Knowing how to get Disney+ for free is a pretty nifty trick, especially when you realise that the streaming giant is no longer offering free trials to new customers.
TV streaming has become a regular outgoing for thousands of families, but the cost of living crisis means many people will be looking for ways to cut the cost of Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+. However, as well as reducing the cost, you might be able to get Disney+ and other streaming services for free. This might be especially useful, now that the streamer is cracking down on password sharing.
Disney+ launched in the UK on 24 March 2020, just as the country went into lockdown and saw 73.7 million subscribers in its first year alone. By April 2023, that number has risen to 157.8 million, although it has since fallen back to about 150 million worldwide.
Housing Disney classics, like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, as well as newer family-favourites like Encanto, Wish and Moana, Disney+ is also home to all the Marvel movies, like Iron Man, Thor and Black Panther, in addition to popular series for adults including The Bear and Only Murders in the Building.
With more than six million households signed up to more than one streaming service (according to Finder) telly-watching can be an expensive pastime. Here we look at how you can save by taking advantage of free subscription offers.
How to get Disney+ for free
While Disney+ no longer offers a free trial to customers in the UK, there are a few clever ways to get anything from two to 12 months of Disney+ for free. If you already have Disney+, you may have to cancel your subscription before taking advantage of the three, six and 12 month free offers mentioned in this article.
Personal finance expert Andrew Hagger from money website MoneyComms adds: “There are so many streaming services to choose from now, you can easily lose track of just how much you're paying out each month in total.
“With many people still struggling due to the cost of living crisis and higher bills, now may be a good time to review what you're paying for and how much you use each one – if you don't want to ditch any, consider downgrading to a plan with ads – it may be a bit more annoying, but it will certainly benefit your bank balance.”
How to get up to two months Disney+ for free
Pay the annual subscription fee: You can get two months of Disney+ for free simply by opting for an annual subscription instead of a monthly one.
A Standard subscription costs £7.99 per month (and means you will pay £95.88 over the course of a year). But if you pay up front in one go, it costs £79.90. This is the equivalent of only paying your subscription for 10 months of the year, meaning you get two months for free.
Disney+'s newer Premium subscription costs £10.99 a month, which adds up to £131.88 a year. But if you pay for a year up front it costs £109.90, which, again, is the equivalent of two months free.
Use a cashback site: Paying for your Disney+ subscription through cashback site TopCashback means you'll get up to £11.55 back, which can help to reduce the cost of your subscription. The amount you get back will depend on which subscription package you choose and whether you opt to pay the annual fee in one go or pay it monthly. All of the details can be found on the TopCashback website.
It's worth remembering that you can use the cashback site for loads of retailers to effectively save money everytime you shop online.
How to get three months Disney+ for free
Use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers: If you have a Tesco Clubcard, you can use your vouchers to get a three-month Disney+ subscription. Remember, you get two times the value of your vouchers when you spend with one of Tesco's Reward Partners, which includes Disney+.
There are two options:
- Use £7.50 of Clubcard vouchers to get three months of Disney+ Standard with ads (worth £14.97)
- Use £12 of Clubcard vouchers to get three months of Disney+ Standard (worth £23.97)
If you don't fancy Disney+, there are plenty of other ways to spend your Tesco Clubcard vouchers, on things like cinema tickets, holidays, and days out.
How to get four months free Disney+
Opt for a plan that includes ads: Disney+ offers a selection of subscription plans, including one where you'll get all the same programmes and films, with some ads in between.
If you go from an annual subscription for £79.90 to a standard (with ads) subscription for £4.99 per month (which works out as £59.88 over 12 months) - you'll save £20.02, which is the equivalent of getting four months of the standard with ads plan for free.
How to get six months free Disney+
Add it to your O2 account: If you are an O2 customer, you could get six months of Disney+ for free when you upgrade. You simply add it to your account as an extra when you upgrade to a new handset or SIM-only deal, and once the six months are over, you can continue to pay the £7.99 monthly fee with the rest of your mobile bill.
All is not lost if you don't want to upgrade. Existing customers can add the Disney+ Extra to their account and pay £7.99 a month for the Disney+ Premium plan (normally £10.99) and O2 will also give you £2 off your bill.
This deal isn't limited to six months like the free offer, and over the course of a year, works out to about £14 cheaper than paying the annual subscription fee as the table below shows:
Samsung used to offer six of 12 months free Disney+ access to customers with an eligible device , but that offer is no longer available, having ended on 31 March 2024.
How to get 12 months free Disney+
As a benefit to a Club Lloyds bank account: If you bank with Lloyds and are a Club Lloyds member, you get a choice of lifestyle benefits, which includes a 12 month-subscription to Disney+. If you opt for this perk, you'll get a year's worth of the standard-with-ads plan, which is worth £4.99 per month, or £59.88 a year. The Lloyds website states that right now, you're not able to upgrade to ad-free plans with this perk, so bear that in mind before you commit.
As a perk of Uber One membership: If you regular travel by Uber and order food via Uber Eats, then you may benefit from becoming an Uber One member (£5.99 per month). You'll get a host of perks including free delivery (where eligible) and exclusive discounts. But if you sign up for an annual Uber One membership (£59.99 per year), then you'll get 12 months of Disney+ (standard plan, worth £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year) for free. After that, it will auto-renew unless you cancel it. This promotion is available until 30 November 2024. If you cancel your Uber One subscription, you may also lose your Disney+ access.
How much does Disney+ normally cost?
How much Disney+ costs depends on which subscription type you pick. The streaming service introduced a new pricing strategy on 1 November 2023. Up until this date it offered just one subscription at £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year if you paid in one go. Its cheapest price is now a £4.99 a month deal if you’re happy to watch adverts.
Disney+ has three subscription options:
- Standard with Ads: £4.99 per month (no annual option). Allows for two concurrent streams; full HD 1080p resolution, 5.1 and Stereo sound. No download functionality.
- Disney+ Standard: £7.99 per month or £79.90 per year. Allows for two concurrent streams; full HD 1080p resolution, and 5.1 and Stereo sound. Download functionality and no adverts.
- Disney+ Premium: £10.99 per month or £109.90 per year. Allows for four concurrent streams; 4K UHD and HDR, and superior Dolby Atmos audio. Download functionality and no adverts.
Existing subscribers were automatically switched to the £10.99 a month option – an increase of £3 a month – unless they actively changed their subscription in their account settings.
Does Disney+ offer a free trial?
Disney+ no longer offers a free trial to new customers. When the streaming service first launched in the UK in March 2020, it came with a seven-day free trial to encourage new subscribers. But the freebie was only available for a few months – it was scrapped in June 2020 ahead of the Hamilton and Frozen 2 premieres.
Newer streaming services like Apple TV+ and Paramount+ offer short free trials for new customers, but out of the bigger streaming services like Disney+, Netflix and Amazon Prime, it's only Amazon Prime that still offers a free trial.
Is Disney+ free with with Amazon Prime?
Disney+ isn't free as part of your Amazon Prime subscription - it's a separate streaming service. However, you might find some shows or movies are available on both platforms, although you might have to pay for it. For example, Marvel movies are available for free as part of a Disney+ subscription, but you will need to pay extra (on top of your Amazon Prime subscription fee) to be able to watch them through Prime Video.
It's worth also understanding the hidden benefits of a Prime membership, if you are trying to decide which streaming service to choose.
Which streaming services offer free trials?
Out of the big hitter streaming services, like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+, it's only Amazon Prime that offers a free trial. That trial lasts 30 days.
Max Beckett, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Unfortunately, two of the biggest streaming services, Netflix and Disney+, no longer offer free trials to new customers. However, there are still lots of other big streaming services, such as Amazon Prime Video, NOW TV, and BritBox, that offer the chance to try before you buy.
“You may have signed up for more streaming services than you realise, with many running in the background and costing you money each month without you actually watching anything on those platforms. So it’s a good idea to set reminders in your calendar when you sign up for free trials if you decide that you don’t want to pay for the full subscription.”
Apple TV+ and Paramount+ both offer seven day free trials. Don't forget too, that if you buy an Apple product, like an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, you will get anything from three to 12 months free Apple TV+ access.
If you are a fan of Netflix, make sure you are aware of the streamer's ban on password sharing to avoid falling fowl of new rules.
