Use Year

[Lilysmom]

Can someone explain use year to me like I’m a five year old?

We currently have 125 points purchased direct from Disney from my parents so I had no say in use year at the time of purchase.

We are looking to add on via resale and normally travel in July/August due to the kids’ school schedules so what UY would be best? Should I stick with the UY I have? (December)

 

[Livelovedance]

I was just coming to the DVC forums to ask a very similar question! I hope you don’t mind if I join in and add to your question! I’m also wondering what the best use year for summer months is, as well as whether or not it’s better to add points with the same use year as your current contract, or a different use year. Thanks!

 

[tbfkc]

Would keep the same use year for simplicity of having all with the same account as well as have read members complaining about tracking multiple expiration or banking dates. Wouldn’t seem like the end of the world, but we have contracts at two different homes at the same use year and we have pooled then together rather than having to borrow.

As far as what use year works best, my family hasn’t really been impacted by the use year and our travel. We have an October use year and we travel in September/October, December, March, etc. Probably most impactful if you had a frequent/consistent travel date and had to cancel and if that would be before or after your banking window. Meaning, if you travel in September only, having an October use year would mean that if you ever had to cancel your September trip (or any trip after May, you wouldn’t have time to bank those points.

 

[disneynutz]

You have 8 months from the start of your UY month to bank your points. Should you need to cancel a vacation it's like free insurance to bank and save your points for a trip next UY. That may not seem like much but things happen, death in family, work changes, illness, schedule changes, kids schedule change, we have use the free insurance twice.

Bill

 

[CarolMN]

You may find this thread helpful.

Understanding Use Year

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Having a "good" UY is one that gives you time to either bank or use points before they expire should you have an unexpected last minute cancellation. The banking deadline for the December UY is July 31 so it's at the end of the time for your travel dates but is still workable. To not have the points expiring at the end of the UY after a cancellation you need to cancel more than 30 days in advance. So even an August trip you'd need to cancel in July, before the banking deadline, to not have the points go into holding. You'd have a very short time to either try and rent out the points or use them before they expired on Dec 1st in the case of a very last minute cancellation that put the points in holding but at least it's not like having normal travel in November with a Dec UY were you'd probably just be losing the points with a last minute cancellation.

That's the longer explanation to say that I'd probably just stick with the December UY as long as you plan on using the new points along with your existing points for reservations. It will by far be the easiest to manage and book with.

 

[Deb & Bill]

You know how Fiscal years might start in July or October? And Jewish New Year is usually around Sept and Chinese New Year is usually around February? Well, UY is similar. The new year starts on the month of your UY and ends at the end of the month 12 months later. So a Dec UY starts Dec 1 and end Nov 30. Sept UY starts on Sept 1 and ends on Aug 31.