How Important is Picking the Right “Use Year”?

First and foremost, Use Year vs. Booking Windows are Separate! Your Use Year (month) does not control when you can book a reservation.
Booking windows are based on your check-in date, not your Use Year.

How booking windows work

• Home resort: You can book 11 months before your check-in date.
• Any other DVC resort: You can book 7 months before your check-in date.

These windows open regardless of whether your Use Year is April, June, September, etc. You do not need to wait for your Use Year month to start booking a Disney Vacation.

How points are applied

Disney pulls points from the Use Year to confirm your desired reservations.
If needed, you can still bank from the prior year or borrow from the next, following DVC rules to book that vacation.

Example

You have an April Use Year and you want to check in on June 15, 2026:

• Your 11-month home-resort window opens on July 15, 2025.
• Your 7-month other-resort window opens on November 15, 2025.
• The points used for this reservation come from your April 2026 Use Year (the one that covers June 2026).

Bottom line: Your Use Year only determines which year’s points are used—not when you’re allowed to book.

Okay Now, Let’s Talk about “Use Year” and What it means

When purchasing a Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resort, most buyers focus on three main things:

• Their home resort
• The number of points they’ll need to book a reservation
• The price of the package

But there’s another possible factor that often gets overlooked — it’s known as the “Use Year”.

What Is a Use Year?

In Disney Vacation Club terms, the Use Year refers to the month your points are allocated or deposited into your DVC Membership each year.
It is not based on the calendar year — it’s tied to a specific month or “annual” points cycle (AKA – “Use Year”).

Disney doesn’t use all twelve months as Use Years. Instead, there are only eight:

• February
• March
• April
• June
• August
• September
• October
• December

That means you won’t find contracts with a January, May, July, or November Use Year.

Why Only Eight Months?

Disney limits Use Years to eight months for a few reasons:

1. Operational Simplicity
   Fewer Use Years make it easier to manage reservations, cancellations, and member support.
2. Consistent Banking and Borrowing Rules
   DVC’s banking deadlines or borrowing scenarios are based on your Use Year — not the calendar year.
   For example, members must bank points by the end of the 8th month after their Use Year begins (see chart below).
3. Balanced Inventory and Member Flow
   Spreading Use Years evenly throughout the year helps Disney avoid bottlenecks for members banking or borrowing their points.

When does the Use Year Really Matter

For many new buyers, Use Year isn’t the top priority. But there are times when it can make a difference:

1. Adding to an Existing Membership

If you already own DVC and want to combine contracts under one membership number, the new contract must:

• Have the same Use Year
• Be Deeded the same as the current membership in their system

This way, you (the Member) can pull points from both contracts when you make a reservation.
If the Use Year or deed is different, you’ll end up with two separate memberships and will have to pull points from two different accounts. This will potentially give you multiple reservations that you would then have to try and link together later. Or as an alternate option is you could transfer points from one account to the other, but again that just adds additional effort when trying to book a reservation, which is not ideal.

2. Matching Your Travel Schedule

The best Use Year for you depends on when you typically travel.

Example:
If you travel mostly in the summer (June,July, or August), a Use Year either on the month you travel or before would be ideal (February, March, April, or June) because:

• Your points will be fresh in your account for that reservation.
• Or if you cancel that reservation, you still have plenty of time to rebook or bank the points.

Now imagine you have a September Use Year but travel in June. The banking deadline is April 30th (8 months after September).
If you cancel your reservation in May (for whatever reason, which is past your banking deadline), you’ll only have three months (or less) to rebook a reservation before your points expire, since you canceled after the banking deadline. You would not be able to save or bank the points into the next year.

Banking Deadlines:

When the Use Year Is Not a Big Deal

If you:

• Travel at various times during the year.
• Don’t typically cancel your vacation plans.
• Don’t mind managing multiple memberships – this happens if you purchase different packages with different Use Years

…then the Use Year will not be an issue for your purchase.

Bottom Line

The Use Year won’t make or break your DVC purchase, but in certain situations, it can affect flexibility and ease of use.

If you:

• Frequently travel during the same time of year
• Are adding points to an existing DVC membership

…it’s worth paying close attention to the Use Year and try buying one that matches your existing package to make your booking experience easier.

Need help finding the right Use Year?
Our team can guide you to the perfect match for your DVC needs and membership questions. Contact us today to get started! We would be honored and grateful to assist you in any way possible.

Written By:

For over 22 years, Yamilin has been a vital part of The Timeshare Store, Inc.® (DVCstore.com), where she serves as a trusted DVC Sales Specialist and Accounting Manager. Her deep knowledge and commitment have helped thousands of families confidently explore and enjoy the magic of Disney Vacation Club.