Just discovered when use year matters

[timC]

My use year is June....Years ago when we picked June, we really didn't think too seriously about about the implications.

Now, it seems we've settled into early June as our favorite time of year to go. Normally things works out well. If, for any reason our June plans fall through, we've got an entire year ahead of us to figure out a new trip.

On the flip side, without thinking I booked our 2004 summer trip to start on May 30...the last 2 days of our 2003 year, and had to borrow from 2004 to complete the reservation. Dumb. Dumb Dumb. Now, if for any reason I have to cancel, I've got 44 point stranded in 2003, with the clock ticking down.

Oh well. Live and learn. I'll have to keep my fingers x'd that my plans don't change.

Has anyone ever run into use year troubles?

 

[Poorman]

If you find out you can't go early enough you could always rent the points and recoup you maint. and a little extra. You also could book your trip earlier if you find out for some reason you can't go in May. Or you could rent out your whole ressie to someone. ressies around Memorial day seem to go fast. Lots of options, if you find out early enough,but yes you are at risk.

Good luck. Rich

 

[anniet]

...so are you saying if you borrow from a future year, you can't put those points back to their original year if you cancel? Must you use them in the year you reserved them for?

 

[jaysue]

Points that are borrowed or banked cannot be returned to their original use year.

Points can only be borrowed when making a reservation

So yes once you borrow points to make a ressie, they cannot be returned to their original use year

Thanks
jaysue

 

[InstImpres]

Just thinking out loud...

If your trip crosses over your use year, does it make sense to make two seperate but linked ressies. That way, if you have to cancel last minute, you have the 2nd half to use within 12 months?

Just a thought
Sandy

 

[Caskbill]

Originally posted by InstImpres
Just thinking out loud...

If your trip crosses over your use year, does it make sense to make two seperate but linked ressies. That way, if you have to cancel last minute, you have the 2nd half to use within 12 months?

Just a thought
Sandy

Yes, that's possible.

Example: You have a June use year. You make a vacation for May 28th through June 4th that requires x number of points. However you can look at it as y points for the May dates and z points for the June dates (x = y + z).

To make it simple, let's say you have exactly x number of points remaining in your current use year. You use y points to reserve May 28-31. you bank z points and then use them to reserve Jun 1-4. You link the two reservations. You used the same number of points but they now came from different use years.

Now you need to cancel. You do so April 1st, prior to your May 28th vacation start.

The y points are returned to your current use year. It's now April 1st and they will expire May 31st. You have passed your banking windows. You need to use them before May 31st or lose them. (These are considered distressed points. The best you might be able to do is just rent them out....cheaply)

The z points however are returned into the following year, the year into which they were banked. You still have 14 months to do something with them.

 

[Goingtodisneyworld]

We have just started to research DVC to make a resale purchase so please forgive the question however I thought you did not actually have to have the points in your account to make the ressie, just as long as they would be there at time of travel, I thought this meant you could make ressie & at closer date borrow points? I am not sure if it would make any difference only that plans might be a little firmer later on, any insight/better understanding would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Jecca]

Tim,

We experience the same problem as you. Our use year is August and, because I teach, we usually vacation in the summer - namely, August. So... heaven forbid we should have to cancel a ressie, we'd be very stuck using our points before the end of the month, especially if we borrow... In retrospect, I wish I would have asked for a winter or spring use year.

 

[CRobin]

Originally posted by Goingtodisneyworld
We have just started to research DVC to make a resale purchase so please forgive the question however I thought you did not actually have to have the points in your account to make the ressie, just as long as they would be there at time of travel, I thought this meant you could make ressie & at closer date borrow points? I am not sure if it would make any difference only that plans might be a little firmer later on, any insight/better understanding would be greatly appreciated!!

You must have the points available at the time of your trip, not when you make the reservation. For example, let's say you have no points in your current use year, but next February you will get a new allotment for your 2004 use year. Subject to the 11 / 7 month booking window, you could book a trip today for anytime after February 1 next year using those points.

Or, you could borrow some of those points and book a trip for tomorrow.

In either case, the points are assigned at the time you make the ressie, whether current or borrowed. You can't make a ressie and later on go get the points.

 

[Cruelladeville]

I know the painful facts that a use year matters now, too. I had 2 contracts, one in Feb and one in March, which are fine for our spring break and summer vacations. Then we decided to try to vacation at Christmas, and as a teacher, this isn't a good use year to have for Christmas. I ended up buying ANOTHER contract with an August use year for Christmas, but I didn't know what trouble it would be to try to coordinate 3 separate contracts, with add-ons at different resorts. I keep detailed notes in a notebook, and have to date everything. I need a secretary to keep everything straight! And you have no idea how messy a cancellation can be if you have used a few points from each of those contracts!!