Use Year

[smisale]

if you can't find a resale for the same use year what is the next step closes too or it doesn't matter
Example: I have a march use year and it seems hard to find I want a small contact which also limits me to

 

[Sandisw]

Since a different UY is a whole new memher ship, I don’t think there is any benefit necessarily in having a certain one as the second,

The biggest thing to consider is same as when you choose the first one, It works well for your travel and you understand how it has to be used in relation to your other one,

You will only be able to combine the points into a single reservation if you transfer points from one to the other, Those points can not be banked or borrowed points prior to the transfer and once transferred can only be banked.

I have Aug and Dec UY but it was done on purpose so all trips are booked within the banking window. I also treat each as its own and never combine and book certain trips in one membership and certain ones in the other,

So, if March works well as a UY for you, and your travel in March, April or May, I would stay away from April and June UYs.

 

[smisale]

I purchased 185 point at AKL I got a good deal on it and the use year is march but I travel in July Aug and early September my wife is a teacher. so if I want more point to bring my whole family down how will I go about that I need around 80-100 more

 

[Sandisw]

If travel in summer, June would be a good 2nd one as it starts right before your normal travel, but Feb, and April would also be a decent 2nd one.

Avoid the ones in the fall so your July and August trips aren’t at the end...too risky.

 

[supersnoop]

If you want to combine points for a single reservation, then you really need to hold out for the matching use year.

 

[smisale]

If I purchase the same location and same UY do I have to still call in to combine or transfer points to make a reservation

 

[Sandisw]

If I purchase the same location and same UY do I have to still call in to combine or transfer points to make a reservation

No. Transfer is only for two different memberships which only happens for 2 different UY or titles with different owners.

All you will do when booking, same resort and UY is make sure both contracts are checked and it will use points from both. The order of the contracts gives them permission as to what order to use up current UY points. With same resort, it doesn’t really matter

When they are different resorts, booking at 7 months, it does. For example, when booking on my Aug UY within 7 months, I always have SSr checked first and RIV checked second so I save those for home resort booking!

 

[Lesserlion]

It took me a long time to really understand the process, so you're in good company with confusion. I broke my mental block by thinking of Use Years as "Bank Accounts".

If I buy a different UY, I now have 2 Bank Accounts. I can't combine money from different bank accounts unless I do a bank transfer. The same rule applies with DVC UY. In the DVC case, that transfer must take place over the phone.

It also requires a bit more management on your side. With 2 UY, you'll have 2 different deadlines to keep track of for Banking and Borrowing - and use-or-lose.

As for Home Resorts - you don't need to worry about transferring points within the same UY to combine. If you're in the 7 month booking window, the system will automatically just bundle Home Resort points together.

Personally, I like not having the hassel of having to track/manage multiple bank/borrow deadlines or having to call to transfer points. You can lurk the reputable resale markets and hold out for a contract in your current UY. There are always new contracts popping up every week. That's how we captured our 2nd contract in the same UY.

Hope this helps!

 

[Red Dog Run]

If travel in summer, June would be a good 2nd one as it starts right before your normal travel, but Feb, and April would also be a decent 2nd one.

Avoid the ones in the fall so your July and August trips aren’t at the end...too risky.

Sandy, can you help me understand your comment about "risky?" Number 1- I have not yet even used my DVCs I purchased (4 of them this summer.) I purchased March UY and OCT. I, too, am a teacher. PLease guide me on the Oct. being risky, since my travel patterns are the same as the OP.

 

[JETSDAD]

Sandy, can you help me understand your comment about "risky?" Number 1- I have not yet even used my DVCs I purchased (4 of them this summer.) I purchased March UY and OCT. I, too, am a teacher. PLease guide me on the Oct. being risky, since my travel patterns are the same as the OP.

A UY just prior to your normal travel is a bit of free insurance. If you were to make a summer reservation with October UY points and had to cancel last minute then you wouldn't be able to bank those points and wouldn't have a lot of time left to use them. With the March UY and a summer trip, if you had to cancel you would still be within your banking window and would have more time to make use of any non-bankable points.

 

[RoseGold]

For a small contract add on, I'd really wait until it matches up. Different UYs are like different people doing the bookings. Same login, but you use a dropdown to show which one you are using.

This is a lot of complication for an account that maybe can't do much on its own.

 

[Red Dog Run]

A UY just prior to your normal travel is a bit of free insurance. If you were to make a summer reservation with October UY points and had to cancel last minute then you wouldn't be able to bank those points and wouldn't have a lot of time left to use them. With the March UY and a summer trip, if you had to cancel you would still be within your banking window and would have more time to make use of any non-bankable points.

Gotcha. I'd be past my banking window if I canceled. I understand. I guess I could use the Oct for spring travel and the March for summer travel. Thank you for the explanation.

 

[Sandisw]

Gotcha. I'd be past my banking window if I canceled. I understand. I guess I could use the Oct for spring travel and the March for summer travel. Thank you for the explanation.

Exactly. No one UY will work for all travel times, but when you have consistent patterns you know of....I am a retired teacher...then it can be, as mentioned, a bit of free insurance if something happens and you need to change or cancel,

2020 and resort closures highlighted this because no one really ever thought about it being canceled for a reason other than ones own, Those that had trips book after banking window and expiring soon found themselves at a potential loss of a lot of points, DVCM did make an exception but they didn’t have to.

So, with that October UY, any trips after June, would be risky if you had to change or cancel since you teach! But, with the March UY as well, you have options!

 

[smisale]

sorry one more question. if I buy 50 pt in Saratoga and I have 185 pt AK both the same use year march can I book AK with 235 total

 

[Lorana]

sorry one more question. if I buy 50 pt in Saratoga and I have 185 pt AK both the same use year march can I book AK with 235 total

At the 7 month mark, yes.

 

[smisale]

do you suggest this or wait for a small contact for my home resort I want to use them for AK times have changed and I need around 40 more points

 

[Lorana]

do you suggest this or wait for a small contact for my home resort I want to use them for AK times have changed and I need around 40 more points

When do you usually travel? It's often not hard to get AKV rooms at the 7 month mark. But if you travel during peak times, you could run the risk of not getting the room or category you want. Personally, I'd hold out for a small contract at AKV, or even considering adding on direct if you only want 40 more points. That way you have the 11 month advantage. Also, there's a 3 year gap at the end of your contracts when SSR expires in 2054 but AKV expires in 2057.

 

[smisale]

we usually travel end of aug early sept my wife is a teacher so it limits when we can go

 

[smisale]

and there is a good deal SSR for 50 pts for 90 dollars and in the same use year

 

[Lorana]

we usually travel end of aug early sept my wife is a teacher so it limits when we can go

and there is a good deal SSR for 50 pts for 90 dollars and in the same use year

Generally speaking, you are not going to have a hard time finding availability at AKV at the end of August. and a 50 pt SSR contract at $90/point is a steal, so in this case, I'd say grab the 50pt SSR contract.