Pro Tips for Banking Points

Disney Vacation Club members often underrate the flexibility of the program. In designing the program, DVC really did think of everything, including our desire to vacation at random intervals.

While DVC faithfully deposits our DVC Points at the start of every Use Year, we don’t all vacation at Disney precisely once per year. Some of us visit much more, while others vacation more sporadically. DVC’s structure can satisfy both types of guests and everyone else.

Let’s focus on the people who may not visit a DVC resort this year. Here are pro tips for Banking DVC Points to maximize your value. 

Know Your Use Year

Let’s start with the basics. DVC will deposit your points on the first day of your Use Year. While you don’t think of the situation this way, DVC has also set a timer on your points.

You must use your DVC Points within a calendar year. Otherwise, you’ll lose them. The system doesn’t automatically Bank your points. The responsibility is yours. That’s why you must pay attention to your Use Years.

DVC’s official policy is that “Your banking deadline at Disney Vacation Club is the last date you have during your current Use Year to bank unused Vacation Points for use in the next Use Year.” So, should you forget to Bank your points by the end of the current Use Year, you’ll lose them.

Here’s a simple pro tip to help you avoid that doomsday scenario. Whenever your DVC Points hit your account at a time when you don’t have a specific trip in mind, set an automated reminder. Ask Alexa, Siri, Cortana, or whichever virtual assistant you use to remind you to check your DVC Points in 11 months. 

By taking this one simple step, you don’t need to worry about losing your points. At some point in the future, a month before your Use Year ends, your virtual assistant will remind you to Bank your DVC Points. If you’ve used them by then, it’ll be a funny notification, but if you haven’t, this reminder will save you from losing everything.

Plan Ahead 

Now, let’s presume that you’re a bit more experienced at managing your DVC Points. You don’t need to worry about forgetting to bank your points, but you should be aware of what you intend to do with them.

As a general rule of thumb, you should always plan ahead a bit. Remember that your DVC booking window opens at your Home Resort 11 months before a potential visit. For all other DVC resorts, you can book seven months in advance. 

Thus, you should always have a general idea about when you expect to visit Disney next. I’m not saying you need to make a firm decision, as that’s absolutely not the case. However, you should at least have a sense of whether a Disney trip is even a possibility. When it’s not, you’ll want to Bank your points.

If you’re on the fence about a trip, my suggestion is to book a reservation at your Home Resort just in case. That’s a dangerous tactic, though, as you must cancel in time to avoid your DVC Points going into Holding. So, you’ll want to set a reminder if you do as well. Otherwise, you run the risk of accidentally locking your points in Holding, which is suboptimal. 

For those of you who are risk-averse my suggestion is to Bank your DVC Points if you’re not confident you’ll use them. Should you change your mind, you can always rent DVC Points later and then sell/exchange your points. You may even make some money in the process. 

Prepare to Splurge 

Let’s say that you have an exact plan, though. You know that you’re not visiting Disney this year, but you fully intend to take a trip during the following Use Year. Here’s where you can think big.

You’ll possess double your usual allotment of DVC Points next year, which expands your options about what you can do. Let’s say that you own 200 DVC Points, which is a bit lower than the average DVC member. 

By Banking your DVC Points this year, you’ll have 400 at your disposal next year. So, you can book DVC’s best and most expensive properties, stay longer during your visit, or take multiple trips. You can also choose a Villa rather than a Studio, providing you with a swankier backdrop during your visit. 

Even if you have fewer points in your contract, by doubling them, you’ll enjoy a much nicer vacation. You can probably stay at a DVC resort that you’d typically skip due to its nightly/weekly DVC Points cost. Since you’ve Banked your points, you can splurge a bit.

Then, we have the people with more than the average number of DVC Points. When you Bank in this Use Year, you greatly expand your options for next year. Room Types like the Bungalows and Cascade Cabins become distinct possibilities. So, by planning ahead right now, you can splurge on an unforgettable DVC vacation later. That’s one of the best benefits of Banking your points. 

Access all available Disney Vacation Club resale listings, or learn more about buying and selling with DVC Resale Market.