How to cheat the Disney Plus price hike

Disney is splitting subscriptions to its Disney+ streaming service in the UK and Europe into three distinct tiers from 1 November 2023. And that means that its top tier with 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) and Dolby Atmos will soar in price.

In addition, US Disney+ subscribers are facing their own increased costs.

However, there's a way to avoid the price hike if you are an existing or new member, at least for a year. We explain how.

How to avoid the Disney+ 2023 price hike

Although it's one of the best streaming services out there, some might reconsider subscribing to Disney+ when the price rises come into force. Or they might want to switch down a tier to save some cash.

Prices are rising in the US and UK, albeit in slightly different ways and at different times, but there's a way to get the best Disney+ experience without having to shell out any more for it... for now, at least.

The price of the Standard (without ads) tier in the US is going up by $3, to $13.99 per month, while the UK price for its Premium tier (the equivalent of current DIsney+ membership) will be raised by £3 to £10.99 per month.

However, as current subscribers will be switched automatically to the best tier after new pricing comes into effect, if you purchase an annual subscription beforehand (12 October in the US, 1 November in the UK), you will get the following 12-months for just $109.90 and £79.90 respectively. That'll save you more than $50 / £50 in each respective nation, if you continued to pay monthly.

The alternative

No matter which location you are in, you will also be able to switch your Disney+ tier to save money.

From 1 November, Disney+ Standard with Ads will be available in the UK as it is already in the US (under the name Disney+ Basic), That costs $7.99 per month in the States now and will be £4.99 per month in the UK from November 2023.

For that, you get ad-supported access to the entire streaming library at a maximum of 1080p and with 5..1 sound. Simultaneous streams are limited to two, while offline viewing isn't available.

A Standard plan is launching in the UK and Europe that is also 1080p and can feed two streams at once. It does have offline viewing though and no-ads. That will be priced the same as a current Disney+ subscription.

The final tier to be launched is the aforementioned £10.99 per month Premium plan, which all current subscribers will be switched to automatically.

In the US, there's the ad-supported Basic plan as mentioned, which costs $7.99 per month and isn't subject to a price hike, plus the Standard plan that will soon be more expensive.