If you’re a Disney fan, you may have considered becoming a member of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC). But before you take the plunge, it’s important to understand how long your DVC points will last.
What are DVC Points?
DVC points are the currency used by members of the Disney Vacation Club to book stays at Disney resorts. Each resort and room type has a different point value, and members can use their points to book stays for themselves or for friends and family.
How Long Do DVC Points Last?
The answer to this question depends on several factors. Generally speaking, DVC points expire after a set period of time, but there are ways to extend their lifespan.
Use Year
The first thing to consider is your “use year.” This is the date each year when your allotted points become available for booking. Your use year is assigned when you purchase your DVC membership and cannot be changed.
Your points will expire at the end of your use year if they are not used or banked. For example, if your use year is in December and you don’t use or bank your points by December 31st, they will expire.
Banking Points
If you can’t use all of your points before they expire, you may be able to “bank” them into the next use year. This allows you to use them in the future instead of losing them entirely.
You can bank your current year’s allotment of points by contacting Member Services before your use year deadline. However, there are some restrictions on banking:
-You can only bank once per use year
-You must bank all of your unused points
-You cannot bank borrowed or transferred points
Borrowing Points
In addition to banking, you may also be able to “borrow” points from a future year to use in the current year. This can be helpful if you want to book a longer stay or a larger room than your current point balance allows.
To borrow points, you must contact Member Services before your use year deadline. However, there are some restrictions on borrowing:
-You can only borrow up to your next use year’s allotment of points
-You cannot borrow if you have already banked points for the current year
-You cannot borrow from a future use year if you have already borrowed from it in the past
Expiration Dates
If you don’t bank or borrow your points, they will expire at the end of your use year. The exact expiration date depends on your use year and when you purchased your membership.
For example, if your use year is in February and you purchased your membership before March 21, 2011, your points will expire two years after their original use year deadline. If you purchased your membership on or after March 21, 2011, your points will expire one year after their original use year deadline.
Conclusion
In summary, DVC points last as long as the end of their assigned Use Year unless they are banked or borrowed. By banking them into the next Use Year or borrowing them from a future one can extend their lifespan beyond that. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are restrictions on both banking and borrowing, so plan accordingly to make the most of your DVC membership.