Use Year??????

[PrincessPapercuts]

What is the USE YEAR?? I don't get that...is that when your points are allocated for the year?? I know it was stated that Feburary was BLT use year...is that a good time to have it or would I want to change.

We would probably always take trips end of May and mid November just b/c of my hubby's work schedules...

thanks!!

 

[hakepb]

Feb may be the currently selling use year for BLT, but all DVC resorts have a variety of points in 10 monthly use years (2 months do not have a use year). Current owners with different use years will get those different use years if they add-on to BLT. You might be able to request a different use year.

Since you can bank points only during the first 8 months of your use year, it is easier to manage points if you travel within the first 8 months of your use year (If you have an emergency and have to cancel a trip more than 31 days before your trip, you could bank your points into next year)


Since I cannot remember the 2 excluded UY months, April or May might be a better fit for your current plans. You could also do fine with a Oct or Nov UY. Sometimes UY is too over-analyzed - within the lifetime of your DVC ownership your vacation travel times may change. Make your best guess which other month(s) may be more likely for a different vacation schedule. December (Christmas/NY) or April (Easter/Spring Break) and attempt to accomodate that additional month.

Actually Feb may be OK for Nov travel. As long as you make your reservation by October (your month 8) any <31 day cancellation of your Nov trip would result in points going into holding, and holding points cannot be banked anyway.

Overall UY does not matter at all if you always reserve a vacation at 11 or 7 months in advance and never cancel or change. A proper UY can help a little if a plan has to change.

 

[Sandisw]

Right now, it seems that the default UY being offered to new members is Feb. That does not mean you can not ask for a different one. Disney will work with you and get you whatever makes sense for you.

Your UY is when that years points become "available". If you know that you have travel times that will be pretty consistent over the next several years (and it sounds like you do), then you want to try for a UY that starts just before typical travel. While travel habits can and will change down the road, it certainly can be beneficial in the short term.

With May and November trips, the ideal UY would be April. That would give you to bank your points until November 30th. Any trips that were ever cancelled or changed at least 31 days in advance, would still leave you time to do something with those points (canceling or changing with less days then that set up a whole new set of rules for points).

In addition to banking, if you had to borrow points to cover those trips and had to cancel or change, you would have flexibility to use them up since once borrowed, they can't be returned.

I am a summer traveler and go mostly in August. We have a June UY which works out great for what I want to do. Since we make our reservations 11 months in advance, it allows me the flexibility to make changes. I can do that right up until my 31 days out and not have to worry about the leftover points, if any, from the changes.

Good luck!

 

[DebbieB]

Feb may be the currently selling use year for BLT, but all DVC resorts have a variety of points in 10 monthly use years (2 months do not have a use year). Current owners with different use years will get those different use years if they add-on to BLT. You might be able to request a different use year.

Unless it changed with BLT, there are 4 months without a use year - Jan, May, July, Nov.