Booking and Use Year

[Riley Germanis]

Having watched all of the Dis Unplugged videos about DVC, there's a lot of talk about banking and borrowing, and the 11 month booking versus the 7 month booking, but not a lot of talk about the booking process or more specifics. Before I buy, I want to know all the nitty gritty. So here's what I'm wondering...

Imagine:

• I own 150 points at Saratoga Springs with a Use Year of September
• Currently, I have:
  • 0 points from 2019
  • 150 points coming in Sept. 2020
  • 150 points coming in Sept. 2021

I want to book a vacation for June 21st of 2020...when will I be able to book a 150 point vacation? 160 point vacation?

Thanks for your help!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

First think about the time that the points are "current". So not addressing your example yet, just the starting points in that contract lets look at that. For a Sept UY the 2020 points are current for stays from Sept 1, 2020-Aug 31, 2021. With those you also could used banked 2019 points (which don't exist here) which otherwise would have been good for stays from Sept 1, 2019-Aug 31, 2020. Or you could borrow points from 2021 UY for stays from Sept 1, 2020 to Aug 31, 2021.

Now your example would have a stay in June of 2020 which is still in the Sept 2019 UY (Sept 1, 2019-Aug 31, 2020). That means with zero 2019 points you'd have to borrow from the 2020 UY for the stay. You list 150 points available in 2020 so that is the maximum you would have available to borrow and for the stay.

For the June 21st stay you could make the reservtion at SSR starting July 21, 2019 and borrow the points required or for a different resort you could book something that is available beginning Nov 21, 2019 and borrow the points required.

 

[Marionnette]

Having watched all of the Dis Unplugged videos about DVC, there's a lot of talk about banking and borrowing, and the 11 month booking versus the 7 month booking, but not a lot of talk about the booking process or more specifics. Before I buy, I want to know all the nitty gritty. So here's what I'm wondering...

Imagine:

• I own 150 points at Saratoga Springs with a Use Year of September
• Currently, I have:
  • 0 points from 2019
  • 150 points coming in Sept. 2020
  • 150 points coming in Sept. 2021

I want to book a vacation for June 21st of 2020...when will I be able to book a 150 point vacation? 160 point vacation?

Thanks for your help!

You would be able to book a 150-point reservation for June, 2020 in July, 2019 (home resort) or Dec, 2019 (non-home resort). You would need to borrow all 150 points from your Sept 2020 UY for that trip. June 2020 falls in your Sept. 3019 UY.

If you want to book a trip that requires 160 points, you can wait until the 7-month booking window opens and purchase 10 one-time use points to complete the reservation. You cannot borrow 2021 points into you 2019 UY.

 

[Riley Germanis]

Wow! Thanks both...this is helpful, thinking about the ranges of dates really helped!

So if my understanding is correct, to use 3 years worth of points (450 points total) for a June 22nd stay (let's say in the year 2021) where I have the following:

• 150 points from 2020
• 150 points from 2021
• 150 points from 2022

I would need to bank my 2020 points by May of 2020 and then book my June 22nd stay AFTER my use year passes so I can borrow from 2022 use year. To book a 450 stay I could strategize to use all my points and make the reservation on September 1st, 2020 at the earliest. Is this correct?

 

[chalee94]

Are you certain that you read those posts?

For a June 2021 stay, the earliest you could book would be July 2020. UY month has absolutely nothing to do with when you can book. Nothing at all.

For a Sept UY, a June 2021 stay would fall in your Sept 2020 UY. So 2020 UY pts used for that stay would be current UY pts. You could also use banked 2019 UY pts if you have any and borrowed 2021 UY pts if needed.

But before all that, if you think you will be traveling in June on a regular basis, you really don't want a September UY in the 1st place. April or June is probably a better choice.

 

[Riley Germanis]

Are you certain that you read those posts?

For a June 2021 stay, the earliest you could book would be July 2020. UY month has absolutely nothing to do with when you can book. Nothing at all.

For a Sept UY, a June 2021 stay would fall in your Sept 2020 UY. So 2020 UY pts used for that stay would be current UY pts. You could also use banked 2019 UY pts if you have any and borrowed 2021 UY pts if needed.

But before all that, if you think you will be traveling in June on a regular basis, you really don't want a September UY in the 1st place. April or June is probably a better choice.

Yeah...I read the posts...my confusion is with points. If I book in July 2020 for the June 2021 trip, but I don't have enough points in my account until September 2020, am I able to book a 450 trip?

I was thinking about September as a "worst case scenario" so I could better understand the use year and booking relationship. Based on some previous threads, it seems like there is a relationship between UY and booking for certain sized trips.

 

[chalee94]

Yeah...I read the posts...my confusion is with points. If I book in July 2020 for the June 2021 trip, but I don't have enough points...

I have an October UY. My 2040 UY pts are already in my account. My limitation is that they can only be pulled ahead by borrowing by 1 UY. So the earliest that I could use those 2040 UY pts for a stay is on Oct 1, 2039 - which is at the very beginning of my 2039 UY. The earliest that I can book an Oct 1, 2039 stay is Nov 1, 2038 - that is based entirely on my home resort - nothing to do with UY.

 

[BillPA]

Learn more before you buy. Be sure you know what you are getting into.

 

[Riley Germanis]

I have an October UY. My 2040 UY pts are already in my account. My limitation is that they can only be pulled ahead by borrowing by 1 UY. So the earliest that I could use those 2040 UY pts for a stay is on Oct 1, 2039 - which is at the very beginning of my 2039 UY. The earliest that I can book an Oct 1, 2039 stay is Nov 1, 2038 - that is based entirely on my home resort - nothing to do with UY.

I agree...but there's an assumption that you are getting your year's points in October and then using those for 11 months out (when you book on Nov 1st). My question is booking using points that haven't become available yet...for a non-ideal UY month. If you check my original and second post, I tried to explain the scenario as clearly as I could...I just want confirmation that my understanding is correct.

Is my second post (about banking and borrowing points) correct as described in the DVC contract language?

 

[DebbieB]

Yeah...I read the posts...my confusion is with points. If I book in July 2020 for the June 2021 trip, but I don't have enough points in my account until September 2020, am I able to book a 450 trip?

I was thinking about September as a "worst case scenario" so I could better understand the use year and booking relationship. Based on some previous threads, it seems like there is a relationship between UY and booking for certain sized trips.

Points are already deposited in your account in advance, you don’t have to wait for a deposit to book. Cruises can be booked 2 years in advance, so deposits are made 3 years in advance (so you could borrow).

 

[bumbershoot]

First we must ask “when can I book any given trip?”

The answer to that for a home resort stay in June 2020 is: July 2019.

The answer to that for a home resort stay in June 2021 is: July 2020.


Then you have to see if you have points that will work for that trip. If you have points that will naturally work, or work by banking and/or borrowing, then you can book. And that’s the big question here. Because a September use year is shifted quite a bit from the proper year.

Get a notebook for DVC and do the timeshare calculus.

I want to book a vacation for June 21st of 2020.

With a September UY:

*if you had 2019 points those would naturally be good for trips from Sept 2019 through August 2020. But you do not.

*the 2020 points you have are naturally good for trips Sept 2020 through August 2021. Those do not work for your June 2020 trip without changing them...

*so, the 2020 points you have can be borrowed back to 2019 UY, meaning they could then be used for trips from Sept 2019 through August 2020. That’s in your timeframe for a June 2020 trip.

*you can BOOK that trip at SSR as early as July 2019 (11 months prior to checkin date). You can book that trip at other resorts as early as 7 months prior to checkin date.

*your 2021 points can only be borrowed back to 2020 UY, meaning they would be good for trips between sept 2020 through August 2021. There is no way to use those points for a June 2020 trip.

So if my understanding is correct, to use 3 years worth of points (450 points total) for a June 22nd stay (let's say in the year 2021) where I have the following:

• 150 points from 2020
• 150 points from 2021
• 150 points from 2022

June 2021 trip?

*2020 points with September UY are naturally good to be used for a trip from September 2020 through August 2021. That would work with the 2021 trip.

*2021 points could be borrowed back to 2020 UY and thereby be good for a June 2021 trip.

*2022 points can not be used for a June 2021 trip. They can only be borrowed back to 2021 UY, and that means they would be good for trips starting in September 2021, which doesn’t work for June 2021.

Yeah...I read the posts...my confusion is with points. If I book in July 2020 for the June 2021 trip, but I don't have enough points in my account until September 2020, am I able to book a 450 trip?

I don’t think that 3 UY trip can happen with a June 2021 trip without 2019 points.



I think you’d have to make it June 2022.

2020 points could be banked forward and therefore be used for trips between September 2021 through August 2022.

2021 points can be used
for trips between September 2021 through August 2022.

2022 points could be borrowed back for trips between September 2021 through August 2022.



So to get that June trip with 450 points you’d need to wait until June 2022, if my calculations are correct.


(If you had September 2019 points, the big June 2021 trip would work.)



As always with things like this, I hope I’ve done this correctly, but if I haven’t I know people will be along to say “nope!” quickly.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I agree...but there's an assumption that you are getting your year's points in October and then using those for 11 months out (when you book on Nov 1st). My question is booking using points that haven't become available yet...for a non-ideal UY month. If you check my original and second post, I tried to explain the scenario as clearly as I could...I just want confirmation that my understanding is correct.

Is my second post (about banking and borrowing points) correct as described in the DVC contract language?

That’s an assumption that you are making and we’re actually saying is an incorrect assumption. Any and every reservation with any UY always can be booked at 11 months for home resort or 7 months for a non home resort and everyone of those reservations has access to up to 3 years of points at that time of booking to use towards any reservation. The only thing affecting that is that the points haven’t already been used for a different reservation. The differences with the UY’s is just what 3 years of points you can use and that depends on the date of the stay, not the date you book.

 

[chicagoshannon]

For a June 2021 trip the most you could do is 300 points. You would use your 150 2020 points and borrow your 2021 points.

To use the points in June 2020 you'd still be in your 2019 use year so actually borrowing from 2020 so the most you'd be able to do is a 150 point stay.

 

[bumbershoot]

Not that I recommend buying direct because of this, but if you did buy a September UY direct right now, because it’s only April, you would get the current UY points.

That means 2018 UY points. And of course you’d have 2019 UY points and etc.

That would change the whole thing, but that’s quite a premium to be paid vs resale.

But it would allow for the June 2020 trip to be back on the table, because:

*2018 Sept UY points would be bankable for a June 2020 trip (but maybe only when buying direct and they’d allow what is possibly late banking)
*2019 sept UY points are naturally usable for a June 2020 trip, and
*2020 sept UY points could be borrowed for a June 2020 trip.

 

[bumbershoot]

The differences with the UY’s is just what 3 years of points you can use and that depends on the date of the stay, not the date you book.

Such a good way to say it!!!

I had a whole thing laying out how I, with my February UY, could book the same trips he’s looking at, and I’m glad I deleted it bc you said it so succinctly.

 

[Riley Germanis]

Whew! This is a lot to take in, but I think I have the info that I need. I have not purchased yet...so I am just doing some homework before the decision and want to consider UY as something that plays a role in what I purchase and from whom.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Whew! This is a lot to take in, but I think I have the info that I need. I have not purchased yet...so I am just doing some homework before the decision and want to consider UY as something that plays a role in what I purchase and from whom.

The importance of a "good" UY is that it provides a bit of free insurance against last minute cancellations. In order to have that you want to purchase a UY that starts shortly before your planned time of travel. So if June is the normal time you visit Disney then a June UY or an April UY will give you the best options against last minute cancellations by giving you the most time possible to either rebook or even bank the points if they are eligible to be banked.

Otherwise as mentioned the UY is irrelavant for when you can book.

 

[CarolMN]

Spend some time with this thread:

Understanding Use Year

It will give you the "nitty-gritty" .

 

[Sandisw]

The easiest way for me, especially when I was new was first figure out the UY your trip will take place. Once you know that, you know you can "pay" for the trip with banked points from the UY prior to the trip, points from the UY of the trip, and borrowed points from the UY after the trip. Forget about the calendar year when deciding what points you can use.

For booking, it is always 11 months prior to check in date for home resort, and 7 months prior for non-home resort. As long as your points are available in the right status (ie: points need to be banked before you book if you want to use banked points), then you can reserve a room.

Hope this helps!