Can someone help me figure out the use year I should look for?

[JandD Mom]

Hi everyone,

We are potential prospective DVC buyers and I am trying to figure out the use year with regard to banking and borrowing points. There are a couple of banks of points we could be interested in in Feb and April. However, our typical travel to WDW will be in the late August to Early Nov Range, with early Nov being the typical for us.

Maybe someday we will go over Easter break period, but I don't have a huge desire to do that right now.

So when should I be looking at a use year? Someone pointed out to me that if I decide to change reservation in the Aug-Nov timespan I will not be able to bank the points. Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks!

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

The best use year starts a few months before you typically travel. That way if you have to cancel, you can still bank all of your points. But that being said, how many of us will have the same travel patterns today as we will 10, 15 or 20 years from now?

If there is a great contract that meets your needs, I'd suggest getting it. If given a choice, an August use year would seem to be ideal for you for this point in your life. The April use year contract you mention would give you some flexibility, especially for August vacations. If you had to cancel an August trip, you would still be able to bank 100% of those points.

HBC

 

[Tramp68]

It all comes down to planning time and cancelling time.

The points will be there regardless of the UY whether you you have to bank or borrow.

BUT do you make last minute trips? Do you make trips every year or would you be banking one year to make large trips every other year. When would they be? Do you tend to cancel or postpone trips? When you cancel is it usually within 30 days of travelling?

Look at the banking chart..you can only bank 100% of your points within the first 6 months of your UY so make sure your UY is not too far before when you usually make your plans for the following 12 months.

I personally don't think there is a wrong UY for most people. Just keep your deadlines in mind and plan accordingly. As I think was said above..if you see a great deal, take it. You can work around the UY.

 

[jennypenny]

I think you should have a use year that matches the month you usually travel. We have a Feb use year because we go for Pres Day every year. We do that because if we have to cancel close to vacation (which happened once) we have 11 more months to use the points, or we can bank them.

Jenny

 

[wtpclc]

I second teh August UY. You have until January 31 to bank 100% of your points. Therefore, both August and November trips would allow you to bank your points if you had to cancel. If you can't find that perfect UY, though, it just takes a little planning (and not canceling trips last minute) to make it work.

 

[Daitcher]

Hi everyone,

We are potential prospective DVC buyers and I am trying to figure out the use year with regard to banking and borrowing points. There are a couple of banks of points we could be interested in in Feb and April. However, our typical travel to WDW will be in the late August to Early Nov Range, with early Nov being the typical for us.

Maybe someday we will go over Easter break period, but I don't have a huge desire to do that right now.

So when should I be looking at a use year? Someone pointed out to me that if I decide to change reservation in the Aug-Nov timespan I will not be able to bank the points. Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks!

Take whatever they give you or is available. What might seem great now might not work down the road. We have a Feb. use year and I could care less. The only thing a use year is designed to be is an anniversary date of when your points renew. It also dictates your banking schedule. People have gone way overboard trying " to plan the best use year". It is good for me because those posts always give me a good laugh. Honestly it doesn't matter. Any case someone makes for one use year I can refute that or make a great case for another use year. Don't sweat the small stuff. What would be worth looking into is how you can buy more points.


DAVE