What is Disney Plus with ads?

Disney Plus has become one of the top-tier streamers since its launch in 2019. With a huge subscriber base in the U.S. and an expanded library internationally through its Star and Hotstar services, Disney Plus is one of the more essential streamers. In late 2022, the company rolled out Disney Plus with ads to attract even more subscribers.

Related: Are ad-supported streaming services worth it?

So, what is Disney Plus with ads? How does it differ from the existing plans? Does it have any downsides? Read on for a full breakdown of the newer streaming tier from the house of mouse. And if you’re not already a member, you can sign up below:

What is Disney Plus with ads?

If you’re familiar with Disney Plus, the ad-supported service is pretty straightforward.

For a reduced price, you can access the full Disney Plus library on up to four screens simultaneously, the same as with an ad-free subscription.

Check out: Every show and movie you can watch on Disney Plus

That means you can watch Disney classics like Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast, along with Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel titles, and the whole gamut of Disney Plus originals including The Mandalorian, WandaVision, The Santa Clauses, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers, and plenty more.

How much does Disney Plus with ads cost?

While some streaming services like Peacock offer a free streaming tier that’s ad-supported, Disney Plus isn’t among them. You’ll save money by putting up with advertising breaks, but you still have to pay to play. Below is a breakdown of your options:

• Disney Plus Basic — Full Disney Plus access with ad breaks for $7.99 per month
• Disney Plus Premium — Full Disney Plus access without ad breaks and with offline viewing options for $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year

Because Disney also owns Hulu and ESPN Plus, you also have options to bundle your Disney Plus subscription (including the ad-supported option) with those services to save more money. Those options are outlined below:

• Disney Bundle Duo Basic — Disney Plus (with ads) and Hulu (with ads) for $9.99 per month
• Disney Bundle Trio Basic — Disney Plus (with ads), Hulu (with ads), and ESPN Plus (with ads) for $12.99 per month
• Disney Bundle Trio Premium — Disney Plus (no ads), Hulu (no ads), and ESPN Plus (with ads) for $19.99 per month

Differences between Disney’s subscription tiers

On the content side, you’ll notice no differences whether you opt for ads or not. The service remains the same in that regard. That will obviously change if you’re looking at bundles that through in extra services like Hulu and ESPN Plus, but the ads make no difference.

Same goes for concurrent streams. You can watch on four screens at a time no matter which tier you choose.

You also won’t see a dip in picture quality. Unlike with ad-supported services from Netflix and HBO Max, Disney Plus offers its 4K UHD streaming quality at all levels. Dolby Atmos audio doesn’t seem to be included at the ad-supported tier, but we expect that to change soon.

The main difference — aside from having to put up with ad breaks — is in Disney Plus’ other functions, like offline downloading and “watch party” function. With the ad-supported plan, you don’t have access to those features, unfortunately.

Is it worth it?

Disney Plus with ads is absolutely worth its price when compared to the premium, ad-free plan. Streamers add up, and saving $3 per month for all the same shows and movies is not insignificant.

Your mileage may vary, of course. If you rely on offline downloads when travelling, for example, that extra $3 will make all the difference. Or if you just can’t stand ads, well, you get it.

As always, the final choice depends on your needs, but the savings speak for themselves.