Use Year Suggestion and Understanding

[Cmbar]

HI All we are waiting for the right resale contract to come along and are trying to determine how important Use Year is for this process. I see some people saying they would even like to switch contracts because of use year.

The truth is we like to travel to Disney all times of the year, but what will probably be our plan for many years to come will be one week in the early summer after kids get out of school and at least four or five nights in the Feb-Apr time frame. I need to get out of the winter for my sanity and this is one of the main reasons we are buying so that I can get down there at least once a year. So I have no clue what would be a good use year for us. One Diser suggested maybe a Aug or Dec Use year, but I think I see lots of people not wanting that, so I am confused about if there are "good" use years and "bad" use years!

I understand that you have to bank points at least four months prior to your use year being renewed. SO if I have a Aug use year, I will have to bank my points for the current use year I am in (say Aug 2007) by April 1st 2008, right? So if I cancel my Summer 2008 trip that I wanted to use my points that were given to me on Aug 07 I would be out of luck if I cancel that summer 08 vacation after April 08?


Can someone please be patient with me and walk through this? I have a headache Would I be better with say a Jan or Feb UY so that I can cancel any summer vacation up until Sept 1 or Oct 1st.

Thank you!

 

[RobDoc]

As you are aware, the only issue with your Use Year concern comes when you need to cancel. Since you want to travel in June and/or Feb-Apr and February Use Year might be best for you since you'd still have plenty of time to reuse the points should you cancel any of those dates (as long as you cancel 31 or more days before arrival).

There are no January, May, July or November Use Years. An Aug/Sep/Oct Use Year would be fine for the Feb - April trips, but could cause an issue with a cancelled June trip - depending on when it was cancelled.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Cmbar]

Thanks Doc! So the only use years are Feb, Mar, Apr, Jun, Aug, Sep, & Dec? Is that right?

Also what does happen if you have to cancel within 31, say there is a hurricane or something. What happens to those points? Do you lose them right away or can you do something with them? Thanks

 

[RobDoc]

Thanks Doc! So the only use years are Feb, Mar, Apr, Jun, Aug, Sep, & Dec? Is that right?

Also what does happen if you have to cancel within 31, say there is a hurricane or something. What happens to those points? Do you lose them right away or can you do something with them? Thanks

If you cancel within 30 days of arrival, the points are returned to your account as "Holding Points" - which means they may only be used to make a reservation within 60 days of arrival. "Holding Points" cannot be banked and will expire at the end of your current Use Year.

In the case of a hurricane or other natural disaster, DVC has usually been very generous about temporarily suspending the usual policy regarding cancellation.

 

[ACDSNY]

Thanks Doc! So the only use years are Feb, Mar, Apr, Jun, Aug, Sep, & Dec? Is that right?

You can add Oct to your list of available UY.

 

[bookwormde]

In picking a use year the easiest way to look at it is to pick a use year that you do not plan on traveling in the 3 preceding months so if you cancel more than 31 days out you can still bank the points if you want.

I travel summer and post Christmas so DEC, JUNE and APRIL are ok for me.

bookwormde

 

[cruisinalong]

In picking a use year the easiest way to look at it is to pick a use year that you do not plan on traveling in the 3 preceding months so if you cancel more than 31 days out you can still bank the points if you want.

I travel summer and post Christmas so DEC, JUNE and APRIL are ok for me.

bookwormde

We struggled with the UY choice for a while because we looked at the UY month. What is really important is the last 4 months of the UY, that is where problems can occur.

 

[honeymo78]

All they could get us for AKV was a Dec UY - not the greatest since our major vacation is mid Oct. It will be a tough decision as to whether to add on to our contract with points in the same UY or try for a Sept/Oct UY and deal with transferring points b/w the two contracts. However, we have been vacationing in Oct for the past 4-5 years (disney or otherwise) and have yet to cancel one. Its our big vacation for the year so unless its something horrible (at which point losing points will be the least of our worries) happens we work very hard to keep that trip intact. With a Dec UY we would have to know by the end of July whether we were still going in Oct - that's really not too bad, and it might make up for the hassle of having to transfer points from different UYs when we get an addon.

 

[chalee94]

...that's really not too bad, and it might make up for the hassle of having to transfer points from different UYs when we get an addon.

while you can get a resale contract with a different UY, and you can buy a new master contract directly (160+ pts) with a different UY, you should be aware that any smaller add-on contracts will come with the same UY as your master contract.

 

[honeymo78]

Our next contract will be about 250 points. I'm assuming that for that many points we could either do a new master or treat it as an add-on

 

[jerseygal]

If for example Feb 1st was use yr and I purchased at AKV Kidani...

I wanted to take a mid August vaca..I would be entitled to book other resorts other than home resort 7 mos in advance.. That brings me to Say Jan.15th for Aug.15 vaca at for example BC Villas...Can I make reservation without actually having points till Feb1st?

Since BCV is popular..what is likelihood of getting reservation there say for 2 BR Villa mid August booking Jan.15th?

Much thanks in advance..

Know alot of SAB, but very little about the pool at Kidani....................
What is deepest end at Kidani going to be? Slide or just interactive area?

Thx so much!!!!!!!

 

[chalee94]

If for example Feb 1st was use yr and I purchased at AKV Kidani...

I wanted to take a mid August vaca..I would be entitled to book other resorts other than home resort 7 mos in advance.. That brings me to Say Jan.15th for Aug.15 vaca at for example BC Villas...Can I make reservation without actually having points till Feb1st?

UY has nothing to do with when you can book. nothing at all.

you have pts already in your account for the next several UYs...they are not "deposited" or anything like that...

this is confusing for many people but you can book a reservation for 2009 at your home resort 11 months in advance (or at 7 months elsewhere) even if you have already used all of your 2007, 2008 and 2009 UY pts...by borrowing from your 2010 UY. the pts are already there.

Since BCV is popular..what is likelihood of getting reservation there say for 2 BR Villa mid August booking Jan.15th?

i don't know for sure. august is not a hugely popular time to travel but BCV is popular. i'd guess your odds are better than 50/50...better than that if you don't mind dealing with the hassles of waitlisting.

but that's just a guess.

Know alot of SAB, but very little about the pool at Kidani....................
What is deepest end at Kidani going to be? Slide or just interactive area?

lisas is the AKV expert, so i defer on this question...