Disney+ launched in November 2019 at $6.99 a month.That number is worth sitting with for a second, because it was the entire pitch. Disney did not have to convince anyone that Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and the animated library were worth watching. People already knew. The only question was whether adding one more subscription was painless enough to say yes to, and at $6.99 it obviously was. You did not think about it. It was a rounding error next to Netflix.Seven years later, the ad-free tier is reportedly about to cross $21 a month.That is the context for what is happening on social media right now, because the anger showing up in Disney fan spaces this week is not really about $2.50. It is about the distance between those two numbers, and the feeling that a lot of people were eased into something they would never have agreed to up front.The reaction has been blunt.What Is Reportedly ChangingA new report indicates Disney is raising prices across Disney+ and Hulu, with some plans increasing by as much as 13 percent. The changes could arrive this week.The reported numbers:Disney+ Premium: $18.99 to $21.49 per monthHulu Premium: rising to $21.49 per monthDisney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium: increasing by $2 to $21.99 per monthOther plans, including ad-supported options, are also expected to increase, though specific figures were not included in the report.For Disney+ Premium subscribers, $2.50 a month works out to roughly $30 a year.Credit: DisneyThe Reaction Online From Disney FansDisney fan threads filled up fast.“Goodbye streaming services!” wrote user ukichan4real in a post tagging Disney, Hulu, Paramount+, and HBO Max. “I can no longer afford you and I’m tired of the bullshit. All these companies tricked us. It’s time to fight back and cut the virtual cord.”In a separate thread, user kylearmitage55 posted an expletive-filled message at Disney+ noting this is the fourth consecutive year of increases and adding, “Greed has no limits.”Others described already being gone.“I’ve cancelled my Disney+ / Hulu / ESPN package,” wrote user kaf1958. “Not at all worth the $$$, especially in the current economy.”“I cancelled my Disney + last month and literally bought all the avengers movies,” wrote user bebe.az520. “It will take me forever to get through all that. Lol but it’s all mine.”That sentiment came up repeatedly, the idea of buying things outright rather than renting access to them indefinitely.One commenter floated organizing it.“Can we all collectively quit on like October 1st or something?” wrote user ashtonw638.And the comparison nobody at a streaming company wants to hear showed up too.“It’s sad that it’s cheaper to get cable TV than streaming services,” wrote user djuiliano. “It’s pure greed.”Credit: DisneyOne Thing Being Said Is Not AccurateWorth clearing up, because it is spreading.Several posts claim Disney is adding advertisements to the Premium tier. Another commenter pushed back directly.“They aren’t adding ads to premium, and you can just quietly cancel,” wrote user evilhands.That correction appears to be right. Reporting on the increases describes Disney+ Premium as the tier without advertisements, with ad-supported plans existing as separate, cheaper options that are also expected to rise in price.So the accurate version of the complaint is that Premium is getting more expensive while remaining ad-free, and the cheaper ad-supported tiers are likely going up too. That is annoying enough without the extra part.Another commenter made the underlying argument well regardless.“Why be silent about Subscription services betraying their own mission statement,” wrote user nivekian. “People buy subscribed account accounts to avoid ads.”The Disney Detail Everyone Is MissingHere is the part of this pricing structure that almost nobody in those threads noticed, and it is the most interesting thing in the whole story.Disney+ Premium alone would be $21.49. Hulu Premium alone would be $21.49. The bundle with both would be $21.99.Fifty cents.Paying for one service individually becomes, at that gap, close to an irrational choice. Disney has not just raised prices. It has priced individual subscriptions so that the bundle is the only version that makes mathematical sense, which pushes subscribers into a plan they are far less likely to cancel because it covers two services instead of one.That is not incidental. A household that cancels Disney+ still has Hulu. A household on the bundle cancels both at once, which is a much bigger decision.The $2.50 is what people are angry about. The fifty cents is the actual strategy.The CounterargumentOne commenter raised the point Disney is almost certainly operating on.“Total U.S. streaming subscriptions grows every year, and price is still not adversely affecting demand,” wrote user scottporch.That is the uncomfortable part of every streaming price story. Cancellation threats spike online, and subscriber numbers keep climbing anyway. Companies raise prices because the data keeps telling them they can.What has changed is behavior rather than volume. A growing number of people subscribe for a month, watch what they wanted, and cancel. Streaming’s one genuine advantage over cable is that you can walk away and come back without a contract, and rotating between services is becoming a normal way to use them rather than a workaround.Credit: DisneyThe Actually Useful Advice in the ThreadBuried in the anger was one practical tip.“I pay $4.99 a month for a year and I redo it every year by waiting for Black Friday,” wrote user elizabethluvinmykids77. “All the streaming services get super cheap.”That is worth knowing. Disney has run aggressive annual promotions around Black Friday, and subscribers who time their signup around them have paid a fraction of standard pricing.Another commenter noted that some AT&T wireless plans include Disney+ at no additional cost, which is also worth checking before paying full price.Where Disney+ Now SitsAt a reported $21.49, Disney+ Premium moves closer to Netflix’s $26.99 ad-free 4K tier.Still cheaper. Not cheaper the way it used to be.That gap was Disney’s original advantage. The brands sold themselves and the price removed the friction. As the price climbs past $20, the question changes from whether Disney+ is cheap enough to add to whether you watch it enough to justify another bill in that range.“What’s even on Disney plus,” wrote user nasirecoo, which is a short comment that gets at exactly that.Disney has not officially confirmed the new pricing. If the increases arrive as reported, subscribers will want to look at what they are on before the next payment processes automatically.Sources: Threads discussions, and reporting on Disney’s expected Disney+ and Hulu price increases.The post “Greed Has No Limits”: Disney Fans Are Done With Disney’s Streaming Service appeared first on Inside the Magic.