5 ways you can dodge the Disney+, Hulu price hikes

What, again? Yep, it’s price hike time, and they’re coming for practically everyone who’s subscribed to Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, or one of the many Disney bundles. Luckily, there’s something you can do about it, but you should act soon. 

Disney announced its latest price hike on Tuesday, almost a year to the day after announcing its previous rate increase (it’s getting hard to keep track, I know). 

Here are the details—and yep, practically all Disney plans, including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, and the various Disney bundles, are slated to go up as of October 17, 2024: 

Standalone streaming Disney price increases  

• Disney+ with ads is going up to $9.99 a month, a $2/month increase 
• Disney+ Premium will increase to $15.99, also a $2/month increase, while the annual rate will go up to $159.99 a year, from $139.99/year 
• Hulu with ads will be $9.99 a month, a $2/month price hike, while the annual price will go up to $99.99 a year, a $20/year increase 
• Hulu without ads will get a $1/month increase to $18.99/month. 
• Ad-free Hulu will rise to $18.99 a month, a $1/month increase 
• ESPN+ will be $11.99 a month, up a buck a month, while the annual plan will be $119.99 a year, up from $109.99/year 

Disney Bundle price increases 

• Disney+ and Hulu (both with ads) will go up to $10.99/month, a $1/month increase
• Disney+ and Hulu (both with ads) and ESPN+ will be $16.99 a month, up from $14.99/month 
• Disney+ and Hulu (ad-free) and ESPN+ will be $26.99, a $2/month price hike 

Hulu + Live TV price increases

• Hulu + Live TV (with ad-supported subscription channels) will go up to $82.99 a month, a $6/month increase 
• Hulu + Live TV (with ad-free subscription channel) will be $95.99 a month, up from $89.99/month. 

Yes, pretty much every Disney-owned streaming property and option is teeing up an increase. Can you spot the Disney plan that isn’t getting on increase? We’ll cover that in a moment. 

The good news is that there’s a way—five ways, actually—to avoid the coming price increases, but you’ll need to act soon to take advantage of them. 

Sign up for the ad-free Disney+ and Hulu bundle 

While every other Disney bundle will go up in price on October 17, the Disney Bundle Duo Premium plan—comprising ad-free Disney+ and Hulu—is being spared a price hike this time around. 

For now, Disney Bundle Duo Premium will stay right where it is, at $19.99 a month. It also looks as though the since-discontinued Legacy plan that includes Hulu + Live TV, Disney+ (ad-free), and ESPN+ (with ads) will stay at $81.99. Subscribers to this plan were grandfathered in, but anyone who changes tiers after that date–say, to get Hulu (no ads) at $89.99/mo (soon to be $95.99/mo)–cannot go back.

Sign up for a Disney+ Premium annual plan 

Not all Disney+ standalone tiers offer annual rates, but Disney+ Premium (ad-free) does. Sign up for an annual Disney+ Premium plan now, and you’ll lock in the pre-price hike rate. 

Just keep in mind that on October 17, a full year of Disney+ Premium will go up to $159.99 a year, up $20 from the current $139.99/year rate.

Sign up a year’s worth of Hulu with ads 

Like Disney+, Hulu is stingy when it comes to annual plans, but there is one: Hulu with ads, which currently costs $79.99 a year. 

But just like Disney+ Premium, Hulu with ads will get its own $20/year price increase on October 17, so you should grab the pre-increase annual rate while you still can. 

Sign up for the Disney+, Hulu, and Max bundle 

There’s one other bundle that’s escaping the coming price increase: the bundle that includes Disney+, Hulu, and Max. 

You can get the with-ads version of that triple threat bundle for $19.99 a month, while the ad-free version of the Disney+, Hulu, and Max package costs $29.99 a month.  

Sign up for a year’s worth of ESPN+ 

Finally, there’s ESPN+’s annual plan, which currently costs $109.99 a year. 

As of October 17, ESPN+’s annual rate will go up to $119.99 a year, so if you’re only interested in ESPN+ and want to skip the price hike, this is the way. 

Don’t wait too long 

If your pre-October 17 billing period extends past the October 17 date of the Disney price hikes, you may be renewed at the new increased billing rate prior to October 17. (I’ve learned this the hard way.)  

So pay attention to the dates on your Disney billing cycle and lock in the annual plan during the last full monthly billing period before the price hike hits. 

Updated shortly after publication to add information about the Legacy Hulu + Live TV, Disney+ (no ads), ESPN+ (with ads) subscription tier that is no longer available to new subscribers..