Disney Plus has been going from strength to strength since it launched. One of the best streaming services out there, you really want to get this service. It’s a smart move to learn everything possible about how much it costs before you dive right in. Let’s take a look.
How Much is Disney Plus?
Disney Plus isn’t as cheap as it once was but it’s still tremendous value. Unlike many other streaming services, Disney Plus offers just one simple monthly rate. By paying either $8 per month or $80 a year, you get the full wealth of Disney Plus with no premium service currently available. As you can see, signing up for a full year works out as better value than paying month-by-month as you get two months for free by sticking with it for a full year. You will need to pay for the full 12 months in advance though so if you’re only considering dipping your toe into the Disney Plus waters, signing up for just one month may work out better for you.
Whatever you decide to do, you get full access to everything Disney Plus. That means that all shows and movies are available in HD with many things also watchable in 4K resolution. If you have a 4K TV, you won’t have to pay extra for watching something at 4K resolution. Disney Plus has over 100 titles in 4K and HDR including substantial Marvel and Star Wars content. Many shows and movies also provide Dolby Vision and HDR10 support too so the picture looks truly fantastic. Compatible devices can also appreciate Dolby Atmos sound support without paying any extra for the subscription service too.
In all cases, signing up for Disney Plus enables up to four different devices to watch the service at once. It’s possible to set up seven active profiles too so each member of the family can have their own user profile and receive recommendations related to what they have just watched. Up to 10 devices can also be registered to one account too with those devices able to download content to watch offline. Only needing one type of plan means that Disney Plus is one of the more straightforward ways of signing up to a streaming service, but there is another bundle that you may want to consider if you’re keen to cut the cord permanently with cable TV.
How Much is the Disney Plus Bundle?
The Disney Plus Bundle, also known as the Disney Bundle, is one of the best value streaming subscriptions there is. That’s because it bundles together three very popular and successful streaming services into one simple payment each month. For $14 per month, you get to enjoy Disney Plus, Hulu (ad-supported), and ESPN+. It works out as a saving of $6 per month compared to if you subscribed to each service individually. Best of all, it’s far less hassle than having to juggle multiple payment methods.
Hulu gives you access to a ton of great content to back up what Disney Plus already offers. It has great TV shows like Modern Family, Bob’s Burgers, Fargo, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Rick & Morty. It also offers plenty of great movies with the best Hulu movies representing many of the best features out there. There’s something for every taste like World War Z, Deadpool 2, Another Round, and cult favorites like The Warriors too. ESPN+ is also great value too, being the best streaming service possible for sports fans. Subscribers to it get access to thousands of live events and sports broadcasts. These include sports such as soccer, combat, and mixed martial arts, as well as baseball, tennis, hockey, golf, and even college sports. All the big names are here including NHL, NBA, UFC, and PGA Tour Golf. It also has tons of sports documentaries including its award-winning 30 for 30 library which gives you a different perspective on many sports.
So what’s the catch with The Disney Bundle? It’s pretty small. You can only sign up for it month-by-month. There’s no way of signing up for a year-long plan. That means no additional savings for extending your subscription, which is a shame but far from a dealbreaker given the great value involved. However, if you prefer to pay for things in one lump sum, you may feel a little uncertain of the only option here. It’s worth it, though. Seriously, it’s a fantastic value. You basically won’t need another subscription service to supplement it, thanks to the extensive variety that the three services provide together.
Is There a Disney Plus Free Trial?
In a word, no. There is no Disney Plus free trial anymore. When the service first launched, there was a free trial but that has since expired as of summer 2020. In part, that’s because Disney Plus has proven to be such a success story, that it doesn’t really need to offer a free trial. It’s a known quantity and you know exactly what you’re going to get — great quality programming and movies from the House of Mouse — so there’s no need to lure anyone in. Since its free trial ended, great content like Hamilton, Frozen 2, and Encanto have joined the service, so you do truly get what you pay for. However, there are some alternative options that mean you can get Disney Plus for free, depending on other services you might use.
For instance, some cell phone networks offer Disney Plus deals bundled in with your normal contract. While it’s not technically a free trial, it does mean that you get to use Disney Plus for sometimes months at a time without paying anything extra on top of your cell phone contract. Services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also often bundle in free Disney Plus plans too so you can enjoy the service for up to six months without paying anything extra. In the past, even Amazon Music Unlimited has gotten in on the act, offering up extra months of Disney Plus entirely for free to new subscribers to its music service.
There’s a catch though. All of these pseudo-free trials are only ever available for new subscribers. If you are an existing subscriber, you will miss out on this bargain. While you might think you can use a different email address to sign up for Disney Plus as if it were a new account, the service will still recognize your form of payment meaning you’ll be considered an existing or past subscriber and can’t join up all over again.
Will the Disney Plus Price Increase in 2022?
Disney Plus is one of the cheaper streaming services out there given the features it offers. Cheaper than most Netflix plans, it even bundles in offline downloads and 4K support at no extra cost. However, since its launch in November 2019, it has seen one price increase. Originally priced at $7 per month or $70 per year, it increased its prices in March 2021 to $8 per month and $80 per year. Will it increase its prices again this year? We’re not convinced.
Granted, we don’t have a crystal ball and the economic climate is volatile at best. However, in two and a half years, it has only raised its prices once. The streaming service industry is a highly competitive one and while Disney Plus could increase its prices and still be good value, it may lose customers by doing so. While still building its subscriber base, it makes sense that Disney Plus will stick to its same price point until at least 2023. While early 2023 may bring a price increase, there are some ways of circumventing this temporarily. Signing up for 12 months is the best value option as it costs the same as 10 months on a month-by-month basis. It also means that if a price increase goes through, you don’t pay any extra until your 12 month plan ends. It’s another in the many list of reasons as to why it’s a smarter idea to sign up for 12 months at a time rather than pay each month.
For now, though, assume that Disney Plus will not increase its prices any time soon. We can’t see it happening and there haven’t been any rumors to suggest that a price increase will occur in 2022. However, Disney Plus has recently confirmed it will introduce an ad-supported tier that will be cheaper (exact pricing is not yet known), but also require you to watch commercials. For everyone happy with the current price though, users should be safe in 2022, all while enjoying great content at an equally great price.
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