Disney Plus UK: how to sign up, price, Star, movies, TV shows, devices, and more
We're here to give you all of the Disney Plus UK details you need to know about
Looking to sign up to Disney Plus UK? It's one of the best streaming services available right now due to its abundant offering spanning cult classics and original content. On Disney Plus though, you won't only find Disney movies. There's Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic all available as part of the platform. Plus, there's Star, a built-in hub where you'll find hours of TV shows and movies suitable for more mature audiences, meaning Disney Plus can provide for all the family on a great scale.
With Disney Plus UK, you're gaining access to one of the most unique and impressive streaming libraries on the market. It's an incredibly competitive landscape and, unsurprisingly, choosing between all of the streaming services can get a little overwhelming. So, working out what's on offer and how much it'll cost you is essential intel. Fortunately, we've collated everything you need to know about Disney Plus from how to sign up, pricing, the difference in tiers, and much more. Oh, and if you’re still undecided after reading our guide, our Disney Plus review can provide additional opinion.
Disney Plus UK: how to sign up
To sign up for a Disney Plus UK subscription, head to the Disney Plus website. From here, you can create an account, choose what kind of subscription you require, and enter your billing details to get started. Then, with your login details to hand, you can download Disney Plus onto the device of your choice.
Disney Plus UK price
Disney Plus UK rolled out a major shake-up of its pricing plans on November 1, 2023, introducing a cheaper "with ads" option for the first time, while increasing the amount you have to pay to enjoy the platform's previous ad-free, 4K video-as-standard option.
Standard (with ads) is the cheapest Disney Plus UK option at £4.99 per month. The Standard (ad-free) plan costs £8.99 per month or £89.90 annually, giving you 12 months viewing for the price of 10. Finally, the Premium option will cost £12.99 per month or £129.90 annually.
Here's a closer look at what's available with each tier:
Header Cell - Column 0 | Standard (with ads) | Standard (ad-free) | Premium |
---|---|---|---|
Monthly fee | £4.99 | £8.99 | £12.99 |
Annual fee | N/A | £89.90 | £129.90 |
Ads? | Yes | No | No |
Resolution | Up to Full HD (1080p) | Up to Full HD (1080p) | Up to 4K UHD and HDR |
Streams | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Sound | 5.1 and stereo | 5.1 and stereo | Dolby Atmos |
Offline support | No offline downloads | Downloads for offline viewing | Downloads for offline viewing |
In September, Disney Plus' password crackdown began, which prevents anyone with a Disney Plus account sharing it with people who don't live under the same roof. When it comes to Disney Plus' password-sharing fees, to add an Extra Member to your Disney Plus Standard (with ads) subscription, it'll cost you £3.99. For Disney Plus Standard (ad-free) and Premium subscribers, it'll cost £4.99. For more, check our guide to Disney Plus password sharing.
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Though Disney Plus might soon let you pause your subscription to avoid members cancelling completely. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Disney executives hope to offer this feature "soon", which means the service could join the likes of Netflix and Hulu in allowing users the freedom to return at a later date.
Is there a Disney Plus UK free trial?
At the time of writing, no. Unfortunately the Disney Plus UK free trial was discontinued in June 2020, so the cheapest way to try Disney Plus is to subscribe for a month. That's not the cheapest way to have it permanently, though: an annual subscription works out cheaper than paying monthly.
What is Star on Disney Plus UK?
In February 2021, Star – a hub that sits on the homepage like Star Wars, Walt Disney Studios, Pixar, Marvel, and National Geographic – arrived on Disney Plus UK. With parental controls enabled, this allowed users to watch adult-oriented TV shows and movies, and its arrival quickly doubled the amount of content available to subscribers who were old enough to view it. Best of all, Star is included with your existing Disney Plus UK subscription, so you don't even have to pay extra to get it.
The line-up includes content that Disney owns via other production houses, such as 20th Century Studios, which it acquired when it bought 20th Century Fox (as it was then known) in a multi-billion-dollar deal in 2019. That move added numerous hit shows to the platform, including The X-Files, Lost, 24, Atlanta, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Walking Dead, and classic movies from hit franchises such as Die Hard, Alien, and Predator.
Star on Disney Plus is also home to plenty of must-watch originals, including Predator prequel Prey, The Bear, Pam and Tommy, Dopesick, Shogun, and Only Murders in the Building, as well as hit documentary series Welcome to Wrexham, featuring Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on a mission to take Wrexham AFC to the Premier League.
Disney Plus Streams feature: what is it?
Disney Plus just got a brilliant new feature called Streams that offers users season live channel functionality. The curated content comes under four Streams; Hits & Heroes for a compilation of action-packed titles, Throwbacks for nostalgic titles, Real Life for biopics, true stories, and documentaries, and a final one dedicated to seasonal content - for Halloween, that's the Hallowstream. Unfortunately, Streams isn't available in the UK yet, and it doesn't have a launch date, either.
Disney Plus UK: apps and compatible devices
Disney Plus is available on almost any device in the UK, including mobile phones, tablets, games consoles, streaming media devices, and many of the best smart TVs. You can take Disney Plus on the go, too, downloading as many movies and shows as you can fit on your device. That is, as long as you have an active subscription and connect to the internet every 30 days.
Disney Plus UK is available on Apple TV (4th gen and later), Roku streaming devices, Android (5.0 and later), iOS (11.0 and later), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, LG WebOS smart TVs, Samsung Tizen smart TVs, Hisense smart TVs, Panasonic smart TVs, Titan OS smart TVs, TiVo OS smart TVs, Vestel smart TVs, Virgin TV stream, Google Chromecast, Now TV, and Amazon's Fire range of streaming devices. One notable exception is the Nintendo Switch, which is still pretty poor at supporting streaming services.
Phillips' Android-based smart TVs support Disney Plus, too. Your Samsung TV should be able to get Disney Plus as well. Read our Disney Plus on Samsung TVs guide and discover if yours can support it.
Disney Plus is available in web browsers, on Smart TVs, through Amazon devices, iOS, Android, PlayStation consoles, Xbox devices, Roku sticks, and almost everything else (except – as previously mentioned – Nintendo Switch). Lastly, you can search for and download Disney Plus on the device of your choice, but here are some app links if you're having a bit of trouble:
What is Disney Plus SharePlay?
SharePlay is a feature on iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV that allows Disney Plus subscribers to watch content with their friends and family.
SharePlay enables up to 32 users – note that you're still limited to four concurrent streams per Disney Plus account – to simultaneously watch the same movie or TV show while on a FaceTime call. Users have the opportunity to select the audio settings of their choice, too, while individual subscribers can add subtitles if necessary. (Disney Plus say that SharePlay is "only available on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV with the latest system update", so viewers with older devices may not be able to take advantage of this feature.)
If you're a non-Apple user (or running older software), you can't enjoy Disney Plus movies and TV shows in the company of friends elsewhere. As reported by IGN, the streaming platform removed its GroupWatch feature on September 2023.
Disney Plus UK error codes: What the numbers mean
Having trouble with your service? Check out our list of Disney Plus error codes for more on what the different numbers mean. If you're having issues with Disney Plus you can't seem to solve, try the Disney Plus help centre for more.
If you can't resolve the issue yourself, you can contact Disney Plus customer service by calling 020 3936 2903 if you're based in the UK. You can also chat with an advisor or virtual assistant.
Disney Plus UK 4K and HDR support
Disney Plus UK supports 4K and HDR. When you're in the app, head over to the 'details' tab of a given movie or show and you'll see a section that says 'available in the following formats', which will explain if the content in question features 4K Ultra HD and HDR.
Additionally, Disney Plus UK offers additional support to Marvel movies with its Enhanced Mode. This allows users to watch certain MCU superhero flicks in IMAX cinema mode – in other words, allowing you to see more of what's on the screen due to its larger aspect ratio. You can learn more about Enhanced Mode here.
However, it's important to bear in mind that following the changes to Disney Plus UK plans and pricing last November, you can't get 4K if you subscribe to the Standard plans.
Disney Plus UK parental controls explained
Disney Plus' parental controls allow adults to restrict the type of content that children and young teens can consume via the streamer.
Disney Plus offers subscribers the chance to create up to seven profiles on one account, which can be tailored to each user's age. Parents can create access limits on various profiles (based on their content ratings), as well as being able to set profile PIN locks that prevent youngsters from accessing R-rated Disney Plus content.
Additionally, Disney Plus also provides the opportunity to create Kid profiles. This option only contains content that's suitable for children aged seven and younger, so there'll be no chance of them accessing mature movies and TV shows.
To create a Kid profile, or to stop children and young teens from seeing content they shouldn't be watching, open up your user profile menu. Navigate to the 'edit profiles' section, and choose a profile to change. From here, you can add specific parental controls to each profile. Once you're finished, click 'done' to let these changes take effect.
Disney Plus gift subscriptions: get a year of Disney Plus for a friend or family member
Disney Plus Gift Subscriptions are available, and a year of viewing makes for an ideal last-minute present. You can buy Disney+ Gift Subscriptions here.
For more Disney Plus coverage, read our guides on the best Disney Plus movies, new Disney Plus movies, and best Disney Plus shows.
As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.
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