Credit: Inside the MagicIf you’re a member of the beloved Disney Movie Insiders program, we have bad news: after 18 years, it is shutting down, and your only option is to pay for a streaming account.
The Disney Movie Insiders program (originally Disney Movie Rewards) was launched in 2006.
It allowed fans and customers to earn credits via a point system by submitting ticket stubs from Disney (as well as, eventually, Marvel Studios, Star Wars, and Pixar) theatrical films and “magic codes” from home video, DVD, Blu-Ray, and CD purchases. Those points could be redeemed for various prizes, including DVDs, games, books, posters, and highly sought-after collectibles.
Currently, the Disney Movie Insiders store offers items like the Mickey Holiday Felt Wreath Printable Activity, a Disney+ Gift Card: $30 eGift, and a 3-pack of Disney Studios Lithographs. It is an easy-to-use and, importantly, free program that rewards Disney fans for their loyalty to the company.
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Naturally, The Walt Disney Company has decided to do away with it. The official Disney Movie Insiders site now has a notice for fans that the program is being shut down in December. It reads:
As a valued Member, we would like to inform you that Disney Movie Insiders will be sunset as of December 4th, 2024. Our members’ passion for content across The Walt Disney Studios has always been at the heart of our program. We are incredibly grateful for your participation in the program and enthusiasm over the years. Over the coming weeks, we encourage you to redeem your points for rewards from our collection. Points can continue to be used on a variety of offerings, including posters, movies, Disney Gift Cards, sweepstakes, and more. We greatly appreciate your loyalty, support and understanding.
After September 6, program members will no longer earn points on purchases, and after December 3, they will no longer be redeemable or transferable.
Basically, they’ll disappear if they don’t get used; significantly, the Movie Insiders store currently displays numerous “out of stock” items, suggesting that new items are no longer being added or replaced. That means that regardless of the date, a large number of customer points will be unable to be redeemed at all.
As one might expect, Disney is offering a replacement for the Movie Insiders program…but you’re going to have to have a Disney+ streaming account to use it. Here’s what the site says:
Want to stay connected with exciting perks just for being a Disney+ subscriber? Disney+ is your ultimate streaming destination for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. This fall, enjoy exclusive, limited-time subscriber benefits. Plus, in 2025, we’re launching the Disney+ Perks program, offering continuous, exciting benefits exclusively for our subscribers. Stay tuned to Disney+ for the latest updates. Not a subscriber yet? Don’t miss out—grab a 3-month trial in the Rewards section today!
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To explain that in plainer language, if you pay for a Disney+ subscription, a new Perks program will offer unspecified rewards at some point next year. Considering that the Mouse’s flagship streaming service has raised its price two years running and currently costs double its initial rollout subscription cost, this inarguably feels like the company trying to figure out ways to squeeze more and more out of fans.
Although CEO Bob Iger might claim that Disney is doing great, financially speaking, the Mouse is stripping more and more free perks from customers and pushing them to use its money pit of a streaming service.
All of the free-to-use “TV Everywhere”-style apps, including DisneyNOW, Freeform, FXNOW, ABC, and National Geographic, are disappearing in September; in what cannot be a coincidence, customers are encouraged to sign up for Disney+ to get the same content they already paid for.
At some point, fans will decide they’ve had enough of the Mouse’s skinflint ways. If Disney keeps making moves like this, it’s going to be soon.
Do you use Disney Movie Insiders? Tell us below!