Starting from today, you'll have to pay a little extra to access the generous library of Disney+. But is the price hike justified, and will users accept the new price with open arms?
Let's break down how much Disney+ will now cost and if Disney can justify the price hike to its users.
How Much Is Disney+ Now?
In case you missed the news, Disney+ is undergoing a small price increase. Beforehand, you had to pay $6.99 in the US, £5.99 in the UK, and €6.99 in Europe per month.
Now, the US user base will have to pay a dollar extra for their Disney+ subscriptions at the new $7.99 price. The UK and Europe aren't so lucky, since they also have to pay a little more at £7.99 and €8.99 respectively.
Why Is Disney Increasing the Cost of Disney+?
Disney initially announced that Disney+ was getting more expensive back in December 2020. As such, this isn't so much a sudden increase as it is a planned price rise.
Since December, we saw the release of a new section to Disney+, called "Star." Star signaled a huge shift for Disney+, as the new section moves away from purely family-friendly content and toward adult-oriented TV shows and movies.
Star essentially doubled the amount of content on the Disney+ content and evolved it from a family-oriented platform to something everyone can enjoy.
Disney is also investing heavily into its original content, with exclusive shows based on popular Marvel and Star Wars characters in the works.
Of course, all these new shows and Disney+ originals don't come free to the House of Mouse, which has led to the company raising the subscription price.
Can Disney Justify the New Price of Disney+?
Given all the new content the entertainment giant is putting out, it's straightforward to justify the new price of Disney+. As such, Disney doesn't need to worry about people wondering why their subscriptions went up.
What Disney does need to take care of, however, is people's response to the price rise. Not everyone will want to pay extra for the service, especially those who won't benefit from the added perks.
Not Everyone Is Interested in Star...
For instance, those who use Disney+ for family-friendly content may not have an interest in Star. Of course, there will be instances where parents will browse the Star library once the kids have gone to bed, but those who use Disney+ as entertainment for their kids may not stomach the price rise.
Some subscribe to Disney+ for the huge archive of nostalgic animations. From Disney movies to the early days of The Simpsons, there are plenty of classics available on the platform. As such, those interested in these oldies-but-goodies may not gel with paying more for the content they won't watch.
A number of films, like Black Widow and Raya and the Last Dragon, also debut on Disney under the Premier Access lock. This involves paying $30 to get early access to these films, before they become available to all Disney+ subscribers a month or two later. Some might wonder why this is happening when Disney+ is going up in price.
...But It's Essential for Disney+'s Survival
However, Disney needs to make this shift to stay relevant. It's hard for a subscription service to make its mark on the internet by capitalizing on a specific niche. With so many subscription services out there, it can get costly to pay several websites for different content types.
Instead, people will be looking to subscribe to one platform that has it all; something for the kids, movies that the family can watch together, and thrilling tales once the sun has gone down. If Disney doesn't keep up with this, they're likely to lose users to the competition once other platforms target the same niche that Disney+ fills.
As such, if you currently only use Disney+ for nostalgic shows or child-friendly content, now would be a fantastic time to explore the Star library and see if it's to your liking. Disney+ is no longer just a place for kids; with the addition of Star, even adults can get their money's-worth from the House of Mouse.
Disney+: No Longer Just for Kids
Disney should have no issue justifying the price increase for Disney+, as it now provides a lot more content to a wide user base. However, we'll have to see if everyone goes along with Disney's plans and if they'll begin using Star for late-night movies and TV shows.
That's not to say that Disney+ has had issues getting users on its platform to begin with. In fact, the service recently celebrated its 100 millionth subscriber.
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