How to avoid the Disney+ US price hike

If you’re based in the US, Disney+ prices are changing from 12 October 2023.

The standard ad-free tier will be increasing from $10.99 per month and $109.99 per year to $13.99 per month and $139.99 per year for both new and existing subscribers.

The ad-supported tier will remain at the price of $7.99 per month. The UK will also be getting a shake-up with prices, though there is the option for users to remain at the current £7.99 per month plan if they’re willing to forgo 4K content.

With the cost of living creeping up, this price increase won’t be a joy for many. However, never fear – you still have some time to dodge it. We’ve rounded up all the options you can try to keep costs down.

You can also read up on Disney’s plans to crack down on password sharing.

Buy an annual subscription

The first thing you can do is buy or renew your account with an annual subscription before the price hike kicks in.

An annual subscription costs $109.99. If you’re a new subscriber, you can sign up for this on the Disney+ website.

If you need to renew, take the following steps before 12 October 2023:

• Open the Disney+ website in your browser
• Click on the profile icon on the right hand side and tap ‘Account’ on the drop-down menu
• Follow the steps to manage your account and change your subscription – this will be different depending on how you pay for Disney+

If, however, you’re mid-way through your annual subscription, this may be a pain. Fortunately, there is another thing you can do.

Buy a 12-month Disney+ gift subscription

Another way to save money ahead of the Disney+ price hike is to buy a 12-month gift subscription for yourself.

Gift subscriptions can be activated at any time. Therefore, you could lock in for an annual subscription first, and then activate this when your 12 months are up to keep the lower prices for longer. There’s currently no expiration date on gift subscriptions, so we don’t see why this shouldn’t be possible. 

Here’s what you’ll need to do before 12 October 2023 if you’re in the US:

• Head to the Disney+ gift subscription page
• Enter the recipient’s name and email address – make sure it’s an address not registered with the site already as it only applies to new customers
• Purchase the 12-month subscription for $109.99
• Once the gift card arrives in your inbox, don’t activate it until you wish to
• When you want to use the gift card, sign up for a brand-new Disney+ account using the gift card as your payment option

Bundle in Disney+ with a broadband contract

Another way to keep costs down with your streaming subscription is to bundle in Disney+ with a broadband contract. The longest Disney+ offer we’ve seen so far is for six months of of the service with one of Verizon’s unlimited data plans in the US.

You can read more about this deal in our article on how to get a discount on Disney+. 

Cancel your subscription altogether

If none of these options are suitable for you, then you can cancel your account with Disney+ altogether. You can always re-join further down the line if a show/movie you’re desperate to watch becomes available on the platform.

Here’s what you need to do to cancel a subscription:

• Open the Disney+ website in your browser
• Click on the profile icon on the right hand side and tap ‘Account’ on the drop-down menu
• Follow the steps to manage your account and cancel your subscription

You can find more granular instructions – including how to cancel from a phone or TV – in our guide to cancelling Disney+.