DVC Use Year Distribution Explained: Why Disney Created Eight Renewal Cycles

Disney’s eight “Use Years” are not random. The Use Year marks the month when Disney issues your annual DVC points. This system was carefully designed to keep member travel, booking demand, banking and borrowing points, and resort availability balanced throughout the year.

By understanding how this works, you can make smarter decisions, manage your points better, and plan vacations with greater flexibility.

What Is a DVC Use Year?

A Use Year represents the month your annual DVC points are allocated to a Membership. It starts a 12-month cycle during which those points can be used for reservations.

Your Use Year does not limit when you can travel. It only determines when your points renew, expire, or when you can bank and borrow them.

Currently, DVC offers eight Use Years across its resorts:
February, March, April, June, August, September, October, and December.

Why Disney Created Different Use Years

Disney designed Use Years intentionally to spread out member activity. This helps balance bookings and prevent system overloads.

If every member’s points were renewed at the same time, Members would make reservations, bank points, or plan trips around the same time every year. That could quickly overwhelm the system.

Instead, Disney assigns Use Years based on each resort’s original sales period. This approach ensures a balanced distribution of owners and more consistent resort occupancy, as well as banking, borrowing, and overall usage.

As a result, the system helps:

• Prevent bottlenecks in the booking system
• Provide a steady flow of Members’ banking and borrowing points
• Maintain consistent occupancy at resorts
• Keep availability fair and balanced for all members

How Use Year Distribution Can Benefit Members

From a member’s point of view, Use Year distribution adds flexibility and protection.

Choosing the right Use Year can reduce the risk of losing points if you cancel a trip. Ideally, your Use Year should start just before your usual vacation season.

Here’s a simple example:
If you usually travel in October, any Use Year, either the month you travel or before, would be ideal. As an example, if you purchased an August or September Use Year, that timing gives you plenty of time to bank points if plans change for the October vacation.

The closer your Use Year is to your preferred travel window, the easier it becomes to manage your membership strategically. We just recommend keeping your Use Year before your typical travel dates — not after.

A Balanced System for Disney and Members Alike

The DVC Use Year system benefits everyone — both Disney and its members.

• For Disney, it ensures smooth operations, balanced resort occupancy, and manageable booking patterns, as well as banking patterns.
• For members, it offers control, predictability, and opportunities to plan vacations that fit their family’s schedule.

It’s a win-win design that keeps the Disney Vacation Club model running efficiently, fairly, and smoothly throughout the year.

Approximate Breakdown of DVC Use Year Distribution

Below is an approximate breakdown of the Use Year distribution for all Legacy Resorts (the original 14 DVC Resorts), except for The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian. – The chart below is courtesy of DVCnews.com

Disney’s eight Use Years may seem like a small detail, but they play a major role in how smoothly DVC operates.

Understanding how Use Year distribution works can help you choose the best contract, manage your points wisely, and enjoy stress-free vacations year after year.

If you’d like to discover which Use Year fits your travel habits best, our team at The Timeshare Store, Inc.® is happy to help. If you’d like to do a deep dive into the various Use Years, please visit our friends at DVCHelp.com, where they break down the Use Year even further.

Written By:

Scot has been a senior member of The Timeshare Store, Inc.® (DVCstore.com) for nearly two decades, bringing a wealth of knowledge, professionalism, and dedication to our team. In addition to his expertise in the world of Disney Vacation Club, Scot is also an amazing cook —always ready to swap a great recipe. Most importantly, he’s a devoted family man who lights up when talking about his kids. His warmth, humor, and heart are just a few of the reasons he’s such a valued part of our team.