Disney+ UK Subscribers Face A Price Hike, Starting Today

There’s some bad news for Disney+ UK customers today, as December 6 marks a pivotal moment for existing subscribers.

While the introduction of new subscription tiers last month signalled a major shift, it’s today that these changes hit home for long-time users.

Facing a significant price adjustment, subscribers accustomed to the flat £7.99 monthly fee must now navigate a transformed landscape.

This shift towards a tiered subscription model, including an ad-supported option, is not just a new choice for viewers, but a decision point for every household committed to the Disney+ experience.

So here’s everything subscribers need to know.

Launched in the UK in 2020, Disney+ UK (see our review) originally offered a straightforward subscription model, first priced at £5.99 per month, and then at £7.99/month or £79.90 annually.

This single-tier plan provided comprehensive benefits: 4K video quality, four-device streaming, offline downloads, and an ad-free experience.

The platform’s content encompasses a diverse range from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic, and the UK-exclusive ‘Star’ category for mature audiences.

Disney Plus’ New Prices

The recent revamp introduced three distinct subscription tiers, each catering to different preferences and budgets – though, in essence, this revamp represents a price increase for many customers.

Standard With Ads: At £4.99/month, this tier offers Full HD quality, two concurrent streams, and no downloads, with adverts included.

Standard: Priced the same as the original plan (£7.99/month or £79.90 annually), this option maintains Full HD quality and download capability, but reduces concurrent streams to two.

Premium: The most comprehensive tier, at £10.99/month or £109.90 annually, offers 4K UHD & HDR quality, four streams, Dolby Atmos audio, and retains download capability.

Prices Going Up For Existing Subscribers

Until today, the new pricing was only relevant to new Disney+ subscribers in the UK.

However, from today (December 6), Existing subscribers who have been enjoying the benefits of the original plan at £7.99/month, will now experience a rebranding of their subscription to the “Disney+ Premium” tier.

This shift comes with a significant price increase to £10.99/month, a 37.5% hike.  Annual subscribers will face a similar jump from £79.90/year to £109.90/year.

Those existing subscribers now face a decision: accept the new pricing for the Premium tier or switch to one of the other tiers.

The “Standard With Ads” tier, while the most economical, introduces up to four minutes of adverts per hour, a lesser amount than traditional broadcast channels.

Notably, films in this tier will only have adverts before the start, not during. The “Junior Mode” feature in this tier also ensures an ad-free experience for children’s content.

Note that these changes are also true for existing customers who subscribe to Disney+ via other pay-TV platforms – particularly Sky – as they will also be moved to the new £10.99/month tier. 

On Virgin Media TV, subscribers only have the option of signing up to the “Premium” tier – and the Standard with Ads tier won’t work at all on Virgin Media’s devices.

The Password Sharing Factor

The recent changes in Disney+ UK’s subscription plans coincide with another recent Disney+ policy update: a crackdown on password sharing.

Historically, sharing account details with friends or family outside your household was common, but Disney+ is now enforcing stricter rules to limit access to individual households (following in Netflix’s footsteps).

With no option to share accounts, the necessity for multiple streams might be reduced.

Therefore, the ‘Standard’ plan, allowing two streams, could become a more suitable choice for many households.

So existing subscribers who have no need for 4K, may look more favourably at that tier.