Use Year marks the time each year when Disney Vacation Club members receive a new allotment of Vacation Points. It is the 12 month period starting on the first day of the Use Year you own. For example, if you own an April Use Year, your allotted points will come into your account on April 1st each year for use through March 31st of the following year. Use Year affects when you can bank and borrow Vacation Points, and also sets the deadline for certain vacation decisions. The actual reservation date determines which Use Year the points are deducted from so you do not have to wait for your Use Year to start in order to make reservations.
If you need to vacation in the same month every year, you should really consider purchasing an ownership where the Use Year precedes the vacation time by no more than 9 months. Here’s why: Disney requires owners to bank any un-used points within 8 months from the start of their Use Year. For example, April Use Year owners must bank points by November 30th. If you have a December reservation and needed to cancel at the last minute (31 days prior) you would still be within your banking deadline and could bank points into the next Use Year.
If you are flexible with your vacationing and tend to vacation at different times throughout the year, then Use Year becomes much less important when deciding which ownership to pursue. The important thing to remember is that you can vacation any time of the year as long has you have enough points in the account to do so.
For more answers to frequently asked questions about buying a Disney Vacation Club resale, download our FREE Resale Buyer Guide.
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