First time purchase DVC from Disney, when are points available?

[Princess Jasmine]

If we purchase our DVC from Disney when are our points available?Also, do they just assign you a UY if you don't have a prefrence? We are looking to purchase within the next month or so. The only concern I have is that we want to schedule a week in Oct 2008, does it matter what UY we get for that?

So confused. Thanks for the help.

 

[Donald is #1]

Your points will be in your account within days of your deposit. That being said, when you can actually use them will depend upon the resort you buy and your UY. For example, when I bought AKV in May, I got an August UY. So my points were in my account right away and I could start making reservations but the trips had to be after August 1st since that is when my points were valid. If you buy either at SSR (any UY I think) or at AKV with a UY that has a month prior to September (since it is currently August), then you will have points to spend right away.

I am not sure about the UY. When I bought AKV, I just got the UY that they were selling at the time. I didn't ask about any other available UYs since August was a good one for me.

 

[LisaS]

The only concern I have is that we want to schedule a week in Oct 2008, does it matter what UY we get for that?

You can book 11 months prior to your check-out date at your home resort, and 7 months prior to check out at non-home resorts, regardless of your Use Year. Your UY is when your annual allotment of points is renewed every year. It also determines your banking deadlines. But it does not affect when you can call to make a reservation.

If you have a choice of Use Years, choose one that is just before your primary travel dates. For example, if most of your trips will be in June, then a June or April Use Year would work well. If you plan to go primarily in February, then a Feb or Dec UY would be good. The reason for this is because if you have to cancel a trip that is scheduled for early in your UY, you have most of the rest of the UY to use the points for something else. If it's in the first 6 months of your UY, you could bank all of the points to use the following year. Compare that to cancelling a trip scheduled for late in your UY (say an August trip and your UY is Sep) you would be past your banking deadlines and would have to try to use the points for something else with only a few weeks left before the points were due to expire.

 

[benjaminb13]

Sorry for the basic question-- What is UV?

 

[vandy]

UY= Use Year. This is when your yearly allottment of points are put into your account. If you have a December UY, your points for the next 12 months become available on December 1st and run until November 30th. This is important for planning what points are available when you plan to travel and when the banking restrictions take place. (SEE LISAS' PREVIOUS POST)

 

[PSC]

UY = Use Year. Use Year is best thought of as point renewal month. Every year on the 1st of your use year month, you get another years allotment of points. As mentioned earlier, the use year becomes important for purposes of banking deadlines, etc.

 

[vandy]

If we purchase our DVC from Disney when are our points available?

They may take a few days to show up, but if you need to make a reservation right away, your guide can help you line that up. When we purchased, our guide was able to call back a few hours later with our member number, then put us through to MS, explained our situation and then they let us book our room.

Also, do they just assign you a UY if you don't have a prefrence? So confused.:confused

:

Use Year will depend what they have available. Request what you want, but you may need to choose from what they have.

 

[Claire L]

Just be aware if you are trying to get a booking very soon you may not be able to use your points. We bought DVC at AKV right at the end of July and although we could book the following day we could not go before Sept 1st as that was when our points were technically in the system for use. We went for a March UY apparently that was nearly all sold and June was the current UY if you had no preference.

Claire

 

[ScottakaMickey]

Just be aware if you are trying to get a booking very soon you may not be able to use your points. We bought DVC at AKV right at the end of July and although we could book the following day we could not go before Sept 1st as that was when our points were technically in the system for use. We went for a March UY apparently that was nearly all sold and June was the current UY if you had no preference.

Claire

When I purchsed I paid my deposit on July 7th, and made reservations using my this year points on July 11th. The only reason for the delay and I couldn't book on Monday was that the guide didn't give me my membership number and I had to wait for the FedEx package to arrive. You should be able to book right away as others are saying.

 

[squirrlygirl]

I bought on Saturday, I called Member Services on Monday, told them I was new and didn't have my number. They looked me up a different way, I made my ressies, and they gave me my member number. No need to wait for closing documents!

I was told my use year would be september. I was not offered an alternative, but I asked for one. He looked it up, it was available, and so it was given to me.