How important is matching use years?

[twinsouvenirs]

So I am watching for good resale contracts but obviously only a portion match based on resort, point size, and use year. wondering how vital the use year matchup is... if we are buying at a different resort anyway. Any insight? My husband wants it all as simple as possible but i am wondering if we might be able to get a better contract if we let up on that requirement.

 

[Deb & Bill]

So I am watching for good resale contracts but obviously only a portion match based on resort, point size, and use year. wondering how vital the use year matchup is... if we are buying at a different resort anyway. Any insight? My husband wants it all as simple as possible but i am wondering if we might be able to get a better contract if we let up on that requirement.

If you have two different use years and both are smaller contracts, you cannot combine the points for a single night without transferring from one to the other. I usually wind up with some nights from one contract and some from another, meaning two different reservation numbers. So I have to check out and check back in again for the same villa.

I have been limited to one transfer in or out a year, even with my own contracts.

 

[dmunsil]

My take on it is that matching use years is a good idea unless you are positive you'll almost always be using one set of points for one purpose and the other set for a different purpose and you won't want to mix points for big trips. If the use years don't match, the system won't let you mix points quickly and easily. You have to switch member numbers (accessible within the online site) to see your different use year contracts, and then if you want to combine balances you have to do a transfer from one to the other. You ostensibly have a limit of one transfer per year, but Disney has generally let people do more than one transfer per year between their own contracts. But transferred points don't show up online, so you just have to know what you have where, or call MS every time you want to check your balances.

If you have matching use years, everything is pretty seamless. It automatically combines your points for booking stuff at 7 months (or 11 months if both the use year and resort match), and you can see all your balances easily in one view.

For this reason, it's a good idea to get the most difficult contract first, to sort of set your use year, and then get the stuff from easy resorts with the same use year. For example, if you wanted to own VWL, AKV, and SSR, you'd want to get VWL first, in any use year that works, and then get AKV and SSR to match. There are so many contracts for those resorts that getting a matching year isn't too hard.

On the other hand, if you want one set of points for one specific purpose and the other set of points for a different purpose, matching use years isn't as important. Personally, I think you're likely to want to merge points at least every once in a while for a large trip or something, so unless you're in a huge rush, you might as well wait for the right year to come along. There are typically around 200-275 contracts that change hands each month (not counting ROFRs), so all use years come up for all resorts within a few months. If you have very specific point size requirements as well, it can get to be a drag waiting.

So if you're buying a resale add-on, you kind of need to be patient or not too picky about price, size, stripped vs. loaded, etc. Remember: you're still saving tons of money. Tons!

 

[kim532]

Just to clarify then, cause I am hoping to buy resale in the next couple of years. If I do buy the same Use Year then the transferring of point Deb & Bill had to do would NOT be necessary. It would be a seamless transaction?

Kim

 

[dmunsil]

I have been limited to one transfer in or out a year, even with my own contracts.

That's disconcerting - other people have reported that they've been allowed more than one transfer per year between their own contracts. Do you suppose it's just a matter of how sympathetic a CM you get? Some other factor?

So far I have just the one contract, and we have a contract waiting on ROFR. I almost made an offer on one that had a different use year, but eventually one that matched came up. I'm kind of glad I held out, given your experience.

 

[dmunsil]

Just to clarify then, cause I am hoping to buy resale in the next couple of years. If I do buy the same Use Year then the transferring of point Deb & Bill had to do would NOT be necessary. It would be a seamless transaction?

As long as the use years match, and the names on the deeds match exactly. Yes.

 

[lilpooh108]

I have 2 UY and it's a PITA. Not because it's hard to keep track, but b/c of the transferring issue.

If you borrow points alot (like me), you cannot transfer borrowed points and so if you plan on using borrowed points, you'd have to transfer into the account for which you plan on borrowing points. This means that each year I have to plan super carefully to figure out whether 2 years from now I have enough points to transfer, etc.

The whole nonsense can be avoided if you just have matching UY.

I also have to have 2 log ins b/c their IT dept is messed up. They've been trying to fix it for years, but they refuse to when I have pending reservations (which is always). So I essentially have 2 memberships. Because it's so separate, I now basically use them for 2 different things/types of trips.

 

[twinsouvenirs]

ok you have convinced me. I'll hunker down and wait.

 

[frank808]

I can say that I have a few use years and MS has been great. I have had to mobe points around a few times in a year and they have been ok with transfers. Can't say it will always happen but my experience has been positive.

 

[dbs1228]

I just sold one of our Ssr contracts because of different uy. I did transfer a couple times and was told by more then 1 at ms that I can do unlimited times if the contracts are in the same name. With that being said boy was it a nightmare when I transferred the points for a holiday week and was booking at the 11 month window. I was booking 4 nights at thv and 6 nights GV BLT. Once the transfer happened they could not book thv because points were not showing up and then I had something in the range of 1100 BLT points AFTER bookings he GV for NYE! It all worked out but it took about 6 weeks to straighten it out! I do have to say I loved seeing 1100 BLT points available

 

[dcfromva]

I think it depends on how you plan to use your points and how many points you purchase.
If you plan to use the points at your home resort and reserve at 11 months and you have enough points from the one contract to cover your plans, then I think it is actually easier to have different UYs.
(I find it easier to keep track of the points that are from different UYs than I do the ones that are the same UY. )
If you are frequently planning to combine points from different contracts for reservations at 7 months or less, then it would be much easier to have the same UY.

 

[disneynutz]

Same UY is a piece of cake, different UY's is more work and prone to more mistakes.

People do have more than one, either because they had a good reason for it or they didn't know any better at the time they bought.

It's like having different credit cards. Using one for certain purchases and others for certain purchases, keeping track of what's due when and which card to use next. Sometimes life can be made simpler by using only one card and putting the rest away.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

In addition to everything mentioned above, remember that a lot of the transactions involving separate memberships (which you will have with different use years), involve MS. That's not necessarily bad, but if you are trying to reserve something popular at the 11 or 7 month windows, it can be a disadvantage.

IMO, it's worth waiting for a contract with the same use year UNLESS as Don posted, you do not intend to ever use the contracts together. For example, let's say you go twice a year and have a VGF contract and a BCV contract. You plan to use the VGF contract for your December vacation and use the BCV contract for your spring vacation. You have no plans to combine points from both contracts to do anything. Even so, I'd still want the same use year because you just never know when you might need to use points from both contracts for a big trip.

 

[Minniesgal]

I think it is an entirely personal decision that is so linked to how you plan on using your points. Obviously for maximum flexibility the same UY is great but it isn't always essential.

Our main points are all AKV these ones we use for our home resort and to trade out to other resorts at 7 months.

We added on at VGC and we ony added on enough points to sometimes add a few West cost nights before we fly home. We bought a very small contract only 115 points so i don't see us using these for any other resort. The same UY wasn't important to me but i have it purely becuase the points came up in my UY.

We are going to add on at VGF in August when we are in Florida. Again this will be a very very small contract 50-100 points and again my plan is to buy enough to stay 3 or 4 nights every 4 years or so I do not plan on using these points at another resort. Again we will get the same UY as we will be buying direct but I don't see it as essential.

If I had planned on combining my points at 7 months and using them to book elsewhere same UY would have been essential. As it is for us I don't think it is .

 

[Dean]

I have been limited to one transfer in or out a year, even with my own contracts.

That has not been most people's experience here or mine when there was a need to do so. Basically if you transfer to yourself but then want to transfer to someone else, it's not possible from those contracts. However, if you want to do the reverse and there's a specific need like to complete a single night, most people have been allowed to do so. I know some have been told no but been allowed on another phone call.

As a rule, I'd wait on the same UY. However, there are situations where one might specifically want a different UY for a routine trip during a specific time of year.

 

[dcfromva]

I think it depends on how you plan to use your points and how many points you purchase.
If you plan to use the points at your home resort and reserve at 11 months and you have enough points from the one contract to cover your plans, then I think it is actually easier to have different UYs.
(I find it easier to keep track of the points that are from different UYs than I do the ones that are the same UY. )
If you are frequently planning to combine points from different contracts for reservations at 7 months or less, then it would be much easier to have the same UY.

One more thing I forgot to mention. If you have different UY's, you will have 2 WL for each UY.

 

[Deb & Bill]

One more thing I forgot to mention. If you have different UY's, you will have 2 WL for each UY.

But with multiple contracts at multiple resorts, there should be no need to waitlist at all. And you can only use the points from that UY to meet the waitlist. You can't substitute or transfer to the other to get the waitlist unless you are sure you are getting that waitlist and you do it ahead of time.

 

[MickeyT]

I just put in for my second contract at AKV with a different UY (Dec) than my original BCV (Feb) and all this UY talk has me nervous.

For example if I'm booking any DVC resort within the 7 month window and availablity is there I can use points from either contract?

Let's say I have 80 points left on this years AKV contract and all 150 points from BCV's next year contract. I want to book a stay at AKV and availabilty is there and I need to 100 points to complete the stay.

There is no problem going and getting the 20 points from the BCV contract to complete the reservation is there?

Just trying to understand. I never could do math word problems in school.

 

[disneynutz]

I just put in for my second contract at AKV with a different UY (Dec) than my original BCV (Feb) and all this UY talk has me nervous.

For example if I'm booking any DVC resort within the 7 month window and availablity is there I can use points from either contract?

Let's say I have 80 points left on this years AKV contract and all 150 points from BCV's next year contract. I want to book a stay at AKV and availabilty is there and I need to 100 points to complete the stay.

There is no problem going and getting the 20 points from the BCV contract to complete the reservation is there?

Just trying to understand. I never could do math word problems in school.

The fact that you are asking reinforces my opinion that multiple UY's can be confusing, extra work, and increases the possibility of an error. Unless you have a very good reason for more than one UY, I would stay with one.

Bill

 

[WebmasterDoc]

I just put in for my second contract at AKV with a different UY (Dec) than my original BCV (Feb) and all this UY talk has me nervous.

For example if I'm booking any DVC resort within the 7 month window and availablity is there I can use points from either contract?

Let's say I have 80 points left on this years AKV contract and all 150 points from BCV's next year contract. I want to book a stay at AKV and availabilty is there and I need to 100 points to complete the stay.

There is no problem going and getting the 20 points from the BCV contract to complete the reservation is there?

Just trying to understand. I never could do math word problems in school.

We have had as many as four different Use Years and still have three - without ever losing any points. We have transferred points between the contracts only a couple of times (and did not lose our ability to still transfer to other members for those Use Years).

In the situation you describe, your options are to either transfer the points you'll need for the 7 month reservation from one of your memberships to the other ... or ... reserve as many nights from one membership and the remainder from the other. MS will then link them together, although you might need to get new keys for each "leg" of the stay.

You would not really be able to use 80 points from the AKV membership and then the other 20 from the BCV unless whole nights can be reserved with exactly that number of points - unless you transfer the points from one into the other. We have used both methods without issue, but with the current policy where MS has been allowing easy transfer of points between contracts, that is the option I would suggest as the entire reservation would be under one contract.

Tracking points from multiple memberships can be easily done using a DVC Tracker program (like the one created by Caskbill - http://web.nalu.net/~wneth/dvcplanner.htm ) or even a simple checkbook program. You do need to stay on top of banking deadlines, but with the DVC online program, that is also pretty simple to manage. We've had multiple UYs for over 18 years now without any problems managing the accounts.

Good luck!