Use year/points???

[sndral]

So, after spending 9 nights in an AKL Jambo 1 br. for cash, my adult son and I were talking about DVC and I realized there are a few things I don't know, I'm hoping you experts can help me:
1. Use year - huh? Why do I care? If I typically travel the last week of Nov./early Dec., but may occasionally want to go in Sept. or early spring, is there a better month to chose?
2. Assuming I want to go Dec. 2011, I can make my reservation in Jan. 2011? Even if my use year is say, Dec.? Say I have 0 banked points, I won't be able to use my 2011 points until 12/1/11, right? But I can still make my reservation @ 11 months in Jan. 2011?
3. Has anyone ever not gotten what they wanted @ 11 months @ their home resort? For example, if I wanted a 2 br AKL savannah view, Jambo - would I ever have a problem getting that if AKL was my home resort? How about a 3 br?
4. Do you end up w/ unused points? It seems with the odd numbers of points required you'd always have a few extra/unused points.

 

[drusba]

Use year determines time of annual allotment of points (first day of) and time during which those points must be used, by last day of use year absent being banked. It otherwise has nothing to do with when you can go or when you can call to reserve (which is always 11 months out at home resort 7 at others.

Example: assume Dec use year and you want to go Dec 2011. You can call in Jan 2011 11 months out for home resort. Your Dec 2011 use year begins Dec 1 2011 and thus your current use year points for that trip will be those issued Dec 1, 2011. If you have points from Dec 2010 use year you can bank those and also use them for that trip when you call in Jan 2011. Moreover, if needed you could borrow points from the Dec 2012 use year.

To bank points you must do so by the end of the eighth month of your use year (that is what you usually do if you have any leftover points from a use year). Thus, with a Dec use year, you would have to bank any points in a given year by July 31 (you count the first month of your use year to get to eight). Because of that banking rule, it is often recommended that you try to get a use year that starts before you usually take your annual trip to avoid losing points if you have to cancel. For example if you usually go in Sep, Nov, or Dec, your ideal use year is Sep. Why? Assume Nov trip, you call in Dec 2010 and make ressie for Nov 2011 using points that are from your Sep 2011 use year. Now assume that in Sep 2011 you learn you have to cancel the trip. Those points go back into your account and you would still have almost the entire use year to use them and can easily bank into 2012 use year. Now assume you have Dec use year and reserve Nov 2011 trip in Dec 2010 using Dec 2010 points for that trip, the ones in the current use year for that trip. You learn you have to cancel in Sep 2011. Points go back into account but you can't bank them because you are beyond the July 31, 2011 banking deadline. Thus they must be used for a trip that ends by Nov 30, 2011, and if you had to cancel that Nov trip you would likely lose them. Thus, get a use year that begins shortly before you usually go to avoid the cancellation/inability to bank issue.

If you call exactly 11 months out, you should have no problem getting what you want with probably only two possible exceptions -- trying to get AKV concierge at Christmas time or a Grand Villa at Christmas time; reason, there are a small number of rooms and very high demand for those and they go fast at 11 months out at Christmas time (meaning they can be gone by 9:05 a.m. exactly 11 months out). As for AKV savanna view, you should have no problem getting that anytime of year at 11 months out (or even 10). Finally, you mention staying in Jambo and ask about getting Jambo. It is not any harder to get than Kidani.

 

[Sandisw]

Given your travel times, I would probably recommend a Sept UY as it would be before you typical time of travel.

Having a UY that starts just before travel gives the most flexibility in terms of what you can do if you ever have to cancel a trip, want to change a trip to use less points, or are traveling on borrowed points and have to make adjustments.

When you travel close to the beginning of the UY, you still have time to bank the points (since they have to be banked during the first 8 months) or reschedule a trip.

Most reservations are available at the 11 month mark without a problem but the concierge at AKV can be difficult, even right at 11 months, but most everything else is possible.

When you call to make a reservation, it is based on what will be available when you travel and not when you call so its okay if your UY has not started yet as the points are in your account from day 1. But the date of your UY simple tells you when those points go from being next UY's points to current UY points.

Good luck!