Use Year

[MrsBergs]

We currently own Saratoga with a June use year, we are thinking about purchasing another resale contract. Is it difficult if the use years are different. They said we will have 2 membership numbers. We have a blue dvc card if we purchase another contract this would not null our dvc discounts. Correct?
Thank you, I appreciate all your knowledge

 

[Sandisw]

Buying another contract will not change your status for member perks. In terms of UY, I have 3. Yes, it takes a little practice to get used to but I have not yet found it that difficult to manage. However, each UY I own has enough points that they function well on their own and are used for different trips throughout the year. Depending on how you want to use it, will determine how easy/hard it is. Is there a reason you want a new UY? It is certainly easier with the same one, especially when you want to use both contracts for the same trip. In this case, you have to book whole nights only for each contract and then ask MS to note on each one that it is a continuous reservation so that you can stay in the same room. Or, you have to use the transfer option and then call MS to book under one of the memberships. The hardest part is that there could be a time where you need to borrow off one contract when you have current UY points in the other.

For me, because I bought for different purposes, and so that when I went, I was always within the first 8 months of my UY, I was willing to manage 3. I do need to constantly keep track of banking deadlines and things like that, but so far, its been okay, and I have been okay with borrowing when I needed to to book what I want. Having said all of that, if you are thinking of adding on with a small amount, I would go with the same UY. Good luck!

 

[MrsBergs]

Buying another contract will not change your status for member perks. In terms of UY, I have 3. Yes, it takes a little practice to get used to but I have not yet found it that difficult to manage. However, each UY I own has enough points that they function well on their own and are used for different trips throughout the year. Depending on how you want to use it, will determine how easy/hard it is. Is there a reason you want a new UY? It is certainly easier with the same one, especially when you want to use both contracts for the same trip. In this case, you have to book whole nights only for each contract and then ask MS to note on each one that it is a continuous reservation so that you can stay in the same room. Or, you have to use the transfer option and then call MS to book under one of the memberships. The hardest part is that there could be a time where you need to borrow off one contract when you have current UY points in the other.

For me, because I bought for different purposes, and so that when I went, I was always within the first 8 months of my UY, I was willing to manage 3. I do need to constantly keep track of banking deadlines and things like that, but so far, its been okay, and I have been okay with borrowing when I needed to to book what I want. Having said all of that, if you are thinking of adding on with a small amount, I would go with the same UY. Good luck!

Thank you for your response. We are thinking about purchasing a 100 - 120 point resale. We did want to get the same use year but finding a contract is seeming to be difficult

 

[Sleepy425]

I don’t know if I’m allowed to mention it here (I’ll Try below and I guess we’ll see if it gets voided out), but there is a website that compiles listings from different DVC resale sites. Thanks to stalking that site, I was able to see that TSS had the 50 point June AKV contract I was looking for - I put an offer in only ten minutes after it was listed. I had been looking since this summer, and finally found it in November. So you may need to be patient, but eventually it will come up. Especially since you aren’t looking for a really small contract. I didn’t want two use years because I mostly need 2BR villas for my 6 person family. I wanted to be able to combine my points at the 7 month mark easily.
***************.com sorry looks like it isn’t allowed

 

[supersnoop]

Do you intend to use the new contract for a completely separate vacation; a different resort or different time of year than your June contract? If so, then go ahead and buy a different use year.

Or, do you want a few extra points to combine with your existing points in order to take longer vacations or stay in larger rooms? If this is the case, wait for a June contract.

There are two challenges with different use years; managing the points and booking reservations. To manage the accounts, you need to be aware of two different banking deadlines and careful not to strand points. That seems easy enough to manage if you are a moderately-organized person. Booking reservations using points from two use years is more complicated. You have to transfer points from one to the other (and you may be limited to a single transfer each year), or you have to use each contract to book some of the days and risk changing rooms. Even if you’re organized, that gets complicated and risky. Transfers can only be completed and booked over the phone.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

We are new to this and have 2 contracts. Both same use year. I am so glad we did it that way because we do not always vacation at the same time or resort every year and it would be very difficult moving around points. Now we just have a lump of points.