Question about Use Year and Booking

[mcuoghi]

We recently closed on our DVC and are currently thinking about our first vacation with our points. Our use year is August. We will receive our first set of points this year. We are planning on an August 2016 vacation. We will be booking as soon as we are able--I believe the date in in January (it's not our home resort). My question is will we have to bank our August 2015 points because the actual vacation is in 2016 (after the points expire)? Or will booking in January (within our use year) suffice? Thanks!!

 

[maburke]

Your use year and your booking date are independent -- think about them separately. Your trip is in August, 2016, so you need to bank your August, 2015, points anytime before you book (but before the March 31 banking deadline) in order to use them then. You are right in your calculation that you will be able to book it in January. You might consider booking at your home resort 11 months out to be sure you have someplace to stay. But again, you'll need to bank before you can book.

 

[automaticsoap]

Since your vacation will take place in your 2016 use year, you will need to bank your 2015 points. But you can do this in January 2016 when you book your reservation since you're not past your banking deadline -- you don't have to do it ahead of time.

 

[mcuoghi]

Great. Thanks so much!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Actually banking does need to be done ahead of booking the reservation but it can be just minutes ahead. If you're booking online you would first bank and then make your reservation. It's a litle bit different than if you were borrowing since that is done at the time of making the reservation because you only borrow if you need to use the points. If you were to call in you would tell MS you need to bank the points and make a reservation and they would do it in that same order.

 

[maburke]

Since your vacation will take place in your 2016 use year, you will need to bank your 2015 points. But you can do this in January 2016 when you book your reservation since you're not past your banking deadline -- you don't have to do it ahead of time.

It is a separate transaction, so if you are concerned about availability, it's worth doing ahead of time so that you don't lose time on the day. As KAT4DISNEY said, it's not like borrowing, that is done in the process of the reservation transaction.

 

[disneynutz]

The rule of thumb is that the points need to be available at the time of the stay, not when you book.

Bill

 

[DebbieB]

Points are loaded to your account years in advance. So you don't have to worry about when points are added so that you can book. If you have an August use year, right now your account online will show 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. On August 1, 2018 will be added. Points use is governed by the date of stay. So if your stay is in your 2016 use year, you can use banked 2015, current 2016, borrowed 2017.

 

[mcuoghi]

The rule of thumb is that the points need to be available at the time of the stay, not when you book.

Bill

Thanks! This is exactly what I needed to know.

Everyone has been so helpful!