Thanks, you’re right of course!
Trying to re-educate myself here. Been away for a long time. Do you know if this is still happening? If I want to vacation the first week of March, I would choose March as my use year, right? Then my banking deadline would be October 31, right? So, if I purchase by 10/31/22, would I get double points by March 2023?
If you buy now, and get a December Use Year you would get December 2021 points right away, and on December 1st you would get December 2022 points.
When you buy direct, they will bank your points late (but right away).
If you want the March UY, you will get the 2022 points now and in March, your 2023 points. They will bank 2022 even if it is past banking date.
1 Like
Are you saying that the 4-month banking deadline doesn’t matter? I thought you had to purchase before the banking deadline to get the double points?
When you buy direct, if you buy the points the last day of that use year (they are in your account), you can call and they will bank.
3 Likes
Thank you. I am sorry I am having trouble grasping this, so I am going to give you a hypothetical to help me understand. 
Let’s say I am going to buy 350 points direct and want to be able to vacation the first week of March. So, I would choose March as my “use year”, right? In order to get 350 points now and another 350 points on 3/1/2023, I was under the impression that I had to purchase no later than 10/31/22. From what you are saying, it sounds like as long as I purchase the points before 3/1/2023, I will get 350 points at the time of purchase plus another 350 points on 3/1/2023? If that is the case, by what date must I use the first 350 points?
If you ask them to bank the points then they would need to be used by Feb 29th 2024.
Just be aware though they might resist giving you that use year of you leave it right to the last minute. In fact they might genuinely not be able to. Although they can change the use year they must have current points to give you.
Personally I would be contacting them no later than January if the use year is really important to you.
2 Likes
The other piece of this is if you bought now you would have the 350 points and another 350 on March 1, 2023 (700 total) to book after March1, 2023 (you could book those 700 points when you buy in) BUT there has to be availability. Four months is often not enough time to book. You definitively could not purchase in February for a March stay.
3 Likes
You said this better than I could, but that was my thought exactly.
2 Likes
Thank you both. That is why I was wondering how long I have to use the points. I realize it is probably too late for DVC for March 2023. Is there an availability table that non-DVC owners can look at? I already have a trip scheduled for March 2023 as a guest, which I just booked under the Early 2023 AP discount offer.
I like this tool:
https://tools.dvcvacations.com/points-calculator
It is updated twice a day, and availability can change 100s of times throughout a day, but this helps me.
1 Like
Direct? I thought they would make a Welcome Home trip work almost regardless.
1 Like
The Welcome Home trip could be up to 6 months from when you buy. The aim is to help you book so that you can use your points before they expire. They’ll give you a choice of dates and resorts, but they cant guarantee you’ll be able to get the dates you want.
Within 60 days any available rooms could be taken by Disney, so they might not have much to play with.
2 Likes
There has to be availability . I know a lot of people that have tried to buy in October/November and tried to book early December. If there is nothing available, even in cash inventory, they cannot help. March is spring break?
Ha! I think @Nicky_S and I read a lot of the same dvc boards!
3 Likes
They had actually pulled a breakage room for my welcome home trip which was 10 weeks after purchasing - but I was only looking for a studio at OKW
1 Like
Ten weeks out? What month?
Purchased direct late October- we went 2nd week in January
1 Like