Use Year

[hooked]

Sorry I'm sure this has been asked by someone but this is my first post on the board and I'm sure not my last.

Can someone please explain the use year to me. I went on the tour a few days ago and nothing was explained about use year by my guide. He was just trying to get me to buy by this Saturday to get me a April 2007 use year. He also said the double developer points could go away in October. Now I don't want to rush into this decision but I don't want to miss the incentives. Now we currently go to Disney every September but both of my children are not in school yet so I don't know how that will change once they are old enough to start school.


Thanks

 

[jarestel]

Your "use year" is simply the month in which your annual allotment of points is renewed. If you buy 200 points, then every year in your "use year" month you will receive 200 points. These points must be used up during the course of each use year or banked to the next year. You may bank points up until 8 months past your "use year" month. The banked points would have to be used in the following use year or they would be forfeited. So for an April Use year, you would use up your points prior to April 1 of the following year or bank them into the next use year by the end of November.

 

[dianeschlicht]

FYI, use year has NOTHING to do with WHEN you can make a reservation for a specific date. That can always be done 11 months from the check out date or less for your home resort, or 7 months or less from the check out date at a non-home DVC resort.

 

[Caskbill]

As mentioned, use year is the 12 month period that applies to a specific set of points. Use year has no relation to the regular calendar year.

For example, in Indiana residents renew the license plates on their cars at different times throughout the year. Some in January, some in February, and so on. For us it's July, so our license plate sticker is good from July to July each year.

Use year is similar. An April use year simply means you receive your next allotment of points on April 1st, and they are good for making reservations through the following March 31st.

You can also bank points from one use year into the next one, if you won't be able to use them within that year's timeframe. You can also borrow points ahead from the following use year.

Sometimes it helps to make a small chart for your specific use year. An April use year chart looks like this:

Use Year....Vacation Dates
2007.....Apr 1, 2007 thru Mar 31, 2008
2008.....Apr 1, 2008 thru Mar 31, 2009
2009.....Apr 1, 2009 thru Mar 31, 2010
2010.....Apr 1, 2010 thru Mar 31, 2011

and so on.

Other use years would have similar charts. For example a June use year chart would look like this:
Use Year....Vacation Dates
2007.....Jun 1, 2007 thru May 31, 2008
2008.....Jun 1, 2008 thru May 31, 2009
2009.....Jun 1, 2009 thru May 31, 2010
2010.....Jun 1, 2010 thru May 31, 2011

and so on.


Hope this helps.

P.S., if you think eventually you'll want to be taking vacations during the regular school summer, then an April UY would work pretty well for you.