Disney+ Is Raising Prices. Here's How to Lock in a Lower Rate

You'll lower your costs with this strategic move.

If you don't enjoy paying a small fortune for cable, then you may have cut the cord long ago in favor of streaming services. And if you have children, you probably put Disney+ on your list.

But while the cost of having even several streaming services at once is likely to result in a much lower credit card tab than having a cable package, many of these services have raised their prices over the past year. And now, Disney+ is joining their ranks.

Starting Dec. 8, the cost of an ad-free Disney+ subscription is rising from $7.99 per month to $10.99 per month. But that doesn't mean you're stuck with that rate. Read on for some options for eking out some savings.

Spend less for Disney+

While the cost of the Disney+ ad-free platform has gone up to $10.99 per month, if you're willing to deal with ads, a subscription will only cost you $7.99 per month.

You can also save money on Disney+ by signing up for an annual subscription rather than paying monthly. An annual subscription costs $109.99 per year, whereas if you were to pay $10.99 a month for 12 months, you'd end up spending $131.88. So all told, if you're willing to commit to a year-long subscription and pay the lump sum, you can save yourself about $22.

There are also a few bundle options you can look at if you're interested in signing up for Disney+ along with another service. The Disney+ and Hulu bundle costs $9.99 a month with ads, and if you want to tack on ESPN+, you're looking at $12.99 a month. If you can't bear the thought of ads, you can get the premium bundle for all three services for $19.99 a month (though you'll still have to deal with ads on ESPN+).

Is a Disney+ membership worth it?

Whether it pays to subscribe to Disney+ really depends on how much value you think you'll get out of it. If you have children and you're not particularly strict when it comes to screen time, then you may find that Disney+ gets used often in your household. Plus, if you still have cable, you may find that signing up for Disney+ allows you to cancel that service and come out ahead financially all-in.

Of course, if money is tight, then you may want to hold off on a Disney+ subscription until you're in a more comfortable place financially. That holds true for any non-essential expense, though.

Finally, if you're at a loss as to what to get your children for the holidays, you may want to consider the gift of a Disney+ subscription. A subscription could also make a great gift for your nieces, nephews, and other family members in your life.

While it's unfortunate that the cost of Disney+ has gone up, the reality is that everything has been going up. That extends beyond the world of streaming services. But there are steps you can take to pay less for Disney+, so it's worth exploring different options and seeing what you come up with.