Ugh, I’d definitely be frustrated as well in your particular situation! Perhaps we’ve soured some on Disney as we chose to skip ToD....
Anyhow, I have VGC points (that were graciously extended) from a MS cancellation due to the VGC closure expiring at the end of May as well. We were fortunate to have an Aulani reservation that we could flop those into and release current UY points. In your situation, I’d likely rent your points/reservation just to try to cover dues instead of dumping more money into DLR. My oldest is turning 16 this year, so I agree that your September trip is much more worthy of that money spent. Especially if they decorate for fall/Halloween as normal! Good luck with whichever route you opt for!
This irks me incredibly as well! We have a BCV/CCV stay in December as part 2 of our huge milestone birthday celebration year. If APs aren’t for sale, we’ll either hit Universal or dump the trip completely for another Aulani visit. I want to have grace for Disney, but the fact they’re allowing a select group to purchase WDW APs aggravates me!