Disney+ is tightening how accounts are shared. The streaming service is moving toward restricting access to households rather than encrypting the entire experience behind a single user. This is a shift that mirrors a policy already put in place by Netflix a few months ago, and Disney+ signals that ads will start appearing across all subscription tiers, not just the cheapest option. The change aims to protect content licensing and ensure that viewing aligns with each account’s intended region, while still offering flexible ways to enjoy the service within those rules.
The rollout is designed to take effect in a gradual, predictable way. Beginning this fall, Disney+ will evaluate how devices are used to access the service and determine whether those devices match the user’s primary residence. This approach, already described in Spain’s policy and anticipated by industry observers, is expected to be implemented more broadly in the near term. Disney executives have signaled this direction for some time, and the company has laid out a clear path for how the restrictions will be enforced when users attempt access from unlinked devices or locations outside the established residence.
For households that want to include family members or friends who live outside the primary residence, Disney+ offers an option commonly referred to as an “Extra Access” supplement. This add-on carries an additional outlay on top of the main account and provides a practical way to extend the service to trusted members outside the household without creating a second full subscription. It’s a model similar to what other streaming platforms have tested, designed to preserve the value of the base plan while enabling legitimate access for extended family or shared living arrangements.
Alongside sharing controls, Disney has also announced plans to introduce advertising across all subscription levels. The current lineup includes one plan with ads, known as Disney+ Standard with Ads, priced at 5.99 euros per month. The other options, Disney+ Standard and Disney+ Premium, remain ad-free at 8.99 euros and 11.99 euros per month respectively. The announced intent is to standardize an ad-supported experience while offering higher-tier, ad-free choices for those who prefer uninterrupted viewing. This transition reflects a broader trend in streaming where a mix of ad-supported and premium experiences is presented to meet a wider range of viewer preferences while maintaining the value of the library, the experience, and the user interface people expect from Disney+.