Use Year

[BabyBun]

What are the advantages/disadvantages to the different months in the use year? If we would always want to book our home resort at 11 months out for July or Aug, what would be the best month for us?? Thanks

[vizsla]

I like having a "Use Year" right around the months we like to go to WDW. This way you know you have the point allotment and it makes it a little easier to manage your points. In your case, if it were me, I would be interested in a "Use Year" from May to August.

[CarolMN]

What are the advantages/disadvantages to the different months in the use year? If we would always want to book our home resort at 11 months out for July or Aug, what would be the best month for us?? Thanks

Use year is important because it determines your banking deadline.

Use year has nothing to do with when you can call to make the reservation. No matter what use year you have, you can book your home resort 11 months prior to your desired check out date. (The points do not have to be in your account when you call, just available for the dates of your vacation).

The banking rules just changed - starting in 2008, you can bank up to 100% of your annual allotment of points as long as you do it before the end of the 8th month following your use year. So if you have a June use year, your banking deadline would be the following January 31. If January 31 falls on a day that MS is not open, then you would have to bank a day or two earlier than that.

It's usually best to have a use year that starts a few months prior to your usual vacations. That's so you have longer to reschedule or to bank points if your plans change.

Keep in mind that even though you plan to travel in July or August now, your preferred times could change in the future. So what may be "perfect" now could turn out to be not so perfect later.