Disney Plus set for major change as password sharing set to be stopped

• Disney Plus will follow Netflix in cracking down on password sharing. 
• You will no longer be able to share your account with people outside your household. 
• Unless you pay to add extra members. 

Disney Plus subscribers are being warned that a major change is on the horizon. The popular streaming service launched in the UK in 2020, perfectly timed for the days of lockdown. 

If you have been sharing your account with other members of your family - or in other scenarios - to save a bit of money during the cost of living crisis, unfortunately we have bad news for you. The House of Mouse will be joining Netflix in launching a crackdown on password sharing. 

You can watch our video at the top of the article for a really in-depth dive into which services do or don’t have password sharing. But to find out what is changing with Disney - read below. 

Disney Plus to crackdown on password sharing 

For those who are sharing a Disney Plus account - perhaps with your family or others - be warned that a major change is coming. The streamer will soon prevent you from sharing your password, instead you will have to pay an extra fee to add other members to your account. 

How will it work? 

The crackdown will work similar to the one rolled out by Netflix, meaning that unless you live in the same building as the account holder - you will lose access. Unless you pay the monthly fee for extra members. 

TechAdvisor reports that the terms and conditions has been updated and now states: “Because the Extra Member feature is an add-on to the Subscriber’s Service Plan, the Extra Member feature cannot exist independently… The Extra Member will receive a subset of functionality/features available to the Subscriber under their Service Plan.” 

What will the cost for extra members be? 

For Netflix members, it costs an extra £4.99 per month (in the UK) to add an additional member. If you are subscribed to the highest tier - Premium - you can add up to two extra people - it is not yet known if Disney will allow a similar number. 

Disney has not yet revealed the cost to add extra members. Expect further details down the line. 

When will the crackdown start? 

Eagle-eyed internet users spotted that Disney had updated the terms and conditions on the UK version of its streaming service at the end of July 2024 to make reference to extra members - suggesting that the password sharing crackdown is coming sooner rather than later. 

An extra date has not yet been confirmed, however Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, has mentioned September 2024 as a date for a full rollout of the policy. So you can expect the measures to come into force in the coming weeks. 

Will you keep your Disney Plus account once the password crackdown comes into force? Share your thoughts with our tech writer by emailing [email protected].