Need Eplantion on Usage Month

[GrumpyPOTFH]

We have just purchased, end of June, and our Usage Month is August. I understand that is when our next years points roll in and that also sets the month you have to bank by. Now here is the question?

I read posts and people talk about when they buy they try to get a certain month. I do not understand why one is better then another? Maybe some can explain this to me.

Thanks

 

[tiggerrr]

We have just purchased, end of June, and our Usage Month is August. I understand that is when our next years points roll in and that also sets the month you have to bank by. Now here is the question?

I read posts and people talk about when they buy they try to get a certain month. I do not understand why one is better then another? Maybe some can explain this to me.

Thanks

Some people try to manage their use year based on when they normally travel AND the impact of cancellation of those trips.

This is because the use year determines when you can bank your points. It must be at least 4 months before the end of your use year. So, for an August use year, you must bank any points you aren't going to use before the beginning of April. For some people that travel regularly in June or July, they might not like an August use year, because if they have a June trip booked and they cancel in April, they can't bank those points and so they risk losing them.

Also, if you cancel within 30 days of check in, your points go into a holding account. Those points cannot be banked no matter what your use year is, so again some people would like to have as much time as possible left in their use year to begin with. For instance, if you have an April 1 trip planned, and you cancel on March 15, those points go into Holding and cannot be banked even though your banking deadline is not until April 1. You now have until the end of July to find a way to use those points.

Of course, this only really matters if you're likely cancel a reservation. In all other cases, your use year is really irrelevant.

 

[LisaS]

In addition to cancellations, your UY can also affect how long you can stay on the waiting list if you are waitlisted for an option that costs fewer points.

For example, let's say you booked BWV Preferred View but are waitlisted for Standard View to conserve points and you plan to bank the points that will be returned to your account if the waitlist comes through. If your banking window closes before your travel dates then you will need to cancel your waitlist at that time. Otherwise any points returned to your account would no longer be bankable.

 

[chalee94]

We have just purchased, end of June, and our Usage Month is August. I understand that is when our next years points roll in...

just to be clear, 2 things:

1) UY has nothing to do with when you call to book a reservation. you can book at your home resort at 11 months out, or another DVC resort at 7 months out.

2) UY tells you when you can bank your pts and also sets the periods when your pts are valid. for example, pts from your august 2012 UY are valid from aug 1, 2012 to july 31, 2013. those pts will NOT "roll into" your account on aug 1, 2012 - they are already there right now.

if you bank those 2012 pts, they will be valid from aug 1, 2013 to july 31, 2014 (and they cannot be banked again or borrowed - if banked to 2013, that is where they must be used or they expire.)

if you decide to borrow those 2012 pts, they will be valid from aug 1, 2011 to july 31, 2012. (like banking, borrowing is also a "final" transaction and cannot be undone.)

so if you want to book a stay for aug 2011, you can call to book your home resort 11 months ahead in september 2010. since aug 2011 is in your 2011 UY, you can use pts from your 2010 (banked), 2011 (current) or 2012 (borrowed) use years when you call to book in sept 2010. you don't have to wait for any pts to "roll in."

as others have stated, if you have an august UY, your banking window closes on march 31 - so if you travel in june and july and need to cancel after your banking window closes, you may have to scramble to keep from losing pts...

more info on UY here if you need it:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668

 

[Sandisw]

Having a UY that falls before your typical travel simply gives you more flexibility, IMO, if you have to change or cancel a trip.

If you are traveling near the beginning of your UY, this gives you lots of options for your points.

For example, we have a June UY and travel mostly in July/August. If I book a trip and then have to change it or cancel it, I have lots of options.

1. Any points I had used for that trip can still be banked as I have until January 31st to do that.

2. I can make changes to the trip up to 31 days prior without having to worry about the points. If the reservation is less, it doesn't matter as I still am well within my banking period.

3. If I make a trip with borrowed points and then have to cancel, I have 10 months to re-book a trip and use up those points since borrowed points expire at the end of the UY in which they are borrowed.

Now, take a different scenario where someone is traveling toward the end of the UY.

If I was traveling in the Spring with my June UY, I would have to make any changes or cancel the trip by January 31st in order to still bank points. If I cancelled after that, even if it was 31 days or more to avoid holding points, all my trip points would still have to be used by May 31st since I was past my banking window.

If that trip was in April, that would pretty much leave me only May to re-book. Since finding availability at DVC within a month is not easy, there is a good chance I will lose my points.

Same thing with borrowed points. If I borrow points from a June UY for an April trip and then something happens and I cancel, I would only have a month to use them.

So, with your August UY, it really offers great flexibility for travel August through April.

 

[Laurief3]

I have 4 contracts and 3 different user months; I have never had a problem. Sometimes you need to bank or borrow.

I guess if needed to go at the same time each year it might make a difference but I love having the flexability.

L

 

[DenLo]

Check out this thread that has a detailed explanation about Use Year. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1942668&highlight=use+year

 

[GrumpyPOTFH]

Thanks to all. great information.

 

[Sammie]

Depends a lot on when you vacation. We have an October use year and I hate it, especially since the change to the banking where we have to bank 4 months out.

Our vacation time is based on a the yearly calendar of Jan-Dec. We hardly ever vacation in Oct, Nov. Dec. and therefore I have to wait 10 months into the calendar year before I even get my points.

Therefore I have to constantly bank or borrow, and worry about the limits on that, it's a major pain.

I wish I had understood how it worked and the limits before we bought.

Of course when we bought we did not have the 4 month banking limit.

 

[johnsonville5]

Been members for 10 years. Use year is August. In my opinion use year does not matter nor does home resort. Your tastes and favorite resort will change over time. Use year has never been a problem for us. Just a way for Disney to balance out the reservations.