Points and use year question...

[sunryzez]

1. I just bought into DVC about a month ago now. We bought at Aulani and are planning a June 2017 trip. Since we live in FL we decided to add a few days at Disneyland to break up the flight. ( Also to avoid another pricey trip in a year or two to California.) My question is I got my 2015 points and banked them. My use year starts December 1st( Thats when I get my 2016 points technically?). My 7 month window for Disney California will be in mid November. I will need to borrow about 50 points from the following Use year(2017). So my question is will I have to wait until December 1st to book? Or since the trip will be in 2017 they will still let me book? Its awkward cause I bought in 2016 but my 2016 points dont technically start until dec 2016 so when I book my Aulani points at 11 months it will look like I am borrowing from my 2016 points even though it is for a 2017 trip. I am just worried because I hear it is VERY difficult to get a reservation at California even with a 7 month window and if I have to wait the extra 2 weeks to book I figure I will have no chance at all....Still new to this so still a bit confused..thanks.....

 

[TheGecko]

You won't have access to your 2017 points until December 1st. If you are only using 2015 banked and 2016 points though, you should be fine.

 

[chalee94]

Booking date has nothing to do with UY. You can book a June 2017 stay at your home resort starting in July 2016.

A June 2017 stay falls within your Dec 2016 Use Year (Dec 2016 to Nov 2017). So you can book that stay using banked 2015 UY points plus current 2016 UY points (they are "current" based on the dates of the stay regardless of when you call to book) plus borrowed 2017 UY points (if needed).

To repeat: if you call or go online to book at July 2016, you can borrow 2017 UY points with no problem (if you need them).

Booking date is based on your home resort - don't get confused by thinking that it has anything to do with UY. So you can book a stay at VGC when the 7 month booking window opens (or aulani when the 11 month booking window opens) with no problem, regardless of your UY month.

 

[chalee94]

You won't have access to your 2017 points until December 1st. If you are only using 2015 banked and 2016 points though, you should be fine.

this is NOT true.

i could have booked a Dec 2016 stay using Dec 2017 UY pts at my home resort starting as early as Jan 2016.

you have access to booking your pts as soon as your home resort window opens - it has nothing to do with your UY month. my 2018 UY pts are already listed online - but i can only borrow for stays that are one UY ahead...so that would be the limiting factor right now.

please read this thread for more information:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/understanding-use-year-updated-april-27-2016.1942668/

 

[sunryzez]

So there is no way to make the California reservation until Dec 1st? I think my 7 month window will be Nov 14th. What about the 24 points I can buy. Can I buy those then for the 2016 year? Or do I need to wait for that too? I will need 120 points for the California reservation and I will only have 84 available at the time. So I will still need an additional 36 points to borrow from my 2017 or the 24 points I can buy and an additional 12? Do you think I will be able to still get a reservation 2 weeks after the 7 month window for a mid June reservation at Disney California? Worst case I will book the two nights I have points for and just hope for the third two weeks later....

 

[sunryzez]

this is NOT true.

i could have booked a Dec 2016 stay using Dec 2017 UY pts at my home resort starting as early as Jan 2016.

you have access to booking your pts as soon as your home resort window opens - it has nothing to do with your UY month. my 2018 UY pts are already listed online - but i can only borrow for stays that are one UY ahead...so that would be the limiting factor right now.

please read this thread for more information:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/understanding-use-year-updated-april-27-2016.1942668/

Thank you! I was hoping there was a way to do it =)

 

[chalee94]

So there is no way to make the California reservation until Dec 1st? I think my 7 month window will be Nov 14th.

Again, Dec 1 (i.e. UY) has nothing to do with when you can book a stay. Be online in the morning exactly when the booking window opens at 8 am eastern and hope for the best (you can try to waitlist if necessary).

 

[drusba]

You can make the June 2017 VGC reservation, assuming availability, at 7 months out in Nov. At the time you make that reservation, you will be able to use for that trip any points banked from your Dec 2015 use year, any points from your Dec 2016 use year, any points needed via purchasing up to 24 one time use points, and, if needed, borrow points from your Dec 2017 use year.

Be aware, however, that VGC could be difficult to get at 7 months out because it may already be full, so you may need a back-up plan. Also be aware that if you need to purchase one-time use points to reserve VGC, you will have to call to make the reservation at 9 a.m. when MS phone lines open rather than at 8 a.m. eastern, when one can reserve online at exactly 7 months out, because that purchase of one-time use points can only be done via phone. Moreover, be aware that if VGC is actually open at 7 months out, your odds of getting it will likely exist if, and only if, you make the reservation online at 8 a.m. eastern because when VGC is open at 7 months out, it often books full in less than a minute after 8 a.m.

Finally, if you are inteding to get Aulani for June, you should make that reservation exactly 11 months out from date of arrival to be safe because June is Aulani's highest demand time of the year

 

[CarolMN]

IMO, December use years are the most difficult for new members to understand. Here's a thread that will help you figure it all out:

UNDERSTANDING USE YEAR

 

[DebbieB]

If you look at your account on the DVC website, you should see points for December 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. So those 2017 points are there for you to use based on your date of stay. There's no need to wait for them to be available.

 

[supersnoop]

It's really simple. If you can book it, you can bank and borrow for it.

 

[Sandisw]

Easiest way for me when I first joined was figure out UY of the trip...once you know that, then you can pay for it using "banked points" from the UY prior to travel, points from the UY of travel, and borrow points from the UY after travel. Since a June 2017 trip falls in your Dec 2016 UY, you can pay for it with banked 2015 points, 2016 points, and borrow 2017 points. You can book that trip at your home resort 11 months out in July, 2016 (specific day to coincide with check in day) and at any other resort 7 months out in December 2016 (specific day to coincide with check in).

Points do need to be banked prior to making the reservation as they must be in the UY of travel in order to use them. The points borrowed can only be done when making the reservation so that will occur when you book, if you needed to borrow points.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Easiest way for me when I first joined was figure out UY of the trip...once you know that, then you can pay for it using "banked points" from the UY prior to travel, points from the UY of travel, and borrow points from the UY after travel. Since a June 2017 trip falls in your Dec 2016 UY, you can pay for it with banked 2015 points, 2016 points, and borrow 2017 points. You can book that trip at your home resort 11 months out in July, 2016 (specific day to coincide with check in day) and at any other resort 7 months out in December 2016 (specific day to coincide with check in).

Points do need to be banked prior to making the reservation as they must be in the UY of travel in order to use them. The points borrowed can only be done when making the reservation so that will occur when you book, if you needed to borrow points.

Same here. I look at the dates of my trip and figure out which banked, current and borrowed points I can use. Then I note when 11 months or 7 months is from the check in date. Since when you can book is exactly the same for everyone (11 months home, 7 months non-home) that's the easiest part once you let go the thought that UY somehow affects that.

 

[com_op_2000]

IMHO, get together a spreadsheet for your points; lay out at least three years worth of trips including current UY points, banked and borrowed points available to access.
Lay out your planned trips and when you can book them. then you can "see" what points you will be using for which trip.
Simple thing to remember, it is when you take the trip that the points need to be available not when you book the reservation.

 

[alisonslp]

I have a dec UY too and it can get confusing because unless you are taking a dec trip, you always use points labeled from the previous year so it messes up your thinking about banked, present, and borrowed.

And try not to think of that UY date as a direct deposit of sorts. You don't magically get a whole new year's points available to you on Dec 1. Theoretically, they are always there. Those points are available to you based on when your vacation dates are.

Comparing reservations around your UY can help with understanding. Say I want to book for Nov 2016. The points I would be using are my 2014 (had to be banked in jul 2015 and already included in my 2015 point total), 2015 (present), and 2016 (borrowed). But lets say I want to book it for dec instead. Now, because I have entered into a new UY (based on when the trip is, not when my points are available), I am using my 2015 (banked and included in my 2016 point total), 2016 (present), and 2017 (borrowed points).