Need help in determining ideal use year

[es45]

One lingering question before we contact DVC:

I'm still struggling to determine the best use year for our family. Currently, we find the first week in November and late January/early February to be the best time for our family vacations. In a few years, our daughters' school schedules will change such that June will be the best time to travel, followed by late May and early August. DH really hates this as he loves those empty parks.

When we toured BLT, we were told that June is favored in most contracts, but I'm not certain that June is best for us. What do you experts think would work best for us?

 

[robertdangelo]

I would recommend and October Use year. When picking a use year, the last four months of it should be the time you would least like travel.

Good luck & we hope to "Welcome you home" soon!
Bob

 

[hopare]

We just bought in. Our vacation habbits seem similar to yours. We travel typically in Oct or Nov. Sometimes we do a Jan trip if we didn't go the previous fall. I chose June for a few reasons. I felt that would give us Feb/March to travel if for some reason a reg scheduled trip gets cancelled. Also we would get points in time for summer, if it ends up that we need to travel during summer vacations as the kids get older. The other thing I liked was the banking deadline of Jan 31st, usually by then I already have planned winter vacations if we are taking any I would hate to bank points then change my mind and have to borrow. We typically only travel once a year so we would likely end up losing those banked points. I felt that was more likely to happen to us with a fall use year. good luck

 

[chalee94]

I would recommend and October Use year. When picking a use year, the last four months of it should be the time you would least like travel.

i'd agree with this.

june works best for families that travel primarily during summer break and maybe sometimes over thanksgiving and christmas break...

no use year will be ideal for all situations, but unless you have to cancel a reservation, use year won't matter.

 

[disneynutz]

Another vote for October, that's also our favorite UY.

Bill

 

[Dean]

Oct would be ideal, August through Oct would be workable IMO.

 

[DenLo]

I would recommend and October Use year. When picking a use year, the last four months of it should be the time you would least like travel.

Good luck & we hope to "Welcome you home" soon!
Bob

If they are moving vacations in June, late May and early August, then an October Use Year puts June and August in the four month period you least want to travel.

I would recommend a December Use Year. That way the OP would be covered for January and February. And would accommodate the future years for school vacations when held in December, Spring Breaks in March or April and summer break for June and July. August is the only month that is part of the last four months of the use year for the school year changes in the next few years. And then for DD current school years November is the only month that is in the last 4 months of a December Use Year.

 

[Dean]

If they are moving vacations in June, late May and early August, then an October Use Year puts June and August in the four month period you least want to travel.

Not really for Oct, since you can't cancel under 31 days without entering the holding period anyway, they'd always be outside the 4 month baking window for normal cancelations.

 

[DenLo]

Not really for Oct, since you can't cancel under 31 days without entering the holding period anyway, they'd always be outside the 4 month baking window for normal cancelations.

But the OP did not mention October as a month they were interested in traveling.

es45; Currently, we find the first week in November and late January/early February to be the best time for our family vacations. In a few years, our daughters' school schedules will change such that June will be the best time to travel, followed by late May and early August.

 

[Dean]

But the OP did not mention October as a month they were interested in traveling.

I think you missed my point. I was responding to your assertion that the June would be an issue for an Oct UY. My point was that for travel in June that Oct would work fine and keep you out of the 4 month cancelation period due to the fact that you need a lead time to cancel. August certainly is pushing it but there's non ONE perfect UY for travel all during the year, you've got to take your best shot.

 

[Sandisw]

I would choose between Oct and Dec. Each one will leave one of your mentioned travel plans outside the banking window.

Oct UY will leave August at risk. Dec UY will leave November at risk. I guess it comes down to which travel time, August or November, are you LEAST likely to keep traveling in.

From your original post, it sounds like November will not be as likely when the school schedule changes, so if it were me, I would go with December.

Good luck!

 

[Luv2Scrap]

I had the same dilemma. Our favorite times to visit are Nov or Jan, but I can't justify taking DS13 out of school anymore if I don't absolutely have to, so that leaves us going in either early June or late August (working around his six week visit with his dad).

We ended up choosing June because that still gives us Nov and Jan if we really want them, and the points will be nice and fresh for the summer months, when we really should be doing our traveling. I figured it would be less stressful this way.

 

[n2mm]

October UY.

When choosing mine the guide said, if I only had to choose one trip a year to go, which trip would it be and I choose early May. That is most favorite time to go and so I was given an April UY. This has worked perfectly for me for the last 5 years.

 

[bookwormde]

For being able to bank if you cancel you want a UY that you typically do not visit DVC in the preceeding 3 months

bookwormde

 

[zmanandshan]

I would choose between Oct and Dec. Each one will leave one of your mentioned travel plans outside the banking window.

Oct UY will leave August at risk. Dec UY will leave November at risk. I guess it comes down to which travel time, August or November, are you LEAST likely to keep traveling in.

From your original post, it sounds like November will not be as likely when the school schedule changes, so if it were me, I would go with December.

Good luck!

I agree. Oct thru Dec will allow to reserve for a trip in Nov, and will give you between May 30 and Jul 31 to make a decision to bank. Based on your preferred travel times, I would think this would suit your needs.

 

[disneynutz]

One lingering question before we contact DVC:

I'm still struggling to determine the best use year for our family. Currently, we find the first week in November and late January/early February to be the best time for our family vacations. In a few years, our daughters' school schedules will change such that June will be the best time to travel, followed by late May and early August. DH really hates this as he loves those empty parks.

When we toured BLT, we were told that June is favored in most contracts, but I'm not certain that June is best for us. What do you experts think would work best for us?

The summer months are crowded and hot. August is hot, humid, and hurricane season. We enjoy the cooler months, November thru May. We have October and April UY's and October works best for us.

Bill

 

[bnk1120]

Well when I first started researching DVC I thought February or March would be good for us because we would typically travel during spring break time. Thankfully we went with an August use year instead because DH's schedule now completely interferes with spring break vacations. Who knew

We will now have to travel in August with a long weekend trip somewhere during the winter. This is the best possible time to suit everyone's schedule. Yes it is hot in the summer, but it allows us to enjoy the pools and waterparks.

So, I guess what I am saying is, be prepared for things in your life, and therefore your vacation times, to change. Just try to avoid a month you know would definitely not work- for us that was pretty much just June. Is an August use year "perfect" for us? No. But we can make it work without too much hassle.