It’s hard to believe, but Disney+ is turning five years old in the UK this week.
Launching on March 24, 2020 – just as the first lockdown began – the streaming service has undergone quite the transformation since those early days of Baby Yoda memes and Disney classics.
While the House of Mouse is marking the occasion with its “unmissable 2025 lineup” featuring FX’s Alien: Earth and the return of Andor, it’s worth taking a proper look at how Disney+ has evolved in the UK over these five years – both the magical moments and the less enchanting developments.
The Launch: Perfect Timing, Competitive Price
When Disney+ arrived in the UK in March 2020, its timing was uncannily perfect.
With millions suddenly confined to their homes, the new streaming service offered a welcome escape with its impressive library of content.
The initial offering was straightforward and competitive: £5.99 per month or £59.99 annually.
For that price, subscribers got ad-free viewing, 4K streaming on supported content, and the ability to watch on four devices simultaneously – positioning Disney+ as better value than Netflix’s Standard plan at the time.
For parents with children suddenly learning from home, the extensive back catalogue of Disney classics was a godsend. Meanwhile, Star Wars fans finally had a legitimate way to watch The Mandalorian, which had already become a cultural phenomenon in the US months earlier.
What we didn’t know then was that this pricing was merely the opening act in what would become a regular pattern of changes and increases.
Furthermore – the content library was rather limited, especially for grownups. But that was about to change as well…
Star Is Born: Adult Content Arrives (With a Bill Increase)
Less than a year after launch, Disney+ underwent its first major evolution with the introduction of Star in February 2021.
This new category dramatically expanded the content library, adding more mature shows and films from Disney’s various studios.
The addition of Star effectively transformed Disney+ from a family-focused service into a more comprehensive entertainment platform. Suddenly, alongside Mickey Mouse and Marvel, we had Family Guy, Grey’s Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives.
This upgrade, however, came with a price adjustment. The monthly subscription increased to £7.99 (or £79.90 annually) – a 33% jump that, while substantial, felt somewhat justified given the expanded library.
The Star expansion also introduced much-needed parental controls, allowing subscribers to set content ratings for different profiles – an essential addition given the more adult-oriented content now available.
The Three-Tier System Arrives
By November 2023, Disney+ followed the industry trend by introducing a three-tiered system:
Standard with Ads: £4.99/month with Full HD quality, two concurrent streams, and adverts
Standard: £7.99/month or £79.90/year with Full HD quality, two streams, and download capability
Premium: £10.99/month or £109.90/year with 4K UHD & HDR quality, four streams, and Dolby Atmos audio
For existing subscribers, this restructuring was particularly impactful. Those who wanted to maintain the 4K quality and four concurrent streams they’d enjoyed since launch now faced a 37.5% price increase by moving to the Premium tier.
The introduction of an ad-supported tier did create a cheaper entry point, but watching adverts on a paid streaming service feels at odds with the cord-cutting philosophy that brought many of us to streaming in the first place.
Password Sharing Gets Restricted
In September 2024, Disney+ joined Netflix in addressing password sharing with the introduction of its “Extra Members” feature.
This officially ended the era of freely sharing your login with friends and family living in different households.
The new system allows subscribers to add one person outside their household to their account – for an additional fee.
Extra Members must be at least 18, live in the same country as the main account holder, and can’t have an active or cancelled Disney+ subscription.
The cost varied depending on your subscription tier: £3.99/month for those on the Standard with Ads tier, and £4.99/month for Standard and Premium subscribers.
Notably, even if you’re paying for an annual subscription, Extra Members are always billed monthly.
For many subscribers who’d been splitting costs with friends or family, this meant either paying more or saying goodbye to some of their favourite content – a particularly unwelcome development given the rapidly increasing cost of living.
The Latest Price Adjustment
Just when subscribers thought their streaming budget was stabilising, Disney+ rolled out another price increase in October 2024.
The Standard plan jumped to £8.99 per month (or £89.90 annually), while the Premium plan increased to £12.99 monthly (or £129.90 annually).
The ad-supported tier remained at £4.99/month – something of a silver lining for those willing to watch adverts.
For perspective, if you were an original subscriber who wanted to maintain 4K quality and four concurrent streams, your monthly cost has more than doubled in just over four years – from £5.99 to £12.99.
That’s a 117% increase in a relatively short period (but, unfortunately, something we’ve been seeing with most streaming services).
Content Evolution: From Baby Yoda to Emmy Winners
To give credit where it’s due, while prices have been climbing, the content library has improved significantly over these five years.
The Star Wars universe expanded beyond The Mandalorian to include series like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and the first season of Andor – the latter receiving some of the strongest critical acclaim for any Star Wars production in recent memory.
Marvel’s television offerings have provided deeper character development than the films could offer, with WandaVision breaking new ground and Loki becoming a fan favourite.
FX’s partnership with Disney has yielded particularly strong results, with shows like The Bear racking up Emmy awards and developing devoted followings. The addition of all 34 (and counting) seasons of The Simpsons also provides substantial value for many subscribers.
For UK viewers, the integration of Star has meant access to more region-specific content, though we’re still occasionally subject to delayed releases compared to US audiences – a frustration that hasn’t completely disappeared.
Looking Forward: Disney+’s 2025 Lineup
Looking ahead, Disney+ has announced a robust slate for 2025, including several high-profile originals and returning favourites.
FX’s Alien: Earth is perhaps the most anticipated newcomer, bringing the sci-fi horror franchise to television with a cast led by Sydney Chandler and Timothy Olyphant.
UK viewers can also look forward to homegrown content like The Stolen Girl starring Denise Gough and Ambika Mod, and the timely Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes.
Fan-favourite series returning in 2025 include season 4 of The Bear, season 5 of Only Murders in the Building, and the long-awaited conclusion of Andor with its second season arriving on April 23.
For documentary enthusiasts, National Geographic will deliver Ocean with David Attenborough, Limitless with Chris Hemsworth, and Underdogs – the latter executive produced and narrated by Ryan Reynolds.
Marvel fans can look forward to Ironheart in June and Wonder Man later in the year, while a new season of Phineas and Ferb should please nostalgic viewers and their children alike.
Five Years On: Value Assessment
As Disney+ celebrates its fifth birthday, it’s worth considering whether the service still represents good value for money.
At £12.99 for the Premium tier, it’s no longer the bargain it once was. In fact, it’s now more expensive than the standard Prime Video subscription, though it’s still less than Netflix’s Premium (4K) tier.
For families with children, Disney+ remains a particularly compelling service. The unmatched library of animated classics, combined with Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel content, creates an offering that’s difficult to resist if you have kids.
For adult viewers without children, the value proposition is more nuanced. The addition of Star and FX content has significantly boosted the adult-oriented library, but with the rising costs, you might find yourself questioning whether a year-round subscription makes financial sense.
Perhaps the most cost-effective approach is what I always recommend – a rotation strategy: subscribe for a few months to catch up on must-see content, then pause until the next compelling release arrives.
The flexibility of streaming services allows for this kind of tactical approach to subscription management (unlike old-school providers like Sky and Virgin Media, which made you sign long-term contracts).
What’s clear is that the early days of relatively inexpensive streaming are behind us.
As Disney+ and its competitors continue to raise prices and implement sharing restrictions, the overall cost of cord-cutting is gradually approaching the price of the traditional TV packages that many viewers originally sought to escape.
For more future updates on Disney+ and streaming, Subscribe to our free newsletter.
I cancelled my sub.