DVC Use Year: Choosing the Right One
Your Disney Vacation Club use year determines when your annual point allocation is deposited and establishes your banking and borrowing calendars. Understanding use years helps you select contracts that align with your vacation patterns and maximize point flexibility throughout the year.
How Use Years Work
DVC offers twelve possible use years corresponding to each calendar month. If you own a February use year contract, your points are deposited February 1st annually. These points must be used or banked by January 31st of the following year (13 months later), or they expire. Your use year establishes your entire points calendar including banking deadlines and borrowing windows.
Matching Use Years to Vacation Patterns
Ideally, choose a use year a few months before your primary annual vacation period. If you typically vacation each summer, a March-June use year works well - points deposit several months before your trip, giving you fresh allocations to plan summer vacations. Conversely, if you always vacation during Christmas, September-November use years align perfectly.
Banking and Borrowing Considerations
Points must be banked by 5 months before your use year begins. For a February use year, banking must occur by September 1st of the previous year. Borrowing from next year becomes available 8 months before your use year starts. Understanding these timelines helps you determine which use year provides the most flexibility for your planning style.
Contract Availability by Use Year
February and September are the most common use years, offering the most resale inventory and often slightly better prices due to higher supply. December use years are the rarest and may command small premiums. If you're flexible on use year, choosing common ones expands your buying options and potentially saves money.
Multiple Contracts with Different Use Years
Some members intentionally buy contracts with different use years to spread point deposits throughout the year and maintain greater booking flexibility. This advanced strategy requires careful tracking but provides maximum ability to book trips year-round using fresh points. However, managing multiple use years adds complexity that many members prefer to avoid.
The Bottom Line
While use year matters, it's less critical than resort selection and total point allocation. Any use year works if you understand your banking deadlines and plan accordingly. Don't let use year availability prevent you from buying an otherwise perfect contract - the differences are manageable with basic awareness of your points calendar. Focus on finding the right resort and point count, then work with whatever use year that contract offers.