Disney Plus Price Hike Hits Ad-Free Plans Again
The Disney Plus price hike is back, and it’s hitting subscribers right where it hurts. Disney raised prices on several Disney+ and Hulu streaming plans on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 — exactly one year after the company’s last increase.
Premium ad-free plans climbed $2 to $2.50 more per month, while ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu plans rose by $0.50. The ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle held steady at $12.99, and that’s clearly where Disney wants customers to land.
For anyone who pays for standalone ad-free streaming, the Disney Plus price hike means the monthly bill just got noticeably heavier.
New Disney+ and Hulu Prices at a Glance
Here’s exactly what changed:
| Plan | New Price | Old Price |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ (Ads) | $12.49 | $11.99 |
| Disney+ (No Ads) | $21.49 | $18.99 |
| Hulu (Ads) | $12.49 | $11.99 |
| Hulu (No Ads) | $21.49 | $18.99 |
| Disney+, Hulu Bundle (Ads) | $12.99 | No change |
| Disney+, Hulu Bundle (No Ads) | $21.99 | $19.99 |
| Disney+, ESPN, Hulu Bundle (Ads) | $21.99 | $19.99 |
| Disney+ (No Ads), Hulu (No Ads), ESPN Select (Ads) | $32.99 | $29.99 |
| Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Basic (Ads) | $21.99 | $19.99 |
| Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Basic (No Ads) | $34.99 | $32.99 |
Bundles that include ESPN or HBO Max also jumped $2 to $3 per month. The only plan that didn’t move was the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle.
Why the Bundle Is Now the Smarter Buy
The Disney Plus price hike makes standalone plans look worse than ever. A single Disney+ or Hulu plan is now just $0.50 cheaper per month than the equivalent bundle — whether you choose ads or no ads.
That’s not a coincidence. Disney has been folding Hulu content directly into the Disney+ app, building an all-in-one experience that keeps subscribers inside one ecosystem. The pricing structure pushes people toward bundles on purpose.
For subscribers who want both services, the ad-supported bundle at $12.99 is the clear value play. It hasn’t changed in price at all, and it costs $8.50 less per month than a single ad-free plan.
How Much Has Disney+ Risen Since 2019?
When Disney+ launched in November 2019, it cost $6.99 per month and had no ad tier whatsoever. Disney introduced its first ad-supported plan in 2022.
Since then, pricing for the no-ad option has climbed more than 200% in nearly seven years. That’s a staggering jump for a service that once marketed itself as the affordable alternative to cable.
The pattern isn’t unique to Disney. Apple’s streaming TV service launched around the same time as Disney+ for $4.99 per month. Today it costs $14.99 per month — also a 200% increase. Netflix and HBO Max raise prices regularly too.
When Do the New Prices Start?
The higher prices apply to new subscribers starting today. Existing subscribers will see the increase reflected on their next monthly bill.
That means current customers have a short window to decide whether to downgrade to an ad-supported tier, switch to a bundle, or cancel altogether before the new charge appears.
What Subscribers Can Do About It
If the Disney Plus price hike has you rethinking your subscription, here are a few practical options:
Switch to the ad-supported bundle. At $12.99, it’s the cheapest way to keep both Disney+ and Hulu.
Downgrade to an ad tier. Disney+ (Ads) and Hulu (Ads) are both $12.49 — $9 less per month than the ad-free versions.
Bundle more services. Adding ESPN or HBO Max costs more, but spreading the increase across multiple services can soften the per-service blow.
Cancel and resubscribe strategically. Since prices take effect on the next billing cycle, timing a cancellation around a new season of must-watch content can help.
The Bigger Picture for Streaming Costs
Streaming services have spent years promising an affordable alternative to traditional cable. As the Disney Plus price hike shows, that promise is getting harder to keep.
Ad-supported tiers are becoming the default entry point, bundles are becoming the standard purchase, and ad-free viewing is turning into a premium add-on rather than the baseline. Disney’s pricing makes that hierarchy explicit.
For subscribers, the takeaway is simple: review your plan, compare it against the bundle options, and decide whether the content you actually watch justifies the new price. With streaming costs rising across the board, bundling and choosing ad-supported tiers are becoming the practical ways to keep monthly bills under control.
