When it comes to a Disney Plus free trial, it's "Hukuna Matata", right? AKA... no worries that Disney took away the option to new customers a few months after the streaming service launched in the US, UK and Australia.
Want to sign up to the House of Mouse's very own streaming service? Get comfy in front of the TV and watch Animations, Pixar movies, Disney Plus originals, as well as The Simpsons and documentaries by National Geographic.
Disney Plus packages: $7.99/£7.99/AUS$11.99 a month or $79.99/£79.90/AUS$119.99 a year
US customer exclusive: Get Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN+ bundled together for $13.99 a month.
Disappearing in mid-2020, it's fair to assume the people at Disney may have made this strategic decision before big hitters like Hamilton arrived on the platform - avoiding a case of people making use of the Disney Plus free trial to watch the hotly anticipated release, before quickly jumping ship. This, coinciding with the small matter of an ongoing pandemic that sees movie theater door's remaining firmly shut, a free trial didn't exactly fit in well with Disney's plan to send its latest feature length films straight to the streaming platform to help boost profit.
With the introduction of Disney Plus Premier Access, it's clear to see Walt Disney Studios have their thinking hats on, determining how to better capitalise on an industry that is fast losing out on millions of dollars thanks to Covid-19 - and a Disney Plus free trial definitely wasn't helping matters.
Ditching the Disney Plus free trial, alongside the new Premier Access feature where subscribers have been able to watch Mulan, as well as more recently being able to watch Raya and the Last Dragon, is one of the many tests Disney is experimenting with, likely in a ploy to make Disney fanatics part with their cash.
That said, all is not lost. Below we'll go into the details of what the Disney Plus free trial offered initially, Disney's own word on why they ditched the free trial, and if there is possibility for some to still benefit from giving the streaming service a whirl and how.
Disney Plus free trial: is there one?
Not right now. From its November 2019 US launch to June 2020, a Disney Plus free trial was universally available to new customers in markets like the US and UK. In June, it was reported that the trial was no more.
“We continue to test and evaluate different marketing, offers and promotions to grow Disney Plus,” Disney said in a statement, as reported by Variety. “The service was set at an attractive price-to-value proposition that we believe delivers a compelling entertainment offering on its own."
Free Disney Plus trials did allow users to use the service in full for seven days before spending anything, giving them an opportunity to enjoy a whole bunch of movies and TV shows in a quick burst before cancelling if they wanted to.
Is a free Disney Plus free trial available anywhere?
Since Disney Plus was first rolled out in the US, more and more countries have received access to the service as time has gone on. Disney Plus launched in Japan in June 2020 and new customers can still take advantage of a free trial. A quick, cheeky use of Google Translate confirms Disney Plus Japan customers, in this instance, get a Disney Plus free trial length of 31 days before they have to pay.
The countries that got Disney Plus earlier like the US and the UK, though, no longer have access to the old seven-day trial, as explained.
Where can you benefit from a Disney Plus free trial sign up?
- Japan
Disney Plus is expected to launch in Singapore, Hong Kong, and South Korea this year. For new customers in these locations, we imagine the House of Mouse will offer its Disney Plus free trial to entice sign ups.
What's the best way to try Disney Plus without a free trial?
The monthly subscription fee for Disney Plus is a lean $7.99/£7.99/AUS$11.99, but if you're prepared to commit with a hefty upfront payment of $79.99/£79.90/AUS$119.99 a year depending on where you are, you're actually saving just under 20% annually. That said, Disney Plus' monthly rate is still cheaper than much of Disney's streaming competition, including Netflix and HBO Max, and a month is enough time to figure out if you like it or not.
Want even more for your money? US customers can benefit from the Disney Plus bundle, including Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu for just $13.99 a month or $19.99 a month if you choose to have Hulu without ads. This, of course, gives you access to even more content, including more content catered to adults on Hulu with the likes of The Handmaid's Tale and Little Fires Everywhere available to binge. It goes without saying that ESPN Plus more than covers sporting fans with a bunch of great entertainment.
What could you watch with a free Disney Plus trial?
The Disney Plus free trial granted access to the entire streaming library to watch as much as you liked in a seven-day period. Functionally, it was a week-long subscription to the service, and as long as you cancelled before the end of the trial period, you got to enjoy every TV show and movie without spending anything.
That included a payload of Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and Pixar movies, alongside originals like The Mandalorian and The Clone Wars.
For now, at least, you'll have to pay if you want to check it out if you're not in one of the above countries where a free trial is still available.
Are there any free ways to get Disney Plus?
Getting a Disney Plus free trial is essentially null and void for new customers in the US, UK and Australia. That said, there are still means to get a Disney Plus free trial for a year - specifically if you're a US customer after a new phone.
Depending on what Verizon Wireless plans you go for, you can get up to a year of Disney Plus free. Upgrade to select unlimited plans and get Disney Plus for six months. Select unlimited plans could also see you receive the Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN+ bundle for a whole year.
Similarly, across the Atlantic, there are O2 phone deals offering a similar freebie. Yes, O2 customers can enjoy Disney Plus free for six months as a part of their pay monthly package on select handsets, including the brand new iPhone 12 Pro.
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, Disney Plus does offer gift subscriptions. Nudge a friend or family member in the right direction when you have a special occasion coming up and you might just get access to Disney Plus without dropping your own cash - albeit someone else will be.
Working much like a gift card for your favourite clothing store or a bookshop, for instance, you can buy a gift card that treats someone to a whole year of Disney Plus for $79.99 USD / £79.90 / $119.99 CAD / €89.90 / $119.99 AUD / $129.99 NZD - the same Disney Plus price for a standard annual subscription.
Unfortunately, in less you can get yourself to a Disney store in the US or a Disney Park, you can't purchase a physical Disney Plus gift card. Able to send your Disney Plus gift subscription to any email address, this certainly adds some excitement to anyone's inbox.
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