Use year comparison

[SINK]

Any comments on when is the "best" use year. I understand that it depends on your vacation habits, but just wanted to get a feel for what you think.

 

[Richyams]

The best use year is two to four or five months before your normal vacation time. We always visit WDW in either Oct, Nov or Dec, we have a September use year. We knew nothing of the benefit of one use year over another when we bought. We just got lucky.

If you vacation at different times every year, there is no reason to favor one use year over another.

 

[drusba]

For the most part use year is irrelevant--it does not affect when you can go (anytime of year) or when you can call to reserve (11 months in advance at home resort, 7 at others). The only concern is banking dates and their relationship to the possibility of cancellation. You have only until the end of the 6th month of your use year to bank all of your points. Suppose you usually go in July and have a March use year. You make a ressie using those points issued in March for that July trip. Come May you have to cancel; you still have until August 31 to bank all those points into the next use year or, if you don't bank, until Feb 28 of the next year to take a trip. Now suppose you have an August use year and go in July. You use those Aug issued points for that trip in the next July. Come May you have to cancel. You can no longer bank all those points because you are beyond the 6 month period and you have only until the end of July to use them. As a result, many recommend getting a use year that begins 6 months or less before you usually go on your annual trip so you can bank all those points if you need to cancel. If you go different times of year, it is not going to make a difference as some trips are still going to face that cancellation/banking risk regardless of what use year you get. Also, vacation patterns change. You may go in July every year now because of kids school schedules. In 12 years, you may start to go every January.

 

[ILuvDVC]

Well, I used to think April was the perfect Use Year for us. My son had spring break during the Easter week, and that usually fell in April. That way, I could borrow points, and if we decided to cancel, I would have all year to use them up.

Well, the school has changed spring break to the 2nd week in March....So, now I have juggle points around, and figure out how best to use them. Could get interesting.

 

[SINK]

Thanks all, great info again.