Two different contracts with different use years

[Lakegirl]

i know everybody says to buy same use years, that it is easier to keep everything straight, but has anyone successfully been able to juggle two different use years and think it's no bid deal? If so how do you manage it?

 

[Dean]

i know everybody says to buy same use years, that it is easier to keep everything straight, but has anyone successfully been able to juggle two different use years and think it's no bid deal? If so how do you manage it?

We have 2 UY and have had 3. It's not that big of a deal, esp if they are different home resorts and full sized contracts. It does offer advantages of targeting different times of the year to the contract and additional spots for the wait list. Overall for most I think it's best to get them together and if one is very small, I'd say it's paramount. Also, while I don't think they'll revert, in the past banking was dependent on the total points in the contract so having them all together improved the banking options.

 

[disneynutz]

If the benefit is greater than the extra work, then go for it. We have 2 UY's because we didn't know anything when we first bought, 1 contract in one UY and 20+ in the other. For us it isn't worth it and it's just something else to deal with. DVC/Disney gives us enough issues, I don't need more.

Bill

 

[supersnoop]

i know everybody says to buy same use years, that it is easier to keep everything straight, but has anyone successfully been able to juggle two different use years and think it's no bid deal? If so how do you manage it?

Separate contracts with different use years used for distinct purposes are very easy to manage. I have a June use year for the majority of my trips, but a small BWV contract just for Food & Wine. I'd never try to use the different use years for the same trip.

 

[Lakegirl]

Thanks everybody. I appreciate the feedback!!

 

[DisneyRegulars]

Separate contracts with different use years used for distinct purposes are very easy to manage. I have a June use year for the majority of my trips, but a small BWV contract just for Food & Wine. I'd never try to use the different use years for the same trip.

I think this is the key. If you have no intention of ever using the points from the two contracts at the same time, two use years is very manageable. For us, we want to combine points and it is a complete and utter nightmare. I mess things up all the time.

 

[DixieDelights]

We have 2 UY and have had 3. It's not that big of a deal, esp if they are different home resorts and full sized contracts. It does offer advantages of targeting different times of the year to the contract and additional spots for the wait list. Overall for most I think it's best to get them together and if one is very small, I'd say it's paramount. Also, while I don't think they'll revert, in the past banking was dependent on the total points in the contract so having them all together improved the banking options.

I'd love to learn more about how having contracts in different UY helps with the waitlist strategy!

 

[CMNJ]

I'd love to learn more about how having contracts in different UY helps with the waitlist strategy!

You only can have 2 active wait lists per use year. So assuming you would be ok using either contract to book a particular stay you'd have the opportunity to create up to 4 wait lists at one time if you had 2 contracts.

 

[disneynutz]

The best waitlist strategy is to buy where you love to stay and book at 11 months.

Bill

 

[Dean]

The best waitlist strategy is to buy where you love to stay and book at 11 months.

Bill

As Bill knows, I disagree with this statement. Certainly for some that know enough about DVC AND have sufficient experience it can be accurate if you want to stay at a given place most of the time. However, few new buyers will have enough info to know what they want long term but rather what they think they want. In general I would suggest the "buy the best value where you don't mind staying" is a better choice for those that are truly informed and for new buyers just getting into it, buying the best value they can live with is a better choice. New buyers often let their emotions get the best of them and it costs them thousands almost every time. It's a little like buying a new vs a 2 yr old car, the latter is a much better value and often a better choice but many can't handle it on the emotional side. IMO it's far better to underbuy and try to correct it later than to overbuy and do the same. That goes double when looking at the new resort being sold retail vs older at resale. Even better is buying such that one an easily adjust later. Say you need 250-300, buy 150-170 and get into it then one can adjust later and have the best of all worlds.

 

[LisaS]

I'd love to learn more about how having contracts in different UY helps with the waitlist strategy!

If you purchase a contract with a different UY, MS cannot put that contract under your existing membership. They must create a second membership for you to hold that new contract. When you have a second membership, it's like you are two different people. You get two active waitlists per membership so if you have two memberships, you get double the number of active wait lists. But bear in mind, when a wait list comes through, you need to have enough points to book that reservation. If the points are in the other membership, I don't know what MS does in that situation. So while you do get more active wait lists, you still have the complication of managing points in different memberships.