Use Year Question

[Tjkane28]

OK, all you DVCers,


Is there such an animal as a use year beginning in May? haven't seen one if there is. Particularly interested in 200 pts @ HH.

Thanks and peace

 

[CarolMN]

No, there isn't. For some reason, DVC does not have use years for January, May, July or November. I've not read/heard any explanation for why that is.

 

[Tjkane28]

Well, now that you've given me more information, I understand why...or at least I think I do.

These months are "blocked out" so to make it a more even playing field for as many members as possible to secure the desirable weeks at the resorts (Christmas, Easter, etc). Yes? Because there is the 11-month window for home resorts, right? So January would have first dibs on Christmas, May for Easter, etc.

Perhaps?

 

[DebbieB]

Use Year has nothing to do with when you can book, so that's not the reason. You can book in January for Christmas no matter what your use year is. I think the reason is just to simplify bookkeeping.

 

[Tjkane28]

Use Year has nothing to do with when you can book, so that's not the reason. You can book in January for Christmas no matter what your use year is.

OK, but wouldn't someone whose use year, and therefore points, begins in January (hypothetically, of course) have some type of advantage? Or is one able to book a ressie without available points, as long as they would be available before the reservation date? For example, if my use year begins in Feb, and I have no points available until Feb, can I still make a reservation for Dec 26 on January 26?

The reason I am asking is that there must be some advantage/disadvantage to one's use-year, isn't there? I thought I remembered reading that one's use year was important depending upon when one may wish to vacation.

More confused than ever...

Peace

 

[WDWguru]

Points availability is determined by when the reservation is USED, not made. The points must be there when you stay, but don't have to be when you make your reservation.

Use year comes into play with banking deadlines and cancellations. It's good to have a use year slightly prior to the time you normally travel in case you have to cancel. If you cancel toward the end of your use year and have borrowed points, that's less time you have to use those points or lose them. It's also less time to be able to bank points into your next use year. Really, unless you travel at the same time every year, plan to do so for the next 40 years, and tend to change your plans frequently, use year isn't all THAT important.

 

[CarolMN]

USe year has nothing to do with when you can make the reservation. As you surmised, you do not need to have points in your account at the time you call to make the reservation - the points must be in the account on the day you arrive.

If your use year is January, your 2003 use year would run from 1/1/2003 through 12/31/2003.

If your use year was April, your 2003 use year would run from 4/1/2003 through 3/30/2004.

If you wanted to stay 7 nights beginning 12/13/2003, the first day you could call to make the reservation (assuming you only wanted to make one call) would be January 20, 2003. That's because 1/20/2003 is 11 months ahead of your desired check out day. It doesn't matter if your use year is January or April (or any other month). The December stay in the example falls within the 2003 use year. To pay for that stay, you can use either 2003 use year points, points that you banked into your 2003 use year from your 2002 use year, or points that you borrowed from your 2004 use year.

To sum it up, you can always make a ressie at your home resort 11 months ahead of check out as long as there will be points in your account when you arrive.

HTH.

 

[Tjkane28]

AHHH, thank you o' wise guru!

I have learned much from you!

Peace

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

The only advantage to one use year over another is strictly personal. For example if you normally vacation in February, you wouldn't want an April use year. That is because if you had to cancel, you wouldn't be able to bank your points. You preferably want a use year that allows you to bank your points in case you have to cancel. You can bank 100% of your points in the first 6 months of your use year. So if you vacation in February a December or February use year would be good.

I have no points available until Feb, can I still make a reservation for Dec 26 on January 26

Yes you can. The same as anyone else, regardless of what month your use year is.

Good luck.

HBC

 

[Tjkane28]

and you, too, HTH

 

[Tjkane28]

and you, too, cat!

All of you were so very helpful! So, now all I need is to find a seller with 200 point foe HH with a use year around AUG, SEP, or OCT?

I plan on travelling most frequently in April over the next 20 years or so.

Correct?

 

[WDWguru]

Actually, you'd probably want something a little closer. February, March or April would probably be ideal, since you pretty well know when you want to travel. With the six month 100% banking window, you'd want your travel to be within the first six months of your use year, just in case.