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The Disney Plus Price Hike Is Here: How to Get the Best Bundle Deal

With new prices in effect for Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN, here's a look at money-saving combos, with or without ads.

Kourtnee Jackson Senior Editor
Kourtnee covers TV streaming services and home entertainment news and reviews at CNET. She previously worked as an entertainment reporter at Showbiz Cheat Sheet where she wrote about film, television, music, celebrities, and streaming platforms.
Expertise Kourtnee is a longtime cord-cutter who's subscribed to streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Crunchyroll, Sling, Spotify and more. As a real-life user of these services, she tracks the latest developments in streaming, the newest re Credentials
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Kourtnee Jackson
3 min read
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Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN, three streaming services that are majority-owned by Disney, have each gone up in price this year. We've been following all of it, and as of Dec. 8, four different bundles are being offered. Changes to the Disney Bundle, the package that combines Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus, include a basic $10 option. But according to Disney, some plans may not be offered if you are being billed by a third party. 

Disney Plus officially rolled out five new price plans -- and one legacy option -- for US streaming customers. The new ad-based Disney Plus Basic subscription costs $8, and its commercial-free version is now $11 per month. We know that it's a lot to keep up with, so we're going to help you sort through it all. Here's a breakdown of all the changes and which options provide the best value.

The short version: You'll pay a lot less if you're willing to watch ads.

Watch this: You'll Never Own Your Favorite Movie Ever Again

The best deal: Bundle Disney Plus and Hulu with ads for $10

If you have a stand-alone subscription to Hulu right now, you're paying $8 per month to watch with ads or $15 to stream ad-free. Disney Plus Basic with ads is $8 a month if you have the service without the Disney Bundle. Paying for both services separately, with ads, costs $16 per month.

For those who want to lock in an annual subscription, you can sign up for Hulu at $80 or Disney Plus Premium (no ads) for $110. We don't recommend annual subscriptions as they don't offer the flexibility of rotating services on a monthly basis, but it's your choice.

The best way to save money is to choose a plan with ads and roll two or three services into one of the Disney Bundles. You can get Disney Plus and Hulu together -- both with ads -- for $10 a month, which is a completely new bundle and the cheapest way to get both services. Tack on ESPN Plus and pay $13 per month. The catch is that existing Disney Plus subscribers are not eligible for the cheapest basic bundle. To get around that, you can cancel your current subscription and sign up with a different email address. 

Check out the breakdown in the chart below, but bear in mind ESPN Plus has ads no matter which stand-alone plan or bundle you get. 

Plans with ads: Hulu, Disney Plus, ESPN Plus


Monthly Price
Hulu $8
Disney Plus $8
ESPN Plus $10
Disney Bundle Duo Basic (best deal): Disney Plus, Hulu $10
Disney Bundle Trio Basic: Disney Plus, Hulu, ESPN Plus $13
*Legacy Disney Bundle: Disney Plus (no ads), Hulu (with ads), ESPN Plus (with ads) $15

*Existing subscribers only

Read more: Best TV Streaming Service Deals

Existing subscribers who already bundle Disney Plus (no ads), Hulu with ads and ESPN Plus will be grandfathered in at the new rate of $15, an increase of $1 (that's the last line in the chart above). Out of the four bundle packages, only one is ad-free.

Don't want ads on Hulu or Disney Plus? Pay more

Most of us have gotten comfortable watching Disney Plus without commercials for $8 a month, but now it's $11. If you want the added luxury of streaming Hulu ad-free, prepare to shell out $15 monthly for your stand-alone subscription. While you certainly have the option of paying for these services separately, it will cost you $26. Adding on ESPN Plus for $10 brings that up to $36 per month. Again, the better deal is to bundle your Disney Plus with Hulu and ESPN Plus to get the most savings. 

Ad-free plans


Monthly Price
Hulu (no ads) $15
Disney Plus (no ads) $11
Disney Bundle Trio Premium: Disney Plus and Hulu (no ads), ESPN Plus (with ads) $20

Hulu Plus Live TV is cheaper with ads, too

Finally, Disney has new pricing for its Hulu Plus Live TV service, which is designed to replace cable TV with a selection of national and local TV channels. Subscribers automatically get access to standard Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus, and now, you're able to choose among three subscriptions. For $70 a month, you'll receive Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN -- all with ads. Those of you who are currently paying that rate get grandfathered into the updated $75 Legacy plan that includes ad-free Disney Plus, Hulu (with ads) and ESPN Plus (with ads). Check out the chart for a quick breakdown.

Hulu with Live TV Plans


Monthly Price
Hulu Live, Hulu, Disney Plus and ESPN Plus (with ads) $70
*Hulu Live, Disney Plus (no ads), Hulu and ESPN Plus (with ads) $75
Hulu Live, Hulu and Disney Plus (no ads) and ESPN Plus (with ads) $83

*Existing subscribers only

Pricing changes roll out on Dec. 8, with existing subscribers seeing the update in the next billing cycle. If you're new to the streaming service, signing up can get a bit complicated, so check out our walk-through on how to convert your current plan to the bundle.