

I just completed my first solo trip in August. Some in my family, including my DH, were worried that I’d be bored. Nope! It was a fantastic trip!

Once you are an owner, I am sure family trips will happen. I have taken some with extended family and it was so fun. However, I offer yearly to them to go again, if they want, but haven't opted back for many reasons, and one of them is that they just don’t see Disney the way I do!

Enjoy your purchase and I can promise that whether with your kids only or with others, that magic feeling when you walk into MK will make those comments disappear!
 
Timeshare is a tricky thing; it takes a lot of learning to understand why you'd ever want one because the reputation of the industry is so poor. And, a few of those questions are good ones. In particular, the real value of owning DVC is using it on the WDW resorts, and to a lesser extent GCV, and that really does mean going to Orlando and Disney every other year at least. That might not be everyone's cup of tea, but that's okay if it is your cup of tea!

The other hard part about timesharing is that you plan so far in advance. We just booked our Christmas and New Years weeks on Kauai a few days ago...for 2020, so 14 months prior! We wanted upper floor ocean front, and there aren't that many of those. Most people who aren't used to that are simply unable to wrap their heads around it and either won't commit to going or will commit but then back out. So, if you book a 2BR and invite folks, be prepared for the possibility that it will be just you and yours in that unit.

As someone who made many solo trips to WDW, don't worry about people wondering who you'd go with.
 
I want to be careful and not be overly critical of your family or the family of other folks that responded to your post.

I have no idea at all why people go to NASCAR events but enormous numbers of fans do. I don't know why people go to every college football home game (for years) but they do. I don't know why people go deer hunting every year or duck hunting (up before dawn, freezing, and then you have to deal with what you shoot). There are lots of diversions and lots of people and I am so grateful that folks can find the thing that makes them smile.

For me and my family Disney is an escape, a harmless (though sometimes expensive) escape. It's our "favorite show" and it changes all the time. We love it. If others don't . . . well then good there's more for us.

See ya in line for Peter Pan (unless I have a FastPass). :)
 
I think it’s great that you have such a good relationship with your family that they feel they can ask you these type of questions. If they didn’t care they wouldn’t say anything.
 
do what you want who cares. it's ur life. i didn't even tell anyone but my parents when we bought. i don't even think all my family even knows i have it. they might think we pay cash. i don't really put anything out thee with my cousin's and my wife's family. we only take my parent's with us or my wife's sister with her kid and husband. that's it. we travel with friends for our trips also.

i would do what you want. i feel family asks those kinds of questions when they want to push your buttons. eye rolls equal they don't care in my opinion. the whole do you want to go to florida every year thing is lame and old. whenever someone asks me that i say why do you go to "x" every year? beach, out of the country, golf trips. . . whatever.

my parents only asked one question. do you have the cash for it right now in full and will it hinder your lifestyle negatively cause you used said cash for a luxury purchase. if so they said we shouldn't do it. and i know that's coming from them caring. they say that to us for every larger purchase that is not something you really need cause they don't want to ever see us struggling afterwards.
 
I want to be careful and not be overly critical of your family or the family of other folks that responded to your post.

I have no idea at all why people go to NASCAR events but enormous numbers of fans do. I don't know why people go to every college football home game (for years) but they do. I don't know why people go deer hunting every year or duck hunting (up before dawn, freezing, and then you have to deal with what you shoot). There are lots of diversions and lots of people and I am so grateful that folks can find the thing that makes them smile.

For me and my family Disney is an escape, a harmless (though sometimes expensive) escape. It's our "favorite show" and it changes all the time. We love it. If others don't . . . well then good there's more for us.

See ya in line for Peter Pan (unless I have a FastPass). :)

If you think people watching at Disney is fun, you should try a NASCAR race. :)
 
I don’t understand why you care what they think. The only person who gets a vote on how I spend money is my husband. I haven’t included any extended relatives in any financial decisions since I was about 20 yrs old.
 

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