Your DVC points run on their own calendar

A DVC Use Year is the 12-month cycle attached to your annual allocation of Disney Vacation Club points. It begins on the first day of your assigned Use Year month and ends on the final day of the month before the next Use Year begins.

It is not necessarily the same as a calendar year. For example, an August Use Year runs from 1 August until 31 July the following year.

Which DVC Use Years are available?

There are eight possible DVC Use Year months. Under the standard DVC banking rules, eligible points can be banked during the first eight months of their Use Year.

There are no January, May, July or November Use Years. Your Use Year is assigned to your contract when it is purchased and cannot later be changed.

This table applies to eligible current Use Year points. Always check your DVC account for the precise deadline and eligibility of your points.

Why does your Use Year matter?

Your Use Year helps determine:

This is why it is important to know both your Use Year and your banking deadline. Missing the banking deadline could leave you with less time to use or rent your remaining points before they expire.

Is there a best DVC Use Year?

There is no single best Use Year for every DVC Member. If you travel at different times throughout the year, the particular month may make relatively little difference.

Cancellations made close to check-in are subject to separate Holding Account rules, so your Use Year cannot protect against every cancellation restriction.

Does your Use Year affect when you can book?

You can normally book your Home Resort up to 11 months before your check-in date and other DVC resorts up to 7 months before check-in. You do not need to wait for your Use Year to begin before making the reservation.

For example, a Member with an August Use Year can make a reservation for an August stay as soon as the normal booking window opens, even though the new Use Year has not yet started when the booking is made.

What if you own more than one DVC contract?

Contracts with the same Use Year are generally easier to manage together. If your contracts have different Use Years, they will normally sit under separate memberships and their points and important dates will need to be managed separately.

You can find the Use Year for each contract in your Disney Vacation Club account or within your original purchase paperwork.

Banking and borrowing your DVC points

Once you know your Use Year, the next important step is understanding your banking deadline and how points can be moved between Use Years. We explain both in our separate guide to banking and borrowing DVC points.

Written by Joel Marlow

DVC Member and Co-Founder of DVC Rental UK