Understanding Use Year - Updated February 10, 2021

[hayesdvc]

I was thinking I saw somewhere on this board a listing of the number of contracts issued by UY for each of the resorts and I cannot seem to locate it again. Can someone supply the link? Thanks in advance.

 

[CarolMN]

I was thinking I saw somewhere on this board a listing of the number of contracts issued by UY for each of the resorts and I cannot seem to locate it again. Can someone supply the link? Thanks in advance.

DVC News has an informative article on this subject:

USE YEAR DISTRIBUTION CHARTS (UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2015)

 

[rcjmouse]

Not sure if this is the right thread for this question, but here goes! We have a March use year and are planning on going in Dec 2017. I have not used any points yet so I have 100 points coming 3/1/16. We plan on only using 200 points for our stay and selling the other 100 points. Would it be better to sell my 2016 points or 2018 points?

 

[Pace]

If you have a June use year and you cancel a June reservation, you'll have an entire year to use those points or eight months to bank the points.

Does that also apply to banked points?

 

[chalee94]

Does that also apply to banked points?

1) you would have until the end of the UY to use the banked pts for a stay (not to book a reservation).

So to clarify, if you cancel a June 2017 stay in April 2017 (with a June UY), you can still bank your 2017 UY pts and use them for stays from June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019.

If you used banked 2016 UY pts or borrowed 2018 UY pts to book that June 2017 stay, those pts were moved and cannot be moved again with banking or borrowing. You would have to complete a stay by the end of that 2017 UY (May 31, 2018) or those pts disappear into the void and you get zero value from them.

If you cancel that June 2017 stay on short notice (within 30 days or fewer prior to arrival), all the pts for the stay become "holding pts" and you are restricted to a 60 day booking window which can be very limiting).

2) banked pts cannot be banked again.

 

[chalee94]

Not sure if this is the right thread for this question, but here goes! We have a March use year and are planning on going in Dec 2017. I have not used any points yet so I have 100 points coming 3/1/16. We plan on only using 200 points for our stay and selling the other 100 points. Would it be better to sell my 2016 points or 2018 points?

I would use 2016 and 2017 UY pts and decide later whether to rent or transfer the 2018 pts.

 

[Pace]

1) you would have until the end of the UY to use the banked pts for a stay (not to book a reservation).

So to clarify, if you cancel a June 2017 stay in April 2017 (with a June UY), you can still bank your 2017 UY pts and use them for stays from June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019.

If you used banked 2016 UY pts or borrowed 2018 UY pts to book that June 2017 stay, those pts were moved and cannot be moved again with banking or borrowing. You would have to complete a stay by the end of that 2017 UY (May 31, 2018) or those pts disappear into the void and you get zero value from them.

If you cancel that June 2017 stay on short notice (within 30 days or fewer prior to arrival), all the pts for the stay become "holding pts" and you are restricted to a 60 day booking window which can be very limiting).

2) banked pts cannot be banked again.

Thank you. One more question: If we plan to do most of our traveling during December, January or February, what UY would you recommend? Besides December, would October or September be a smart choice?

 

[chalee94]

Thank you. One more question: If we plan to do most of our traveling during December, January or February, what UY would you recommend? Besides December, would October or September be a smart choice?

A December UY gives you the most time to rebook in the event of a cancellation but generally speaking, September or October should also be fine. If I found a better deal on a resale contract with a Sept UY, I wouldn't hesitate...

 

[disneynutz]

You have 8 months to bank starting from the beginning of your UY. If your vacation falls during those 8 months and you have to cancel, you can bank the points and not worry about having to book another vacation prior to your next UY to save your points.

Bill

 

[Pace]

A December UY gives you the most time to rebook in the event of a cancellation but generally speaking, September or October should also be fine. If I found a better deal on a resale contract with a Sept UY, I wouldn't hesitate...

Great, thank you.

 

[CarolMN]

A December UY gives you the most time to rebook in the event of a cancellation but generally speaking, September or October should also be fine. If I found a better deal on a resale contract with a Sept UY, I wouldn't hesitate...

Great, thank you.

IMO, an October or September use year would be better for your travel than would be the December use year. The September or October use years would give you the flexibility to start your December vacation at the end of November. Many of us who like early December vacations often start them sometime in the week after Thanksgiving. If that is something that might ever appeal to you and you have a December use year, you'd have almost no time to reuse points if you had to cancel. Also you will have to call MS to book the vacations that cross use years unless you want to book them as two separate reservations, each subject to the booking window. That puts you at a disadvantage to others that can book the whole reservation at once.

Same principle applies to any vacation that crosses use years.

 

[brookmey]

After months of thinking and talking about it, we're finally ready to buy resale. Our trips would most likely be spring break in March or June/July. December trips are possible, but we are more likely to go during spring break or summer break than Christmas. Would a February or March UY be best for us? Or a December? What UY would we want to avoid?

 

[disneynutz]

After months of thinking and talking about it, we're finally ready to buy resale. Our trips would most likely be spring break in March or June/July. December trips are possible, but we are more likely to go during spring break or summer break than Christmas. Would a February or March UY be best for us? Or a December? What UY would we want to avoid?

Your goal is to put as much of your vacation time in an 8 month period so that you have time to bank your points into the next UY should you decide to postpone your vacation until then. Based on this info which UY month just proceeds the months that you intend to vacation?

Bill

 

[brookmey]

Your goal is to put as much of your vacation time in an 8 month period so that you have time to bank your points into the next UY should you decide to postpone your vacation until then. Based on this info which UY month just proceeds the months that you intend to vacation?

Bill

We would vacation in March or June/July.

 

[disneynutz]

We would vacation in March or June/July.

A February or March UY would work well, you would have until the end of Sept or Oct to bank your points.

Another UY to consider might be Dec which counting 8 months would cover the Christmas holidays through the end of July.

Bill

 

[brookmey]

A February or March UY would work well, you would have until the end of Sept or Oct to bank your points.

Another UY to consider might be Dec which counting 8 months would cover the Christmas holidays through the end of July.

Bill

Thank you!

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

Good Morning!

I have a question about use year. I've read through this but I think I've managed to confuse myself.

We travel spring summer and late fall. I am thinking we need a March use year. If we buy a contract with 2016 points that are not banked, they would need to be used or lost before March 2017. If I make a December 2017 with those points, what happens to them if I cancel that December reservation? Assuming it is over 30 days from reservation start, I "think" they fall into March 2017 ( sort of like I banked them but didn't!). Am I understanding this right?

If I am, can those points be banked into 2018 or do I need to use them before March 2018.

Thanks for any clarification.

Liz

 

[supersnoop]

Good Morning!

I have a question about use year. I've read through this but I think I've managed to confuse myself.

We travel spring summer and late fall. I am thinking we need a March use year. If we buy a contract with 2016 points that are not banked, they would need to be used or lost before March 2017. If I make a December 2017 with those points, what happens to them if I cancel that December reservation? Assuming it is over 30 days from reservation start, I "think" they fall into March 2017 ( sort of like I banked them but didn't!). Am I understanding this right?

If I am, can those points be banked into 2018 or do I need to use them before March 2018.

Thanks for any clarification.

Liz

Points have to be banked before they can be used for trip in the following use year. March 2016 points are past the banking deadline. You cannot use them for a night after February 28, 2017.

 

[TinkerBellLiz]

Points have to be banked before they can be used for trip in the following use year. March 2016 points are past the banking deadline. You cannot use them for a night after February 28, 2017.

Thanks so much. I guess I still have zero understanding of use year. I thought use year had no bearing on when I made reservations.

This is only really a problem with the initial purchase. Based on this I should probably look at a later use year, June or October!

Thanks again for your help.

Liz

 

[supersnoop]

I thought use year had no bearing on when I made reservations.

Use year has no bearing on when you book the reservation, but the points must reside within the use year of the reservation.

The best use year is one that provides the most protection in the event you need to cancel a reservation. Don't purchase a particular use year just so you get a few extra points for your first trip.