Question re: conventional wisdom on use year

[pwoodham]

I believe I've read that the most favorable use year to have is right before you usually plan to visit. Can someone tell me why they believe that's the best time? Is it because there is more time for you to decide what to do if your plans change? I can understand not wanting your use year to be right after you visit, because you might lose some flexibility in making reservations close to the end of your use year. It seems to me, however, that having a use year 5-6 months before you usually vacation provides just as much flexibility, and allows for the possibility of an early trip or two! Just wondering............

 

[PamOKW]

The only time Use Year matters is if you have to cancel a trip that's planned toward the end of your Use Year and you have to do it close to your trip. As you mention, you then lose flexibility since banking deadlines will have past and, if you are into the last 60 days of the year, it's too late to make a non-DVC reservation.

If possible, you may want to pick a Use Year that matches your current vacation times. But, over the course of the next 30-50 years your pattern may change.

 

[Dean]

It's simply the banking window and giving yourself more time to use or rent any points you can't bank.

 

[Richyams]

You aren the mark. We usually recomend 0-5 monhs prior to your usual vacation time.

It really is no big deal and certainly not adeal breaker. It only comes into play when canceling. Besides, ten years from now, your usual vacation time could be very different.

Use year is not that big of a deal.

 

[erikthewise]

Here's a scenario:

Use year is Dec because we always go in Dec. But this year we decide to go right after Thanksgiving, Nov 28-Dec 7. I don't have enough points left from Dec 2002 use year to cover Nov 28-30, so I have to borrow points from Dec 2003 use year to cover these three days. Not a serious problem, but it complicates the accounting. And if I cancel within 30 days, I will almost certainly lose the points borrowed as there is no time left to use them and they can't return to the Dec 2003 use year.

I if I foolishly banked some points from Dec 2002 use year to Dec 2003 because this trip was planned after the banking deadline, it may be more complicated -- I'm out of my depth here!

This is a true scenario except for one thing. I saw it coming and bought an Oct use year instead.