Heigh-Ho, Jamie!
Welcome to planDisney from a fellow Disney Vacation Club Member! If you ask me, one of the coolest things about
Disney Vacation Club Membership is the flexibility you have year-in and year-out to vacation the way that works best for your family. Not going to use all your Vacation Points this year? You can bank them for next year. Looking to book an extra-magical room for a special celebration, but you're a few points short? Go ahead and borrow them from your upcoming Use Year. You can even
transfer your Vacation Points to share with another DVC friend or family member –– how cool is that?!?! Seriously, there are so many ways you can choose to use your Points, Jamie. So, let's take a look at your options to help you decide what will work best for you this year.
In Membership terms, your
Use Year refers to the date your new allotment of Vacation Points become available each year. Once your Use Year begins, you have 12 months to use those Points before they expire. That means if you have a September Use Year, your Vacation Points must be used between September 1st and August 31st the following calendar year. Any Points from your Use Year that are not used or banked will expire.
Believe me –– there is nothing sadder for a DVC Member than watching those Vacation Points expire at the end of the year. Don't worry though, there's a great way to make sure this doesn't happen to you. During months 1-8 of the current Use Year,
Members have the option to bank up to 100% percent of their allotted Vacation Points to use during the upcoming Use Year. For you Jamie, that means you can bank up to 300 Points at any time between September 1st and April 31 (banking isn't allowed during months 9-12 of your Use Year, so you'll want to make sure you complete the process prior to May 1st).
Not only can banking your Vacation Points help you avoid that dreaded expiration date, it's also a great way to save up for a special trip or experience. Vacation Points for eligible Members can be banked to combine with Points from your next Use Year to experience
The Disney Collection –– where you can
set sail with Disney Cruise Line, head off to the Great, Wide Somewhere with
Adventures by Disney, and more. Or you can use those Points to book spectacular rooms closer to home –– like a
private overwater Bungalow or
magical fireside cabin –– at the Walt Disney World Resort. The possibilities are endless!
Thanks for visiting planDisney, Jamie. No matter how you choose to use your Vacation Points, I see lots of Membership magic in your future!
Have a Magical Day,
Amy