Annual Pass - Purchase Now?

[NH Disneyfan]

We are heading to WDW in August. As DVC owners, this will be our first year where it makes sense to purchase an annual pass. Concerned with price increases, I think I should purchase now since I know that's what I want to do. Do annual passes increase when WDW announces what seem to be annual price increases?

What would you do?

[DizneyRox]

I always say with ANYTHING related to Disney to do it as early as you can afford it. Disney doesn't give a lot of notice (if any) of price increases.

I believe a while back, the Park Hopper tickets used to go up in Aug and APs in May or something like that. Seems they both go up at the same time these days. One year there were TWO price increases.

There's no harm in buying early, except the money is spent and not earning interest. I suspect however that the interest on the cash will be significantly less than the price increase.

Same thing with merchandise, etc. See it, buy it, chances are it will either go up or not be available anymore.

[MarkC]

Keep watching Intercot. It seems like the past few years its been announced around the 1st of August that prices will go up in a week. I think you may be able to wait until at least late July. This year will be interesting. Due to high gas and food prices people have less money to spend on vacations, but Disney will also feel the affects of those prices and try to raise theirs as they always do. And it will probably keep a few people out of the parks but not enough to offset any planned price increase. Just my two cents.

[faline]

If you can afford it and know you're going to get them anyway, there's no harm in purchasing them now as a hedge against a future price increase. As a DVC member, you do get a discount on the cost of your purchase of annual passes.

[hubbyofadisneyholic]

We aren't going until August and I bought our APs on Friday.
One thing that struck me as very curious though...I got bounced to two different Member Services phone reps and BOTH of them tried very hard to talk me out of buying the APs now.
One of them asked why I wanted to buy them so far in advance and when I said it was to hedge against a price increase she just laughed and said "why would you do that, it isn't like prices just go up overnight".
But the reality is, that is EXACTLY what Disney does.

[NH Disneyfan]

Thanks everyone. I've decided to buy them after I have my flights for the second trip, which I expect to get sometime in May. Once I know we're going 2x in one year, I'll pull the trigger.

Good to see I'm thinking clearly here and you all suggest I get them as soon as it makes sense for me. Thanks!