Points Question from a Rookie

[Gomer]

Ok, so this seems a pretty basic question, but I've been researching a prospective DVC purcahse for about a week now and haven't come across this yet. I thought perhaps you kind people could help me out.

I'm considering purchasing a contract direct from Disney for AKL. For arguments sake, if I chose a use year of January and wanted to book a trip for February 2012 now. Would I be using 2011 points (the year when I book) or 2012 points (the year in which the trip occurs)? I'm assuming it would be 2012 points but haven't been able to confirm.

Anyone want to help a novice out?

 

[Greysword]

Technically, you would need to use 2012 points, since the 2011 points would have expired on December 31 at midnight.

However, you could bank the 2011 points into 2012 and use those for the February trip.

 

[Gomer]

Thank you, that's exactly what I needed to know!

 

[5forDiz]

In reality you can't do what your asking because there isn't a January Use Year or May, July or November. So for the purpose of your question I'll use December Use Year with a trip taking place in February 2012 :

Dec 2010 UY points are valid Dec 1 2010 - Nov 30 2011

Trip will take place during February 2012 so to have Dec 2010 UY pts usable for Feb 2012 trip you would need to bank them no later than July 31 2011 which will then make them valid for travel between Dec 1 2011 and Nov 30 2012 and you may also use Dec 2011 UY points for Feb 2012 trip as well since those are valid Dec 1 2011 - Nov 30 2012 too.

The points must be valid during your travel dates and can be banked, borrowed or current Use Year's points or a combination of all as long as they are not beyond expiration when your travel time happens.

If you are booking at your Home Resort you could have made reservation for Feb 2012 as early as March 1 2011 which is day your 11 month owner's priority booking window opens.

Good luck planning

 

[Deb & Bill]

Like 5forDiz has explained calendar year has nothing to so with when you use your points. Your Use Year becomes your new booking year. So if you have a Sept UY, like we do , our booking year is Sept 1 to Aug 31. If you have a Dec UY, your booking year is Dec 1 to Nov 30.

So you look at when you want to vacation and see which UY it falls in. You use current year points for that trip or borrowed next year points or banked previous year points.

And then there are the banking and borrowing rules. You must bank your points before the last four months of your UY. Otherwise, they expire at the end of that year. You cannot bank points more than one year. You cannot unbank points or unborrow points. Once you bank them, they belong to the next year. Once you borrow them, they belong to the current year.

 

[Gomer]

Well boo to that. January and May were my two top use year options. September was my third, so I guess I'll end up going with that. But that brings me to another question. If I were to purchase in July with a September use year, I would get the September 2010 points form the year I am currently in, correct? But, I would already be past my banking deadline, so would I lose those points? Or would I not get those Sept 2010 points because I am so close to that Sept 2011 anniversary?

Thanks for all the help everyone!

 

[vicki_c]

Normally, thru Disney, you would get the current year's points. So if you buy in September 2011 with a August use year, you would get August 2011 points, but no 2010 points (since that year ended). If you bought in September with a December use year, you would get the December 2010 points.

If you are past the banking deadline, you either use them before they expire or Member Services may make an exception and allow you to bank them beyond the normal window as a new direct purchaser (not guaranteed though).

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

If the banking deadline has already passed when you close, if buying directly from Disney, they will waive the deadline and allow you to bank the points.

 

[foohpah]

If the banking deadline has already passed when you close, if buying directly from Disney, they will waive the deadline and allow you to bank the points.

We just bought from Disney a few weeks ago with an October UY. Our banking deadline would have been 9 days before we signed but they said that with a new contract you have until the end of the use year to bank your points - the 8 month rule comes into play the next year.

 

[Gomer]

Great! Thanks for the tips. I'll ask about waiving the deadline but not count on it.