Disney Plus offers two ways to remove ads: pay for the Premium plan or use a family member's Premium account
Disney Plus removed its ad-free option from the standard plan in December 2022. Now, the only way to watch without ads is to pay for Disney Plus Premium, which costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year. If you have a family member with a Premium account, you can ask them to add you as an authorized user on their account, which also gives you ad-free viewing.
The ad-supported plan costs $7.99 per month and shows ads before and during shows and movies. The ads are typically 15 to 30 seconds long and appear roughly every 5 to 10 minutes of content. Some titles have restrictions on the ad-supported plan — a small number of shows and movies are not available unless you pay for Premium.
Key Takeaways
- Disney Plus Premium removes all ads and costs $13.99 per month or $139.99 per year, compared to $7.99 per month for the ad-supported plan.
- You can watch ad-free by being added as an authorized user to someone else's Premium account, though Disney limits the number of people who can use one account.
- A small number of titles are not available on the ad-supported plan, so upgrading to Premium unlocks the full library.
- Premium also includes the ability to read episodes to watch offline and higher video quality on some devices.
What Disney Plus Premium includes beyond ad removal
Premium removes ads, but it also adds other features. You can read episodes and movies to your phone or tablet and watch them without an internet connection. Premium also offers higher video quality — up to 4K resolution on compatible devices, compared to 1080p on the ad-supported plan.
The Premium plan lets you create up to four user profiles on one account, so family members can have their own watch history and recommendations. Each profile can be used on different devices at the same time, which is useful if multiple people in your household watch at once.
How to upgrade from ad-supported to Premium
Log into your Disney Plus account on any device and go to Account Settings. Select your current plan, then choose "Upgrade to Premium." Disney will show you the monthly and annual pricing options. Choose which one you want, enter your payment method, and confirm the upgrade. The change takes effect when ready — you will not see ads on your next viewing.
If you are on a free trial of the ad-supported plan, upgrading to Premium will end the trial and start your paid Premium subscription right away. You will be charged the full price, not a prorated amount.
Using a family member's Premium account
If someone in your household already has Disney Plus Premium, they can add you as an authorized user. The account holder goes to Account Settings, selects "Add Profile," and creates a new profile for you. You can then log in with your own email address and password on any device.
Disney allows up to four profiles per Premium account, but only two can stream at the same time. If more than two people try to watch simultaneously, the oldest stream will stop. This is a technical limit Disney enforces, not a rule you can work around by paying extra.
The cost difference between plans over a year
The ad-supported plan costs $95.88 per year ($7.99 × 12 months). Premium costs $139.99 per year if you pay annually, or $167.88 per year if you pay monthly ($13.99 × 12 months). The annual Premium plan saves you $27.89 compared to paying monthly, and costs about $44 more per year than ad-supported.
Whether that $44 difference is worth it depends on how much you watch and how much the ads bother you. If you watch several hours per week, the ads add up quickly. If you watch occasionally, the ad-supported plan may be the better value.
What happens if you downgrade from Premium to ad-supported
You can downgrade at any time by going to Account Settings and selecting "Change Plan." Disney will ask you to confirm, and the change takes effect on your next billing date. You will not get a refund for the remainder of your current billing period.
If you downgrade, you lose access to offline downloads and 4K quality when ready. Any episodes you downloaded will no longer be available to watch. Your profiles and watch history stay the same, but you will see ads on all content going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I share my Premium account with someone who doesn't live with me?
Disney's terms of service say accounts are for household use only, meaning people who share a home. Sharing with someone outside your household technically violates the terms. Disney has not widely enforced this rule, but they have the right to disable accounts that show signs of sharing across different locations.
Do I have to watch ads on Premium if I don't upgrade?
Yes. The only way to remove ads is to pay for Premium or use someone else's Premium account. There is no free ad-free tier anymore. If you keep the ad-supported plan, you will see ads on every title except a few that are restricted to Premium only.
Can I get a discount on Disney Plus Premium?
Disney occasionally runs promotions, usually around holidays or when bundling with Hulu and ESPN Plus. Prices and offers change, so check the Disney Plus website or your account settings to see current deals. Some credit card companies also offer discounts on Disney Plus subscriptions.
What if I share my password with a friend?
Disney's terms say you should not share your password with people outside your household. If Disney detects unusual login patterns — such as logins from different cities or countries — they may ask you to verify your account or disable it. Sharing passwords is at your own risk.
Does Premium remove ads from all content?
Yes. Premium removes ads from all shows, movies, and originals on Disney Plus. The only content that might have ads is live sports events, which Disney may handle differently, but standard on-demand content has no ads on Premium.