Please tell me I am doing the right thing

[Camping Griswalds]

We bought DVC in Han. We got assigned a Feb Use Year. We usually travel the last week of Jan every year due to school breaks. My youngest is only 4, so this will probably stay the pattern for many years at the very least. My kids second break is in MArch...not an Easter break, but usually the second or third week of March. We have gone twice in late August, and once at Thanksgiving. Anyway, that is our travel pattern. So I got to thinking that Feb was not a good Use Year for us, because if we have to cancel our January trips, we have no time to use up the points or bank them. I talked to our guide, and he recommende October or December. I chose October. Now I am second guessing myself all over. The one thing that consistently confuses me about DVC is Use Year. Anyway, it's not too late to change again...so HELP!!

 

[chalee94]

depends on when you travel. generally you'd like to be able to travel primarily in the first few months of your UY. (and not have to travel at all in the last 3 months of your UY). but it's only an issue if you have to cancel.

in your case, oct is a great UY month if you travel primarily in january.

you can still book jan 2010 at your home resort by calling in feb 2009 - UY has nothing to do with when you can book. (edited to add- well, not true for BLT since you have to wait till march to book anything since it's new, but it will be accurate going forward.)

here's a thread with more detailed information on use year if you need it...

 

[Sandisw]

sounds like it will be a good one for you. Based on what you said, most of your trips, fall in the time frame that you can still bank. The only ones would be August. Since you travel 4 basic times of year, there really isn't any one UY that would cover all of them so I think going with the one that fits most is ideal.

 

[5forDiz]

We bought DVC in Han. We got assigned a Feb Use Year. We usually travel the last week of Jan every year due to school breaks. My youngest is only 4, so this will probably stay the pattern for many years at the very least. My kids second break is in MArch...not an Easter break, but usually the second or third week of March. We have gone twice in late August, and once at Thanksgiving. Anyway, that is our travel pattern. So I got to thinking that Feb was not a good Use Year for us, because if we have to cancel our January trips, we have no time to use up the points or bank them. I talked to our guide, and he recommende October or December. I chose October. Now I am second guessing myself all over. The one thing that consistently confuses me about DVC is Use Year. Anyway, it's not too late to change again...so HELP!!

Keep in mind that you must cancel a reservation 31 days or more before check-in date for the points to still be bankable even if you are within your banking window. If you cancel at 30 days or less the points go into Holding Status and can't be banked and must be used by the end of that current Use Year.

October banking deadline is May 31 - good for trips Thanksgiving, December holidays, January and March. Not good for summer trips because you'd already be beyond banking deadline, especially if you think you may travel in late August as you've previously done.

December banking deadline is July 31 - good for trips December, January, March and can cover summer pretty well too ( ie if you had a trip planned to begin on Aug. 31 and cancelled by July 31 LATEST you could still bank those points or would have until November 30 to use them ).

Best wishes

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

I think Oct is good too. Feb was so NOT!! With traveling the last week of January, that was cutting it really close.

Remember if you keep this contract throught the life of it, you travel plans will change a lot so NO use year will be perfect, but for you travel pattern now it seem to be the best.

 

[Camping Griswalds]

Thanks everyone. This is kind of how I am looking at it. Over the last 10 years, 90% of our trips have been in January. That is definately the one we ploan ahead for the most. So 11 months out can be accomplished easily enough Our older kids go to a school that has this Winter Break. They are in 10th and 6th grade. My daughter will not even start this school until 2010, so add another 13 years on top of the next 2, so basically for the next 15 years, this will probably be our travel time. I do think we made the right decision to switch to October. I just worry myself about things like that.

 

[disfanforlife]

I worried a lot about this too before buying. I know our travel plans may change later but for now we picked October too. In the past, we have gone in November, December, or February. I do not see myself ever going in the summer, so I think it will work well for us too.