Owning different use years?

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

We are debating adding on to a different resort. Currently own SSR. Our current contract we use at 7 mo to book where ever. But are looking to get something for early Dec travel every few years. We would only use the add on for home resort advantage so would not be planning to mix points between the 2. So does it REALLY matter to have the same use year on the new contract? Small contracts are harder to come by naturally and waiting for one with the right use year seems like it could take quite awhile.

I know different use years means different contracts and the reservations are separate but what I'm not clear on is if say I have 10 points left over on one contract and I transfer that to the other, can I combine those 10 points with 20 points from the other contract for 1 30 point night after 7 months?
I understand I can't do this when they are separate but do they become interchangeable points if transfered together and is in 7 months window?

 

[supersnoop]

If you really intend to use them for separate vacations, then separate use years aren't too difficult to manage. I have one small BWV contract with a different use year that we use specifically for Food & Wine and nothing else.

Now, you say you're not planning to mix points, but then you ask about mixing points. If you transfer points from one to the other, then, yes, you can combine them at 7 months for a reservation. But you have to call; transferred points cannot be used online.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Now, you say you're not planning to mix points, but then you ask about mixing points. If you transfer points from one to the other, then, yes, you can combine them at 7 months for a reservation. But you have to call; transferred points cannot be used online.

I don't PLAN to mix points but I am not naive enough to think that over the next 25+ years there will not be a time when points don't align perfectly and I'd have some left over for one reason or another. I do not want to have to throw points away because I don't have enough for another full night. I thought I read somewhere that you couldn't mix them with in a single night but didn't know if that was accurate.
Good to know I have to call to use transfered points even if your own. I wasn't clear on that.

 

[Dean]

If you really intend to use them for separate vacations, then separate use years aren't too difficult to manage. I have one small BWV contract with a different use year that we use specifically for Food & Wine and nothing else.

Now, you say you're not planning to mix points, but then you ask about mixing points. If you transfer points from one to the other, then, yes, you can combine them at 7 months for a reservation. But you have to call; transferred points cannot be used online.

Hopefully this will change at some point.

I would only get a different UY if it was a clear advantage AND a contract of sufficient size to function well stand alone. It sounds like it might be in this situation.

 

[DisneyRegulars]

There is a little snag you can run into if your use Years are significantly different. I have an April and an August use year, I've only had them for five years, and at least three times I've thought I could smash points together only to be thwarted by use year issues. I'm still not entirely clear on the rules, but it's something like: If you transfer points they have to be in the same use year. You cannot transfer borrowed points and you cannot borrow transferred points. At any rate we have run into issues where the reservation we want to make doesn't actually line up with the use Years of both our contracts and I end up all frustrated.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

There is a little snag you can run into if your use Years are significantly different. I have an April and an August use year, I've only had them for five years, and at least three times I've thought I could smash points together only to be thwarted by use year issues. I'm still not entirely clear on the rules, but it's something like: If you transfer points they have to be in the same use year. You cannot transfer borrowed points and you cannot borrow transferred points. At any rate we have run into issues where the reservation we want to make doesn't actually line up with the use Years of both our contracts and I end up all frustrated.

Thank you. I could see this as something to need watch closely as well as the separate banking deadlines.
I don't see the likelihood of being able to add on a night and even it out with 1 time use points at 7 months like I have with my SSR contract if I am booking in high demand season at a high demand resort. But if I can combine them I can always do a split stay if needed to not throw points away.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Early December is tough at seven months out. You really need enough points to book it all at eleven months out.

 

[DisneyKeepsUsYoung]

Early December is tough at seven months out. You really need enough points to book it all at eleven months out.

Yes, I meant adding on a night at SSR if I had to, to not loose 5-10 points if the amounts didn't line up perfectly. A 1 bedroom there shouldn't be too impossible.