Use year and ticket question

[Tinkrbell]

OK as long as I've been researching DVC to purchase, I still can't figure out the Use Year situation.

I know it has nothing to do with your reservation window (I hope I'm right on that) but I can't figure out the planning part of the use year. If we like to go in Feb. and again in the summer July or Aug. possibly. What then do I need to figure out use year?

My DH is FINALLY coming around to whole purchase of it, but if he does I want to be able to tell my guide Exactly which use year I want if that is possible.

I hope someone can explain this to me so I can finally understand it. Thanks.


PS. Can DVC members purchase Park Hopper tickets with a discount?

 

[CarolMN]

Easy question, first! There is no DVC discount on any major park admission media except the Ultimate Park Hopper (formerly known as the length of stay) pass. There is a 10% DVC discount on the UPH.

You are correct in believing that use year has nothing to do with when you can call to make a reservation. That is always 11 months ahead of your desired check out date for your home resort(s) and 7 months ahead of the desired check out date for non-home DVC resorts.

Use year is only important because it determines banking deadlines. You can bank up to 100% of your annual allotment of points if you do it before the end of the 6th month following the start of your use year. For example, if you have 200 points and a February use year, you may bank up to 200 points if you do it on or before July 31. You may bank up to 50% of your annual allotment if you do it by the end of the ninth month(October 31 for a February use year) and 25% if it's done by the end of the 10th month( November 30). You may not bank at all during the last two months of your use year. The percentages are cumulative. Continuing with the 200 point example and a February use year, if you bank 125 points in July, you cannot bank any more points after July 31. That's because 125/200 is more than 50%.

Banking deadlines/Use year comes into play if you find yourself needing to cancel a trip. Let's say you scheduled a 200 point trip for March (and have a February use year), and had to cancel. If you do it more than 30 days ahead of arrival, the points are returned to the current use year. In that case, you have until January 31 of the following year to reschedule your or you can bank the points into the following use year (because you have until July 31 to bank your entire allotment). If that same trip was scheduled for December and you had to cancel, you would have to reschedule the trip (or find someone to rent the points for a stay) before January 31. If you couldn't do that, you would forfeit the points. Since it is so late in your use year, you could not bank any of the points.

Remember, this is only important if you have to cancel your trip. Hopefully, that will happen very rarely or not at all. Also keep in mind that your travel patterns may change over the course of your membership. What might be a "good" use year now, may not be so "good" then. There are other "rules/deadlines" about canceling in addition to the banking deadlines, but this post is getting too long as it is, LOL!

If you normally travel in February and July/August, a February use year would be good for you. However, if you purchase from Disney and want a February use year, you would not get any 2002 points. That makes the purchase less valuable than one with a use year that would give you 2002 points. You would have to decide if no 2002 points is worth getting a February use year.

That was long. Hope it made sense., If not, ask more questions.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Tinkrbell]

So if I wanted to purchase now and request a Feb use year, would I be giving up those points as part of the MB's plan? If I did not use the MB's wouldn't I have until July 31 to bank or book my vacation?

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Tinkrbell
So if I wanted to purchase now and request a Feb use year, would I be giving up those points as part of the MB's plan? If I did not use the MB's wouldn't I have until July 31 to bank or book my vacation?

If you purchase with a February use year now, you would get 2003 points. Those points are good for stays between 2/1/2003 and 1/31/2004. If you opt for MB, you would give up those 2003 points (but still pay annual maintenance dues on them). Your next allotment of points would come in February, 2004. You could borrow those points if you wanted to schedule a trip before 2/1/2004.

If you purchased now and received a September, October or December use year, you would get 2002 points (which could be given up for MB) AND you would get your next allotment of points in either Spetember, October of December of 2003.

If you purchased with a February, 2003 use year and didn't opt for MB, you would have until July 31, 2003 to bank your 2003 points.

You don't have to actually book a vacation before July 31 - the actual stay using 2003 points must be between 2/1/2003 and 1/31/2004. You can book anytime within the 11 month window (or 7 month window for non-home resort).

 

[Tinkrbell]

Thank You so much Carolmn, I think I finally understand!!
But, if we are seriously interested in purchasing, and financing w/out disney would we be better off NOT using the MB credit of $10/pt?
We would loose this whole year, but it would knock off $10 on the point cost. What to do? If we rented this years points out would that make-up for the $10 difference? Thanks Again!

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Tinkrbell
Thank You so much Carolmn, I think I finally understand!!
But, if we are seriously interested in purchasing, and financing w/out disney would we be better off NOT using the MB credit of $10/pt?
We would loose this whole year, but it would knock off $10 on the point cost. What to do? If we rented this years points out would that make-up for the $10 difference? Thanks Again!

I'm really not qualified to answer these questions - everyone's financial situation is different.

Do keep in mind that you will be paying prorated 2003 annual dues on the points you purchase. Believe that is approximately $4/point for BCV. If you purchased on March 1, you'd pay 10/12 of that $4 per point (about $3.33/point). If you opt for MB, you don't have the use of those points, so IMHO, MB knocks off less than $10/point. ($10.00 - $3.33 = $6.67/point)

As far as renting points goes, no experience here (not enough for my own use, of course). There are some fairly recent posts about the ease/difficulty of renting points. When the search feature is working, you might try to find them. If I run across them, I'll post the link in a subsequent post.

Good luck!