Which Use Year?

[Rebd40]

I'm about ready to purchase a DVC resale but am still not sure about the appropriate Use Year. I tend to go to WDW in early December or January and then again in March. I have also gone in October/November. I never go in the summer months or early fall. I was thinking December Use Year would be the appropriate one. Would you agree?

 

[CarolMN]

I'd go with October. You'd have until the end of the following March to bank up to 100% of your points with an October use year. With a December use year, any October or November trips could be a problem if you had to cancel them.

Best wishes-

 

[ArRzrbk]

I second that. Sounds like October is your Use Year month

 

[Daitcher]

I'm about ready to purchase a DVC resale but am still not sure about the appropriate Use Year. I tend to go to WDW in early December or January and then again in March. I have also gone in October/November. I never go in the summer months or early fall. I was thinking December Use Year would be the appropriate one. Would you agree?

Don't stress about use year. It makes no difference whatsoever. Take what they offer you which seems to be a couple of months after your purchase. Your travel plans will change over 40+ years. What seems good now might not work down the road. All use year is designed to do is be an anniversary date of when your points renew. It also dictates your banking schedule. Trying to plan it any further borders on fanatical. Don't let the fanatics on here get you stressed about the appropriate use year. Enjoy your new DVC membership and welcome home!

DAVE

 

[Dean]

Don't stress about use year. It makes no difference whatsoever. Take what they offer you which seems to be a couple of months after your purchase. Your travel plans will change over 40+ years. What seems good now might not work down the road. All use year is designed to do is be an anniversary date of when your points renew. It also dictates your banking schedule. Trying to plan it any further borders on fanatical. Don't let the fanatics on here get you stressed about the appropriate use year. Enjoy your new DVC membership and welcome home!

DAVE

I think use year is VERY important to many but less so for others. I do think it is somewhat important to everyone. Even if you plan short notice and have a lot of control over you free time, there's always the chance of unexpected things happening. Use year offers some protection in this area. It can also be important as to points availability for a given trip.

I agree that Oct sounds best but in part it depends on how often you'll go prior to Dec, if not often, you may want to consider Dec as well. And look down the road, do you have younger children or possibly grand kids in your future and will be looking at school holidays?

 

[JimC]

Another vote for October given the situation you described. But if you find the right contract in terms of resort, points and price they trump use year in my view.

 

[Rebd40]

Thanks for the info. It helped a lot!

 

[paslea_pooh]

Is this a bad thing? We plan on going to WDW in early December or late January mostly. Will travel to HH and VB probably during the summer months.

Could someone explain the banking process a bit more. I have read the info from DVC but I am hitting a mental block with it.

If you know a year in advance what you are doing with your points ( we plan on using them every year and possibly borrowing), how diligent do you need to be about the cut off dates for banking.

For example this 11/27-12/3 we will be at SSR and that will use 197 pts., June of 2006 we are hoping to go to Bahamas or Aruba and will probably need to borrow some points (we have 300), when do you need to borrow your points? Is there a cutoff for that too or do you borrow when you make your ressies.

Why aren't there 12 use years , what's the reason behind not having some months as use years?

Thanks

 

[CarolMN]

Is this a bad thing? We plan on going to WDW in early December or late January mostly. Will travel to HH and VB probably during the summer months.

September is just fine for December and January travel - if you have to cancel trips in those months, you'll have no worries. Your 100% banking deadline is the end of February. There is no banking in July and August with a September use year (and only limited banking in May and June, so if you have to cancel a summer trip to VB or HHI, you'd have to use the points by the end of your use year or they would be forfeited. Depending on when you cancel, you may be able to bank some of the points used by the reservation.

Could someone explain the banking process a bit more. I have read the info from DVC but I am hitting a mental block with it.

I know this has been explained quite well in other posts - I'll find one and post the link later.

If you know a year in advance what you are doing with your points (we plan on using them every year and possibly borrowing), how diligent do you need to be about the cut off dates for banking.

If you want to bank points, you must do it by the deadlines. The deadlines depend on your use year, your total annual allotment and the number of points you want to bank.

For example this 11/27-12/3 we will be at SSR and that will use 197 pts., June of 2006 we are hoping to go to Bahamas or Aruba and will probably need to borrow some points (we have 300), when do you need to borrow your points? Is there a cutoff for that too or do you borrow when you make your ressies.

You can only borrow when you make the reservation that will use the borrowed points. as long as you have points in the use year following the use year in which your vacation occurs, you can borrow at any time -

Why aren't there 12 use years , what's the reason behind not having some months as use years?

Thanks

No reason has ever been given - it's just set up that way.

Best wishes -

 

[CarolMN]

Here's a link to a thread that will help you to understand how banking works.

Best wishes -