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Credit: Inside the Magic It’s safe to say that Disney Plus has drastically changed since the platform was first launched in 2019. Despite the service offering hundreds of classic feature films and thousands of episodes of our favorite TV shows, corporate and policy changes have siphoned off a bit of that Disney magic.
After nearly five years of streaming incredible content like The Mandalorian, Bluey, and dozens of other enchanting projects, Disney+ has unfortunately followed in the footsteps of other platforms like Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Netflix by upping the base subscription price and charging extra for an ad-free option. Many subscribers would agree that this is far from what the Walt Disney Company promoted so long ago.
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When Disney+ first hit screens, Disney CEO Bob Iger said,
“The launch of Disney+ is a historic moment for our company that marks a new era of innovation and creativity…”
As stellar as that sounded back in 2019, current subscribers might think that jumping from its original $6.99 a month at launch to the current premium price of $13.99 is absolutely ridiculous. Paying to remove ads along with basic features is undeniably a cash-grab move. Still, users across Europe and Canada are about to be slapped with a massive price hike that will undoubtedly have consumers rethinking their subscriptions.
Disney Plus Price Hike Hits March 2024
A recent report from What’s On Disney Plus shared that Europe and Canada’s subscribers are about to face a massive price hike that will essentially force them into the basic subscription plan.
What’s on Disney Plus’ Roger Palmer shares,
“Many Disney+ subscribers in the United Kingdom and across Europe are currently getting their annual renewal reminders coming in (I did too!). This is because Disney+ originally launched in March 2020 across this region, so many of the long-term users who take out annual subscriptions are getting a bit of a shock with the renewal price since the new Disney+ Premium tier is over £30 a year more expensive than it was a year ago. When Disney+ launched in 2020, it cost £59.99 a year to subscribe (though it didn’t include the Star hub at the time) and now an annual subscription will cost almost double that, which has annoyed lots of fans.”
Palmer adds that while subscribers can save around 50% on their subscriptions by switching to the ad-supported option, this is exactly what Disney is counting on to generate more ad revenue. Additionally, the announcement email many received after this development failed to mention the other price options, practically relying on the fear of an increase to generate buzz.
This wouldn’t be the first time Disney has dealt with a massive subscriber blow, as the service fell to around 150 million after peaking at 164.2 million in 2022. With the upcoming price change, the numbers will likely take another dip.
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It should be stated that the Disney+ price increase directly affects those outside of the U.S., but it might not be long before American subscribers are faced with the same situation. Do they suffer through ads or bite the bullet for a premium subscription?
Are you canceling your Disney+ account? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!