Use Year Help

[EEyorelover22]

We are probably going to buy AKV, but I am so confused about the UY. I have read a few threads, but I'm more confused than ever. We would travel in June or July. What would be a good UY?
Thanks.

 

[DVCLiz]

We are probably going to buy AKV, but I am so confused about the UY. I have read a few threads, but I'm more confused than ever. We would travel in June or July. What would be a good UY?
Thanks.

You would want a Use Year that falls in the first six months of the year, if you are sure you will always travel in June or July. I don't think there are any January or May Use Years, so February, March or April will be your best bet.

That's because you can book 100% of your points in the first six months of your Use Year. If for some reason you realized one year that you couldn't go during your usual June/July time frame, you'd still have until the end of July to bank all of your points into the next year (assuming a February Use Year, because six months from February 1 would be July 31.) For a March Use Year, your 100% banking deadline would be August 31, and so on, counting 6 months from the first day of your Use Year month.Then you'd have the pleasant task of deciding how to use twice as many points the next year!!!

Use Year can be confusing, because it has nothing to do with when you can make a reservation. Use Year is just the time each year you get your "new" points. You can make a reservation 11 months ahead for your home resort and 7 months ahead for any other resort, as long as the points will be in your account by the time you take the trip.

Something else to consider is Spring Break. If you think that at some point you will have children and want to take a Spring Break trip, those dates are usually in February or March, so an April Use Year might not be such a great choice. I have a March Use Year, and that covers Spring Break and summer trips. By the time my 100% banking window has passed, at the end of August, I have a very good idea of my travel opportunities for the rest of the year (and I have usually already used my points!!)

Hope this helps!!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

Keep in mind that the ONLY reason the above strategy will come into play is if you are in the habit of cancelling reservations close to when they occur. It also assumes that you will continue to want to always travel the same times of the year for the next 50 years. We have been DVC members for 10+ years, and never once have we changed a ressie so late that we couldn't bank our points. Also, we tend to travel between December and March most years, and with a March use year, that means we COULD be at risk of losing out on banking should we change our mind. Like I said...hasn't happened yet in 10 years. I guess I am one who finds WHICH use year you have is a bit on the inconsequencial side.

 

[EEyorelover22]

So, you're saying, it doesn't matter then?

I know for the next 13, we can only travel in the summer or at Christmas or spring break (but that use a lot of points rather than summer time so we'd probably go only in June or July).

 

[TOMAR@SSR]

You would want a Use Year that falls in the first six months of the year, if you are sure you will always travel in June or July. I don't think there are any January or May Use Years, so February, March or April will be your best bet.

That's because you can book 100% of your points in the first six months of your Use Year. If for some reason you realized one year that you couldn't go during your usual June/July time frame, you'd still have until the end of July to bank all of your points into the next year (assuming a February Use Year, because six months from February 1 would be July 31.) For a March Use Year, your 100% banking deadline would be August 31, and so on, counting 6 months from the first day of your Use Year month.Then you'd have the pleasant task of deciding how to use twice as many points the next year!!!

Use Year can be confusing, because it has nothing to do with when you can make a reservation. Use Year is just the time each year you get your "new" points. You can make a reservation 11 months ahead for your home resort and 7 months ahead for any other resort, as long as the points will be in your account by the time you take the trip.

Something else to consider is Spring Break. If you think that at some point you will have children and want to take a Spring Break trip, those dates are usually in February or March, so an April Use Year might not be such a great choice. I have a March Use Year, and that covers Spring Break and summer trips. By the time my 100% banking window has passed, at the end of August, I have a very good idea of my travel opportunities for the rest of the year (and I have usually already used my points!!)

Hope this helps!!!

This actually confuses me...because....our guide asked us when we first bought into DVC...."When do you prefer going to the world"...and DH mentioned in the winter...(although it hasn`t happened yet )...we were given a February use year....and in all reality....I prefer it...for all the reasons that you have given
But....I was under the impression from reading other posts...that you should ask for a use year...around the month you prefer to visit the world
Soooooo.....EE22...if your going to the world in June or July of the next 13 years....February will work for you as well !!!
Hope to be saying "WELCOME HOME"...to you soon !!

 

[DVCLiz]

So, you're saying, it doesn't matter then?

I know for the next 13, we can only travel in the summer or at Christmas or spring break (but that use a lot of points rather than summer time so we'd probably go only in June or July).

No, it doesn't really matter. Use Year is only important for banking purposes - and if you'll ultimately go in spring, summer, and Christmas, you'd run into a time when you'd be outside your 6 months no matter which Use Year you got.
And remember, you can bank 50% and 25% of your points at later times during your Use Year.

 

[DISNEYDUET]

Is it true when you buy an add on that it has to be the same use year?

 

[DVCLiz]

I believe if you buy an add-on from Disney they will automatically give you the same Use Year. If you buy a resale, you get whatever Use Year was assigned to that specific contract.

 

[EEyorelover22]

Taking the banking into account then Feb might be a good time since I'd have till the end of July to decide whether to bank them till next year then. And yes, down the road we might go in March when the kids are gone. So with Feb we could still travel in March then.

 

[DVCLiz]

Taking the banking into account then Feb might be a good time since I'd have till the end of July to decide whether to bank them till next year then. And yes, down the road we might go in March when the kids are gone. So with Feb we could still travel in March then.

Yes, with a February Use Year you'd get your points February 1, and a trip the following month would be a great way to use them!!!!! Remember, the Use Year is just when you get the points - you could travel in March with any Use Year. If you had an April Use Year, you could still use them the following March - you just wouldn't have much time to make any changes if your trip plans changed at the last minute.

 

[Caskbill]

The use year month you get has absolutely no meaning when it comes to making reservations and taking vacations. It only becomes important when you CANCEL a reservation and at the time you cancel you happen to be near the end of your use year and are unable to bank the points.

If you buy an add-on from Disney, you get the same use year month.

If you buy resale and get a different use year month, it will also come with it's own new membership number. It will be totally separate from your first contract, must be managed independently, and the points are used independently from your original contract.

If you get an add-on with the same use year month, you may combine points in any way you want to make any type of reservation desired at the 7-month window. Points are also combined for determine your banking percentages.

 

[EEyorelover22]

Looking for reassurance...
December UY would be okay for us since we travel in the summer?

 

[flyerron]

Yes, the use year is not related to your travel time. You may travel anytime at any resort. The use year is simply the date that your bucket of points gets refilled, it also determines when you need to decide to either use or bank your points. There are quite clear charts to use as reference.