I'm a new member...and I'm confused

[dwsandy]

Hello, dh and I are in the process of completing our paperwork to finalize the purchase of our DVC membership. Our use year is September and we received an extra 200 points as a purchasing incentive. Our banking deadline passed before we purchased so we need to bank within the next week or so. We are thinking of taking a trip in march 2011 at BLT. I'm not sure if we will need a 1 or 2 bedroom villa. We will receive another 200 points in September of this year. We will need 268 points for a 1 bdrm or 352 for a 2 bdrm. Do points get used at booking or on your arrival date? I guess my question is if I book now and I'm not sure what accommodations I need what is the best way to do it? If I book now for May 2011 am I banking the points from now or am I borrowing from my September 2010 points? Sorry if this is confusing. The more I think about the more confused i am getting. Thanks in advance

 

[Chuck S]

Points for reservations come from the points you will have available on the dates of travel. So if you want to use points in your 2009 (current) September use year for a stay on or after September 1, 2010, you'll need to bank the 2009 points before you make the reservation so they are in the pool for use during your 2010 use year.

 

[LisaS]

When you make a reservation, you need to have enough points in your account in the same Use Year as your dates of stay. They can be current points, points banked from a previous UY and if you need to you can also borrow points from the following UY.

With a September Use Year:

Your 2009 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2009 - 8/31/2010
Your 2010 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2010 - 8/31/2011
Your 2011 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2011 - 8/31/2012
Your 2012 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2012 - 8/31/2013
and so on until the end of your contract

When you bank points, you push their "use by" dates back by one year. So if you bank your 2009 UY points, they will be valid for stays from 9/1/2010 - 8/31/2011. Your March 2011 trip falls within your 2010 Use Year so you could use banked 2009 UY points, your 2010 UY points, and if you needed still more points, you could borrow from your 2011 UY points for that stay.

 

[dwsandy]

When you make a reservation, you need to have enough points in your account in the same Use Year as your dates of stay. They can be current points, points banked from a previous UY and if you need to you can also borrow points from the following UY.

With a September Use Year:

Your 2009 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2009 - 8/31/2010
Your 2010 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2010 - 8/31/2011
Your 2011 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2011 - 8/31/2012
Your 2012 UY points are valid for stays from 9/1/2012 - 8/31/2013
and so on until the end of your contract

When you bank points, you push their "use by" dates back by one year. So if you bank your 2009 UY points, they will be valid for stays from 9/1/2010 - 8/31/2011. Your March 2011 trip falls within your 2010 Use Year so you could use banked 2009 UY points, your 2010 UY points, and if you needed still more points, you could borrow from your 2011 UY points for that stay.

So since I purchased this week would my first 200 points come in September 2010?

 

[Chuck S]

So since I purchased this week would my first 200 points come in September 2010?

You should have received current (2009) points. DVC has been marketing it as an "extra" 200, but that isn't the case, really, we have always gotten current use year points as long as the unit you purchased was completed and open, not a "presale" before the resort opens.

 

[LisaS]

So since I purchased this week would my first 200 points come in September 2010?

When you purchase directly from Disney, they start you off with a full set of points for your current Use Year. With a Sep UY, you are currently in your 2009 UY so your first set of points should be your Sep 2009 UY points. And even though you are past your banking deadline, Disney normally waives that deadline for that first set of points that you receive with your purchase.

 

[dwsandy]

You should have received current (2009) points. DVC has been marketing it as an "extra" 200, but that isn't the case, really, we have always gotten current use year points as long as the unit you purchased was completed and open, not a "presale" before the resort opens.

Oh ok. I was under the impression it was an incentive if you purchased. That makes more sense. Thank you for all your help

 

[dwsandy]

When you purchase directly from Disney, they start you off with a full set of points for your current Use Year. With a Sep UY, you are currently in your 2009 UY so your first set of points should be your Sep 2009 UY points. And even though you are past your banking deadline, Disney normally waives that deadline for that first set of points that you receive with your purchase.

Thank you for helping me clear this up. I fell much less confused (for this moment anyway )

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thank you for helping me clear this up. I fell much less confused (for this moment anyway )

Don't worry, you will have other confusions too, but feel free to read and ask here. Most of us are very willing and able to help.