Question on booking prior to points allocation.

[Rohi]

We are in the beginning stage of buying resale. If successful, we will have a August UY (210 pt, 50 left for 2024). We are thinking of planning a trip for Feb 2026 that will require about 600 pts (which we will be able to book in March 2025). Seeing as our UY is August, will we be able to use 2025, 2026, and 2027 points for this february trip? Still a bit confused about the banking and borrowing process. TIA!

 

[Tatebeck]

Feb 2026 will be in your August 2025 use year (August 2025-July 2026). You would be able to use any banked 2024 points, the 2025 points, and borrow 2026 points. If you have only 50 left for the 2024 use year you will only have access to 470 points on that date. 50 banked, 210 normal, and 210 borrowed.

 

[Rohi]

Feb 2026 will be in your August 2025 use year (August 2025-July 2026). You would be able to use any banked 2024 points, the 2025 points, and borrow 2026 points. If you have only 50 left for the 2024 use year you will only have access to 470 points on that date. 50 banked, 210 normal, and 210 borrowed.

Thank you so much! So I would be able to book our Feb 2026 trip in March 2025 (even though I don't even have the 2025 UY allocation yet)?

 

[drusba]

Your use year is Aug. A Feb 2026 trip would fall within your Aug 2025 use year. You will be able to use for that reservation points banked from the Aug 2024 use year, points from the Aug 2025 use year, and borrowed points from the Aug 2026 use year. You cannot use any points from the Aug 2027 use year -- the earliest those points could possibly be used if borrowed is for an Aug 2026 trip. Thus, you will not have 600 total points to use.

 

[Rohi]

Your use year is Aug. A Feb 2026 trip would fall within your Aug 2025 use year. You will be able to use for that reservation points banked from the Aug 2024 use year, points from the Aug 2025 use year, and borrowed points from the Aug 2026 use year. You cannot use any points from the Aug 2027 use year -- the earliest those points could possibly be used if borrowed is for an Aug 2026 trip. Thus, you will not have 600 total points to use.

Thank you! We are buying an August UY because we usually travel during August/Sept. February trip is an outlier to celebrate my son's birthday (All his siblings have had a bday in Disney except him). We will be able to swing the trip with 470pt if we go for less than our usual 10-11 days or stay at a cheaper resort - we need a 2-bedroom villa.

 

[DebbieB]

Thank you so much! So I would be able to book our Feb 2026 trip in March 2025 (even though I don't even have the 2025 UY allocation yet)?

Points are deposited 3 years in advance. This year 2027 is being deposited. This is because cruises can be booked 2 years in advance (plus a year for borrowing). You never have a situation where you have to wait for your use year.

 

[eticketplease]

Thank you so much! So I would be able to book our Feb 2026 trip in March 2025 (even though I don't even have the 2025 UY allocation yet)?

Yes!!

You receive your points and on August 1st every year but can start the booking process 11 months out before you have the points.

Use year is about when the trip will occur not when you can book.

If you were planning a trip for August 1-5 in 2031.

You can book the trip for your home resort only at the 11th month window (September 1, 2030) or any other resort at the 7 month window (February 1, 2031)

This example assumes you did not borrow from your 2031 points.

During that booking window you will have access to your allotment of points (210). You also can borrow from 2032 (210). This gives you a total of 420 points to use. If you did not use all of your previous points from 2030 you can then bank them into 2031 so you could possibly have 630 points you did not travel during the 2030 use year and banked them all and then borrowed all points from 2032. If the 630 points are not enough you can purchase up to 24 One Time Use Points (OTUP) to bump up your total to a max of 654 points.

OTUP can only be used at the 7 month window.

Once a point is banked or borrowed it must stay in that use year and must be used during that time period and can not be banked/borrowed again.

You can borrow at any time you wish but if you wish to bank points you must do so by the banking deadline.

To use the 50 points you have for 2024 there are 3 options.

1. Book a trip for your family (or to rent) that will be completed by 7/31/24.
2. Bank the points by 3/31/25
3. Do #1 and any points under 50 do #2.

BTW you can have up to 494 points for your February 2026 trip if booking at 7 months. Just remember everyone can book at 7 months so what you are looking for may not be available.

1. 50 points banked from 2024 allotment.
2. 210 points from 2025 allotment.
3. 210 points borrowed from 2026 allotment.
4. 24 OTUP purchases from MS @ $20 a point.

Edited to July date

 

[Sandisw]

It’s all about when you travel and not when you book. Your points are all there now…it’s just that Aug 1sr simply changes what points can be used for upcoming trips.

Easiest for me when I started was first determine which UY the trip happens…forget calendar year,..and then you know you can book it with banked points from the UY prior to the trip, points from the UY of the trip, and borrow from the UY after the trip to finish the reservation.

As mentioned, since your Feb 2026 trip is in your 2025 UY, you can use banked 2024, 2025 and borrowed 2026 to cover that trip.

The only thing that you have to do before booking, if you will need them is to bank points first. Points must be in the correct “status” when booking I. Order to use.

 

[eticketplease]

The only thing that you have to do before booking, if you will need them is to bank points first. Points must be in the correct “status” when booking I. Order to use.

I thought they used to allow you to bank and borrow while making the reservation assuming you were before the banking deadline?

 

[Sandisw]

I thought they used to allow you to bank and borrow while making the reservation assuming you were before the banking deadline?

Yes, you can do it during the same process of making reservation but it still needs to happen in order for the system to use them. Some people who are new don’t realize this aspect since it can be easily overlooked.

 

[sndral]

…
To use the 50 points you have for 2024 …
1. Book a trip for your family (or to rent) that will be completed by 9/30/24.
…

I assume this is a typo, but OP will have an August use year, if unbanked the 2024 points must be used for stays between 8/1/24 & 7/31/25, so the latest would be a check out day of 8/1/25. If banked by 3/31/25 (first 8 months of use year) then they are valid for stays 8/1/25 to 7/31/26.

 

[eticketplease]

I assume this is a typo, but OP will have an August use year, if unbanked the 2024 points must be used for stays between 8/1/24 & 7/31/25, so the latest would be a check out day of 8/1/25. If banked by 3/31/25 (first 8 months of use year) then they are valid for stays 8/1/25 to 7/31/26.

Yes thanks for catching that. I’ll update it

 

[Genie+]

It’s a common misperception to think you need to wait until your point allocation to use those points, which is kinda true, it’s just that you can book that trip 11 months in advance.

I’m a Sept UY. I want to book a trip for Dec 2025. In just a few months… Jan 2025, I’ll book my Dec 2025 trip using Sept 2025 UY and borrowing from Sept 2026. Last month my account looked like goose eggs. 0 points for 2023 (which last month in Aug was still actually that current Sept UY), 0 points for 2024, and 22 points left in Sept UY 2025. But yet 4 months from now I’m booking a trip that uses over a year worth of points.

It doesn’t always seem intuitive. The way Sandy said was perfect. Think of your trip date, figure out which points are valid for those dates. If you want full potential of home priority booking window, then count back 11 months and mark your calendar. That the big day to do your booking at 8am like a good enthusiastic DVC owner lol. Sounds like that date will be March 2025 for you.

 

[Rohi]

It’s all about when you travel and not when you book. Your points are all there now…it’s just that Aug 1sr simply changes what points can be used for upcoming trips.

Easiest for me when I started was first determine which UY the trip happens…forget calendar year,..and then you know you can book it with banked points from the UY prior to the trip, points from the UY of the trip, and borrow from the UY after the trip to finish the reservation.

As mentioned, since your Feb 2026 trip is in your 2025 UY, you can use banked 2024, 2025 and borrowed 2026 to cover that trip.

The only thing that you have to do before booking, if you will need them is to bank points first. Points must be in the correct “status” when booking I. Order to use.

Thank you for the clarification! One minute I get it, the next I'm like , lol.

So say I have a Feb UY, if I book a trip for Feb 2026 (mid feb dates) in March 2025, will it be using my 2026 points then since my points for 2026 came in on 1st Feb? So in that case I will be able to use banked 2025 points, 2026 points and borrowed points from 2027, right? Please tell me I'm right .

 

[sndral]

Thank you for the clarification! One minute I get it, the next I'm like , lol.

So say I have a Feb UY, if I book a trip for Feb 2026 (mid feb dates) in March 2025, will it be using my 2026 points then since my points for 2026 came in on 1st Feb? So in that case I will be able to use banked 2025 points, 2026 points and borrowed points from 2027, right? Please tell me I'm right .

YES!
I always write out my planned vacation dates, then make 3 entries - in your hypothetical w/ your desired 600 point Feb. 2026 vacation & assuming a 200 point Feb. use year contract:
Vacation is 2/11 - 2/18, 2026. Use year is 2/1/2026 - 1/31/2027, so vacation is in 2026 use year, thus can use:
2026 - 200 points current year
2025 - 200 points can be banked into 2026
2027 - 200 points can be borrowed for 2026

 

[Genie+]

Thank you for the clarification! One minute I get it, the next I'm like , lol.

So say I have a Feb UY, if I book a trip for Feb 2026 (mid feb dates) in March 2025, will it be using my 2026 points then since my points for 2026 came in on 1st Feb? So in that case I will be able to use banked 2025 points, 2026 points and borrowed points from 2027, right? Please tell me I'm right .

Yes that’s right!

I still get confused. We have a Sept UY so those points are current for much of the following year. It hard to wrap my head around sometimes. It looks like we have barely any upcoming points to use but one I factor in booking 11 months outs and bank/borrow, we actually in much better shape than it looked.

 

[Rohi]

YES!
I always write out my planned vacation dates, then make 3 entries - in your hypothetical w/ your desired 600 point Feb. 2026 vacation & assuming a 200 point Feb. use year contract:
Vacation is 2/11 - 2/18, 2026. Use year is 2/1/2026 - 1/31/2027, so vacation is in 2026 use year, thus can use:
2026 - 200 points current year
2025 - 200 points can be banked into 2026
2027 - 200 points can be borrowed for 2026

Yes that’s right!

I still get confused. We have a Sept UY so those points are current for much of the following year. It hard to wrap my head around sometimes. It looks like we have barely any upcoming points to use but one I factor in booking 11 months outs and bank/borrow, we actually in much better shape than it looked.

WOOHOO, I finally get it !!! @sndral Good idea writing it all down .

 

[eticketplease]

YES!
I always write out my planned vacation dates, then make 3 entries - in your hypothetical w/ your desired 600 point Feb. 2026 vacation & assuming a 200 point Feb. use year contract:
Vacation is 2/11 - 2/18, 2026. Use year is 2/1/2026 - 1/31/2027, so vacation is in 2026 use year, thus can use:
2026 - 200 points current year
2025 - 200 points can be banked into 2026
2027 - 200 points can be borrowed for 2026

The only problem I see with this is I never have any to bank and I seem to already have borrowed the next years points