In May 2023, Netflix began cracking down on password-sharing. That was the moment that we all knew that it was only a matter of time before all of the other streaming services followed suit. It sucked because it didn’t account for people who logged into their accounts while traveling or kids who used the family account while in college. Basically, it was just as frustrating to customers as you’d expect. Disney has found a solution to these problems *and* a way to profit off of them.
Last year, Disney announced that they’d also be cracking down on password sharing with their streaming service, Disney+. It looks like that time has finally arrived because earlier this week, the House of Mouse sent out a memo stating that they’re going to start enforcing a one Household rule. However, for a small fee of $7-to-$10 per month, you can upgrade to their new “Extra Member” plan, which lets you have one additional account outside of your household. The catch? You can only add this feature if you subscribe through Disney itself and it’s not available if, like me, you took advantage of the Disney Bundle or any of the partner-program special offers.
The company line: “Your Disney+ subscription is meant to be used within your Household, which is a collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside there,” the company said. “But what about people outside of your Household? They will need to sign up and pay for their own subscription or be added as an Extra Member to your account for an additional monthly fee to continue enjoying Disney+.”
The Extra Member Add-On: Disney+ revealed that this week, they expanded its paid sharing program in order to make sharing with friends and family who don’t live under the same roof possible via the new Extra Member add-on. For users in the United States, the Extra Member add-on feature will currently cost an additional $6.99 per month for Disney+ Basic subscriptions, with Disney+ Premium subscription access for an additional $9.99 per month.
Don’t forget about those price hikes are coming: Per its website, the base Disney+ Basic subscription (with ads) currently costs $7.99 per month, but will increase to $9.99 per month on Oct. 17, 2024. The base Disney+ Premium subscription (no ads) currently costs $13.99 per month, but will increase to $15.99 per month on Oct. 17, 2024.
Restrictions, of course: There are still some restrictions under these plans — only one Extra Member slot is available per account. Also, if viewers purchased their plan through Disney Bundle or are subscribed and billed through Disney+ partners, the add-on will not be available.
You can still log in while on vacation: No need to worry about violating your agreement if you are traveling or visiting others and want to view your favorite programs or movies. Though some users may see “This TV doesn’t seem to be part of the Household for this account” on their screen, you can select “I’m away from home.” Or in the event that you’ve recently moved, you can choose “Update Household” to reset the Household location for your Disney+ subscription,” the memo states.
It’s available in these markets: According to the company memo, these features launched in select markets over the summer, and in addition to the U.S., are now available in Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Meh, sigh. I get it from a business perspective, but as a consumer who is tired of paying so much money for everything, I’m annoyed. And this honestly doesn’t even affect me and my household! I’m annoyed out of principle! If Disney+’s subscriptions are down, it’s not solely because people are sharing passwords. Most of the time, those are instances like parents logging into Disney+ at their own parents’ (the grandparents’) homes so their kids can watch their own, curated accounts without interruption. It’s funny that they don’t even sit there and think that maybe people are unsubscribing to streaming services because they all keep raising their prices and just like with cable, it’s once again becoming unaffordable for us to enjoy all of the truly great and truly not-so-great content they’re all putting out. There’s a reason why YouTube is doing so well in the ratings game. Maybe see how it goes when more people can afford their own subscription and then encourage others to subscribe and watch your shows.