Here we go again – many Disney+ subscribers across the UK are getting an unpleasant surprise in their inboxes, as annual renewal notices reveal the full impact of last October’s price hike.
And while the streaming service announced these changes months ago, the reaction on social media suggests many viewers are only now discovering their annual subscription is about to jump from £109.90 to £129.90.
If this situation feels familiar, that’s because it is. Every year around March, we see a wave of confusion from Disney+ subscribers who signed up during the service’s UK launch back in March 2020.
Due to their annual billing cycle, many are only now receiving notifications about price changes that were actually announced in October 2024.
But, as before, it’s worth remembering that you have additional options other than an outright cancellation.
The Price Increase Email Explained
Subscribers who originally signed up for the Premium tier around March, are currently receiving emails that read:
“We hope you’ve been loving all that Disney+ has to offer so far. We wanted to let you know that we are updating our prices.
If you choose to stay on your current Disney+ Premium plan, your subscription will increase to £129.90 per year from XX March 2025, unless you cancel before then.
That’s because we want to bring you the very best entertainment we can, from new originals you won’t find anywhere else, to the latest blockbuster movies.”
The email goes on to mention that subscribers have options to switch to different plans – though many seem to be missing this detail in their initial reaction to the price increase.
If you’re on the Standard tier, the e-mail will tell you that the annual price is going up from £79.90 to £89.90.
The timing of these notifications isn’t random. When Disney+ launched in the UK in March 2020, it attracted a massive wave of subscribers, many opting for annual plans.
These subscriptions renew each March, which is why we’re seeing such a significant reaction now, despite the changes being announced back in October.
As expected, some subscribers have taken to social media to complain about the substantial price increase.
Just cancelled my @DisneyPlusUK renewal. In 2020, it was £59.99 a year – now it’s £129.90. A 116% increase in four years, far outpacing inflation & other streamers (@Netflix +58%, @PrimeVideo +20%). Even Scrooge McDuck would be outraged! 🤬 pic.twitter.com/3LMoqdci3D
— Matt Dronfield (@MattDronfield) February 19, 2025
The same thing happened last year when Disney+ increased its Premium tier from £79.90 to £109.90 annually. Just like now, many subscribers only discovered that change when their March renewals came around.
Breaking Down Your Options
The latest price increase is significant, but what many subscribers don’t realise is that Disney+ now offers several different subscription tiers, each with its own features and price point:
Standard with Ads
Price: £4.99/month (no change)
- Full HD (1080p) video quality
- Two concurrent streams
- Access to most Disney+ content
- No downloads available
- Includes adverts
- No annual plan option
This is the only tier that hasn’t seen a price increase since its introduction in November 2023.
Standard
Previous price: £7.99/month or £79.90/year
New price: £8.99/month or £89.90/year (£1/month increase)
- Full HD (1080p) video quality
- Two concurrent streams
- Complete access to all content
- Downloads on up to two devices
- No adverts
- Save about two months’ worth by paying annually
The Standard tier has seen a £1 monthly increase, or £10 annually, representing about a 12.5% jump from previous pricing.
Premium
Previous price: £10.99/month or £109.90/year
New price: £12.99/month or £129.90/year (£2/month increase)
- 4K Ultra HD and HDR video quality
- Dolby Atmos audio where available
- Four concurrent streams
- Downloads on up to ten devices
- No adverts
- Save about two months’ worth by paying annually
The Premium tier has seen the biggest increase – £2 more per month or £20 more annually, marking an 18% price hike.
This tiered system was introduced in November 2023, marking a major change from Disney+’s original one-size-fits-all approach.
Before then, all subscribers enjoyed premium features (4K, four streams) for £79.90 per year. The introduction of tiers meant that keeping those premium features would cost £109.90 annually – and now it’s increasing again to £129.90.
What’s worth remembering is that many subscribers who are currently on the Premium plan might not need all its features.
If you’re not watching in 4K or don’t need four simultaneous streams, switching to the Standard plan could save you £40 per year while still providing an ad-free experience.
The Extra Members Option
For those concerned about account sharing, it’s worth noting that Disney+ introduced an ‘Extra Members’ feature in September 2024.
This allows subscribers to officially share their account with one person outside their household – for an additional monthly fee.
The feature was launched alongside Disney+’s password-sharing crackdown, providing a legitimate way to share your subscription with someone who doesn’t live with you – similar to what Netflix introduced earlier that year.
With the Extra Member scheme, you can:
- Add one person outside your household
- Extra Member gets their own profile and login
- Must live in the same country as main account
- Must be at least 18 years old
- Can only stream on one device at a time
- Billed monthly even with annual subscription
- Cannot have an active or cancelled Disney+ subscription
The Extra Member price depends on your main subscription tier – £3.99/month for Standard with Ads subscribers, or £4.99/month for Standard and Premium subscribers.
This official sharing option might be worth considering instead of cancelling, especially if you’re currently sharing your account with someone outside your household.
Not The Only Price Hike This Month
Disney+ isn’t alone in increasing prices. As we were first to report, Netflix pushed out their own price hike in the UK earlier this month, with their Standard plan jumping to £12.99/month and Premium reaching £18.99/month.
Even their ad-supported tier hasn’t escaped unscathed, rising to £5.99/month – its first increase since launch.
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