Use year

[Michael623]

Could someone explain this to me as simply as possible? I just don't get it. Why is one better than another? How do they effect banking points? If I planned to go for a week every September what would be my best use year? Same question but if I didn't want to stay in my home resort? I looked through every page of this board and I still don't get it. Thanks.

 

[Chuck S]

Use year affects your banking window. Say you travel every year in September, and have an October use year (do they have October UYs?)..

Anyway, if you should have to cancel your September ressie 60 days prior to arrival, you still would not be able to bank those points because your banking window has expired. You would then, basically, lose those points. Most folks recommend a use year that is a few months prior to your normal travel time...this a should give you time to use or bank those points in the event you have to cancel your trip.

 

[Michael623]

I'm not yet a DVCer. I'm considering buying resale and I'd just like as much info as possible.

 

[wtpclc]

I'm going to start from teh beginning for you, forgive me if you already know some of this.

I plan on traveling in September. I got an August use year, as recommended by my guide.

That means that I get my points on August 1. I have until February 28 to bank all of my points (6 months), until April 30 to bank 50% (8 months) and until May 31 to bank 25% (9 months). After that, no points can be banked. You must use them before August 1 or they are gone.

As Chuck noted, If you planned to go on a trip in September and had to cancel (and did so more than 60 days in advance), you would still have several months to bank all of your points if you needed to.

Your use year and home resort or not do not really effect each other. The only rule that it effects is when you can make reservations.

You can make reservations for your home resort up to 11 months before your checkout date. For a non-home resort, you can only make reservations up to 7 months before your checkout date.

Hope that helps!

 

[Michael623]

This is where i get confused. If you plan to travel in September why would August be good for you? Your points become available and then you want to ravel in the next month? Are you borrowing points?

 

[wtpclc]

I don't plan to borrow, but if I wanted to for a big trip, I could. Having your use year clse to when you want to vacation allows more flexibility.

Plus, if you were to travel near the end of your use year and had to cancel, you may not be able to bank your points.

 

[Chuck S]

Think of points like money that you are able to spend for accomodations during your "use year". If you have an August use year, August 1st is "pay day" every year, that is when the points are deposited into your accunt for use.

So if you get points August 1, 2004, you will use thsoe points for a room reservation in September 2004. If you won't be going to WDW during your use year, you have 6 months to bank 100% of your points so you can use them the next use year, in effect giving you 2 years worth of points on August 1, 2005.

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

Originally posted by Michael623
This is where i get confused. If you plan to travel in September why would August be good for you? Your points become available and then you want to ravel in the next month? Are you borrowing points?

This seems like the point that confuses the most people so hang in there. You will get it eventually.

Use year has nothing to do with when you can make your reservations. You can always call 11 months in advance no matter what for your home resort. Use year only has to do with when you can bank your unused points (you can bank 100% in the first 6 months of your use year).

So now to answer your question. August would be good because if you had to cancel your September trip, you are still in the first 6 months of your use year, which means you can still bank all of those points from your canceled trip.

But if you had an August trip and a September use year and had to cancel the August trip, you would most likely lose all of those points. That's because August is at the end of your use year and you wouldn't be able to bank any of the points. You would have to use them or lose them by September 1.

Good luck.

HBC

 

[JudyS]

I think the question here is, if you want to go in September, what is wrong with a September use year? Why would an August use year work better for a September visit? Or is the August use year just in case you decide to go a bit earlier than usual (last week in August, say) one year?

 

[Michael623]

I think I have it, but one more question. Here is the scenario your use year is Aug as before and you plan to travel in September. If you made your reservation in the previous October at 11 months you don't actually have a points if you've just travelled in September. So you are planning to use the points that are coming in August before you actually have them, right?

 

[wtpclc]

You do not need to have the points in your account to make the reservations. Just by the time you plan to stay.

 

[jarestel]

Use years determine in which month you get your annual allotment of points. Your resale will be good for another 38 years or so and if you know now, in 2004, that in the year 2025 you will be going to WDW in September, then you're a GREAT planner, LOL! I wouldn't worry too much about trying to pick the perfect use year, since what works for you today, may not work at all tomorrow ( or in 2025 ). It would be better to concentrate on the cost per point, any banked points available, etc and let the use year work itself out. Good luck!