Use year bank/borrow ?

[Mmw37]

We haven't bought yet but will soon. Once we do, we'll probably travel at least occasionally in every quarter. Thinking our big trip will be in either late March/early April or early June, with small trips in Jan or Oct in alternating years. I was thinking a Sept/Oct UY would be best, but maybe not.

If we are traveling in June that year and are wait listed on a particular room type (studio, etc.) and have booked a higher value room type as a backup, might we get into banking/borrowing trouble if our wait list comes through? What happens to the points if you borrow to make a reservation and then don't need them anymore? If this is when our longer and more open to variation trip will be, would we be better off with a Dec or Feb UY? I'm starting to think yes, but please enlighten me!

 

[Marionnette]

We haven't bought yet but will soon. Once we do, we'll probably travel at least occasionally in every quarter. Thinking our big trip will be in either late March/early April or early June, with small trips in Jan or Oct in alternating years. I was thinking a Sept/Oct UY would be best, but maybe not.

If we are traveling in June that year and are wait listed on a particular room type (studio, etc.) and have booked a higher value room type as a backup, might we get into banking/borrowing trouble if our wait list comes through?

What happens to the points if you borrow to make a reservation and then don't need them anymore? If this is when our longer and more open to variation trip will be, would we be better off with a Dec or Feb UY? I'm starting to think yes, but please enlighten me!

If we are traveling in June that year and are wait listed on a particular room type (studio, etc.) and have booked a higher value room type as a backup, might we get into banking/borrowing trouble if our wait list comes through?

It's possible that you will run into trouble but it will depend on how you handle your points. When you waitlist, you have the option to cancel the existing reservation in order to book the waitlisted villa. You can also indicate that you do not want to borrow points in order to fill a waitlist.​

What happens to the points if you borrow to make a reservation and then don't need them anymore?

The points get put back into the UY into which they were borrowed. So, if you borrowed from 2018 UY to book a reservation during your 2017 UY, the points go back into the 2017 UY and will expire at the end of that UY. A June UY expires on May 31 of the following year.​

If this is when our longer and more open to variation trip will be, would we be better off with a Dec or Feb UY?

Generally speaking, you would want to have a UY that is earlier in the year for when you intend to spend the majority of your points. This gives you more time to use the points if you have to cancel and points go into holding. So, let's say that you went with a Dec. UY. You book a big trip in March 2018 and you've banked your 2017 & borrowed 2019 points to do it. Something comes up and you have to cancel the trip. You now have until November 30,2018 to spend the points. And the last night of the reservation cannot go past Nov. 30, 2018. You would only be able to bank the points that were originally from 2018 into your 2019 UY. The banked points from 2017 and borrowed points from 2019 would expire if you did not use them by the end of the Dec. 2018 UY.​

 

[CarolMN]

Mire info on use year can be found in this thread:

Understanding Use Year

 

[PlutoFan10]

October use year has worked great for us, as we normally take our trips between October and May.

 

[disneynutz]

October use year has worked great for us, as we normally take our trips between October and May.

Same here, we enjoy the cooler months and the Christmas holidays at WDW.

Bill

 

[Dean]

We haven't bought yet but will soon. Once we do, we'll probably travel at least occasionally in every quarter. Thinking our big trip will be in either late March/early April or early June, with small trips in Jan or Oct in alternating years. I was thinking a Sept/Oct UY would be best, but maybe not.

If we are traveling in June that year and are wait listed on a particular room type (studio, etc.) and have booked a higher value room type as a backup, might we get into banking/borrowing trouble if our wait list comes through? What happens to the points if you borrow to make a reservation and then don't need them anymore? If this is when our longer and more open to variation trip will be, would we be better off with a Dec or Feb UY? I'm starting to think yes, but please enlighten me!

You'll have more risk to the points with that plan than those who can better place their UY. But there are other variables such as how easily you can adjust and how flexible you are to change on short notice. IMO the best UY as you described your plans could vary a little. IF most of the larger trips will be in April rather than starting in March, then I'd go with April. Otherwise I'd chose March if I'm reading you correctly. You said large trip May to June and Small trips in Jan/Oct. The total number of points at risk would be for the larger trip it sounds like. But there are variables, like how much smaller are the other trips? Are you more flexible for one time of year over another? March or April only puts your points at major risk for the Jan trip from a UY standpoint and even then, only for points that are banked/borrowed or fairly short notice but before the 30 day cancelation cutoff. If you are looking at enough points you might end up with 2 UY, as long as both contracts would be at least 150 points or so. And it makes other planning more important such as staying out of borrowed points and if possibly, banked points situations.