UPDATED September 4, 2024
Launched on November 12, 2019, Disney+ is a streaming subscription service. Its library consists of movies, TV shows, animated series, and original programming including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic related-content.
Click HERE to see everything NEW streaming on Disney+ in September 2024!
Oh, and if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Gee, it sure would be nice to watch the Broadway smash, Hamilton, featuring the original cast from the comfort of my own home…” well, guess what? It’s got that, too, and much more!
Disney+ Pricing, Tiers, and The Disney Bundle Option
Disney+ Price
Disney+ offers unlimited, ad-free access through Disney+ Premium for $13.99 per month (or a one-time cost of $109.99 for one year) OR ad-supported access through Disney+ Basic for $7.99 per month (or a one-time cost of $79.99 for one year).
Disney+ Basic (Ad-Supported)
The ad-supported version of Disney+ is called “Disney+ Basic,” and it launched on December 8th in the U.S. for $7.99/month (or a one-time cost of $79.99 for one year). In May 2023, it was announced that Disney will be raising the price for the ad-free Disney+ tier (specifically) by the end of the year; however, the amount has not yet been revealed.
Disney+ Basic has all the same content as the ad-free tier, but with advertisements as well. The new ad-supported tier of Disney+ does not accept alcohol or political advertising at its launch, according to Variety. (And two media buyers with knowledge of recent discussions between the company and advertising agencies said Disney is being careful not to have ads that could overshadow the service’s family-friendly environment.) At the ad-supported launch, there are more than 100 advertisers across all major categories now, including things like Mercedes, Starbucks, Google, Taco Bell, Verizon, and more. You can learn more about the types of ads Disney+ runs here.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the ad-supported subscription includes approximately four minutes of ads per hour, and there are no ads directed to preschool children. In fact, preschoolers will not see any ads when using the child profile, even with the ad-supported subscription.
PLEASE NOTE:
- If you already have Disney+, you will be automatically enrolled into Disney+ Premium. You need to physically switch to Disney+ Basic if you don’t want the price increase and benefits of Premium.
- Only the add-free Disney+Premium service is available for Roku devices.
Disney+ Premium
Disney+ Premium (ad-free) is $10.99/month. The annual price for the AD-FREE Disney+ Premium is $109.99.
Premium also includes unlimited downloads and Dolby Atmos.
The Disney Bundle
The Disney Bundle includes Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. Disney shares that “You can save 25%, compared to the monthly cost of subscribing to all 3 services separately.” Subscribers can currently choose between The Disney Bundle with Hulu (ad-supported) for $9.99 per month, The Disney Bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ (ad-supported) for $12.99 per month, or with Hulu (ad-free) and ESPN+ (with ads) for $19.99 per month.
(Subscribers may also opt to purchase Disney+ as part of a Hulu TV Live subscription.)
Ad-supported Hulu is $7.99/month, and the ad-free version is $17.99/month.
ESPN+ is $9.99/month.
Subscriber Options At-A-Glance
The following bundles and services are available in the U.S.:
Standalone plans:
- Disney+ Basic: $7.99/month
- Disney+ Premium: $10.99/month
- Hulu (with ads): $7.99/month
- Hulu (without ads): $14.99/month
- ESPN+: $9.99/month
Bundle Plans:
- Basic (with ads): Disney+, Hulu: $9.99/month
- Basic (with ads): Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+: $12.99/month
- Legacy (existing customers only): Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (with ads), ESPN+ (with ads): $14.99/month
- Premium: Disney+ (no ads), Hulu (no ads), ESPN+ (with ads): $19.99/month
Hulu and Live TV:
- Basic: Includes Hulu SVOD with ads, Disney+ with ads, ESPN+: $69.99 per month
- Legacy (existing customers only): Includes Hulu SVOD with ads, Disney+ no ads, ESPN+: $74.99 per month
- Premium: Includes Hulu SVOD without ads, Disney+ no ads, ESPN+: $82.99 per month
Duo Bundle
A Duo Bundle, which includes Disney+ and Hulu, is now available. The Duo Premium tier comes with access to Disney+ (ad-free) and Hulu (ad-free) and costs $19.99 per month. Note that the Duo Basic bundle includes the ad-supported versions of Disney+ and Hulu for $9.99. (This deal offers a 37% discount compared to the current standalone plans.)
P.S. CEO Bob Iger announced that U.S. subscribers to Disney+ and Hulu will be able to access the content for both streaming services within the Disney+ app. Iger said the “one-app experience” should be available by the end of 2023.
The National Geographic Premium with Disney+ Bundle
There’s also a special bundle deal for both new and existing Disney+ customers: the new National Geographic Premium with Disney+ bundle. This plan offers access to all of Disney’s content (such as Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar), plus special access to National Geographic media on a range of platforms. There are three subscriptions plans available: a monthly plan for $10.99 per month, an annual plan for $109 per year, or a 2-year plan for $190 (which breaks down to $95 per year).
As part of the bundle, subscribers will have access to the full range of National Geographic content, including natgeo.com, the Nat Geo app, and even the Nat Geo Kids magazine. You can learn more about each plan and sign up for the deal by visiting natgeo.com/premium.
Disney+ Gift Cards
Want to gift Disney+ to someone special? On shopDisney, you can buy a Disney+ Premium 1 Year US Subscription Card for $109.99 — the same price as a current Premium Disney+ subscription.
Note that the card is a physical card that gets shipped with a gift envelope. It can only be redeemed by new subscribers and is only valid for U.S. residents. (To redeem, the recipient will visit this website and enter the code printed on the card.)
Disney+ Content
Disney+ content includes “new releases and timeless classics” in addition to original movies and series exclusive to Disney+.
The entire Star Wars Skywalker Saga is included, as well as much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Documentaries, limited-time streaming events, and more also make up the ad-free content.
Animated Disney and Pixar films on Disney+ include, but are not limited to:
- Coco, Moana, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Beauty and the Beast, Brave, Lady and the Tramp, The Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Frozen, Frozen II, Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, Raya and the Last Dragon, Luca, Soul, Toy Story, Up, Cars, Inside Out, Wall-E, Ratatouille, Aladdin, Mulan, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Robin Hood, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and many more
Popular Disney+ Original Series include, but are not limited to:
- Marvel Studios Loki, WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch, The Book of Boba Fett
- High School Musical The Musical The Series
- Disney The Imagineering Story, Disney Behind the Attraction
As of September 4th, 2024, ABC News Live is available to all subscribers. This change is in relation to the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election. According to the company, “all Disney+ subscribers will have access to ABC News Live, a 24/7 multi-award winning, premium streaming news channel for live newscasts, breaking news, live events and in-depth special reports.”
Disney+ Features
- The Continuous Playlist feature arrived on Disney+ in September 2024; Playlists will include themes such as Preschool Content, Seasonal Content, Epic Stories, Throwbacks, and Real Life and will be updated monthly.
- “Resume watching” and “restart” options, as well as the ability to create Watch Lists for up to seven different profiles.
- Subscribers can enjoy unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices, for viewing without being connected to Wi-Fi (though note that the initial downloading process must take place while connected).
- As part of an Inclusivity program called “Reimagine Tomorrow,” Disney includes advisories on Disney+ notifying viewers if any content includes “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.” (Note that these titles are excluded from the Kids Profile.)
- The main account holder may opt to select Kids Profiles for any profiles linked to their Disney+ account, featuring “specially curated content drawn primarily from television titles rated TV-7FV and theatrical films rated G in the United States or equivalent ratings elsewhere.”
- Former Netflix shows Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders started to arrive on Disney+ in March 2022. Some of these shows (such as Daredevil) have more violent and mature content (including the recent addition of R-Rated films) than most of the shows and movies on Disney+. In conjunction with this change, Disney+ released a new update to parental controls in the U.S. The update allows subscribers to select content ratings restrictions for each profile on their account. That means you can decide which ratings are appropriate for each user on your account. (If you don’t change your settings, Disney+ will continue to limit the content on your profile to TV-14 ratings, meaning it won’t show titles like Daredevil that are rated TV-MA.) You can read more HERE.
- You can click here to find out how to cancel a Disney+ subscription. Steps are included for subscribers through Disney+, Apple on the iTunes store, Google Play, the Roku Channel Store*, and Amazon.
- Disney+ is collaborating with Lovesac couches as a part of their “Front Row Family Room” initiative. Using their StealthTech Sound+ Charge technology, you’ll be able to get the movie theater experience while watching Disney+ from your own living room! Find out more here.
Apple Vision Pro
Disney+ is part of a new product: Apple Vision Pro! This new product made its debut on February 2nd, 2024 (to the tune of $3,499).
Apple Vision Pro is Apple’s new mixed-reality headset, which blends augmented and virtual reality. When users wear the headset, they’ll be able to see virtual images overlaid on live video of the real world. So you’ll see screens projected in front of you while still being able to see what’s actually going on in real life.
You can watch Disney+ shows and movies using Apple Vision Pro, but there are also a couple of cool, immersive features coming out. The first is “Disney+ Environments,” which “magically transform users’ spaces into landscapes from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars.” Basically, you’ll choose an environment, and it’ll show up all around you, so you’ll feel like you’re part of that scene.
Four environments are available: “the Disney+ Theater, inspired by the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood; the Scare Floor from Pixar’s Monsters Inc.; Marvel’s Avengers Tower overlooking downtown Manhattan; and the cockpit of Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder, facing a binary sunset on the planet Tatooine from the Star Wars galaxy.”
You can stream movies and TV shows while those environments are turned on, but keep in mind that the environments themselves don’t change to reflect the movie — they’re more for the vibes and atmosphere (so it’s not like you can be sitting in the middle of the action of the show you’re watching). The streaming part still takes place on a “screen.”
Apple Vision Pro headsets also allows viewers to see some Disney+ movies in 3D! Disney+ movies with the 3D option include Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Elemental, and Encanto. You can see the complete list of movies available upon initial release here.
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