Sorry, could I ask a use year question?

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Sorry because I seem to be having problems finding this with the search option.

The use year thing confuses me. I'm not an owner now but interested in buying into DVC. If we plan to visit between Nov and March each year, what use year would I want to have and why? This is a big range but I'd like to take my kids out of school for a Nov/Dec vacation as long as they are in the lower grades. When they get older we might have to go with spring break times, usually March here.

If someone could explain the use year in "for dummies" terms I'd appreciate it.

 

[llp479]

I'll take a shot at it...

Your "Use Year" is the month in which you get your points. For example, I have an April use year at BWV. This means that on 4/1 of every year I get 270 points in my "account" to use from April 1 of that year, to March 31 of the following - ie 4/1/02 - 3/31/03. If I know I will not be using all of my points in that time period, I may choose to "bank" them to the following "use year". So, if I banked points from my 2002 year, I wouldn't be able to use them until 4/1/03. (There is a schedule for banking the points - don't have it handy right now, but I'm sure someone will post it.) If, I don't have enough points to make my reservation in my current use year's "account", I may borrow them from the next use year and use them in the current year. If for some reason you cancel the reservation, those points have to be used by the end of your current use year - ie use points from 4/1/03 have to be used by 3/31/03, the end of my current year.

There are all sorts of other complications that can happen when you cancell a reservation, but we'll leave those for another post.

If you plan on vacationing in March, I would try to get a October use year. That would allow you plenty of time to bank points if you were planning a March trip that you later ended up cancelling.

 

[RobDoc]

Use Year is the month each year when your points are renewed.

That month determines banking deadlines and also could impact your points in case of a cancellation of a trip. If you had a Dec Use Year and cancelled a trip during November less than 30 days in advance, you'd have to use those points before Nov. 30 or lose them. If you have a Sep. Use Year and cancel a Nov trip, you'd have until the following Aug 31 to use the points (or bank them).

If you don't ever have to cancel a reservation (especially on short notice), then Use Year is simply when your points are replenished annually.

Enjoy!

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Thank you both! That makes sense to me. I guess I was worried about the having to cancel at the last minute thing (you wouldn't believe the record my DH has about having a problem before vacation).

I've been looking at the resales but wasn't really sure what use year I'd want to look for.

Have a good evening.

 

[Caskbill]

Just to answer your original question, for your case anything from an August - October would be good use years for you. And as mentioned that's only important if you would wind up cancelling reservations on a routine basis.

If you can normally plan your vacations a year or so ahead, and don't cancel reservations normally, than any use year would be fine. In that type of vacation planning you would always be well ahead of any banking deadlines by knowing what points you would be using that year and what points to bank.

If you think you would have to cancel reservations at short notice, then definitely consider use year. If not, then don't worry too much about it and go for the best resale contract deal you can find, regardless of use year.

 

[LadyTrampScamp&Angel]

Thanks Caskbill! You would think it would be my small kids that were the problem BUT out of the last 3 years my DH came down with acute bronchitis twice and tore some leg ligaments once - the week of our WDW vacation. So now I have all these fears about something happening at the last minute - and therefore going to consider use year when buying .

Thanks again, I appreciate the explanation and have a great trip - I see you'll be going soon!