Dangers of Booking Trip at End of Use Year

[ArRzrbk]

At the advice of my fellow Disney friends on these boards, I have decided to book our first trip "home" to the BCV next year instead of waiting until 2006 I am just unsure about whether to go during Gram's Spring/Easter Break (end of March), DS's 3rd birthday middle of April (Gram can't go then, and we don't really want to go without her), or first week in May (Gram thinks she can make that trip, but she's not 100% sure). The problem is...

My Use Year is April. I think the Spring/Easter Break trip would be the best choice for us personally (Gram can go, and we don't have to wait too long for first trip "home"), but that would be the end of our Use Year! And my guess is that is not an ideal time to travel. I have read through the manuals, and I am still unclear on the ramifications if we had to cancel within 30 days of the trip.

I know I can call Member Services and ask my questions, but you all are so much better at explaining this. Please tell me, what are my options if I travel at the end of my Use Year and end up having to cancel within 30 days? Thanks for your help. Oh, and we would only cancel if someone got sick, in case you are wondering. And believe me, we would be buying the trip insurance

Char

 

[tjkraz]

Two separate issues:

If you have to cancel less than 30 days before your check-in date - Points go into a Holding Account and can only be used to book a stay 60 days (or less) before check-in. The points MUST be used by the end of the Use Year. This restriction applies to ALL trips that you will ever book.

Regarding the Use Year issue, points must always be used or banked by the end of the Use Year or they are lost. You said you have an April Use Year; points must be used by 3/31. Now let's assume you book a stay for March 20-27. Finally, let's assume that you discover you need to cancel that trip on February 15th.

As of that date, you are still more than 31 days from check-in, so it's OK to cancel in that sense. However, the points still need to be used by 3/31 or they are lost. You're past the banking deadlines, so that is not an option.

I guess the real issue that you need to resolve is the likelihood that you would ever have to cancel on short notice. If March is a time period in which you would normally travel, then an April Use Year probably wasn't the best choice for you. But that's water under the bridge at this point.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by ArRzrbk
At the advice of my fellow Disney friends on these boards, I have decided to book our first trip "home" to the BCV next year instead of waiting until 2006 I am just unsure about whether to go during Gram's Spring/Easter Break (end of March), DS's 3rd birthday middle of April (Gram can't go then, and we don't really want to go without her), or first week in May (Gram thinks she can make that trip, but she's not 100% sure). The problem is...

My Use Year is April. I think the Spring/Easter Break trip would be the best choice for us personally (Gram can go, and we don't have to wait too long for first trip "home"), but that would be the end of our Use Year! And my guess is that is not an ideal time to travel. I have read through the manuals, and I am still unclear on the ramifications if we had to cancel within 30 days of the trip.

I know I can call Member Services and ask my questions, but you all are so much better at explaining this. Please tell me, what are my options if I travel at the end of my Use Year and end up having to cancel within 30 days? Thanks for your help. Oh, and we would only cancel if someone got sick, in case you are wondering. And believe me, we would be buying the trip insurance

Char

If you cancel a trip 30 days or less before arrival, your points go into the Holding Account. Holding account points expire at the end of the use year. In your case, the points would be lost if you didn't use them before March 31.

If you have to cancel that March trip, you will in all probablility lose the points. You might be able to rent the reservation at the last minute at "firesale" rates and recover at least some of your money.

Read the trip insurance information carefully - it doesn't cover every reason for cancellation and may not cover cancelling due to sickness. IIRC, trip insurance returns about $5/point.

Best wishes -

 

[ArRzrbk]

Thanks for the replies : ) And at the time we bought in, I had a choice between March or April Use Years - March was BWV and April was BCV. Only time will tell if the BCV April UY was a good choice overall - this is just year one and vacation attempt number one Anyway...

I have a quick follow-up question. When we bought in last year, I thought there was some sort of special "holding account" that points could sit in for up to two years. Or is that part of a banking option that is tied to Use Year as well? Thanks again for your help.

Char

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by ArRzrbk
I have a quick follow-up question. When we bought in last year, I thought there was some sort of special "holding account" that points could sit in for up to two years. Or is that part of a banking option that is tied to Use Year as well? Thanks again for your help.

Sounds like Banking to me. When you bank points, all it does is move the points into the very next Use Year. Points that were originally valid from 4/1/05 to 3/31/06 would then be valid 4/1/06 to 3/31/07.

In order to bank 100% of your points, you need to call DVC and make the transaction within the first 6 months of your Use Year (for you, by 9/30/05). After that, the number of points that you can bank begins to decrease until you reach the end of the 10th month, at which point you can no longer bank any points.

Points can only be banked one year forward. Once banked they cannot be un-banked if you decide to make a trip earlier than you had anticipated. However, you could borrow points from the next Use Year if necessary (but not the same points that were banked).

Borrowed points cannot be banked. Holding Account points cannot be banked.

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by ArRzrbk
Thanks for the replies : ) And at the time we bought in, I had a choice between March or April Use Years - March was BWV and April was BCV. Only time will tell if the BCV April UY was a good choice overall - this is just year one and vacation attempt number one Anyway...

I have a quick follow-up question. When we bought in last year, I thought there was some sort of special "holding account" that points could sit in for up to two years. Or is that part of a banking option that is tied to Use Year as well? Thanks again for your help.

Char

Char,
You could also deposit points into II for a trade for up to two years.
The following is from the DVC member website:
"An alternative to banking
Instead of banking your Vacation Points, you may be able to use them to reserve a seven-night stay in a one- or two-bedroom Vacation Home at your Home Resort, then deposit that week through Interval International® for exchange use within the next two years."


-DC :ears:

 

[ArRzrbk]

DC, that's it!!! That's what I remembered. Interval International deposit Now, do banking rules apply, or can you dump them there even canceling just a few days before the reservation and at the very end of your use year? Oh, and good job searching the Member site. I could not for the life of me find that! Thanks again!

Char