Disney+ is raising prices again, and this time the increase lands on the same day a Pixar blockbuster premieres on the service. The ad-free Disney+ Premium plan jumps from $18.99 to $21.49 per month, effective Wednesday, Sept. 23, for new subscribers. Existing customers will see the new rate on their next monthly bill.
The move comes as Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” debuts on Disney+. Variety reached out to Disney for additional information.
The Long Road to This Price
This is the fourth price hike in four years for Disney’s streaming service in the U.S. The company raised rates for Disney+ and Hulu in October 2024 and again in October 2023. The pattern has become an annual ritual, with each increase pushing the cost of the premium plan upward.
The ad-free tier has nearly doubled in price since 2023, when it cost $10.99 per month before the fall increase that year. Now it sits at $21.49.
What Subscribers Actually Pay
New subscribers will feel the difference immediately. The $21.49 rate applies to anyone signing up on Wednesday. Existing customers will see the change on their next bill, meaning some users will pay the old rate for a few weeks while others pay the new rate from the start.
The Industry Pattern
Disney is not alone in this direction. Streaming prices have been rising across the industry, a trend that has earned the nickname “streamflation.” The term captures the feeling that monthly bills creep upward year after year, with little sign of the trend reversing.
Variety’s own coverage of the broader industry has tracked the same pattern. The question of whether streamflation has reached a breaking point remains open, but the Disney+ hike adds another data point to the argument.
What This Means for Subscribers
The practical effect is simple: subscribers who keep their current plan will pay more next month. Those who cancel and return will face the new rate.
The timing of the increase, landing on the same day as “Toy Story 5,” raises the question of whether the premiere was designed to soften the blow or simply a coincidence.
Key Facts Box
- Premium plan new price: $21.49 per month
- Effective date for new subscribers: Wednesday, Sept. 23
- Existing subscriber rollout: Next monthly bill
- Last increase: October 2024 (Disney+ and Hulu)
- 2023 rate before increase: $10.99 per month
- Pixar premiere: “Toy Story 5” debuts Wednesday
The pattern is clear, and the question of whether subscribers will keep paying is the one nobody can answer yet.
Source material: “Disney+ Raises Prices Again, the Fourth Hike in Four Years,” Variety.
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