Use Year recommendation please

[Disneysweetheart23]

Hi all,

We typically go the second week of May, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Use Year lingo. There doesn’t appear to be a May Use Year, so what UY would be best in this scenario? And also, are any DVC resorts not recommended for purchase during this month?

Thank you!

 

[LadybugsMum]

You would want an April UY so you get your points right before you travel and have the most time to bank in the event you have to cancel or aren't going one year. March and Feb will also work, but you have less time to bank if you don't go.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You can buy any resort you like, but it is often recommended that you buy something you don't mind staying at if you can't change it at seven months out. It is getting hard to change to a non-home resort at seven months out. Second week of May isn't too hard to book. That's one week we have gotten GFV standard one bedroom a couple of times. If you always plan for May, an April UY would work out good for you. Your UY month is independent on where you can book. It's just when your points start over every year (kind of like a Fiscal year - Disney's is Oct, lots of business have a July Fiscal Year, Federal Government is also Oct 1). You want a UY where you're not always booking in the last three or four months of the year. If you need to cancel 31 days out (to keep points out of Holding), you want to be in the first eight months of your UY to be able to bank them into next year. If you are in the last four months of the UY, you can't bank them and you wind up losing them if you can't use them before the end of the UY.

We have a Sept UY and that works out great for F&W festival visits. Our Dec UY works out good for the Annual Member meeting in early Dec, plus Festival of the Holidays. We don't go summers, so we don't have to worry too much about losing our points.

 

[Disneysweetheart23]

You would want an April UY so you get your points right before you travel and have the most time to bank in the event you have to cancel or aren't going one year. March and Feb will also work, but you have less time to bank if you don't go.

Thank you!!

 

[Disneysweetheart23]

You can buy any resort you like, but it is often recommended that you buy something you don't mind staying at if you can't change it at seven months out. It is getting hard to change to a non-home resort at seven months out. Second week of May isn't too hard to book. That's one week we have gotten GFV standard one bedroom a couple of times. If you always plan for May, an April UY would work out good for you. Your UY month is independent on where you can book. It's just when your points start over every year (kind of like a Fiscal year - Disney's is Oct, lots of business have a July Fiscal Year, Federal Government is also Oct 1). You want a UY where you're not always booking in the last three or four months of the year. If you need to cancel 31 days out (to keep points out of Holding), you want to be in the first eight months of your UY to be able to bank them into next year. If you are in the last four months of the UY, you can't bank them and you wind up losing them if you can't use them before the end of the UY.

We have a Sept UY and that works out great for F&W festival visits. Our Dec UY works out good for the Annual Member meeting in early Dec, plus Festival of the Holidays. We don't go summers, so we don't have to worry too much about losing our points.

Deb- thank you for the thorough explanation- it is appreciated!! You’re awesome!!

 

[Galun]

Hi all,

We typically go the second week of May, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the Use Year lingo. There doesn’t appear to be a May Use Year, so what UY would be best in this scenario? And also, are any DVC resorts not recommended for purchase during this month?

Thank you!

The biggest thing you want to avoid is holding, which occurs when you cancel within 30 days of your reservation. Holding points must be used in your current use year, and can only be used within 60 days of check-in. Basically, a ton of restrictions. But life happens, unforeseen circumstances may come up, and you possibly will need to cancel last minute within 30 days. So you want to buy in a use year that gives you flexibility if you must cancel your reservation.

If you go in the first two weeks of May, buying an April UY will still give you around 10 months to try to use those holding points if you have to cancel (they expire March 31 the next year). Moving back to March, Feb, etc will slowly reduce your flexibility.

Another poster already explained the benefit in the banking side. April UY is probably best for you.

 

[Disneysweetheart23]

The biggest thing you want to avoid is holding, which occurs when you cancel within 30 days of your reservation. Holding points must be used in your current use year, and can only be used within 60 days of check-in. Basically, a ton of restrictions. But life happens, unforeseen circumstances may come up, and you possibly will need to cancel last minute within 30 days. So you want to buy in a use year that gives you flexibility if you must cancel your reservation.

If you go in the first two weeks of May, buying an April UY will still give you around 10 months to try to use those holding points if you have to cancel (they expire March 31 the next year). Moving back to March, Feb, etc will slowly reduce your flexibility.

Another poster already explained the benefit in the banking side. April UY is probably best for you.

Galun- thank you for going in depth more on the topic about the holding of points. That really helps me to understand things more clearly on why the UY is definitely something to take into consideration. I appreciate that!

 

[Galun]

Galun- thank you for going in depth more on the topic about the holding of points. That really helps me to understand things more clearly on why the UY is definitely something to take into consideration. I appreciate that!

This board helped me out a lot when I first bought. Just paying it forward. Good luck in your search for a contract.

 

[RoseGold]

Feb/Mar/Apr will all work for you.

The point is that if you miss your May trip, you still have time to use or bank your points, instead of losing your points. The deadline to bank for Feb is Sep 30.

 

[JimC]

Agree with April use year for frequent May travel. As to resort - buy based on what is most important to you - theme, cost per point, location, expiration date, direct benefits, contract size, use year - there are many attributes that drive interest. But also do not over think it. Many of us have come in with a well thought out game plan, only to have it evolve into something different over time.

 

[Disneysweetheart23]

This board helped me out a lot when I first bought. Just paying it forward. Good luck in your search for a contract.

We think similar. I’m all about paying it forward : ) Thank you again!

 

[Disneysweetheart23]

Agree with April use year for frequent May travel. As to resort - buy based on what is most important to you - theme, cost per point, location, expiration date, direct benefits, contract size, use year - there are many attributes that drive interest. But also do not over think it. Many of us have come in with a well thought out game plan, only to have it evolve into something different over time.

Thank you Jim, I appreciate the response. Sound logic, and that’s EXACTLY what I needed to read right now. I am definitely an over thinker...

 

[ElizabethG]

I have a March UY. We had a trip planned for this past June. When it was cancelled, I had plenty of time (Oct 31) to bank my points. I have a trip planned for next May. My 7-month res point is in Oct. So, if I wanted to bank points after changing my reservation, I could.

 

[Disneysweetheart23]

Thanks for taking the time to share!!