It Finally Happened - They Flaked!

[bumbershoot]

I'm so sorry.

The only family I treat live in Florida and are there for the same rundisney reasons I am there for. If they flake out, something has gone very very wrong.

But I also have no problems with solo stays, and book the trip I want.

If you don't want to cancel and can't get a smaller room (perhaps for a longer trip?), spend each night on a different bed.

 

[Sandisw]

I am sorry. It does mess things up and require more strategic planning.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to go and enjoy and not worry!

 

[WDW Traveler]

Sorry this happened to you. Happened to my in-laws. They rented a 2 BR at Hilton Head for their son and his wife and another couple. Turns out, no one else wanted to go with them, but there wasn't a studio/1 BR available anymore so they kept the 2 BR. About a week before the trip, they said they couldn't go. A WEEK BEFORE! (turns out, they never researched the resort, finally did and decided they didn't like it and there was nothing for them to do!) Of course points were gone (they were banked points). In the big scheme of things, we could have used those banked points for our last trip, he could have banked the points we had used from the current UY and he would have had enough to rent to our friends (who rented from an agency) for this year and made some money. But he was out the points and the potential for some cash. Lesson learned unfortunately.

 

[RoseGold]

They don't think they can afford the flights and the tickets. This is not a family that I would think is sensitive to a few hundred dollars.

Moving the flights by a day helps a whole lot, but the tickets are what they are. Maybe the tickets finally are at the tipping point, and Chapek has achieved his goal of pricing people out with sticker shock. Lesson learned. I guess we only book Poly studios now.

 

[Chuck S]

I've only had one no show, and they have never been invited back. Now with having to pick a park, and so forth, I would think no shows would be on the decrease. I make sure my guests get their park tickets, ASAP, using the excuse we have to make daily park reservations. Prior to that, I made sure everyone had park tickets early so we could do fast pass +.

 

[js]

We have good friends that did this too but we were also going with another couple and then my bff and her dh decided to come when we had a SSR GV two years ago.

I had told our good friends (couple) that backed out when I booked the GV, lots of points, I spend a lot on them, cannot get the points back, using up a weeks worth of another vacation, etc. and they still backed out, which I had a feeling they might.

My bff/her dh and my husband and I are planning on going to Nashville in November and the other couple said they def want to go to. My bff and I just booked our air and the four of us are getting together tonight to discuss our hotel and book. Once we book and confirm all, I'll let the other couple know what we are doing and if they want to come, it's up to them. I won't book them again and they are our close friends.

 

[tidefan]

This has happened to us a few times and we've just decided that with some exception (mainly, other friends that are also DVC owners), for WDW stays we just plan for our immediate family. For many reasons, sometimes a shared WDW trip can go downhill fast, especially if there is a disconnect on expectations...

Oddly enough, we don't find this problem when we go to Aulani. Seems like everyone wants to go there

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

Gah I don't understand why this kind of behavior is so acceptable these days. I've been at the restaurant waiting when someone flaked. So frustrating. It happens in all areas of life unfortunately and people who you can count on to be responsible really stand out.

Thanks for planting the seed for just booking separate studios, I'll remember that. We haven't had anyone flake yet, but I did have a heart to heart with some family we were supposed to travel with when the signs weren't good and we agreed to cancel while I still had time to make other plans.

 

[cvjw]

When we bring our family along, we pay. No need for them to back out - everything is already paid for.

 

[Blizzyblizz]

You may have already done this, but I would look around at other friends/family who might be willing and able to go at that time.

 

[KimMcGowan]

They don't think they can afford the flights and the tickets. This is not a family that I would think is sensitive to a few hundred dollars.

Moving the flights by a day helps a whole lot, but the tickets are what they are. Maybe the tickets finally are at the tipping point, and Chapek has achieved his goal of pricing people out with sticker shock. Lesson learned. I guess we only book Poly studios now.

Looks can always be deceiving with families that you think could easily afford something struggling just as much as minimum wage employees. They may have tried to make it work until what they thought was the very last second. Having said that, there really is no excuse to spring this on you unexpectedly. If they thought there was a chance this could happen they should have let you know long ago.

 

[Slakk]

Years ago I did a huge family trip with a 2BR and a studio. I did not get a thank you at all, they were rude and even complained that the savanah view was not that great. I looked at my husband and smiled and said they just saved me money because we had planned to buy more points. Now we only do a room that fits us and let them rent or do their own lodging. People think it is free and it is not, they also do not understand all the planning that goes into it. So now its just for us!.

I am so sorry this happened to you!

 

[frabjous]

They don't think they can afford the flights and the tickets. This is not a family that I would think is sensitive to a few hundred dollars.

Moving the flights by a day helps a whole lot, but the tickets are what they are. Maybe the tickets finally are at the tipping point, and Chapek has achieved his goal of pricing people out with sticker shock. Lesson learned. I guess we only book Poly studios now.

IMO the up-front grand total can be a lot to swallow for someone who has never been before. If you think they would love the trip and you think your trip would be better with them, could you offer to pick up the cost of their tickets (perhaps they help more with meals etc)? Call it all multiple early xmas, birthday, etc combined. Although if you have any doubt then tbh, this could be for the better. You don't want your trip spoiled trying to cope with a party that just isn't into it.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don’t rent/charge, I invite. In December, I got sick, as did other friends and the 2 bedroom savannah view at Kidani had two people for the 5 nights. They had fun and room!

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They don't think they can afford the flights and the tickets. This is not a family that I would think is sensitive to a few hundred dollars.

Moving the flights by a day helps a whole lot, but the tickets are what they are. Maybe the tickets finally are at the tipping point, and Chapek has achieved his goal of pricing people out with sticker shock. Lesson learned. I guess we only book Poly studios now.

These are actually legit things. I would not describe this on them flaking out on you. This wasn't a wishy-washy maybe I will go maybe I won't at least not from what you said.

However it is inconsiderate for them to not have told you sooner. Generally tickets and airfare (assuming the airline has released their dates SWA tends to release with less months than others but most release well in advance) should be the first thing to look at when considering financial feasibility.

Is it really a couple hundred? Maybe that's per person? Maybe there's issues where even a couple hundred just couldn't work. I mean right now our dryer is out waiting for a motor that is supposed to arrive Tuesday (that was $130), crap just comes up you're not expecting. But again tickets and airfare are those first things to have looked at and probably purchased if it could have happened.

Tickets are astronomical. It was about $1,250 for 2 people for 6 days with park hopper and that's with it being from a discounted 3rd party seller. You really don't want to know the price difference from our 2017 trip (where we purchased tickets in 2016 at 2015 prices)...I don't even like thinking about it lol

One thing I will say is this may not have been lesson learned for the same reasons you're thinking or maybe just not exclusively. Maybe another lesson learned is financials of others can be hard to really truly know where they sit. I do wish they could have told you sooner. There are a decent amount of restrictions to time shares in general but ones to certain destination places come with a whole lot more than others. It's not a condo on a lake we're talking about here it's rooms in a theme park that comes with a lot of other things in order to make the trip work. I am sorry you're having to deal with it though, planning for that long only to have it come down is so frustrating.

 

[RoseGold]

I wasn’t charging them for the points. I was really clear about what the costs would be with tickets and flights. I thought it was all agreed.

Just one more factor that’s leaning towards selling. I have learned a lot from this experience, and it hasn’t been positive. It’s difficult not to take this personally. I don’t need to hold this many points if no one cares about them. It’s been a good run, and we can fit our little family in a good old VGF2 studio.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I was really clear about what the costs would be with tickets and flights. I thought it was all agreed.

But did you purchase those things for them and then give them the cost?

Tickets increased in February for WDW I believe and airline tickets are always and up and down pricing.

And like I said things come up too.

I understand you think it's flaking but to me from what you described it's not what flaking is in my book, it's unexpected costs either by the reality of what those costs are or something came up that took away the ability to comfortably afford them. Either way it doesn't mean it doesn't stink for you, that it's not a bummer for you and have consequences for you

But to me it's not them being described as flakes. I def. think if you feel like you want to downsize on DVC go for it, there shouldn't be a reason for anyone to purchase DVC basing off of other people, only do it if you're always okay with carrying around the excess points. Other people can always join you for trips just not with your points.

 

[Sandisw]

I don’t rent/charge, I invite. In December, I got sick, as did other friends and the 2 bedroom savannah view at Kidani had two people for the 5 nights. They had fun and room!

That has been me with the big family trips so far. So far, been lucky to have no one not be able to go. But, I have 2 bedrooms booked for next December and if things change and my guests don't go, I will be enjoying them all by myself!!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

That has been me with the big family trips so far. So far, been lucky to have no one not be able to go. But, I have 2 bedrooms booked for next December and if things change and my guests don't go, I will be enjoying them all by myself!!!

This December for my Friend time, I only have 2 studios, there are only 3 of us.

 

[robinb]

I don’t rent/charge, I invite. In December, I got sick, as did other friends and the 2 bedroom savannah view at Kidani had two people for the 5 nights. They had fun and room!

I think there is a vast difference between getting sick at the last minute (especially in the Covid years) and not being able to go and backing out after months of planning.