Question about Use Year

[thelionqueen]

Hello all, after extensive research about DVC, I missed something, hope you can help. We bought points at Vero with Feb. Use year. Here's my dilemma. We usually travel in May, and we do not plan on going to Vero in the near future. We want to make reservations at BW or OKW. So, the package we bought has all 2005 points intact, with more coming in Feb 06'. If we bank the points, can we make reservations anywhere anytime with those, or is it the same requirement as normal (wait 3 months before making reservations).
So here is my conflict, if we make reservations in June (would it be June or May with Feb. use year) for May, and our points come up again in Feb. would we have to bank 06' and use them? This is fine as we have 1 year's points "ahead" so we can bank and use for several years if need be. I hope I didn't confuse anyone (I did myself). I am just wondering if we should get a different use year or if it really matters, thanks!!

 

[RobDoc]

Use Year has absolutely nothing to do with when you can make a reservation. Use Year is simply the date each year when your points are renewed and it will determine the banking schedule for your points.

With a February Use Year, your 2005 points are good until January 31, 2006 unless you bank them- thus extending their use until January 31, 2007. They will expire on that date since they cannot be banked again. If you know now that you will not be able to use them before 1/31/06, bank them for use next year. If you later find that you do want to take a trip usig points this year, you cannot use the banked 2005 points, but you can borrow points from your 2006 Use Year.

Reservations at your home resort may always be made 11 months in advance- without regard to Use Year- and reservations at other DVC resorts may always be made 7 months ahead- without regard to Use Year- all based on availability.

Reservations made 11 months ahead (or 7 months ahead) are dependent on points being available in your account on the date of arrival of the reservation. You could make a reservation right now for next May by banking your 2005 points and using your 2006 points that will become available on February 1, 2006.

There is no 3 month restriction for your points- the only date restrictions are 11 and 7 months depending on which resort you wish to reserve. All non-DVC options may be reserved 11 months in advance- regardless of home resort.

Enjoy!

 

[JimMIA]

Hello all, after extensive research about DVC, I missed something, hope you can help. We bought points at Vero with Feb. Use year. Here's my dilemma. We usually travel in May, and we do not plan on going to Vero in the near future. We want to make reservations at BW or OKW. So, the package we bought has all 2005 points intact, with more coming in Feb 06'. If we bank the points, can we make reservations anywhere anytime with those, or is it the same requirement as normal (wait 3 months before making reservations).

First of all, understand that Use Year has nothing to do with when you can make reservations. Secondly, I don't know where you got that 3 month idea, but it's not right. You can make reservations 11 months to the day from your check-out date at your home resort -- in your case Vero Beach. You can make reservations at any of the seven DVC properties seven months to the day from your check-out date - which is why we say "at seven months, points is points." At seven months everyone has the same ressie ability. If you wait until three months before your trip to make ressies, you are going to have a difficult time getting what you want.

So here is my conflict, if we make reservations in June (would it be June or May with Feb. use year) for May, and our points come up again in Feb. would we have to bank 06' and use them? This is fine as we have 1 year's points "ahead" so we can bank and use for several years if need be. I hope I didn't confuse anyone (I did myself). I am just wondering if we should get a different use year or if it really matters, thanks!!

With a February use year, you have until the end of July to bank 100% of your points. You can bank a cumulative total of 50% of your points any time in the first nine months (October) and a cumulative total of 25% up to 10 months (November). You may not bank points in December and January.

When you have points banked, they must be used in the use year they were banked into. Therefore, when you make ressies, MS takes the points from banked points first. Or they should - be sure to double check all of the details of your account status after making each ressie.

In your particular example, you can make ressies anywhere you have the right window. If you bank all of your '05 points prior to the end of July, you can later bank the '06 points and essentially "live" off of the banked '05 points for the next use year.

 

[thelionqueen]

You guys really are the best!! I misunderstood the whole "use year" from the very beginning. In short, if I travel in May, I can make reservations from Nov. on at any other resort, right? That makes a world of difference!!
If I choose to bank the 05' points, I can use them to make reservations like normal (7 mos. out or 11 mos. out) until 1/31/07. I am just making sure (again) I know what I am doing. Thanks again, your are WondEARful!!!

 

[senecabeach]

Download Caskbill's Planner. You can make ressies and it can tell you exactly when to call..either for the 7th or 11th month window.
Bill is in the process of customizing it...so you can track your individual personal points...Can't wait!!

http://web.nalu.net/~wneth/dvcplanner.htm

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

You guys really are the best!! I misunderstood the whole "use year" from the very beginning. In short, if I travel in May, I can make reservations from Nov. on at any other resort, right? That makes a world of difference!!
If I choose to bank the 05' points, I can use them to make reservations like normal (7 mos. out or 11 mos. out) until 1/31/07. I am just making sure (again) I know what I am doing. Thanks again, your are WondEARful!!!

No....if you travel in May, you can make (and if you know you're going, should) make reservations from Oct at any other resort.

 

[reedycreek]

i have the same feb use with year with the extra 150 bonus points. here is my question.

i can say, make a reservation for october with 50% of my bonus points and then bank the rest no later than october? now if i wanted to go back to WDW in december, i can "borrow" those 2005 points back?

 

[dianeschlicht]

Actually, you would be borrowing your next year's points, not the banked points.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

i have the same feb use with year with the extra 150 bonus points. here is my question.

i can say, make a reservation for october with 50% of my bonus points and then bank the rest no later than october? now if i wanted to go back to WDW in december, i can "borrow" those 2005 points back?

No but you could borrow your February 2006 points. Once banked or borrowed points can not be returned to their original use year. Your 2005 points would then have to be used between February 1, 2006 and January 31, 2007.

HBC