Disney announced the rollout of extra member slots option in many regions today. The company follows Netflix’s example, which cracked down on password sharing and introduced extra member slots some time ago.
Good to know: Extra member slots allow subscribers to gift a membership to a non-household viewer.
The details:
- Subscribers may add one extra member slot to their account.
- This costs $6.99 (Standard) or $9.99 (Premium) per month in the US.
- Price varies from region to region.
Disney is also starting to crack down on password sharing. Like Netflix, Disney is starting to block access to its service, if it notices access from a different location.
Viewers may see “This TV doesn’t seem to be part of the Household for this account”. Subscribers do have the option to select “I’m away from home” or “Update household”.
The first option may be used while away from home for a limited period, the second if a subscriber moved permanently to a new location.
Either option requires a one-time passcode that is sent to the email address associated with the account holder.
Also of interest: How to cope with a changing streaming landscape that is pushing ads and higher prices.
It is interesting to note that an extra slot for Disney+ Premium is more expensive than an extra slot for Netflix Premium. Netflix charges $7.99 in the US for that, Disney $9.99 per month.
It is interesting to note that an extra Basic member costs $6.99 in the US, which is just $1 less than the plan itself.
The core difference between Basic and Premium is that Basic comes with ads and lack of Dolby Atmos audio support. Downloads are also not permitted.
Extra members have other limitations:
- One stream only at a time.
- One profile only.
- Access to the same features and content as the account holder.
Closing Words
Sharing Disney+ passwords will come to an end largely in the coming weeks and months. Just like Netflix, Disney is pushing extra viewers off the service. Apart from stopping to watch Disney+, there are only two feasible (legal) options left:
- Buy an extra member slot, which nearly costs as much as a regular subscription.
- Subscribe to Disney+ directly.
It remains to be seen if Disney will see a drop and then an increase in subscribers after its password crackdown hammers down on subscribers in full force.
Are you subscribed to any streaming service? If so, to which and why? Feel free to leave a comment down below.
You, and others, always say disney is “Starting” to crackdown. In truth, they started to crackdown several years ago.
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I know this first hand because we were using an account someone shared with us. We started getting kicked off more and more often and each time we would have to get the code emailed to the account holder to sign back in. (We were not exceeding the silmultaneous stream limit)
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We ended up getting our own account because the kids use it alot. Streaming services should offer “limited time free sharing”. You need to dangle that carrot first /doh!