Use Year how do I count to 11?

[AWHOFAN]

How do I count to eleven?

1. If my Use Year starts in Jan would Nov be my 11 months. In other words Dec is not counted.

2. My 8 month window to cancel would be Aug.

I'm trying to make a chart which months would be best for our family.


As they said in Spinal Tap this one goes to eleven.

 

[JimMIA]

I use all of my fingers and one toe.

Seriously though -- Use Year has nothing to do with your booking windows. The booking windows are governed by your arrival date for each stay -- 11 months at your home resort, 7 months at any other resort.

And the eight-month thingee is the banking deadline. You can bank up to 100% of your points at any time (or several times) during the first 8 months of your UY.

 

[Sandisw]

IMO, getting a UY that starts just prior to a typical vacation will allow you a lot of flexibility with what to do with points if you have to cancel and rebook, book with borrowed points and have to cancel and rebook, or just want to change the vacation to an option that uses less points.

As Jim mentioned, you can always call to book a trip 11 months in advance and the points that you need to cover a trip will be based on the UY that you are traveling.

I own a June UY since we travel mostly in August, but might start in July. However, I hope to some day also travel in the fall and early winter so the June UY fits my travel needs.

However, no matter when I want to go, I can call 11 months from check in date to book my home resort, BLT, and then call 7 months from check in date to book any other DVC resort.

 

[dominicve]

The booking window has nothing to do with use year. You can book up to 7nights at your home resort 11 months in advance (i.e. today you could book a trip April 9th-16th 2012) as long as you have the points available.

The use year affects when points need to be banked. Your use year is Jan 1st. Points need to be banked at least 4 months (Sept 1st) before the following use year or they expire on the following Jan 1st. You can cancel a reservation 31 days before the trip and get those points back, but if you are less then 4 months before their use year is up you won't be able to bank them.

Hope this helps.

 

[tecodis]

IMO, getting a UY that starts just prior to a typical vacation will allow you a lot of flexibility with what to do with points if you have to cancel and rebook, book with borrowed points and have to cancel and rebook, or just want to change the vacation to an option that uses less points.

Exactly. I generally visit WDW most in the fall and winter months. I have a September use year and it works out perfectly being able to bank through April. I think if I had any other UY that I would be stuck in modifying reservations with consequences more often. As much as I try to book 7-11 months out, life does through monkey wrenches in those plans at times.