Geeknewz exclusive cost map built from Disney's September 23, 2026 plan changes as reported by MacRumors and Ars Technica, plus Netflix's published US prices on its Plans and Pricing help page. Annual figures below are monthly sticker × 12 with no tax, promotions, or carrier discounts.
Disney raised Disney+ and Hulu again on September 23, its fourth yearly bump for Disney+ since the service launched. The headlines land as another 13 percent bump on the ad-free standalones. What actually hits your bank account is the annual stack, especially if you still buy Disney+ and Hulu as two separate subscriptions.
So here is the boring but useful version: the new monthly stickers turned into yearly dollars, set next to Netflix's current US tiers, and a plain Geeknewz take on who should stay on ads, who should bundle, and who is better off paying Netflix for 4K instead.
The new Disney stickers, yearly
MacRumors' rundown matches the plan list Disney put in front of new subscribers on the 23rd. Ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu each move from $11.99 to $12.49 a month. Ad-free Disney+ and Hulu each move from $18.99 to $21.49. The Disney+/Hulu ad bundle stays $12.99. The ad-free Disney+/Hulu bundle rises from $19.99 to $21.99.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual (×12) | Change vs prior year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ with ads | $12.49 | $149.88 | +$6.00/yr |
| Hulu with ads | $12.49 | $149.88 | +$6.00/yr |
| Disney+ no ads | $21.49 | $257.88 | +$30.00/yr |
| Hulu no ads | $21.49 | $257.88 | +$30.00/yr |
| Disney+ & Hulu ads bundle | $12.99 | $155.88 | $0 |
| Disney+ & Hulu no-ads bundle | $21.99 | $263.88 | +$24.00/yr |
If you still pay for ad-free Disney+ and ad-free Hulu as two separate bills, that is $42.98 a month, or $515.76 a year. The same two apps in Disney's own no-ads bundle cost $21.99 a month, or $263.88 a year. The gap is $251.88 a year, almost enough for a Netflix Premium plan by itself. That is not a subtle nudge. Disney is pricing the standalones so the bundle is the default for anyone who wants both libraries without ads.
The ad side tells the same story more quietly. Two ad standalones run $24.98 a month ($299.76/yr). The ad bundle is still $12.99 ($155.88/yr), so you save $143.88 a year by accepting one bill and the shared ads tier. Existing subscribers see the new prices on their next monthly charge; new signups already pay them.
How that stacks against Netflix
Netflix's US help center currently lists Standard with ads at $8.99, Standard at $19.99, and Premium at $26.99. Annualized, that is $107.88, $239.88, and $323.88. Ars Technica noted the awkward comparison immediately: Disney+ and Hulu's new $21.49 ad-free standalones sit above Netflix Standard, and only look cheaper once you need Netflix's 4K Premium tier.
| Stack | Monthly | Annual | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix Standard w/ ads | $8.99 | $107.88 | 1080p, 2 streams, ads |
| Disney+/Hulu ads bundle | $12.99 | $155.88 | Both libraries, ads |
| Netflix Standard | $19.99 | $239.88 | 1080p, 2 streams, no ads |
| Disney+/Hulu no-ads bundle | $21.99 | $263.88 | Both libraries, 4K/HDR on Disney tiers, no ads |
| Netflix Premium | $26.99 | $323.88 | 4K HDR, 4 streams |
| Disney+ + Hulu no-ads standalone | $42.98 | $515.76 | Same two apps, two bills |
One more long-view number, because Disney+ has been climbing since day one. It launched in November 2019 at $6.99 with no ads. At $21.49 today, the no-ads floor is about 3.07× the launch price, a rise of roughly 207 percent before you count taxes. Apple TV+ made a similar climb from $4.99 to $14.99 over a comparable window, as MacRumors noted, so Disney is not alone. It is just the service where many households still treat the second app (Hulu) as optional until the bill arrives.
Geeknewz verdict: who should change what
If you already take both Disney+ and Hulu without ads on separate renewals, switch to the $21.99 bundle before the next charge. Leaving $252 a year on the table is the expensive habit this hike is designed to break. If you can live with ads and mainly want Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Hulu's TV stack, the $12.99 ad bundle is the clear value lane, and Disney left that price alone on purpose.
Keep Netflix Premium if 4K, four concurrent streams, or spatial audio are non-negotiable for your household. At $323.88 a year it still costs less than two ad-free Disney standalones, and it sits only about $60 above the Disney+/Hulu no-ads bundle. Geeknewz's view: pay for one clean no-ads Disney bundle plus whichever Netflix tier matches your screen count, and drop the second Disney standalone the next time the reminder email lands. The hike is real; the math for hanging onto two separate Disney bills no longer is.