Most popular use years

[Ella's Mom]

We're thinking of buying resale at maybe BWV or BCV. I'm trying to figure out a good use year for us, but I can't. It's hard to know which time of year we'll always get to travel at. Kids are young now, but they'll be in school before we know it. For no reason, I was just wondering if certain use years are more popular. I see less of some months available for resale (I am aware that some months are never a use year). What month did you choose? Why? Do you wish you would have selected a different month? Thanks for any opinions/advice you have.

 

[JimC]

Use year is most important if you travel in a set pattern and want the extra protection of being able to bank points if you cancel a reservation.

We did not consider use year as an important variable for us and bought Feb because that was what Disney was selling and Dec because we liked the contract (resale).

 

[TinaLampus]

We are just now in the process of purchasing a DVC membership at AKV.

We choose a use year of March.

Here's our thoughts: (Not necessarily in this order.)
1st: My husband and daughter's birthdays are in March.
2nd: My son's birthday is in May.
3rd: We would like to book travel to coincide with the flower and garden festival at Epcot in the Spring some years.
4th: We would like to book travel to coincide with the Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios which is typically in May/June some years.
5th: Our Anniversary is in July.
6th: We have many family members with birthdays and anniversaries in September.
7th: We would like to book travel to coincide with the food and wine festival at Epcot in the Fall some years (typically October).

 

[Laneychris]

We have a use year of March, it works well for us.

 

[DebbieB]

At the time I bought (1999), I was going May & December, so I chose an April use year. My travel dates have change some since then but I rarely go in the winter, so April has been good. The banking rules have changed, I have to bank by Nov 30 so that's still good.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

All of our trips to WDW have been either Jan/Feb or May/June and one exception of Sept. We thought Sept. was just too hot and muggy for us and travel during the hottest months were going to be our least likely time so we decided an Oct. or Dec. UY would work best. When we found an Oct UY contract we liked that is what we bought.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Most popular use years

I would think that all UY's end up being equal just because of the way the math is done. While some my be more popular from the extent that people request them more (I guess that's what you mean), I think they're all equal in points.

 

[dianeschlicht]

When we bought 11 years ago, we just took what they gave us. We have a March use year, and from the times we usually travel, it is good for some and not so good for others from the standpoint of having to cancel last minute. That being said, we have NEVER had to cancel late enough to lose points in 11 years of trips, so I'm not going to worry about it.

 

[dcfromva]

I would think that all UY's end up being equal just because of the way the math is done. While some my be more popular from the extent that people request them more (I guess that's what you mean), I think they're all equal in points.

I think it is true about being equal, but in the resale market there may be more demand for one UY over another. In the case of BCV, it might translate into a longer wait period to get the desired UY points (especially with add ons to an existing contract through Disney).

 

[TiszBear]

In all the years I have owned DVC (9 years) I never knew I could pick my use year when I bought in. When I bought in Feb 1999 the Boardwalk was being sold and they were trying to sell the rest of their inventory and when we signed the papers the next day we were told our use year was going to be in September. The use year to me doesn't really matter as I am happy with September.

 

[bethy]

From what we can tell at this point in our lives our most likely travel times have been and will be Dec/Jan and Apr/May/June. That may change in 20 years when the kids are out of school. Also Fall is my favorite time of year at home plus it's hurricane season in Florida. Basically we tried to figure out which 4 month period we were least likely to travel and then picked a UY right after. In our case that meant December.

I don't really think it's that big a deal personally. The only reason we would cancel a trip would be due ot serious illness and that would put us within the 30 day cancellation window anyway.

 

[5forDiz]

We're thinking of buying resale at maybe BWV or BCV. I'm trying to figure out a good use year for us, but I can't. It's hard to know which time of year we'll always get to travel at. Kids are young now, but they'll be in school before we know it....

Many recommend having a Use Year that would be the month you'd most likely travel or just before the month you'd most likely travel so you'd have the greatest amount of time before reaching your banking deadline, but if you travel more than once a year it may not be so simple ....

Also, only points from the current UY allotment can be banked. So if you had banked points from 2008 UY's allotment and/or borrowed points in from upcoming 2010 UY allotment into your 2009 UY only the 2009 allotment of points would be bankable.

Using school break times as an example :

~ for travel in early summer and perhaps December (holidays break) -
June Use Year could be a good choice
(there isn't July Use Year; or Jan.,May or Nov. )

With June UY you'd have until January 31 to bank your points; ie a trip for December 31 2009 if cancelled by Nov 30 2009 gives you ability to bank points into June 2010 UY. But note that cancellation must be made
31 days or more before check-in date otherwise the points are not bankable and then would need to be utilized by end of UY (May 31 2010).

~ for travel in late summer and either winter break or
Easter/spring break -
August Use Year may be best choice

giving you until Mar 31 to bank and even if you cancelled a trip in April with less than 31 days to your check-in date you would still have a little over 3 months to utilize the points until end of that UY (July 31).

 

[Mousewerks]

I think you also have to take into account the point costs for stays when considering a use year. I think this is fairly minor but may be useful for those who have more than one vacation period during a year and can apportion the stays appropriately. It's just one more variable that I'm trying to work in in deciding what UY to purchase.

 

[DeeCee735]

We didn't even realize we could have requested a specific use year, and took what was offered, which is October. Turns out it is a perfect use year for us. We travel to WDW anywhere between October and April, so there's plenty of time for banking (which we don't ever really do, we are one of those member families in a constant state of borrowing )

 

[janni518]

Same here... our UY is December and I don't see that for us it's ever really going to matter. We weren't even told until the end of the sigining process what it would be, and at that time wouldn't have known what to do with the info if we'd been given it earlier. Kind of funny as I'd been researching DVC a bit but just for some reason didn't look into the UY info beyond the most basic explanation.

Honestly, I'm still not sure I get it.

 

[ACDSNY]

We currently have two UY Feb & Aug. Normally our trips using the most points are in the Fall so we are starting to switch over to have most of our points in the Aug UY.

 

[spiceycat]

have June - would have liked Dec!

but nothing is wrong with June!

 

[Lyndarella]

Our UY is October. I picked it with the idea that we might have to go some year at the last minute before points expire. September is one of the times we like to go to WDW because of the low crowds. Sure enough, I made a reservation for someone else, borrowing all of the 2008 points, and they never paid me......Those points would have expired Sept 30, so after I cancelled their reservation, we had a nice little extra trip the last week of September!