How to Get Disney+ or Disney+ Bundle: Everything You Need to Know

Disney+ vs the Disney+ Bundle with Hulu, ESPN+ Should you get Disney+, or take advantage of …

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Disney+ vs the Disney+ Bundle with Hulu, ESPN+

Should you get Disney+, or take advantage of the new Disney+ bundle that’s poised to take on Netflix? 

What if you already have Hulu and want Disney+ — should you get the bundle? 

This guide will quickly explain what you get with a Disney+ subscription, and breaks down why a Disney+ bundle is a better deal if you’re already subscribing to Hulu on-demand.

If you are new to streaming or you’re considering cutting the cord from cable TV or satellite, this guide will give all the tools you need to get going. 

I compare what some of the top streaming services cost versus the Disney+ bundle, which includes Hulu and ESPN+. 

How do I subscribe to Disney+ or Disney+ Bundle?

You can sign up on the Disney+ website for a standalone Disney+ subscription.

The new ad-supported Disney+ launches on Dec. 8 and costs $7.99 per month. Disney+ Premium (no ads) costs $10.99 per month, or $99.99 annually. The premium plan lets subscribers stream Disney+ and download programs to watch on the go.

The Disney+ bundle has three different options:

  1. The Disney Bundle Duo Basic has Disney+ (with Ads) and Hulu (with Ads) for $9.99 per month.
  2. The Disney Bundle Trio Basic has Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ (all with ads) for costs $12.99 per month.
  3. The Disney Bundle Trio Premium has Disney+ and Hulu (no ads) with ESPN+ (with ads) for $19.99 per month.

Even if you just wanted Disney+ and Hulu, getting the bundle is worth it when you consider the cost of them separately is $15.98 per month. So by bundling the two streaming services, you’re paying $5.99 less per month. 

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The main menu for the new Disney+ app (photo credit: Jim Kimble/The Cord Cutting Report.)

The Trio Basic bundle also costs about $12.98 per month less than subscribing to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ individually.

Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ all have widespread app support. So you can use a Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV and Smart TVs.

PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, XBOX One, Xbox Series X and NVIDIA Shield are supported.

For Smart TVs, Sony TV, Samsung and LG televisions are supported along with models running on Android TV or Google TV. There is iOS and Android support for smartphones and tablets. 

What if I already subscribe to Hulu and want Disney+?

When you sign up for the Disney+ bundle, just be sure to use the same email that you’re using for your Hulu account. Disney should be able to figure out that you’re already a subscriber and handle the rest. 

If you already subscribe to Hulu (ad-supported) plan directly from the company then you can sign up for the Disney+ bundle through Hulu and receive a credit to your bill.

What if I already subscribe to Hulu with no commercials?

According to the Hulu help section, if you want to have the Hulu (No Ads) plan, you can keep the account you have and sign up for the bundle through your Hulu account. 

Head over to the Manage Account page of your Hulu account, and add the Disney+ bundle.

If you are new to Hulu, you can still get the commercial-free option with the bundle. The Disney+ bundle with Hulu (No Ads) costs $19.99 per month. 

The process is just a few steps: 

You sign up for Hulu (No Ads) plan, and activate Disney+ and ESPN+ for the bundle. 

As a Hulu subscriber, you are able to manage any add-ons you want from the Hulu account – just like when you subscribe to an add-on such as HBO Max, or the Live TV option. 

Hulu Live TV

Subscribers to Hulu with Live TV now get Disney+ and ESPN+ included as part of the subscription. Disney+ and ESPN+ both include ads. Subscribers get more than 75 live TV channels in the Hulu app. 

You can use those same credentials to activate the Disney+ app and the ESPN+ app.

A subscription costs $69.99 per month. There are no contracts, so you can subscribe month to month and easily cancel online. Hulu + Live TV currently does not have a free trial, so you just need to sign up for a subscription to start streaming live TV.

Verizon subscribers

If you’re one of those lucky Verizon subscribers that gets Disney+ free for six months, you’ll still be able to take advantage of the bundle later. 

The same is true if you signed up for Hulu through most other third-party services (except Spotify). That means, if you’re already subscribing to Hulu through Spotify, then you won’t be able to take advantage of the bundle. 

Existing ESPN+ or Disney+ subscribers can switch over to the bundle, no problem. Just be sure you’re using the same email address when you sign up. 

Comparison: Disney+ Bundle with Hulu and ESPN+

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The main menu to the Disney+ app on Roku TV. (photo credit: Jim Kimble/The Cord Cutting Report)

Disney+ is the home for movies and series from Disney and Pixar, everything in the Marvel Universe, and the Star Wars franchise. 

There are exclusive new programs from National Geographic and all 32 seasons of The Simpsons, too.

How many streams: Disney+ vs Disney+ Bundle

SERCVICEPRICE# OF STREAMSRESOLUTION
Disney+ (with ads)$7.99/mo.4Up to 4K / Dolby Atmos
Disney+ (no ads)$10.99/mo.4Up to 4K / Dolby Atmos
Disney Duo Basic$9.99/mo.4 for Disney+
3 for Hulu
Disney+ up to 4K/Dolby Atmos
Hulu up to 4K
Disney Trio Basic
(with ads)
$12.99/mo.4 for Disney+
3 for Hulu
3 for ESPN+
Disney+ up to 4K/Dolby Atmos
Hulu up to 4K
ESPN+ HD/1080p
Disney Trio Premium
(only ESPN+ with ads)
$19.99/mo.4 for Disney+
3 for Hulu
3 for ESPN+
Disney+ up to 4K/Dolby Atmos
Hulu up to 4K
ESPN+ HD/1080p
Netflix (Standard)$15.49/mo.2HD/1080p
Netflix (Premium)$19.99/mo.44K UHD/HD
HBO Max (With Ads)$9.99/mo3HD/1080p
HBO Max (Ad-Free)$14.99/mo.3Select titles 4K UHD

Disney+ subscribers get four simultaneous streams and access to 4K content at no extra charge. And you can create up to seven different profiles for a household, which allows each person to have a customized menu and recommendations. 

With the Disney Trio bundle, you are getting three streaming services — Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ — and a total of 7 simultaneous streams across all services. So that’s four streams from Disney+, one from Hulu and two from ESPN+.

Disney Duo and Disney Trio does include more plans with ads. But it’s an industry-wide movement that companies are undertaking to drive more subscriptions.

Netflix just introduced an ad-supported plan for $6.99 per month. (An ad-free Netflix subscription at $15.49 per month gives you two simultaneous streams in HD quality.)

HBO Max likewise started an ad-supported plan for $9.99 per month. It no-ads plan is $15 per month. 

The Disney Trio plan was more eye to eye on price point with Amazon Prime until a recent price change that began in February 2022. New and existing Prime subscribers pay $139 per year or $14.99 per month. 

Amazon Prime is kind of a different animal too. You are getting free two-day shipping and other Amazon-related shopping perks with a Prime membership that are unrelated to streaming. 

Amazon Prime does offer a 30-day free trial, but the Disney bundle does not.

Disney+ Lineup: TV Shows and Movies

Disney+ launched in 2019 with more than 7,500 TV episodes and 500 movies including blockbuster films, originals and documentaries. 

Disney+ supports high quality streaming options, depending on the title and formats supported by your TV: 

  • 4K Ultra HD
  • HDR10
  • Dolby Vision
  • IMAX Enhanced

Star Wars: What’s available

All 11 Star Wars movies are on the service. 

Star Wars: Andor has been its biggest success with fans and critics so far. The first season of The Book of Boba Fett is currently streaming. The storyline takes place about a decade after Return of the Jedi. 

The Mandalorian Season 3 is expected to be released in 2022. 

If you’re getting Disney+ for the first time, don’t expect to be able to binge all episodes of The Mandalorian or another favorite series at once. 

Disney+ has been releasing new episodes for its originals – whether its Star Wars or Marvel – on a weekly basis.

Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy is a 2004 documentary directed by Ken Burns. The two-and-a-half hour film debuted as a bonus disc with the Star Wars trilogy. A 90-minute version premiered on A&E Network later in the year. 

The entire library of the Star Wars animated series, stretching back to 1985 is now on Disney+. Fans of more recent Star Wars animation can watch:

  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Seasons One to Seven)
  • Star Wars: The Clone Wars — The Lost Missions
  • Star Wars: The Bad Batch
  • Star Wars Rebels (All Seasons)
  • Star Wars Resistance (All Seasons)
  • Star Wars Visions
  • The Force Awakens From Its Nap (Maggie Simpson)
  • LEGO Star Wars: Duel of the Skywalkers
  • LEGO Star Wars: Clash of the Skywalkers
  • LEGO Star Wars: Race for the Holocrons
  • LEGO Star Wars: Resistance Rises
  • LEGO Star Wars: Holiday Special
  • LEGO Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles — Clash of the Skywalkers
  • LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales
  • LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures (All Seasons)
  • LEGO Star Wars: All-Stars
  • LEGO Star Wars: Terrifying Tales
  • LEGO Star Wars: Raid on Coruscant
  • LEGO Star Wars: Escape from the Jedi Temple
  • Vintage Star Wars
  • Star Wars: Forces of Destiny
  • Star Wars: Blips

The Mandalorian and The Book of Bobba Fett won’t be the only live-action Star Wars series on Disney+. The service has multi-year plans to build out both live action and animated series centered on the Star Wars universe.

Marvel Universe

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has certainly grown on Disney+ since Avengers: Endgame

You can now find all your favorite films from the MCU’s Phase One through Phase Four. 

Black Panther, Captain Marvel, the standalone Iron Man movies are available on Disney+.  

The Phase Four films to date are The Eternals, Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. All three films made their debut on Disney+ in recent months.

Avengers: Endgame has served as a springboard for Disney+ to launch a number of new originals series to continue the storyline of individual characters. 

What new Marvel shows are on Disney+?

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The Marvel Universe on Disney+ has Phase One through Phase Four films and Disney+ Originals. (photo credit: Jim Kimble/The Cord Cutting Report.)

Knowing that the MCU fanbase is huge, Disney has made sure to tap into many storylines that sprang from a post-Endgame world.

  • The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is a live-action series with Anthony Mackie returning as Falcon and Sebastian Stan reprising his role as Winter Soldier.
  • WandaVision is a live-action series with Elizabeth Olsen returning as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany reprising his role as The Vision.
  • Loki is a live-action series starring Tom Hiddleson as Thor’s villainous brother, and the events that take place after he escapes from custody during Avengers: Endgame.
  • Marvel’s What If…? is the first animated series from Marvel Studios and takes inspiration from the comic book series of the same name. Each episode explores a pivotal moment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turns it on its head, leading the audience into uncharted territory.
  • Hawkeye is a live action series starring Jeremy Renner. The story begins with Clint Barton in New York City, trying to have a quiet holiday with his kids. When another skilled archer begins tangling with Barton’s old enemies, Hawkeye reluctantly gets involved. 

What’s neat is that storylines from a Disney+ series tie in to new MCU films. 

At the end of Wanda Vision, there is a post-credit scene that alludes to a connection with Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Elizabeth Olsen will reprise her role as Wanda Maximoff in the film.

Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is also available for streaming on Disney+.

Notable Disney and Pixar films and shows

If you are a fan of shows from the Disney Channel, Disney Jr. or Disney XD, you’ll find more than 5,000 episodes of shows from the Disney vault.

There are dozens of Pixar titles, including new projects: 

Soul stars Jamie Foxx as Joe, who gets a gig at one of the best jazz clubs in town only to land in The Great Before, where souls get their start.

Cruella is a live-action origin story for Cruella de Vil, starring Emma Stone. The story is set in 1970s London and chronicles how a meek girl grew to become a pivotal figure in the 101 Dalmatians franchise.

Raya and The Last Dragon is a fantasy adventure about a warrior pricess who seeks a fabled last dragon that can banish evil spirits from the land of Kumandra

All three Cars movies, a bug’s life, Finding Nemo and Finding Dory. Toy Story-based projects: Forky Asks a Question, an animated short series, and the short film Lamp Life.

Lady and the Tramp has been re-imagined into a live action remake of the Disney classic film.  

What’s happening on Hulu

Hulu has been churning out a number of new original series starring Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Nicole Kidman and Michael Keaton. 

  • Dopesick is a dramatic miniseries starring Michael Keaton and Rosario Dawson. Based on the nonfiction book, Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors and the Drug Company that Addicted America, the series focuses on the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction.
  • Nine Perfect Strangers is a miniseries that takes place at a health-and-wellness resort. Nicole Kidman stars as Masha Dmitrichenko, the founder and guru of the resort, who has some unexpected plans for her guests. 
  • Devs is a tech thriller from the writer of Ex Machina and Annihilation.
  • Jeff Bridges stars as a retired CIA officer in a new drama series, The Old Man.

A standalone Hulu subscription costs $7.99 per month, and new subscribers can still get a 30-day free trial.

What’s on ESPN+

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ESPN+ has 30 for 30 episodes, live UFC, college football and MLB games. (photo credit: Jim Kimble/The Cord Cutting Report)

ESPN+ supplements your existing ESPN app with live streams of exclusive sporting events. A standalone subscription to ESPN+ costs $9.99 per month. But it is included as part of the Disney+ bundle. Here is an outline of what is offered for live sports and on-demand shows.

PGA Tour Live

ESPN+ will have 35 golf tournaments in 2022, and more than 4,300 hours of live coverage. ESPN+ streams live coverage of individual golfers, groups and featured holes. 

NHL Games

More than 1,000 out-of-market games are on ESPN+ during the 2021-22 season. These games are live and you can watch them later on-demand. You can look over the ESPN+ NHL schedule for which teams are facing off in the days and weeks ahead. 

UFC Fight Night and PPV

ESPN+ has become a go-to for UFC viewers. It’s now the exclusive place to watch UFC PPV events in the U.S. ESPN+ also streams UFC Fight Night every week. 

ESPN+ subscribers still have to pay $74.99 for a UFC PPV event. 

You can also check out the exclusive series UFC Destined and the documentary series UFC Fight Island: Declassified

MLB, soccer and college football

Daily MLB out-of-market games are live streamed between spring and fall. 

ESPN+ is currently live streaming more than 500 live college football games from 12 conferences, including SEC, Big 12, and ACC. 

Major League Soccer (MLS) and Bundesliga is exclusively on ESPN+. 

ESPN+ has a multiyear deal with the FA Cup to stream English football matches in the U.S.

You won’t find games aired on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ACC Network on ESPN+. But if you’re looking for episodes of 30 for 30, ESPN+ is where it resides. 

An ESPN+ subscription also gives you exclusive fantasy analysis, draft tips and recommendations by experts. 

There is a condensed version of SportsCenter for ESPN+, podcasts, sports radio and news. A new digital version of NFL Prime Time has been given a second act thanks to ESPN+.  

ESPN+ costs $9.99 per month as a standalone service. But if you decide to get Disney+ and already subscribe to Hulu, you should get the bundle. Getting the bundle saves you 99 cents per month and adds ESPN+ to your streaming roster.

Existing ESPN+ subscribers can sign up for the Disney+ bundle through their account.

Is Disney+ a good cord cutting option?

Disney+ is among the few streaming services that are launching with multiple subscription options. I started with an annual subscription to Disney+ because it made the most sense for me at the time. This year, I am going with the bundle.

Subscribing to Disney+ month-to-month might make more financial sense for you. It’s less of a commitment. And if you’re someone that is nomadic with your streaming services, then paying every month is probably best. 

If you’re already subscribing to Hulu, and want Disney+ then signing up for a Disney bundle makes more sense because you’re getting a third streaming service, ESPN+, and paying a little less than paying for Hulu and Disney+ individually.

The strategy for the Disney+ Bundle is simple. Disney is putting forth a lot of value by combining Disney+ with Hulu’s vast library of TV shows, originals and movies. 

Live sports and original shows on ESPN+ is a bonus – and cheaper.

This article was published February 9, 2022, and has been updated to reflect new plans and pricing.

For more news on streaming, how-to guides and reviews, head over to the main page of The Cord Cutting Report or follow the CCR on Google News.

Jim Kimble is a seasoned industry expert with over two decades of journalism experience. He has been at the forefront of the cord-cutting movement since 2016, testing and writing about TV-related products and services. He founded The Cord Cutting Report in 2016, and serves as the editor.

Major publications, including MarketWatch, Forbes, and South Florida Sun Sentinel, have interviewed Kimble for his years of expertise. He gives advice on the complexities consumers are navigating with streaming options, and over-the-air TV. Kimble has been a staff writer or correspondent for several award-winning, daily newspapers, including The Boston Globe.

Why you can trust The Cord Cutting Report: I do hands-on testing with TV-related hardware and services throughout the year. Find out more about the review policy.