AP Flex autorenew vs. lump sum renewal

[DCTooTall]

So i'm about 2-3months away from my Flexpay contract on a Premier running out and then having to deal with either renewing my AP, or deciding to let it lapse. Based off the information I've read here in the past, I was thinking it was a no-brainer to cancel the autopay and just go with the lump sum renewal, but after talking to the Flex Pay dept (had to update my credit card anyways), I'm now stuck in a quandary that I was hoping I might be able to get some assistance from here.

From the information I received, Currently the lump sum renewal amount for a Premier pass is approx $280


If I decide to let it autorenew, it'll bump my monthly payment to $31, or about $372 for the year...... so I'm looking at about a $90 price difference.


The issue comes with the information I was given about how the auto-renew works. From what I was just told, they take your down payment amount, divide that by 12, and add it to the monthly. (so basically... full price for what you paid back when you purchased your pass). However, that price then becomes locked for as long as your account is in good standing.... So, Let's say that within the next year or two they raise the renewal price for a Premier (lump sum) to $400/yr, I'm still only paying $372 for the year w/ the monthly payments.

So here is the question for the assorted members of the DIS Dark Side.... What do you think I should do? I know they recently upped the pricing for the AP's (preferred actually got bumped twice in the past year or so).... and with the recent Jaws/Amity announcement, I could foresee another big park upgrade in the not-too-terrible-distant future that results in more big price increases on top of the normal annual bumps. i'm also a huge fan of the Universal Parks, and still have plenty of years of enjoying the parks left in me.... so it wouldn't be too far a stretch to even say I may still have the pass in 10yrs.


I guess ultimately, it comes down to, how much do they normally bump the renewal rates when they bump the initial costs? (true, prices where very static for a long time pre-potter) Maybe Disney pricing history here might help due to the lack of major changes at Universal over the years?

And do you think paying about $90/yr more now (though in convenient monthly payments) would be worth the chance of paying less than the going renewal rate in the years to come?

 

[Metro West]

I've always paid the lump renewal every year...I find it easier than doing monthly payments...but that's me.

I think you should do whatever you think is right and can live with. Paying the renewal at one time is certainly easier than doing it over time.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I do the one payment too.. again, that is me too..