Best Use Year month?

[Opportunity]

Our annual DisneyWorld vacation is in mid January, since my wife attends a conference in Orlando each year on Martin Luther King weekend.

So when buying in to DVC what Use Year date do I want? Would I want January since I will always have new points to bank/borrow each year if we want them? Do I want March or April, just in case we don't use all our points we have time to "rent" them before the expire?

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[magicmommy]

I don't believe January is a use year. There are a few months that a use year is not offered. Sounds like December, October or September would suite your needs best. Points would be allocated on the first day of your UY so having a December UY and travel in January seems like a good fit. You have 6 months to bank your points so you want a UY that begins on or before your most frequent travel months.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I agree that a late in the year use year would be a good one for you if you usually travel in January, but I'll add that I really don't think it is ALL that important. We have been members for 9 years, and usually travel in January. Our use year is March, which is not necessarily good, should we have to cancel a trip on short notice. That being said, in 9 years we have never had to cancel a trip on any kind of notice, so I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Frankiesmom]

Ok we are thinking of buying into DVC and the guide I spoke to today said they were back dating to Aug. 2005 and then this Aug. we would get more points;do we get to pick a use year? We also like to travel to WDW in Jan. so would august be our use tear? or would we be able to choose say Nov. or Dec? Thanks,Angel

 

[coasterbob]

Ok we are thinking of buying into DVC and the guide I spoke to today said they were back dating to Aug. 2005 and then this Aug. we would get more points;do we get to pick a use year? We also like to travel to WDW in Jan. so would august be our use tear? or would we be able to choose say Nov. or Dec? Thanks,Angel

We also were given August as our use year, and received the 2005 points immediatley, which we banked. We will vist mostly in December, so August is fine with us. I'm not sure you'll be able to choose too many differnt months with the current SSR promotion, but you can ask your guide. Bob

 

[drakethib]

June works great for us.

 

[Dean]

Dec will be the best use month by far. Anything within 6 months of your usual trips should work fine. And since you'd be getting a few extra months of points for say August, that may be a better deal overall. While I am one that thinks use year is important, I think price and points accounting are more so.

 

[wingkng]

I just signed up for SSR today, and was able to request December UY. I used the F&F discount, and was able to get the 2005 points to use this year! (I just had to pay the annual fees for the months from now until December). My reason for requesting December is because my vacation schedule comes out in December for the following year, so I would have until May 31 to decide whether to bank the points or not. Also, if I choose to be at WDW for Christmas I would get the benefit of potential 200% of my point allotment to use (current year+borrowed). If Christmas plans in WDW falls through then I still have time to bank my points or make alternate vacation plans to WDW later.

 

[CarolMN]

Ok we are thinking of buying into DVC and the guide I spoke to today said they were back dating to Aug. 2005 and then this Aug. we would get more points;do we get to pick a use year? We also like to travel to WDW in Jan. so would august be our use tear? or would we be able to choose say Nov. or Dec? Thanks,Angel

If you want a December use year (there isn't one for November), just ask. They may accomodate.

However, August is not a bad use year for January. With an August use year, you have until the end of January to bank up to 100% of yor total annual allotment. That assumes you cancel at least 31 days in advance. (If you end up cancelling with less notice than that, your points go into the holding account and you can't bank them anyway. There are other restrictions on using holding account points as well).

Best wishes -

 

[funhouse8]

My Dh has to pick his vacation in November for the next year. What do you think would be a good use year?

 

[PatMcDuck]

If I understand this whole thing, the best use year is one that falls before you usually travel, or in the same month you travel. We used to go in November, and had a Aug use year. We ended up selling those (OKW) to buy in at BCV. Now we go in August (kids are older, can't miss school), and we have a June use year. It is best to have it like that, because if you book, you are less likely to be borrowing, so it is easier to cancel and not fall into the points needing to be used in the prior use year (once borrowed, they do not go back, even if you borrow Junes to use in May)

Did I make any sense??

 

[CarolMN]

My Dh has to pick his vacation in November for the next year. What do you think would be a good use year?

Depends when you actually go to WDW. What months do you and your DH usually pick to travel to WDW?

If you regularly travel at the same time, ask for a use year that falls up to 5 months before that. If you don't normally go at the same time, use year won't matter much.

Again, it only matters if you have to cancel a vacation that was scheduled late in your use year.

Best wishes -

 

[Steamboat Bill]

I have August and love it....I never really thought about what month is best....I am not too sure if there is any one best month.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I've wondered about this off and on...especially this year.

I have a December VWL contract. If I wanted to go in Dec for a weekend holiday visit am I correct in thinking my best bet would be to use up to 50% of my 2005 points for this so I can bank it if I need to cancel in say...early Nov? I've never bothered planning ahead before but the trip that I want to do but have never done is a post Thanksgiving, pre Christmas trip. Unfortunately it falls in a confusing time for me (with a Dec use year you are almost always using "last years" points.

 

[CarolMN]

I've wondered about this off and on...especially this year.

I have a December VWL contract. If I wanted to go in Dec for a weekend holiday visit am I correct in thinking my best bet would be to use up to 50% of my 2005 points for this so I can bank it if I need to cancel in say...early Nov? I've never bothered planning ahead before but the trip that I want to do but have never done is a post Thanksgiving, pre Christmas trip. Unfortunately it falls in a confusing time for me (with a Dec use year you are almost always using "last years" points.

December use years are the most difficult to "get comfortable with".

You need to make yourself a chart before every call to MS until you are sure you understand.

2005 use year points are good for stays that occur between 12/1/2005 and 11/30/2006

2006 use year points are good for stays that occur between 12/1/2006 and 11/30/2007

2007 use year points are good for stays that occur between 12/1/2007 and 11/30/2008

etc.

If you want to stay in December of 2006, you must use points that come from the 2006 use year. If you want to use your 2005 points for that trip, you have to bank them first.

If you schedule a visit in December 2006 and have to cancel it, you can bank all of your 2006 points as long as you call to do it before the end of May, 2007. If you borrowed any points to make the reservation or if you used any banked points for the reservation, you would have to use them before 11/30/2007. A December use year is the best you can have if you like to visit in December.

If you want to visit anytime in November, you have to hope you won't have to cancel. If you do, no matter what the status of the points you used to make the reservation (current, banked or borrowed), you have to use them before the end of that same November or they are forfeited.

There is no banking at all allowed in October or November if you have a December use year, and the 25% banking deadline is the end of September.

Best wishes -

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Thanks for the information!!! This clears things up a lot. I'll have to figure out something else to do with my 99 points (Hilton Head here we come!!!). And start planning for my Dec 2006 stay!!! Guess I better get a move on before the 7 month window rolls around.

 

[Tviv]

I just brought SSR UY at August. My annual trip planning is most likely be around late August! Is that a good UY for me.. Anything I need to watch out when I reserve the vacation!
Thanks,
Aviv