Do you tell your friends/family you own DVC or keep it private?

[bakerworld]

Most people - family, friends, co-workers - don't know the cost of DVC. We got a lot of razing over purchasing a timeshare. When we purchased most people didn't understand the point system. I got tired of the 'so when's your week' question or people who thought we spent a ton of $$$ because we went multiple times during the year so they assumed we owned multiple weeks. It was just too hard to explain so we just smiled a lot and didn't go into it.

 

[Sondra Sunflowers]

My conversations usually go like this.... Wow, you go to Disney a lot. It's so expensive. Me: Yes, my timeshare helps with the expense. And, I leave it at that. My family and close friends are very aware that we specifically have a DVC timeshare. We added on at Aulani during the pandemic and kept that to ourselves, except for our other DVC close friends. People don't realize how much or how little points we have... or how it even works.

So, I wouldn't say it's a secret. But, people do judge and it's, quite frankly, none of their business how we spend our hard-earned money.

 

[kristenrice]

My conversations usually go like this.... Wow, you go to Disney a lot. It's so expensive. Me: Yes, my timeshare helps with the expense. And, I leave it at that. My family and close friends are very aware that we specifically have a DVC timeshare. We added on at Aulani during the pandemic and kept that to ourselves, except for our other DVC close friends. People don't realize how much or how little points we have... or how it even works.

So, I wouldn't say it's a secret. But, people do judge and it's, quite frankly, none of their business how we spend our hard-earned money.

That is typically the same response I get too. I go every year, typically with my BFF now that my DH no longer wants to go and my "kids" are 18 and 20. My BFF is a military wife/mother/veteran so she qualifies for military tickets so we have a fantastic symbiotic travel arrangement. I provide the DVC lodging and she provides the deeply-discouted tickets.

When people ask how I can afford to go "so often", I simply tell them that "I have ways". I use rebate programs (Rakuten, Ibotta, RetailMeNot) and online survey programs (SurveysToGo, Swagbucks, etc) , combined with my Disney Visa Rewards and Apple Card cashback to earn "free" money. I use that "free" money to acquire Disney gift cards which I use to pay for my dining and entertainment. I also have a SW Visa card so my flights are either free or very cheap. Each trip, I am basically paying out-of-pocket for my discounted park ticket and my onsite transportation (Uber, etc). Other than that, I am using my "free" gift cards, free airfare and my "free" (well, not so much....) DVC points. I typically need less than $1000 out of pocket for my 7-night trip each year.

 

[Instagramhusband]

We will keep it private. We are new purchasers for DVC SSR but long time Disney goers. We have taken our family members, immediate and some extended, and gone with friends and their kids.

However my wife's generosity always gets the best of her. In some cases to the point that people expect her to take them and pay for it. After 8 years of debating buying, we finally agreed it would be just for our use and our son's when he grows up.

 

[Anthony1971]

We have owned for a little over 20 years being we have taken all of parents, Brothers (sorry no sisters on either side) a cousin (although his parents owned at one time) made reservations for some friends no one has had anything negative to say.
We spend our money the way we want others spend their money they want it's called respect agree or disagree.
Plain and simple if one voices dis-like how I spend my money I have a bird for them. Exception of close friends which we will make fun of everything we do and have done over the last 40+ years of knowing most of them..

 

[CarolynFH]

My parents had owned several timeshare weeks before we bought DVC, so it wasn't any big deal for us to tell our family that we had bought DVC after several annual visits to WDW. We mention it to non-family members when talking about visits to WDW - but we don't bring it up as much as we used to, now that it's so expensive and complicated to buy in.

 

[BaybeeYoda]

We don't bring it up, but people do question the multiple trips to disney a year when we live out of state!

"Disney, AGAIN? Why don't you go, I dunno, somewhere else? Wait, for how long? TWO WEEKS? How?!?"

 

[BamaGuy44]

We don't hide it but wouldn't go out of our way to bring it up with most people we know. None of their business and they wouldn't care anyway.

My wife's coworkers know we go to Disney a lot but don't know or care where we stay, etc.

I've had a few comments about how time shares are for suckers and their parents couldn't give theirs away blah blah. I just nod along and say "I guess my mom was wrong, I'm not very bright". I have no interest in justifying my purchase or explaining why DVC isn't like other time shares.

 

[ak517]

My family and friends know. I had my bachelorette in WDW and exclusively do runDisney runs, so it's pretty apparent I'm a Disney adult. It comes up periodically with new people, and two instances stick out in my mind: (1) leaving a regional work meeting, someone asked what my home resort was because they saw my DVC luggage tag, so we talked about our upcoming trips, and (2) an acquaintance mentioned she's taking her son to WDW, I offered to share detailed information, and we talked about lodging I mentioned we were DVC. I don't try to downplay or justify my love of the parks, and instead I will offer my expertise or speak matter-of-factly about the parks and DVC.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Very few of our extended family and friends even really know what DVC is. People know we go to Disney a lot and once in a while we might say something like “we joined DVC, it lets us stay in villas that have kitchens” and that’s usually the end of it. On this forum where we live and breathe points, contracts, expiration dates, direct and resale, 7 months and 11 months, and so on, it’s easy to forget just how little “normal” people know, or care, about all of this.

 

[AdamsMum]

"Disney, AGAIN? Why don't you go, I dunno, somewhere else? Wait, for how long? TWO WEEKS? How?!?"

I've owned for 17 years. Even before I owned, I went to Disney every year, bar one or two. My family and friends have stopped saying that, and one family member (a neice) is considering resale at the moment. It's also been a long time since I got the advice that timeshares are a waste of money. I don't brag about owning it, but I don't hide it either.

 

[Micca]

I don't go around carrying a sign but if it comes up in conversation then I'm happy to tell people about it.

I don't either, but DW just bought a DVC license plate frame We don't have a large social circle, but I think all of our friends and family know we have DVC.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

Our friends and family have moved from 'you are going back to Disney yet again?' to where the question is 'when do you think you might be able to get an extra room and take us along?...'!!

 

[Jwaire]

My business is my business. I would consider that bragging. I also don't care what the family thinks, especially extended family.

 

[GoingSince1990]

BTW, I'm guessing I'm not the only one here who has walked the road from "wow, that poor schmuck got conned into buying a timeshare" (when first hearing about DVC) to "wow, this is the best thing ever, I wish I'd bought it years ago like he did!"

 

[Cfabar1]

We have some friends who know. Overall I try to keep it out of the workplace. Now and again I have heard people make comments like "We love Disney so much, my spouse has looked into DVC, and there's no way we can afford it" or "I would never stay somewhere like the Grand Floridian it's so expensive". Even a work associate who has shared with me that he owns as DVC I have not shared with.

I try to not share with colleagues too much about our leisure choices. Some friends know, and some of our family does as well although I am not sure they understand how it works or what it means. That said, it was friends of ours who persuaded us to buy initially, and we love talking with owners at the pool or on property about our membership.

 

[heynowirv]

All of our families known fact as owners for about 20 years our children have grown up going to WDW. Now we have grandprincesses and take them whenever we can. Most of our friends also know and we've never heard the "Oh you're going to Disney again"?

 

[DisneyTeacher]

We have kept it pretty quiet for almost 20 years. My in-laws, a long time friend, and one couple we are close to know but that’s probably it. It’s known we go frequently but we don’t share the details of how and where we stay.

 

[bwang123]

all of my family knows because we have taken them all on trips. aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces, brothers, sisters, mothers, etc.

 

[LadybugsMum]

Immediate family and close friends know. I don't hide it; so if it comes up in conversation, I will mention it. I have not offered to take anyone other than my parents, but I can see taking a couple of my kids' friends in the future when it's not cool to hang out with mom anymore.