Disney Plus UK: how to sign up, price, Star, movies, TV shows, and more

Disney Plus UK - Giant bowl of popcorn in front of TV screen with Disney+ logo displayed
Disney Plus UK tends to be a good reason to get out the popcorn. (Image credit: JOCA_PH via Shutterstock)

Disney Plus UK is your number one destination for Marvel superheroes, Star Wars, Pixar, the vast Disney back catalogue, and much, much more. This guide tells you everything you need to know about one of the best streaming services available in the United Kingdom, with details of how to sign up and pricing – including information on the new "with ads" tier introduced in November 2023.

Beyond the family-friendly fare that's always been associated with the Walt Disney Company, Disney Plus UK also features Star, a built-in hub where you'll find hours of TV shows and movies suitable for more grown-up audiences – everything from Only Murders in the Building and the award-winning The Bear to football documentary Welcome to Wrexham. 

In other words, Disney Plus UK boasts one of the most impressive and varied content libraries out there, with something for everyone. Our selections of the best Disney Plus movies and the best Disney Plus shows will give you an idea of what's waiting for you on the platform, and if you want a little more guidance on whether the streamer is for you, why not read our Disney Plus review?

What is Disney Plus?

Maya Lopez stares into the camera while she sits on her motorbike in Marvel's Echo on Disney Plus

Echo is Marvel's latest addition to Disney Plus UK. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

Disney Plus is a streaming platform much like Netflix, which enables you to watch movies and TV shows on demand. Despite the name, it isn't only Disney-branded content that's available. You'll also find a vault of movies and TV shows from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and – of course – Disney itself. Plus, there's National Geographic releases, and enough of The Simpsons that you'll never run out of excuses to drop into Springfield – all 34 complete seasons so far, to be exact.

Additionally, UK viewers get access to Star, a hub within the Disney Plus platform that gives you access to more grown-up content than the traditional Disney fare. It's here you'll find the likes of The Bear, Only Murders in the Building, A Murder at the End of the World and Predator prequel Prey.

Disney Plus can be streamed on a whole range of devices, including your smartphone, games console, PC, smart TV and streaming stick/device. We go into more detail on supported devices later on this page.

Disney Plus UK: how to sign up

Wade and Ember sit down with popcorn to watch a movie in Pixar's Elemental

Elemental is the latest Pixar film available to stream on Disney Plus. (Image credit: Pixar Animation Studios)

To sign up for a Disney Plus UK subscription, head to the Disney Plus website. From here, you can create an account, choose what kind of subscription you require, and enter your billing details to get started. Then, with your login details to hand, you can download Disney Plus onto the device of your choice.

Disney Plus UK price

A classic promo image of Scully and Mulder in The X-Files

Disney Plus UK's vast archive is packed with classic TV shows, including The X-Files. (Image credit: Fox)

Disney Plus UK rolled out a major shake-up of its pricing plans on November 1, 2023, introducing a cheaper "with ads" option for the first time, while increasing the amount you have to pay to enjoy the platform's previous ad-free, 4K video-as-standard option.

Standard (with ads) is the cheapest Disney Plus UK option at £4.99 per month. As well as ads, you get video quality up to Full HD (1080p), 5.1 and stereo audio, and the option to watch two streams concurrently – a step down from the four streams available on the previous Disney Plus UK plan. Downloads aren't available, so you need an active internet connection to view your favorite TV shows and movies.

The Standard (ad-free) plan costs £7.99 per month or £79.90 annually, giving you 12 months viewing for the price of 10. This tier offers video quality up to Full HD (1080p), 5.1 and stereo audio, downloads for offline viewing, and the option to watch two streams concurrently.

The Premium option is equivalent to your pre-November 2023 Disney Plus package, but comes with a significant price increase. For £10.99 per month or £109.90 annually (up from £7.99 and £79.90, respectively) you get video quality up to 4K UHD and HDR, Dolby Atmos sound, downloads and the option to watch up to four concurrent streams. Existing UK subscribers were automatically moved across to the new, rebranded Disney Plus Premium tier when the new pricing structure kicked in on November 1. 

Here's a closer look at what's available on the different tiers:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell - Column 0 Standard (with ads)Standard (ad-free)Premium
Monthly fee£4.99 £7.99£10.99
Annual feeN/A£79.90£109.90
Ads?YesNoNo
ResolutionUp to Full HD (1080p)Up to Full HD (1080p)Up to 4K UHD and HDR
Streams224
Sound5.1 and stereo5.1 and stereoDolby Atmos
Offline supportNo offline downloadsDownloads for offline viewingDownloads for offline viewing

Disney CEO Bob Iger has also revealed that the company is "actively exploring" ways to clamp down on users sharing their Disney Plus accounts. No firm date has been set for any changes in the UK, though Nasdaq has reported that Disney Plus made amendments to its subscriber agreement for Canadian users in November. These changes reportedly restrict password sharing outside the account holder's primary household, unless permitted by their account tier. 

Is there a Disney Plus UK free trial?

Kamala Khan, Carol Danvers, and Monica Rambeau stare up at something off-screen in The Marvels

The Marvels, the latest MCU movie, is available on Disney Plus from February 7. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

At the time of writing, no. Unfortunately the Disney Plus UK free trial was discontinued in June 2020, so the cheapest way to try Disney Plus is to subscribe for a month. That's not the cheapest way to have it permanently, though: an annual subscription works out cheaper than paying monthly.

What is Star on Disney Plus?

A screenshot of Carmy working in a kitchen as other people look on in The Bear

The Emmy-winning The Bear is one of many must-watch shows on Disney Plus Star. (Image credit: FX Productions)

In February 2021, Star – a hub that sits on the homepage like Star Wars, Disney, Pixar, Marvel and National Geographic – arrived on Disney Plus UK. With parental controls enabled, this allowed users to watch adult TV shows and movies on the streaming service, and its arrival quickly doubled the amount of content available to subscribers who were old enough to view it. 

Best of all, Star is included with your existing Disney Plus UK subscription, so you don't even have to pay extra to get it.

The line-up includes content that Disney owns via other production houses, such as 20th Century Studios, which it acquired when it bought 20th Century Fox (as it was then known) in a multi-billion-dollar deal in 2019. That move added numerous hit shows to the platform, including The X-Files, Lost, 24, Atlanta, How I Met Your Mother, Family Guy, Bob's Burgers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Walking Dead, and classic movies from hit franchises such as Die Hard, Alien and Predator.

Star on Disney Plus is also home to plenty of must-watch originals, including Predator prequel Prey, The Bear, Pam and Tommy, Dopesick, American Horror Stories, and Only Murders in the Building, as well as hit documentary series Welcome to Wrexham, featuring Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and their mission to take Wrexham AFC to the Premier League. 

Disney Plus UK: apps and compatible devices

The main cast of Only Murders in the Building walking down a street at night

Detective comedy-drama Only Murders in the Building has been a big hit. (Image credit: Hulu/Disney Plus)

Disney Plus is available on almost any device in the UK, including mobile phones, tablets, games consoles, streaming media devices and many of the best smart TVs. You can take Disney Plus on the go, too, downloading as many movies and shows as you can fit on your device. That is, as long as you have an active subscription and connect to the internet every 30 days.  

Disney Plus UK is available on LG TVs, Sky Q, Apple TV, Roku streaming devices, Android (5.0 and later), iOS (11.0 and later), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, LG WebOS smart TVs, Samsung Tizen smart TVs, Vizio Smartcast TVs, Google Chromecast, Now TV, and Amazon's Fire range of streaming devices. One notable exception is the Nintendo Switch, which is still pretty poor at supporting streaming services. 

Phillips' Android-based smart TVs support Disney Plus, too. Your Samsung TV should be able to get Disney Plus as well. Read our Disney Plus on Samsung TVs guide and discover if yours can support it.

You can search for and download Disney Plus on the device of your choice, but here are some app links if you're having a bit of trouble. Disney Plus is available in web browsers, on Smart TVs, through Amazon devices, iOS, Android, PlayStation consoles, Xbox devices, Roku sticks, and almost everything else (except – as previously mentioned – Nintendo Switch).

Disney Plus UK 4K and HDR support

A screenshot of Moana and Maui as seen in the Disney Plus Moana

Moana on Disney Plus UK? You're welcome. (Image credit: Disney)

Disney Plus supports 4K and HDR. When you're in the app, head over to the 'details' tab of a given movie or show and you'll see a section that says 'available in the following formats', which will explain if the content in question features 4K Ultra HD and HDR. 

Additionally, Disney Plus UK offers additional support to Marvel movies with its Enhanced Mode. This allows users to watch certain MCU superhero flicks in IMAX cinema mode – in other words, allowing you to see more of what's on the screen due to its larger aspect ratio. You can learn more about Enhanced Mode here.

However, it's important to bear in mind that following the changes to Disney Plus UK plans and pricing in November, you no longer get 4K if you subscribe to either of the Standard plans.

Disney Plus UK parental controls explained

Ahsoka Tano in Ahsoka

Star Wars TV shows such as Ahsoka are one of the big selling points of Disney Plus UK. (Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Disney Plus's parental controls allow adults to restrict the type of content that children and young teens can consume via the streamer.

Disney Plus offers subscribers the chance to create up to seven profiles on one account, which can be tailored to each user's age. Parents can create access limits on various profiles (based on their content ratings), as well as being able to set profile PIN locks that prevent youngsters from accessing R-rated Disney Plus content.

Additionally, Disney Plus also provides the opportunity to create Kid profiles. This option only contains content that's suitable for children aged seven and younger, so there'll be no chance of them accessing mature movies and TV shows.

To create a Kid profile, or to stop children and young teens from seeing content they shouldn't be watching, open up your user profile menu. Navigate to the 'edit profiles' section, and choose a profile to change. From here, you can add specific parental controls to each profile. Once you're finished, click 'done' to let these changes take effect.

What is Disney Plus SharePlay?

Naru holds onto her rope-attached ax as she stares down the Predator in Hulu movie Prey

Disney Plus reinvigorated the Predator franchise with prequel movie Prey. (Image credit: 20th Century Studios/Hulu)

SharePlay is a feature on iPhones, iPads and Apple TV that allows Disney Plus subscribers to watch content with their friends and family.

SharePlay enables up to 32 users – note that you're still limited to four concurrent streams per Disney Plus account – to simultaneously watch the same movie or TV show while on a FaceTime call. Users have the opportunity to select the audio settings of their choice, too, while individual subscribers can add subtitles if necessary. (Disney Plus say that SharePlay is "only available on iPhone, iPad and Apple TV with the latest system update", so viewers with older devices may not be able to take advantage of this feature.)

If you're a non-Apple user (or running older software), however, you'll no longer be able to enjoy Disney Plus movies and TV shows in the company of friends elsewhere. As reported by IGN, the streaming platform removed its GroupWatch feature on September 18, 2023. 

“As of September 18th, 2023, the GroupWatch feature will no longer be available on Disney+,” said a message on the Disney Plus help center. "We're always working to deliver the best product experience on Disney Plus, and as part of recent updates, the GroupWatch feature was removed."

Disney Plus UK error codes: What the numbers mean

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney take to the pitch in Welcome to Wrexham

Welcome to Wrexham: a soccer-based Disney Plus UK docuseries that really hits the back of the net. (Image credit: FX/Disney Plus)

Having trouble with your service? Check out our list of Disney Plus error codes for more on what the different numbers mean. If you're having issues with Disney Plus you can't seem to solve, try the Disney Plus help centre for more. 

If you can't resolve the issue yourself, you can contact Disney Plus customer service by calling 020 3936 2903 if you're based in the UK. You can also chat with an advisor or virtual assistant

Disney Plus gift subscriptions: get a year of Disney Plus for a friend or family member

Ursula performs magic in The Little Mermaid

The live-action remake of The Little Mermaid cast a spell on Disney Plus UK in 2023. (Image credit: Disney)

Disney Plus Gift Subscriptions are available, and a year of viewing makes for an ideal last-minute present. You can buy Disney+ Gift Subscriptions here


For more Disney-based content, read our guides on Andor season 2, The Bear season 3, Marvel Phase 5, and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Richard Edwards

Richard is a freelance journalist specialising in movies and TV, primarily of the sci-fi and fantasy variety. An early encounter with a certain galaxy far, far away started a lifelong love affair with outer space, and these days Richard's happiest geeking out about Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel and other long-running pop culture franchises. In a previous life he was editor of legendary sci-fi magazine SFX, where he got to interview many of the biggest names in the business – though he'll always have a soft spot for Jeff Goldblum who (somewhat bizarrely) thought Richard's name was Winter.

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