Understanding Use Year - Updated February 10, 2021

Why do you think August is best?

I would agree that Dec is best if you never plan to travel in late November for a Dec trip.
Thank you! I left out the fact that I don’t like December use years for personal reasons. I was thinking October as well but switched to August based on it being 6 months before both. My reasoning...which I’m now thinking is flawed.. is that my banking window is end of March. Therefore, if I did have to cancel, I’d have previous year points to bank. I would never ever go in the summer months. Maybe October but that would be a stretch. I’m usually savvy about most things but trying to figure out December use years (don’t ask... no idea why it’s rough) and banking windows based on travel, trip me up something awful... which is why I posted here lol. Now, I really feel this won’t matter at all since my vacation patterns have been 99.99% cancel free over the last 30+ years.. but just in case. Thanks again for your help and patience :)
 
Don't get December if you ever think you might want to start your vacation during the last few nights of November. When Thanksgiving is early, that's a very good possibility for those of us who love the early December vacations.

December is also a poor choice if you will ever need to walk a reservation. You can't successfully walk over use years. Again, a real possibility for some booking categories, especially those for studios.

That extra month's "insurance" isn't worth the potential booking hassles.

For your stated travel times, August is fine, as is October & even June. IMO, any use year that allows you to bank if you cancel at least 31 days in advance would work. Just go for the best deal with one of those use years.
 
Don't get December if you ever think you might want to start your vacation during the last few nights of November. When Thanksgiving is early, that's a very good possibility for those of us who love the early December vacations.

December is also a poor choice if you will ever need to walk a reservation. You can't successfully walk over use years. Again, a real possibility for some booking categories, especially those for studios.

That extra month's "insurance" isn't worth the potential booking hassles.

For your stated travel times, August is fine, as is October & even June. IMO, any use year that allows you to bank if you cancel at least 31 days in advance would work. Just go for the best deal with one of those use years.
Thank you for explaining this so perfectly for my confused brain. I finally think I know what I'm doing lol :)
 
Thank you! This really helped clear up my understanding of UY! I was second guessing our UY but now see it is perfect for us....at least until I retire and am not forced to only vacation when school is out!
 


Thank you! This really helped clear up my understanding of UY! I was second guessing our UY but now see it is perfect for us....at least until I retire and am not forced to only vacation when school is out!

Yeah! I just retired from teaching and it was so nice planning trips anytime and taking advantage of cheaper airfare!
 
I am in the very early stages of looking for a small (100-150pt) resale AKV contract. I wouldn't consider making an offer until sometime in September at the earliest, when we would at least have an idea of when/whether WDW would return to "normal" operations. I read the first post carefully but I want to make sure the UY I am considering would be the best choice for our family's travel patterns. We visit WDW on average every 1.5-2 years, always staying either the last week of October or the last week of December (checking out no later than Dec 26th). The majority of AKV contracts have Dec UY and I think that would be perfect in terms of flexibility. If we had to cancel an October trip, we could bank the points by July and use them until the end of December of the following year, correct? We will never travel to WDW Jan-Apr or June-Sep. May we might consider for Mother's Day (my mom lives in Florida) or an Aulani trip, but we haven't done that so far. Thanks!
 
I am in the very early stages of looking for a small (100-150pt) resale AKV contract. I wouldn't consider making an offer until sometime in September at the earliest, when we would at least have an idea of when/whether WDW would return to "normal" operations. I read the first post carefully but I want to make sure the UY I am considering would be the best choice for our family's travel patterns. We visit WDW on average every 1.5-2 years, always staying either the last week of October or the last week of December (checking out no later than Dec 26th). The majority of AKV contracts have Dec UY and I think that would be perfect in terms of flexibility. If we had to cancel an October trip, we could bank the points by July and use them until the end of December of the following year, correct? We will never travel to WDW Jan-Apr or June-Sep. May we might consider for Mother's Day (my mom lives in Florida) or an Aulani trip, but we haven't done that so far. Thanks!

Dec UY is not really good for Oct travel. Yes, if you know by July 31st you’d need to cancel but if something happened Aug 1st, those points would then expire November 30th.

You are better getting Aug, Sept or Oct UY, as both trips fall within those first 8 months. That means you’d have up to 31 days prior to the trip to cancel and still bank or reschedule the trip.
 


Dec UY is not really good for Oct travel. Yes, if you know by July 31st you’d need to cancel but if something happened Aug 1st, those points would then expire November 30th.

You are better getting Aug, Sept or Oct UY, as both trips fall within those first 8 months. That means you’d have up to 31 days prior to the trip to cancel and still bank or reschedule the trip.
Thank you. I’m going to look for October as one thing I am certain of is that we will never want to travel in July-Sep. Thanks!
 
Sounds good,,,but at least if you have trouble finding that, you know Aug and Sept will work just as well!

There have been a few but so many of them are stripped! I think it’s a bit nuts when sellers are quoting high price per point for stripped contracts.
 
Another quick question for you all regarding use year.

We have three current contracts--approx. 400 points all with Feb. use year.

Our travel patterns are usually 2 trips a year: one in May/June & the other in Nov./Dec.

We are looking to add on 100 points just because we are always borrowing. It won't really add another trip but just will keep us from borrowing, and we can maybe extend our stays a day or two.

With the virus we are now aware that our fall trips could possibly be vulnerable of losing points since it is past banking time on 9/30.
1. Should our new contract be a later use year like June/August?
2. Or would it be best to just have all the contracts the same use year for convenience and take the risk about a possible loss of points?
3. Is it really a big deal to have different use years?
Thanks for your feedback! :flower3:
 
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Another quick question for you all regarding use year.

We have three current contracts--approx. 400 points all with Feb. use year.

Our travel patterns are usually 2 trips a year: one in May/June & the other in Nov./Dec.

We are looking to add on 100 points just because we are always borrowing. It won't really add another trip but just will keep us from borrowing, and we can maybe extend our stays a day or two.

With the virus we are now aware that our fall trips could possibly be vulnerable of losing points since it is past banking time on 9/30.
1. Should our new contract be a later use year like June/August?
2. Or would it be best to just have all the contracts the same use year for convenience and take the risk about a possible loss of points?
3. Is it really a big deal to have different use years?
Thanks for your feedback! :flower3:

I have 3 and it’s not a huge deal, However, I don’t ever use them together and book different trips with them, But, I did do it so I am always traveling in my banking window.

It does mean I am sometimes borrowing even though I might have points in another,

The big benefit for you would be for those Nov and Dec trips, as you could always book it with those points,.,or at least book the number of nights the 100 points would cover and then the rest with your Feb UY...it would at least protect some of that trip,
 
So when you buy direct (say for a top up on re-sale) you can specify the use year?

Yes. But it will be a new membership and thus, you’d be responsible for meeting the minimum purchase .

That means it is no longer an add on, You won’t be able to combine points without transfer and once you transfer, you can’t use points online,

It makes sense only when you want enough points to use them at time that is not good for your original one,

Of course, they will encourage you to keep the same one, but I’d you have a reason, and want it, they will not turn you down.
 
I have 3 and it’s not a huge deal, However, I don’t ever use them together and book different trips with them, But, I did do it so I am always traveling in my banking window.

It does mean I am sometimes borrowing even though I might have points in another,

The big benefit for you would be for those Nov and Dec trips, as you could always book it with those points,.,or at least book the number of nights the 100 points would cover and then the rest with your Feb UY...it would at least protect some of that trip,
Thank you! All very good points! I appreciate your feedback. 😊
 
I will typically travel in February or July/Aug. Which UY is best for me?

A February UY would allow you to travel in all of those months and still be within your banking window if you ended up cancelling 31 days or more prior to your trip. You would have until Sept 30th in the UY to bank.
 
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A February UY would allow you to travel in all of those months and still be within your banking window if you ended up cancelling 31 days or more prior to your trip. You would have until Sept 30th in the UY to bank.

Would an August UY work as well?
 

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