Disney+ Launches ‘Blockbuster’ Deal: $2 per Month for Limited Time Ahead of October Price Hikes

Disney wants to crank up Disney+ subscriber numbers ahead of the end of its September 2024 quarter — and before a new price increase takes effect.

In a new promo launching Thursday, new and returning customers in the U.S. can sign up for the ad-supported Disney+ Basic plan for $1.99/month for the first three months. The new offer comes as the price of Disney+ Basic is set to increase from $7.99 to $9.99/month, effective Oct. 17, along with the prices of Disney+ Premium, Hulu, ESPN+ and its multiservice bundles. Disney is offering the special deal to eligible customers from Sept. 12-27 at disneyplus.com; after the promotional period ends, the price of Disney+ Basic will be $9.99/month.

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Disney touts the $2/month deal for Disney+ Basic as coming “just in time for a blockbuster fall,” including the premiere of Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. (There’s no date announced yet for when “Inside Out 2” will be available on the streamer but it’s likely to be later in September, based on Disney’s previous release strategies.) Additional programming it’s highlighting in the promo is Marvel’s “Agatha All Along,” a spinoff of “WandaVision” (premiering Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. PT), and Selena Gomez-starrer “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” a sequel of Disney Channel series “Wizards of Waverly Place” (Oct. 30).

First launched in 2019, Disney+ is the dedicated streaming home for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, along with “The Simpsons” and more.

In the U.S. and Canada, Disney+ added a net 800,000 new subs to reach 54.8 million for the June 2024 quarter, while international Disney+ Core customers (excluding Disney+ Hotstar) decreased by about 100,000 to 63.5 million. The Disney has told investors it expects Disney+ Core subscribers to “grow modestly” in its fiscal Q4 2024 (which ends in September).

Alongside the new price promo, Disney+ is introducing a new suite of limited-time subscribers perks in the U.S. starting Sept. 12, including special discounts and offers. More info is available at this link.

The new Disney+ perks include:

• Entry into a Disney Cruise Line sweepstakes for a chance to visit Disney’s Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point in the Bahamas
• Exclusive free bundle of more than 35 Marvel digital comics
• Free in-game emoji for mobile game “Disney Emoji Blitz”
• 15% off Disney-based products at Funko
• 15% off Disney-based merchandise at Loungefly
• An exclusive in-game cosmetic for Ubisoft and Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars Outlaws” game for Nix, the main character’s companion
• Early access to “Agatha All Along” merchandise at disneystore.com (beginning Sept. 18)
• Tickets to “D23 Tune-in to Terror: A Hollywood Halloween” presented by Disney+, a subscriber-only event in L.A. (on sale beginning Sept. 12, 10 a.m. PT)