- Disney Plus could soon let users pause their subscriptions
- It's a feature already offered by Netflix
- More streamers are canceling then returning to apps
If you're overloaded with digital subscriptions, then pausing payments temporarily can often work better than canceling a membership completely: and that's an option that's apparently on the way for Disney Plus viewers.
As per the Wall Street Journal, Disney executives are planning to offer a pause option "soon", according to someone "familiar" with the plans. It's something already available on some services, like Netflix and Hulu, but not on others.
There are certainly plenty of benefits to pausing rather than canceling streaming services, not least being able to hang on to your viewing history and recommendations. You don't have to lose your place in that 240-episode show you were bingeing – so you can pick up where you left off on the best Disney Plus shows.
According to the WSJ, there's a rise in the number of people who are rejoining video streaming services within a year of canceling – the average is 34.2% of customers in 2024 so far, up from 29.8% a couple of years ago.
Pause for thought
It makes sense to give users a halfway option between canceling completely and continuing to subscribe: it should mean they're more likely to come back (though you could also argue it makes it easier to stop paying as well).
There are time limits attached to pausing, however: For Netflix, it's three months, during which time you can still log into the app and browse what's on offer. If you go all the way and cancel, your viewing history is still kept for 10 months, in case you want to rejoin (but you won't be able to get into the app during that time).
When it comes to streaming services offered by the likes of Amazon and Apple, the picture is more complicated: in these cases, movies and shows are just part of a bigger picture, and you won't lose your Amazon or Apple account if you cancel Prime Video or Apple TV Plus. Prime Video is tied to a Prime membership, which can be paused.
As for how this will work with Disney Plus, and how long pause periods will last for, the WSJ doesn't go into detail – but we'll bring you all the information as and when it's announced. While you wait, see how many of the best Disney Plus movies you've still got left to watch.
