Does your family think your nuts?

[UrsulaDave]

I just bought into DVC about 2 months ago (my first trip home is in January). I saw my family last weekend and my mother went around telling everyone I had bought this fabulous condo right in Disney World!

It took me a while to explain the wonders of DVC... I hope she gets it now!

But, yes, my family thinks I'm crazy!

-- Dave

 

[RLRDA]

There are peole who rent a beach house for a week every year or go to Aruba every year or what have you. Our family just happens to go to WDW every year. For us, plane fare is a consideration, if we lived closer we'd probably visit more often. Even at one trip per year I think my family thinks we're crazy to some extent. They're of the mindset that Disney is someplace you visit once just to say you've gone/taken your kids. As a child I went once....since I've been married and had kids we've been 5 times (my oldest DS has been 5 times). I'm glad my DH and I look at WDW in a similar way. We really aren't bothered by anyone else's opinion.

 

[BroganMc]

Just to be official here, BroganMc is a she.

O.K., this just proves my point. Take the kids and for Pete's sake...leave the sister at home. It wasn't the kids fault that her sister took 1 1/2 hours to get coffee. Ultimately, its not our business.

See the sweetest revenge is to rant about your travel companions online. Especially where they don't frequent. No backtalk.

My sister did improve. And I realized just how differently I vacation as a DVC member and AP holder. Imagine going to Magic Kingdom just to sit in Cinderella's rose garden and eat lunch.

Now I'd love to take all my nieces and nephews to Disney. Trouble is their parents. They have this wacky idea that their kids should always be in school and never be allowed to travel without them. So either I take the whole family at the busier times of year or send a postcard. I just can't reconcile myself to a summer Disney trip.

My dad and I bring other folks instead. Last December was a friend who never goes anywhere. And this New Year's it will be my landscaper cousin.

The best thing I think is to take some Disney fanatics. There's an intriguing scavenger hunt posted on the Theme Park & Strategies board. Someone did it up for a group of adult Disney fanatics. That's what I'd like to try. Goodness, I've yet to find Hidden Mickeys everywhere or do backstage tours.

 

[cman]

Well..... We're 6 weeks away from our Christmas at Disney vacation with 16 family members. This will be our 4th trip with the same group. We're a family of 4, then my parents, my in-laws, my only brother, my wifes only sister, her family and in-laws. That's it. Really, it's the only family I really care about.

I do the planning and everyone comes along and wouldn't miss it for the world. Our best vacations in our lives have been together at Disney.

Even the people I work with have come to understand that vacations are a time to enjoy your family and if Disney is where we get to do it then so be it.

 

[deej696]

Pretty much everyone thinks I'm nuts! I think deep down everyone is more jealous than anything else. That sounds kind of mean, but I know if I didnt ever travel anywhere, and I worked with a guy who checked into a deluxe hotel every month, I would be jealous for sure! Lucky for me, I am marrying someone thats as much of a Disney nut as I am!

 

[Jaaron2]

As for my family....well lets just say I dont tell them much. They think we spend to much time on vacation and just dont get the importance we spend on quality family time. As for my in-laws and sister in laws....THEY LOVE IT. Mostly because they usually come down each year and stay with us for free for 10 days As they will be in 17 days! For us it is a great way to share what we have with family and friends who maybe couldnt afford it otherwise.

We have friends and their kids coming with us next year. Although I will say most people think we are nuts (and if they knew what we spent would probably have us put in an aslyum)

 

[robinb]

No. Every single one of them wants to know when they can go next. Right now it's the in-laws. They decided at the last minute that they would like to join us at WDW for the first week of January. The sad part is that we have a 2BR reserved for those dates and we could do it. *sigh*

 

[TLCDisney]

My family thinks I'm crazy, I just try not to talk about it with them. Whenever we have any kind of financial issues the first thing my mother says is "well if you'd sell that timeshare thing you'd have all sorts of money". Yes, if we ever got into a bad position we could sell it but I don't appreciate hearing it every time money is brought up. We wouldn't have bought it if we didn't have the money for it.
We took my sister on our last trip in October and my husband has banned me from ever inviting anyone along again. It was miserable, she hated Florida, hated the heat and humidity, anything that went wrong was Disney's fault. I kept thinking, Go Home Then! Unfortunately she stuck out the whole trip and made things difficult.
I feel better now, I got all my frustrations out online!

 

[shellbelle1971]

My family thinks we're slightly crazy for all the time we spend at WDW, but, more importantly, they're pretty sure we on the express path to hell, because of our *extravagant* lifestyle...including DVC, an "outrageously-too-big" house (but we have 7 kids! ), eating out a couple times a week, etc. LOL, I think it's funny. We love 'em anyway.

DH's family...they "get it!" They just wish they could afford their own points for their trips. One BIL's family is saving up for that very purpose, and another will probably take the plunge as soon as he gets his student loans paid off. DH's parents usually just pay for us to transfer points into our account for their once-a-year trip.

I've tried to explain that they would save some $ and aggravation long term if they would buy their own contract, but they don't want to think about it. I keep thinking I should add on a small OKW contract (where they like to stay) and let them pay me (instead of a random, message-board stranger) for the points whenever they use them. But who am I kidding...if I added more points, I'd surely use 'em all myself, and need to transfer in pts for them anyway!

 

[Safari Queen]

My sister and BIL smirk at each other every time we mention Disney (they vacation at the same beach every year, but that's different, right?) We offered them a villa and free flights, which they refused, and then offered to take their kids, but they said the kids weren't interested. However, my brother and his daughter were very pleased to join us in a BCV 2 br this January. Most friends understand and/or are jealous. So we don't care about the smirking. We're spending time in the place that makes us happy.

 

[xipetotec]

My parents think I'm TOTALLY nuts. But here's the funny part.

THEY are the OWNERS of the DVC! AND My mother has added on points TWICE!

Thing is, they've bought so they can bring down their kids, and grand kids, and my aunt and her kids, and my cousin and her kids. I don't think they quite anticipated just how much my cousin and I would totally fall in love with the place!

Basically, my mother owns it, but I'm the "manager". She's got me on as an associate and I plan and manage all her points cause she just gets confused with her use-years and banking dates and they laugh at me because I'm SO into it. Last year, above and beyond the trips we take with them, my wife and I went down "sans kids" for the Halloween festivities on our own my father has sworn that if I go to Paris to go to Disney ( as opposed to taking in the local culture ) he'll disown me. Guess we'll have to make it sneaky

 

[3DisneyKids]

Well, my FAMILY doesn't think we're nuts, but certainly some friends do. Now instead of saying we are going to Disney, we'll just say "We're going to Florida."

Another option that we sometimes use for those who "don't get it", "Well, we bought a condo down there, so now it's not a big deal to visit whenever we want...."

And of course we know that a condo is not the same as a timeshare, but for some reason it makes everyone understand it...our freuquent visits make sense to them if they know we own property down there.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

My DD's godfather thinks I am brainwashed by Disney and the Mouse....lol
Before our Aug trip and DVC...he told DH not to take a pen...so he couldnt sign anything! lol
DH doesnt think I can go one day without mentioned DVC and /or Disney.....

 

[Chester's Mum]

They don't know about my DVC. It's my dirty little secret.

 

[Goofy DVC]

I don't know what's worse. The people who think you're crazy or the people who want to tap into your expertise.
It can get a little old playing tour guide for everyone all the time. I think that sometimes it best to go quietly, if you know what I mean.

 

[Disney_Daddy]

We live in Florida and our family and friends think we are a little crazy. My friends are always asking, "Why Disney again? Go somewhere else!"

We love the parks and the kids do too. I don't see us slowing down anytime soon and may add on again so we can stay longer each time we go!

 

[Lauralei]

My feeling is buying DVC is something you do because you enjoy it. Other people don't understand it. I equate it to some other people might own a boat or a cabin and instead of doing something like that, this is what we chose. If you enjoy going to Disney, I think its great and if other people don't understand, it's their loss.

 

[james'mommy]

My family is pretty much all Disney freaks so they were't suprised when we bought DVC.In fact I think they were a little jealous because their time shares are week based and our is point based. We've gotten way more than1 week a year out of our points. My DH family on the other hand thought we were nuts. They had only ever been to WDW 1 time when DH was 3. They couldn't figure out why we would want to keep going to the same place. They also were afraid that we bought because of a high pressure sales presentation. But I changed them into believers when we took them last december. They were so impressed. Nowwe are trying to plan an entire DH family trip for Jan 09. (Only 10 people but still needs alot of planning because I am Disney OCD)

 

[bobbiwoz]

... (Only 10 people but still needs alot of planning because I am Disney OCD)

Hey, I think planning for 10 people takes a lot of planning! I enjoy planning and hope you do too!

Bobbi

 

[LovinOKW]

Well, if they didn't before, they do now.

We were at WDW in September for 2 weeks. Then on Monday, yes, this past Monday, November 5, 2007, my DH decided he wants to go back for Thanksgiving---this Thanksgiving. Assuring him that he was completely out of his mind, I figured I'd humor him & attempt to get a room, at OKW no less. After a few checks here & there, well, we leave this Thursday.

My oldest DS is thrilled to death because this trip will make his number of times to Disney more than his age.

Oh, and we too have made additional purchases and not told anyone. They just don't get it and assume I have money trees growing in my yard.