Adding on: advantages of same use year?

[sgrap]

When you purchase an add-on contract, how important is it to have the same use year? Is it extremely difficult to coordinate points when you have 2 different use years? Not that I'm thinking about adding on already or anything . . . solely out of curiosity.

 

[supersnoop]

If you want to add on so you can use the points for a single vacation, then you'll want the same use year. If you'll use the second contract exclusively for a separate annual vacation, then a different use year would be fine.

 

[disneynutz]

Depends on if you end up with 1 membership or 2. With 1 membership/account you can access the contracts via a drop down, if the memberships/accounts are separate, you will need to log off and back on to the other account.

You will have separate UY's to keep track of.

Bill

 

[hopeful4fl]

If you have to plan a vacation that needs points from both, and they are seperate accounts, u either have to do things like transfer points, or (I think) the only other way is to call member services. In my experience, the hassle is not worth it.
Second drawback of same UY and 2 accounts would be to make 2 separate payments for dues and maintaining info on 2 accounts. Maybe not a biggie.

 

[nalajms]

Just to be clear, the problem comes up if you want to book a room that's 10pts for the night. You have 7pt in UY1 and 5pts in UY2. You'd have to transfer or borrow to make the reservation.

If you are making at 5 night reservation at 10pts a night and have 40pts in UY1 and 40pts in UY2. You can make 4n with UY1 and 1n with UY2, then have MS note that it's the same guest or link the two so you don't have to move. However, if you're trying to do this right at 11m or 7m, you'd have to wait till the 5th night to book with UY2.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

I have two different use years and I HATE it. I get confused all the time about when points can be used, so I'll plan a vacation for say July. Well my April use year contract will be available, but my August use year will not have points until August, so my July vacation will be a no-go. Both my use years are in the same overall account, but it's a pain in the neck. We initially thought it wouldn't be an issue because we would just keep our contracts separate and use them separately, but there are million reasons why you would want to use them combined, and combining two different use years and keeping everything straight in your head is way more difficult than it seems like it should be. Definitely get the same use year if its possible.

 

[DVCjuggernaut]

Some people find it really aggravating to manage 2 different use years because of the varying booking windows, but it doesn't bother me much. This article from Fidelity might be helpful: http://blog.fidelityresales.com/adding-dvc-points-how-to-handle-multiple-contracts

 

[disneynutz]

Can you have 2 UY's yes, but why complicate your life if you don't have to.

Bill

 

[deedisneydream97]

Some people find it really aggravating to manage 2 different use years because of the varying booking windows, but it doesn't bother me much. This article from Fidelity might be helpful: http://blog.fidelityresales.com/adding-dvc-points-how-to-handle-multiple-contracts

Thanks for that link! We have 8 contracts: 4 at BLT, one of those being a different use year; 2 at BWV with 2 different use years; 1 at SSR with the same use year as one BWV; 1 at VWL with same use year as other BWV.

When you purchase an add-on contract, how important is it to have the same use year? Is it extremely difficult to coordinate points when you have 2 different use years? Not that I'm thinking about adding on already or anything . . . solely out of curiosity.

Yes, it can get a little mind boggling to keep it all straight, but it is easier now with all of the available on-line tools and the banking reminders. MS has been great with helping me move points around. Transferring can be intimidating too, but only had to do that for our Aluani trips. Also. since I have multiple membership numbers, I can do more transfers (I'm not making myself clear probably...but the rule is one transfer per membership per year; I have four membership numbers).

I was able to snatch up some 50 point contracts before resale prices went crazy....they are hard to come by and even harder to get one in the use year you want.

 

[DWorldOrBust]

When you purchase an add-on contract, how important is it to have the same use year? Is it extremely difficult to coordinate points when you have 2 different use years? Not that I'm thinking about adding on already or anything . . . solely out of curiosity.

You have Addontitis already! Lol I am in the same boat as you (again hah) but I drank the koolaid real fast and added a small VGF contract.

On an unrelated note, I thought that you and I went thru estoppel at a bad time, but wow it seems as if we missed the worst of it.

 

[sgrap]

You have Addontitis already! Lol I am in the same boat as you (again hah) but I drank the koolaid real fast and added a small VGF contract.

On an unrelated note, I thought that you and I went thru estoppel at a bad time, but wow it seems as if we missed the worst of it.

Just perusing . . . . . . And yes, it seems like it's continuing to just get worse!

 

[Dean]

When you purchase an add-on contract, how important is it to have the same use year? Is it extremely difficult to coordinate points when you have 2 different use years? Not that I'm thinking about adding on already or anything . . . solely out of curiosity.

VERY important for some, not for others. For smaller contracts they generally should always be the same use year as you have. For larger contracts it depends on when you'll travel and how good you are at keeping up with things. If you can balance a checkbook, keeping up with 2 isn't that difficult but it does add aggravations and you lose the 11 plus 7 reservation option for some situations.

 

[holden]

We had a long wait to find a resale BLT contract with an April use year (our current use year is April too). I'm glad we waited. My calendar is hectic enough. Same use years will make planning much easier for me.

 

[chalee94]

When you purchase an add-on contract, how important is it to have the same use year?

technically, an "add-on" contract can only be for the same UY month.

if you add points for a different UY, they will be a completely separate membership. (making it more complicated to use the contracts together as has been noted.)

 

[lovin'fl]

We have 2 UY and it has been fine...but I'd prefer just 1 UY. If all 7 of our contracts were under 1UY, they would all be on same member # and show up all together on the member website. Currently, with 2 UY, I have a drop down of each UY that I have to select the one I want. And I find I am always needing to transfer points from 1 UY (member #) to the other to make a resie and that I have to do by calling in as we can't see transferred points online.

 

[tpartcart]

Considering a resale. Can someone briefly explain what it looks like to book with two resort contract points for the same trip when you do buy the same use year. Ex, If I am in the 10 mo. booking window for one of my resorts, can I use the other points for that same resort's ressie? Would I have to wait til 7 mo. to use the. other contract's points?

 

[CarolMN]

Considering a resale. Can someone briefly explain what it looks like to book with two resort contract points for the same trip when you do buy the same use year. Ex, If I am in the 10 mo. booking window for one of my resorts, can I use the other points for that same resort's ressie? Would I have to wait til 7 mo. to use the. other contract's points?

If your two resale contracts have the same use year and are for the same resort (and are under the same membership), it is very easy to use them for the same stay during your home resort priority booking period. The two contracts operate as though they were one big contract. This is the ideal situation for booking online. I have two contracts for the same resort with the same use year in the same membership and seldom have any issues whatsoever when booking at 11 months online, even when others do. My contracts are direct, but resale contracts work the same way.

If your two contracts are for different resorts, you can't combine them until the 7 month window opens. But it's easy to do at that time.

The key is to be sure you title the second contract EXACTLY the same as your first and that you tell your broker / title company / DVC that you already have a membership and want the second contract to be an add-on to that membership.

 

[Sandisw]

Considering a resale. Can someone briefly explain what it looks like to book with two resort contract points for the same trip when you do buy the same use year. Ex, If I am in the 10 mo. booking window for one of my resorts, can I use the other points for that same resort's ressie? Would I have to wait til 7 mo. to use the. other contract's points?

Points never change home resort so only the points owned at each can be used during home resort booking.

At 7 months you can use both. The contracts will show up for you to check so you can decide which one to use first. It will take any banked or borrowed points you have first.