Buying Direct and Getting October use year- will I get 2019 points? Bad if it makes two use years?

[harmon54]

If I buy direct and request and October use year and still get the 2019 points? I really think I will like this use year with how I may be traveling in the future. However I already have a March use year and know I can just request that but I do think I will be traveling in October November and December more and the more I read it seems March is a bad use year for that? I also will keep traveling in July and August so it might be good to have two use years. Or will it be more of a headache then it is worth?

 

[Eldon32]

If it's a resort that hasn't been sold out - then yes.

If it's a resort that has been sold out, then only if Disney has a contract that has 2019 points on it can they offer you those.

IMO, you should consider very carefully how you will use these two contracts. If you are trying to use them together, it will make booking complicated since you will need to either make two reservations or transfer points between contracts (which will cause the points to still maintain their same use-year). I think in general, most people would recommend sticking with one use-year where possible; especially if both contracts are at the same resort anyway.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I have October and February or March is probably a better choice for me and the way my travel patterns have settled. However like @Eldon32 said, having two can be complicated, so I'll stick with what I've got.

I don't usually change my trip plans, although the last 6 months have been a wild ride with planning. At least for me, my plans tend to be the most flexible toward the end of my use year, so I've got that going for me.

 

[harmon54]

If it's a resort that hasn't been sold out - then yes.

If it's a resort that has been sold out, then only if Disney has a contract that has 2019 points on it can they offer you those.

IMO, you should consider very carefully how you will use these two contracts. If you are trying to use them together, it will make booking complicated since you will need to either make two reservations or transfer points between contracts (which will cause the points to still maintain their same use-year). I think in general, most people would recommend sticking with one use-year where possible; especially if both contracts are at the same resort anyway.

We have a resale at SSR and would be buying direct at Riviera - so probably wouldn’t use the points together that much as we can’t use the SSR points at Riviera!

 

[Doberge]

We have a resale at SSR and would be buying direct at Riviera - so probably wouldn’t use the points together that much as we can’t use the SSR points at Riviera!

But you can still go the other way and use both contracts at the Legacy 14.

Don't buy strictly because 2019 but buy what is best for your family. We just purchased Riviera with a different use year and got 2019 points, but our reasoning was that we travel in February often and December sometimes that our March use year wasn't best for us.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

If I buy direct and request and October use year and still get the 2019 points? I really think I will like this use year with how I may be traveling in the future. However I already have a March use year and know I can just request that but I do think I will be traveling in October November and December more and the more I read it seems March is a bad use year for that? I also will keep traveling in July and August so it might be good to have two use years. Or will it be more of a headache then it is worth?

Be careful because if you have 2 memberships, you only get direct benefits with your membership that has a direct contract. Not sure if your March UY has a direct contract already or not. So, for example if your March contract is resale and you want to go to moonlight madness on a trip that uses your March points, you could do that if you have at least one qualifying direct contract in the March membership— but not if your one direct contract is in a different UY.

 

[LoveMugsNPins]

So you have to be staying on your direct points to be able to go to a moonlight madness event? You are only blue card eligible when you are staying on those points?

 

[sweatandsteel]

We had to make this same decision and went with a December use year on our new Riviera purchase though we currently have August for our Grand Floridian points. It really didn't matter to us as we have traveled in December, March, May, and October before but this way we got the 2019 points to double up with 2020 points for a big trip next year. Both of our purchases have been direct.

 

[harmon54]

But you can still go the other way and use both contracts at the Legacy 14.

Don't buy strictly because 2019 but buy what is best for your family. We just purchased Riviera with a different use year and got 2019 points, but our reasoning was that we travel in February often and December sometimes that our March use year wasn't best for us.

This is what I am thinking exactly - just wondering if it will be too much of a hassle and I will regret it. We often travel in December and February and I keep reading a March use year is not good for that.
Now the other poster said it will mess up Blue card benefits but that I am confused on. If I have a blue card from this purchase I should be able to use those benefits whenever not just when I am staying on those specific points right? Do I have to have the blue card points on the same contract as my resale points?
I will ask my guide but sometimes it is easier to ask here to get actual experience with this issue.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

So you have to be staying on your direct points to be able to go to a moonlight madness event? You are only blue card eligible when you are staying on those points?

No, but you have to be staying with a membership that has direct points in it. If you have another UY, dvc opens a new membership for you.

 

[LoveMugsNPins]

No, but you have to be staying with a membership that has direct points in it. If you have another UY, dvc opens a new membership for you.

Ok, I got it! Sheesh! Soooo much to learn about DVC.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I only found out about this recently and find it confusing too. But each UY you purchase has its own membership number. You might as well be different people. If you add on the same UY, and make sure that you put the same names on the deed, that contract will go into the same membership you already have. If you have qualified (1 think it is 100 points right now) direct points within a membership, then things like moonlight madness apply to the entire membership. But specific points still have specific benefits/restrictions. Like only direct points can be used on dcl (or if you have grandfather resale purchased before that restriction was put into place). I always wondered why Mickey gave you a new membership with each new use year. Now I know. It’s another sneaky way to restrict benefits.

 

[Sandisw]

Be careful because if you have 2 memberships, you only get direct benefits with your membership that has a direct contract. Not sure if your March UY has a direct contract already or not. So, for example if your March contract is resale and you want to go to moonlight madness on a trip that uses your March points, you could do that if you have at least one qualifying direct contract in the March membership— but not if your one direct contract is in a different UY.

I have this and traveled on non qualified points and was able to attend MM. One of my UYs is white card only. It did not matter since I have a blue card as well.

 

[Sandisw]

If you are finding different travel times make sense now two UYs can work. It is why I have them as my initial one was good when I went I. Summer only but when I started going in MY it was horrible so I got Dec UY.

I just use both memberships on their own to cover different trips and don’t combine. Could mean borrowing SSR points when I have some on the other membership..but I prefer that over transfer. A few times I have done split stays as well so it doesn’t matter.

 

[harmon54]

I only found out about this recently and find it confusing too. But each UY you purchase has its own membership number. You might as well be different people. If you add on the same UY, and make sure that you put the same names on the deed, that contract will go into the same membership you already have. If you have qualified (1 think it is 100 points right now) direct points within a membership, then things like moonlight madness apply to the entire membership. But specific points still have specific benefits/restrictions. Like only direct points can be used on dcl (or if you have grandfather resale purchased before that restriction was put into place). I always wondered why Mickey gave you a new membership with each new use year. Now I know. It’s another sneaky way to restrict benefits.

Thanks for the clarification- something to think about but ugh why do they make it so confusing - I would buy a lot quicker if it was simpler to figure out how it all worked!

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

I have this and traveled on non qualified points and was able to attend MM. One of my UYs is white card only. It did not matter since I have a blue card as well.

Same here. It was a little trickier booking the MM (as the website specifically states you need to enter your blue card membership number- which had no res on it- I even ended up calling MS to no avail; finally went back to the website & plugged in my white card number- voila!) ...but going was no issue at all as they just look at the blue card in your hand!!

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

I just use both memberships on their own to cover different trips and don’t combine. Could mean borrowing SSR points when I have some on the other membership..but I prefer that over transfer. A few times I have done split stays as well so it doesn’t matter.

I completely agree! If one uses the memberships independently and doesn’t try to combine- that is definitely the easiest way to use different UY!!

 

[ElizabethG]

If you are planning to go multiple times per year, then it matters less. We take one long vacation per year, so I can pool my points (3 contracts) in the reservation.

I have a March UY. We we got our first contract (in 2009), I didn't know anything about UY, or why it mattered. For several years, we traveled in October. I have never had to cancel a trip, until this year. But, at least I would have been able to bank the points if I had to cancel. So, I never had an issue. However, your travel patterns can change. It now works better for us to travel in May.