New DVC member help (such a newbie question)

[orion2185]

Hi everyone,

We just became DVC members late Dec 2018 and our home resort is Aulani. We are overseas members living outside the USA.

Just a bit confused with our membership and the DVC points we have.
Since we bought at the end of the year we have our full 200 points from the 2018 use year.

In addition, we have 200 points for the 2019 use year.


Our online account says:
"Your Vacation Points for the 2018 Use Year will expire on August 1, 2019
Now through the end of March 2019, you can bank up to 100% of your annual allotment of Vacation Points".

Now it was sort explained that we can bank the 2018 use year points to our 2019 points. Which would give us a total of 400 points...is that correct?

We are getting a bit confused by the note that says our 2018 use year points will expire on August 1, 2019.
Does this mean that we will need to complete a stay in a DVC resort before August 1 2019, to use our 2018 use year points?

Or, if we bank them before March 2019 ...we are able to use anytime during the 2019 year?


Second question:

Since Aulani is currently under referb during the set dates we can travel.
We are thinking of renting out most of the 400 points that we have (200-2018 use year & 200 2019 use year) to book another Disney cruise.

Do we need to bank the 2018 use year points to be able to rent them out?

Or, do we need to find a renter with a stay that is complete before the 2018 use year points expire on August 1 2019?

I have read posts on number of DVC rental sites that often list points for rent with use yearXXX
or, must be used be XXXX date.
Not sure where this information is coming from.

I hope this all makes sense.

When they sell you DVC they are so chilled and laid back and make it sound so simple. But when putting it into action for the first time...it's all a bit confusing.


Also too any links to sites, blogs or other places that help explain your DVC membership, would be amazing. Really looking forward to learning more about how to use our DVC membership to the fullest.


Thank you so much in advanced for any help you can give.

 

[Wakey]

First question, you have a August use year. Think of the use year as when you’re annual points refresh. So your 2018 points run out on 1 August 2019 unless you bank them, which you can do. You can only bank them once, so if you bank them into your 2019 use year, those points must then be used for stays 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2020.
So if you bank them you would have 400 points for that period to use, unless of course you banked your points coming on in August 2019 into August 2020.
Remember the points must be on the contract for the stay date, not at time you book.
So if you want to go August 2019 to end of July 2020 and want 400 points then, bank the 2018 points.
As to renting, no you don’t need to bank the 2018 points. Go to David’s or similar and as long as he has people wanting the bookings before August 2019, very very likely, you can rent those now. You can also rent your 2019 points as you can now make bookings beyond August 2019. You won’t be able to rent the 2020 points until you can book 11 months out, so September.

 

[disneynutz]

Points can only be banked during the first 8 months of your UY. Your UY is not a calendar year. Points need to be available during the dates of your stay, not when you make the reservation. Banking moves points one UY forward, borrowing moves points one UY back. Banking and borrowing are final transactions and can not be reversed.

Bill

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi everyone,

We just became DVC members late Dec 2018 and our home resort is Aulani. We are overseas members living outside the USA.

Just a bit confused with our membership and the DVC points we have.
Since we bought at the end of the year we have our full 200 points from the 2018 use year.

In addition, we have 200 points for the 2019 use year.

....

Throw away your calendar and create a new one with the year starting on Aug 1. You are currently in your Aug 2018 Use Year. Those points are good for stays from Aug 1, 2018 until July 31, 2019 unless you borrowed them in your 2017 UY (you didn't own yet so you couldn't have done that) or unless you bank them no later than March 31, 2019 into your Aug 2019 UY. If you bank them, they are good from Aug 1, 2019 until July 31, 2020. At that point if you didn't use them, they will expire. While you do have all your points until the end of the contract, your 2019 points aren't current year points until Aug 1, 2019 (and good through July 31, 2020 unless you borrow them for a stay before Aug 1, 2019 or bank them for a stay from Aug 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021.

Member Services will send you a message every so often reminding you of the need to bank any points you aren't using in your current UY before the deadline (four months from the end of the UY).

 

[Frederic Civish]

Here is a relatively complete 'Primer' on how to use your points, and what different points mean.

Yes, you have an August Use Year.

You are still in your August 2018 Use Year. It started last August and will run until your new Use Year of August 2019.

If you use your August 2018 Use Year points before the End of July, you will be okay. You can use them for your own Reservation, or Rent them out to someone else, for their reservation. If you think you will not be using them up, then you could Bank them BEFORE the end of March, which is 4 months before the end of your Use Year. Whatever you don't use and don't bank will be lost when the Use Year expires.

You can also use your August 2019 Use Year points, this year, by Borrowing them, which brings them back into the 2018 Use Year.

Banking cannot be undone. Once Banked into next year, you must use them by the end of your 2019 Use Year (Which will end on July 31st, 2020). Borrowing is also irrevocable. If you Borrow any points and bring them back into this year, you must use them by July 31st, 2019, or lose them.

Any single point can only be Banked, or Borrowed once. Then they stay in their new Use Year. You cannot Bank them a Second time, into the subsequent Use Year.

You cannot use the points to make one reservation that crosses the boundary between your Use Years. If you set up a 7 day reservation that starts on July 28th, THAT reservation will end on the morning of August 1st. To continue your 7 day vacation, you will need to make a separate reservation starting August 1st and running for however many more days you want, and using your 2019 points. In other words, if you make a 200 point reservation starting on July 28th and it runs a few days into August 2019, your 2018 points will only 'pay' for the 2018 Use Year portion. And you will need to use 2019 points to pay for the portion after August 1st. Any of the 2018 points that are left over, will disappear at 12:01 AM on August 1st.

You can go ahead RIGHT NOW and make a Reservation for AFTER August 1st, 2019. But since that Reservation will take place in your 2019 Use Year, you must either use 2019 Use Year points, or use 2018 points that have been Banked into 2019, or use 2020 points which are Borrowed back into 2019. Keep this in mind. What this means is that you do not need to wait until the start of your 2019 Use Year to make 2019 Reservations. You can make it any time (subject to the 7 and 11 month windows) as long as you have points available IN THE USE YEAR WHEN THE RESERVATION TAKES PLACE. I'm sure you probably understand this, but this is a 'Rookie Mistake' that some people make, and they think they need to wait until the new Use Year to make reservations that take place in the new Use Year.

When you make a Reservation, if you have Banked, and Borrowed and Regular points in that Use Year, your Reservation will Automatically take the Banked points first, until they are used up, then it will automatically take the Borrowed points, until they are all used up, and then it will take the Regular points. And, finally, if you are making a Reservation and your reservation requires more points than you have available in that Use Year, the program will automatically ask you if you want to Borrow points (if available) from your NEXT Use Year.

Once you make a Reservation, the points are 'locked in.' This means that if your points change, they will not automatically be moved to 'pay for' a reservation that you have already made. Example: Suppose you have made a reservation in your 2019 Use Year and you used 52 Banked points and 31 2019 points. Then you make another reservation (to take place either before OR after the reservation you have already made) and for that 2nd reservation, you use 65 2019 points. Well now, if you cancel the first reservation you made, the 52 banked points WILL NOT be moved automatically to cover your 2nd reservation. So you will have 52 Borrowed points sitting around in your account, that still must be used, or they will expire at the end of your Use Year. Instead, you will need to switch out the points, so the Banked points will be used to pay for your current reservation. To do this, go to your DVC Members account, go to the Dashboard, find your 2nd reservation and choose MODIFY. Now just 'step' through it, page by page, leaving EVERYTHING exactly as it was before. But when it comes time to apply your points to 'Pay' for it the program will once again choose any Banked points first, then previously Borrowed points, then your Regular Use Year points. It might not tell you that it is doing this, but if you go later and check your point totals in the Dashboard, you can see which Borrowed or Banked points remain.

You do not need to Bank points before you rent them out. You must only have the points set up IN the Use Year where you will be making the Reservation. For instance, I have a contract with a September Use Year. I am currently in my September 2018 Use Year. Just today I made a reservation for someone, to take place next January, 2020, right at the edge of the 11 month window. The reservation is using some Banked points from 2018 and other points from my 2019 Use Year. I did not NEED to bank those 2018 Use Year points. But it turned out that I wasn't going to use them before September 1st, 2019, so I banked them.

If I can think of anything else, I will post it.

I hope this helps.

 

[orion2185]

Some great info here and well explained. Thank you to everyone who replied.

The whole buying process was so laid back and quick...kind of feel like we did not really understand how DVC works. They make it sound so simple and easy...but I'm sure the more we use it and book...the more you work out and understand.

Thanks again very helpful

 

[starry_solo]

When do you plan to go to WDW or another DVC resort? If not til after August 2019, you should bank your points now so you will have 400 for use after August 2019. You can then check with your guide to make our magical first vacation at pretty much any resort (within reason) as long as you have the points needed for the reservation, even if it shows as "sold out" when you try to book online.

We learned (in another person's post) that if you make the reservation first (not at your preferred resort) and then ask the guide to switch to your preferred resort, it won't work.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Glad I found this thread because I had the same question for a contract I am currently in ROFR on. It's a Feb UY BLT contract with 38, 2019 points. The seller can't close until August. I will need to bank those 38 points before Oct. 1 so I can use them on our Aug. 2020 trip, right?

 

[Frederic Civish]

Glad I found this thread because I had the same question for a contract I am currently in ROFR on. It's a Feb UY BLT contract with 38, 2019 points. The seller can't close until August. I will need to bank those 38 points before Oct. 1 so I can use them on our Aug. 2020 trip, right?

Yes, you will need to bank them if you can.

If you do all your paperwork and send in the payments, etc, then they can have the paperwork ready to go as soon as the specified date in August rolls around. If they do that, you probably can have your account open and points available in early September. If by chance things run late and you do not get your account set up BEFORE the Banking deadline, you might also still be able to call Member Services and beg for a 1 time exception, on the grounds that you just bought the contract and this is the first chance you have had to Bank, and it is too late. If your contract has NOT gone through ROFR, you can also ask the current owner to bank them for you. But if it has passed ROFR, they can't change to points for you.

 

[cmwade77]

Points can only be banked during the first 8 months of your UY. Your UY is not a calendar year. Points need to be available during the dates of your stay, not when you make the reservation. Banking moves points one UY forward, borrowing moves points one UY back. Banking and borrowing are final transactions and can not be reversed.

Bill

They will sometimes make an exception, especially for new purchases and allow banking after the first 7 months of your UY. As I said, especially if you bought after the first 8 months of your use year.

 

[Arthur2990]

So my question is similar to this. My current use year is October. I was planning to bank my 2018 points into 2019. Then October 1 book 11 months out September 1 2020. Does that pull from my banked 2018 points?

 

[Deb & Bill]

So my question is similar to this. My current use year is October. I was planning to bank my 2018 points into 2019. Then October 1 book 11 months out September 1 2020. Does that pull from my banked 2018 points?

Your Oct 2018 points are usually good from 10/1/18 to 9/30/19. But when you bank them, no later than May 31, 2019, they are now good for reservations from 10/1/19 to 9/30/20. As long as your reservation falls totally in Sept 2020, it will use banked points and current points, if you need them all.

 

[chalee94]

So my question is similar to this. My current use year is October. I was planning to bank my 2018 points into 2019. Then October 1 book 11 months out September 1 2020. Does that pull from my banked 2018 points?

You can book 11 months out for your home resort. UY is not an issue unless you are hoping to use points from 2 UYs away. So yes, they will pull 1st from banked 2018 UY pts. Then you can use 2019 and even borrow from 2020 UY pts if needed.

But be aware that traveling that late in your UY can be very risky. If you need to cancel, those banked pts cannot be banked again and any current UY pts can only be freed up and banked if you are still within your banking window.

 

[Arthur2990]

You can book 11 months out for your home resort. UY is not an issue unless you are hoping to use points from 2 UYs away. So yes, they will pull 1st from banked 2018 UY pts. Then you can use 2019 and even borrow from 2020 UY pts if needed.

But be aware that traveling that late in your UY can be very risky. If you need to cancel, those banked pts cannot be banked again and any current UY pts can only be freed up and banked if you are still within your banking window.

Meaning I have to use my 2018 points by the end of 2019 UY?

 

[chalee94]

Meaning I have to use my 2018 points by the end of 2019 UY?

Right. If you have not completed a stay or stays that use up the pts in your 2019 UY (whether they are banked, borrowed or unbankable current UY pts), those pts will expire for no value.

And if you had to cancel a September 2020 stay in July 2020, for example, it would be tough to find availability anywhere to rebook something (whether for yourself or a last minute rental) before those pts expire on September 30.

 

[disneynutz]

Points can only be banked during the first 8 months of your UY. Your UY is not a calendar year. Points need to be available during the dates of your stay, not when you make the reservation. Banking moves points one UY forward, borrowing moves points one UY back. Banking and borrowing are final transactions and can not be reversed. The system uses banked and borrowed points first.

Bill