Disney Plus Password Sharing: When the Crackdown Begins and What You Need to Know
In late 2023, Disney Plus announced it would follow in Netflix’s footsteps and restrict password sharing on user accounts (along with Hulu in the US, which is also owned by Disney) in Canada, the US, and the UK.
In February 2024, the company began emailing US subscribers to notify them in advance of the changes. It was later confirmed that the new rules would go into effect in some jurisdictions on June 1, 2024. In the US, they would not officially go into effect until September 2024.
This means that if you share your Disney Plus account with people who don’t live under the same roof, you won’t be able to do so from September 2024. Instead, you’ll need to purchase an ‘Extra Member’ to be able to do so.
What are the rules for sharing passwords on Disney Plus?
Here’s what Disney Plus’s user agreement now says after the January 2024 update:
“Unless otherwise permitted by your Service Tier, you may not share your subscription outside your household. “Household” means the collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who live there. Additional usage rules may apply to certain Service Tiers.”
There is currently no tier that allows subscription sharing, but we believe this will change in the coming months based on updates some Disney Plus subscribers in the UK have seen. In July 2024, the steamer will have its UK Subscription Agreement conditions, including several mentions of a new ‘Extra Members’ feature, which gives us the best indication yet that it’s coming.
However, there has been no official announcement yet about the paid sharing feature and how much it will cost, so it is not yet known when it will roll out in the UK and other regions such as the US.
Where are the password sharing rules enforced on Disney Plus?
- Canada
- The United States
- The United Kingdom
Disney Plus rolled out the new rules for new customers in Canada in late 2023, and has since expanded them to customers in the US and UK. The new password sharing restrictions were updated to the US subscriber terms and conditions in March 2024.
But actual enforcement of the password-sharing rules began in some regions as early as June 2024. The date was confirmed by Disney CEO Bob Iger during an interview with CNBC in April, helping to clear up previous confusion about the rules going into effect “in early 2024.”
In the same interview, Iger also made it clear that the password sharing approach would be rolled out gradually across a number of regions, meaning the US and UK will likely see it first, before it expands globally by the end of 2024.
Iger later confirmed during Disney’s August 7 earnings call that Disney Plus’ stricter password policies are definitely coming in September, saying, “We started our password sharing initiative in June… That’s really going to kick in in September.”
How Will Disney Plus Stop Password Sharing?
The Service is expected to use location data, device identifiers, and other data, such as IP address ranges, to identify when someone is using your account from another location. If the system determines that you are sharing someone else’s account, you will be invited to sign up for your own subscription.
If you don’t opt in and Disney Plus finds you sharing something you shouldn’t, it says it may restrict or terminate your access to the service and/or take other actions permitted by this Agreement for its users and account holders. That could mean legal action, though we can’t imagine Disney Plus will pursue regular people through the courts. Account restrictions or termination are much more likely.
How much does Disney Plus charge for password sharing?
The answer to that question right now is: the device is not charging at all, because that functionality has not been added yet.
Unlike Netflix, which lets subscribers pay extra to add an extra member or two to their plan, Disney Plus has yet to add a similar option to its service. That means for now, your subscription is limited to the people you share a roof with and can’t be extended to anyone else.
Disney has said it will add the option to share with more people, such as kids who have gone off to college, but we don’t yet know when that’s coming or how much it will cost. Summer 2024 is likely. Hopefully it’ll cost less than Netflix’s option, which costs $7.99/£4.99 per person per month.
What that means in practice is that additional members will have to sign up for their own Disney Plus subscriptions for the time being. In the US, that means the cheapest option is the ad-supported version, Disney Plus Basic, which costs $7.99 per month in the US.
The UK equivalent is Disney Plus Standard With Ads, which costs £4.99 a month but limits you to 1080p video quality. If you want 4K and HDR, you’ll need Premium, which costs £10.99 a month.
What if I have purchased a package with another company?
The new rules apply to all existing subscribers, regardless of whether they signed up directly or through a third party.
What if I want to use my Disney Plus account on vacation or when I travel for work?
We don’t know yet. But again, looking at Netflix, we can get some clues: Netflix doesn’t want to stop you from streaming while you’re on vacation, and will allow you to request a seven-day access code that will let you tune in when you’re away from home.
According to the Disney Plus Help Center for the US and also in other parts of the world (the same language is in the UK version as well), a household means “the collection of devices that are associated with your primary personal residence and that are used by the people who live there.” So there’s certainly room for you to use your “collection of devices” elsewhere.
Can I use a VPN with Disney Plus?
Probably not: Using a Virtual Private Network violates Disney Plus’s terms of service, and the service blocks known IP addresses associated with some VPN networks. If you’re considering trying one of the best VPNs, be aware that this is a potentially risky move, and what works today could be blocked tomorrow.
If you’re planning on leaving Disney Plus when the password sharing restrictions come into effect, here’s our guide on how to cancel your Disney Plus subscription. Just be sure to check out the best Disney Plus movies and new Disney Plus films before you sign out.
