A Disney Plus free trial hasn't been available for a few years now, so we have to dash your dreams of a happy ending when it comes to trying it out for free. The Disney Plus free trial had its happily ever after, riding off into the sunset in 2020, with the House of Mouse withdrawing the deal promptly six months after the service's initial launch in the US, with the same fate falling to the trial period in the UK, Canada, and Australia, too. To get a taste of Walt Disney Studios' wealth of content, you'll need to pay for the privilege.
While it may make sense that Disney Plus brings back the free trial so potential users can get a taste of what the service has to offer, at this point, it doesn't appear that it will happen anytime soon (if at all).
For now, Disney is hoping that its ad-supported plan, Disney Plus password sharing crackdown and Disney Plus bundles will coax in more subscribers. Since Disney Plus brought its cheaper ad-based tier the UK, it's raking in more ad revenue now the plan has arrived on both sides of the Atlantic. As of the end of September 2024, around 30% of the streamer's global fanbase currently own an ads-supported account.
We explain below the limited ways you can still get a Disney Plus free trial, namely through new phone contracts and gift cards.
Is there still a 7-day Disney Plus free trial?
Unfortunately, there isn't a Disney Plus free trial – and there hasn't been for some time.
Disney Plus free trials previously allowed users in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia to use the service in full for seven days before spending anything. However, this ended in June 2020 – barely six months after the initial launch.
Even as Disney Plus has rolled out elsewhere around the world, new territories where the platform has launched haven't received the same kind of offer. Japan, was the last location where a Disney Plus free trial was available, entitling customers to a whole 31 days. This came to an end in late 2021.
What's the best way to try Disney Plus without a free trial?
The best way to try Disney Plus without a free trial is to sign up for one of its subscription plans, bundles or if you know someone who already has an account, pay to become an extra member.
The Disney Plus price went up on October 17, 2024, in the US. Disney Plus increased its prices on its ad-free and with-ads tiers, raising the monthly subscription to $9.99 (with ads) or $15.99 (without ads).
Internationally, it costs £4.99 in the UK or AU$13.99 in Australia, but if you're prepared to commit with a hefty upfront payment of $159.99 / £89.90 / AU$139.99 for a year's subscription, you can save 16% annually. The annual plan discount is not available on the cheaper, ad-supported tier.
Want even more for your money? US customers can get one of the best streaming deals from its choice of bundles, including Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu for just $16.99 a month or $26.99 a month for the premium bundle, which includes Hulu without ads.
This, of course, gives you access to even more content, including more content catered to adults on Hulu, while ESPN Plus more than covers sporting fans with a bunch of great entertainment.
Those who want Hulu with Live TV can get a limited time deal of paying $59.99 a month for 3 months, which includes Disney Plus and ESPN Plus by default. Once the 3 months come to an end, it will auto-renew to the regular monthly price of $82.99 a month.
Of course, there's also the new streaming bundle: the Disney Plus, Hulu, and Max mega bundle that arrived in July in the US, which offers a 38% saving on the cost of buying each of the services separately. Given that this bundle is the same price as the trio offer above, you get the choice of adding either ESPN Plus or Max with this discount.
If you were one of the lucky ones to share a Disney Plus account with someone from a different household, you will no longer be able to after the Disney Plus password sharing crackdown officially started in the US in September. This now means that you will need to purchase an 'Extra Member' to add a family member or friend to your subscription, even if they are not a part of your household.
There are two fees for the 'Extra Member' add-on for the Standard and Premium subscription tiers. The Disney Plus (with ads) extra member fee is $6.99 / £3.99 / AU$7.99 a month and Disney Plus (no ads) extra member fee is $9.99 / £4.99 / AU$7.99.
How else can I get a Disney Plus free trial?
The good news for Verizon customers in the United States is that subscribers to select Unlimited plans will get a 6 months free subscription to Disney Plus. Not just Disney Plus, you could be eligible for the Disney Plus bundle!
For those in the UK, sign up to one of O2's latest plans and enjoy a whole 6 months of Disney Plus as a part of your contract. If you're on an existing plan from O2 and aren't ready to upgrade, you can also save £2 on your Disney Plus subscription.
UK customers can also get 3 months of Disney Plus free through Tesco Clubcard points. Turn £13.50 worth of vouchers into £27 and get Disney Plus for 3 months. That's for the ad-free version. You can also turn £7.50 worth of vouchers into £15 and get 3 months of Disney Plus' ad-supported plan.
Does Disney Plus have gift cards?
Needless to say, it's not quite on the same wavelength as a Disney Plus free trial. However, much like its competitors, gift cards do exist for the service. Why not ask for a Disney Plus gift card for your birthday or Christmas? Sure, someone is paying for it, but it won't be you.
Is Disney Plus free with Amazon Prime?
While Prime Video has a number of add-ons internationally, including STARZ, Paramount Plus, and other services, you cannot get Disney Plus through Amazon Prime. That means there's also no option to get a Disney Plus free trial through Prime either.
Is Disney Plus free with Hulu?
Before the Duo bundles became an option, combining Disney Plus and Hulu, you could add Disney Plus via your Hulu subscription with the option to even bag a great Black Friday streaming deal in the past. However, to get both you'll now need to subscribe to one of the bundles, with no option to add Disney Plus with a free trial.
Does Disney Plus have a student discount?
Disney Plus doesn't offer a student discount directly, so you will have to keep an eye out on third party sites to see if any offers pop up. At the time of writing, new users can save 15% on a 12-month Disney Plus subscription through Unidays.
You can, however, get a student saving for Hulu. Read our guide for how to get a Hulu student discount and pay just $1.99 per month to learn more.
What could you watch with a free Disney Plus trial?
The Disney Plus free trial once granted you access to the service's entire streaming library to watch as much as you like in seven days. Given how many best Disney Plus movies and best Disney Plus shows there are, it was a great way to sample what's on offer.
The Disney Plus catalog includes a payload of Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and Pixar movies. New Star Wars movies and TV shows originals like The Mandalorian, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Andor sit alongside MCU expansions such as Agatha All Along and Moon Knight as well as Pixar hits like Inside Out 2.
For now, at least, you'll have to pay if you want to check it out, though it's fair to say there is a boatload more Disney Plus Originals and other excellent titles now landing on the platform, including National Geographic documentaries like Free Solo and Endurance.
Make sure to check our guide to the best new Disney Plus movies to stay up to date with what's new on the platform every month.
