One resort, two use years

[perchy]

Poke holes in my logic.

Goal: Avoid booking reservations with points that cannot be banked. (I feel making a reservation and having to cancel when I cannot bank or reschedule would cause me more stress than making sure I bank my points across two deadlines.)

Home Resort A
XX points in August UY, which have to be banked by March 31. Can be used at Home Resort August through March safely.
XX points in April UY, which have to be banked by Nov. 30. Can be used at Home Resort April through November safely.

Points can be only be "combined" through transfer 1x per year for ressies August through November OR by calling member services to try to avoid having to change rooms when reservations are booked back-to-back fromo both contracts.

Dumb idea? Makes sense? Thoughts? Tips? Caveats? A for effort?

 

[MFMont]

There are two threads just below that discuss this topic. There seems to be advocates for both camps. After reading all opinions, I opted for two use years (Aug & Dec) for the same logic that you presented above. I don't foresee ever needing to use more points in one reservation totaling the points of one contract with borrowing so there was not much upside for the same use year for my circumstances. I will be entering the ROFR process in the next few days. I had the option of either with available contracts.

 

[CarolynFH]

I think the important thing is that you have a plan, and it covers your needs. You're not someone who accidentally ended up with 2 UY at the same home resort, not realizing the implications and complications.

 

[Sandisw]

I have RIV and SSR in both my Aug and Dec UY and do exactly this, except transfer.

I just book some nights on each and ask MS link. Never had to move rooms. I will say I do more split stays now so no big issue.

My new VGF points are June UY and will do the same…just use for specific trips.

 

[Chuck S]

It is really whatever you think works best for you. I have a single use year (June) and one resort, most of the time, my trips fall so that if I do have to cancel, the points are bankable. There have been times, though, that I booked a trip for the very end of May, and so far, I have not had to lose points due to those bookings, but when I do book the end of May, I am 99% sure I will be taking that trip.

 

[DLR70]

I currently have 2 use years - Sept and Dec. I'm thinking ahead to VDH and would like to have some points in each use year to cover different times of the year.

Is it possible to get 2 - 75 point contracts (one in each use year) and get the incentive pricing for 150 points?

 

[Sandisw]

I currently have 2 use years - Sept and Dec. I'm thinking ahead to VDH and would like to have some points in each use year to cover different times of the year.

Is it possible to get 2 - 75 point contracts (one in each use year) and get the incentive pricing for 150 points?

They let me do it buying VGF. Bought 150 for a new June UY and added 150 to my Dec UY. I got the 300 point price!!!!!

 

[DLR70]

They let me do it buying VGF. Bought 150 for a new June UY and added 150 to my Dec UY. I got the 300 point price!!!!!

That's great to know! Thank you!!

 

[RoseGold]

s it possible to get 2 - 75 point contracts (one in each use year) and get the incentive pricing for 150 points?

They told me this is like two members buying and that I couldn't. Who knows?

 

[Sandisw]

They told me this is like two members buying and that I couldn't. Who knows?

To clarify did have to get 150 in the June UY because it was a new membership.

But, they gave me the pricing for 300 points even though the second 150 was my Dec UY, which I could have added on less

Both UYs are owned by DH and myself as well.

 

[Wiltony]

I get that cancellations happen, but it seems like such a tertiary concern for me that the cons outweigh the pros. You are inviting added complexity and hoop jumping for the life of your ownership just to avoid a rarely-encountered risk that could only occur a few months in a year.

As you can surmise, I have opted for one use year which has brought loads of simplicity in booking, banking, borrowing, etc. I have one member number and 8 contracts.

 

[ehh]

We've split our use years for our Grand Cali points 6 months apart to have year-round coverage. All of our WDW points are in December, some VGC is in December, but most are in June.

We mostly visit VGC from June - November with one Jan/Feb trip each year, so this worked for us.

While it has undeniably complicated booking/banking/borrowing at the 7 month mark (yes, we have used some VGC points elsewhere--YOU'RE WELCOME), it's not that much complication, and we've not seen the effects of it at all for VGC bookings as those bookings have been very straightforward.

@Wiltony is right though, we would probably be fine if our VGC points were all December like the rest of our points.

However, considering how frequently we've been traveling to WDW in late November the last few years using our December UY points, we are considering adding June WDW points because we've already been 'stuck' with a reservation that we wanted to change but didn't have the flexibility to.

 

[DLR70]

With a new SIL in the Navy and parents in their 80's we sometimes need to change plans at the last minute. It's worth it to me to have the two use years for peace of mind.

I booked a week at Aulani in October for my newly married daughter's honeymoon. Now SIL doesn't think he can get the time off from the Navy...I'm happy I used the Sept use year for that one.

 

[Great3]

I will have to agree with many of the posters of the opinion to get two different UY. To me, making sure I don't lose points that aren't bankable is worth the peace of mind and inconveniences of having to keep track of two different UYs, banking/borrowing deadlines, having to contact member services to link two different reservations, etc..

But each person is different, and need to decide if this is too much work or not to deal with the details. To me, not at all, but it may end up bothering you too much to deal with. Only you will know, but given that you said having to deal with possible loss of points that aren't bankable, I know what I would chose, and that's two different UYs.

Good Luck with whatever you decide.

Great3