Once per year, Disney Plus offers a tempting discount to the price of a subscription, and we're happy to say that the annual Disney Plus discount is currently live!
If you sign up for the Disney Plus ad tier before Saturday, September 28, you'll only have to pay $1.99 / £1.99 per month for your first three months, down from $4.99 / £4.99.
This equals a $9/£9 saving on the Disney Plus price over the three months, which isn't huge in the grand scheme of things, but it's enough to encourage many people to sign up for the three months in order to test out the service and its offerings.
One of those people is What to Watch's streaming expert (me) who's been waiting for this deal ever since last year's one ran out. So if you've signed up for the Disney Plus deal this time around, I'm going to recommend you some library shows, including recent and upcoming ones that have all hit the platform in the last year.
These options are mostly all going to be US and UK ones, but the streaming service has more content in the UK (due to Hulu shows in the US being added there too). So UK readers scroll down further and you'll find a small list of some extra selections that aren't on the streamer in the US.
New Disney Plus shows to watch
Agatha All Along
The next big Disney Plus Original coming out is Agatha All Along, a Marvel series which spins off from WandaVision and features some of the same characters.
Agatha All Along is about a witch who was imprisoned in WandaVision but manages to break free of the spell, and goes on a quest to complete a witchy trial. To do so she has to team up with the teen who let her out and more characters to create a coven.
While Agatha All Along isn't out yet, it premieres on Thursday, September 18 and will have all its episodes out on Thursday, November 6, so with the deal you'll definitely have time to watch it.
Percy Jackson and The Olympians
A popular fantasy series from the tail end of last year (post-deal expiry), Percy Jackson and The Olympians adapts the same-titled book that was already made into a movie.
PJaTO, as I'm going to shorten it to, is about a young boy who realises that he's the half-son of Zeus, and learns that a community of Greek God descendants still lives in the US. He's trained in a camp for half-bloods to prepare him for trials ahead.
A second season for Percy Jackson has been confirmed but there's no released date, so you won't be able to watch it unless you continue to subscribe to Disney Plus after the deal runs out.
The Acolyte
The most recent Star Wars TV show is The Acolyte, which was quite divisive but fans were upset when it was recently cancelled after one season.
Set before all of the movies, and therefore suitable for people who aren't massive Star Wars fans, The Acolyte is about a series of murders that may point to the rise of the evil Sit and a former Jedi with a traumatic past.
The eight episodes of The Acolyte are the only new Star Wars content since the last Disney Plus deal, and while a new series called Skeleton Crew is coming in December, it releases just as the deal's three-month window ends. So you'll need to continue subscribing at full price to see the whole season.
Renegade Nell
One of the few Disney Plus TV shows that isn't part of a franchise, Renegade Nell takes place in a fantasy version of 1700s Britain.
It follows a highwaywoman called Nelly, who is framed for murder but goes on a quest with a magical spirit in order to realize her destiny. Derry Girls' Lousa Harland plays the lead role.
X-Men '97
An animated series which has proven particularly popular, X-Men '97 was designed to emulate the kind of children's cartoons that many people grew up with, but aimed at older audiences to address more adult themes.
The show is based on the X-Men story, set in a world in which people can gain superpowers through mutations. Several more seasons of X-Men '97 are in the works but won't be out any time soon.
OceanXplorers
We're jumping into the documentary world with this National Geographic documentary series, as a reminder that Nat Geo has loads of great content on Disney Plus.
OceanXplorers follows the scientists and crew of the titular oceanic exploration vessel, as they sail to the ends of the Earth (and the deepest places in its sea) to see what's out there. James Cameron is the creative driving force behind the doc.
Doctor Who
In case you missed it, Disney makes Doctor Who, and that means new content from the time-travel sci-fi / fantasy series will land on the streamer, including spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea. The exception to this is in the UK, where the main series will stay on BBC.
You probably know what Doctor Who is, if you're even remotely interested; its main series from earlier this year, and specials from the end of 2023, are all on Disney Plus in most regions.
New Disney Plus movies to watch
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
One of the big blockbusters from 2023 was released onto Disney Plus right at the end of the year, which means deal-hunting opportunists weren't able to stream it on the last deal.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny brought the whip-cracking adventurer into the 1960s as his estranged goddaughter visits on the hunt for an artefact. Indy is roped along in her quest as they battle Nazis who are also hunting for the titular Dial, due to the powers it might offer.
Inside Out 2
The big movie of this year is Inside Out 2, which has become the highest-grossing animated movie ever, and it's due to hit Disney Plus soon (an exact release date hasn't been confirmed, but it'll very likely be during the three-month deal window).
Following on from the first movie (which is also on Disney Plus), Inside Out 2 introduces new anthropomorphic emotions to the young Riley Anderson as she enters high school and all the feelings that ensue.
Jim Henson Idea Man
One of the documentary movies we're including here is Jim Henson Idea Man, directed by Ron Howard, which came out earlier this year.
The movie explores the life and times of Jim Henson, the creator of The Muppets, Fraggle Rock and The Dark Crystal, whose legacy is still revered to this day.
Young Woman and the Sea
A smaller movie than the above ones is Young Woman and the Sea, starring Daisy Ridley.
Based on a true story, Young Woman is about a competitive swimmer in 1926 who became the first woman to swim 20 miles across the English Channel. We learn about her career and her quest to complete the swim, including how she overcame illness to get into the water in the first place.
UK-only Disney Plus shows and movies to watch
A few new additions to Disney Plus in the last year are only on the platform in the UK, and instead stream on Hulu in the US. Here are some picks that everyone is talking about...
Rivals
A new Disney Plus UK original (which won't air on Disney Plus in the US), Rivals is based on a Jilly Cooper book and stars David Tennant, Alex Hassell, Aidan Turner, Katherine Parkinson and Danny Dyer.
The show is about the rivalry between two upper-class families that clash in a war of culture and business, all set in the fictional British county of Rutshire.
You can't watch Rivals yet as the show will stream on Disney Plus from Friday, October 18, but if you sign up for the three-month deal that'll fall well within the time frame.
The Bear season 3
One of the most popular modern TV shows is The Bear, which enjoyed its third season in the middle of the year.
The Bear is about a high-falutin restauranteur who returns home to revive his family's Chicago sandwich shop. He has to fix the many problems of the restaurant and his family while contending with a huge roster of guest stars (including some Brits like Will Poulter, above, and Olivia Colman).
All three seasons of The Bear are on Disney Plus right now.
Kinds of Kindness
Poor Things director Yorgos Lanthimos wasted no time in releasing his follow-up feature, although it got less of a theatrical release than the Oscar-winning Emma Stone movie and ended up on Disney Plus pretty quickly.
Kinds of Kindness is an anthology movie with three stories, each of which stars Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley and more in various roles. They're linked in themes as well as by one background character.
Shogun
Period action-drama series Shogun was such a big hit earlier this year that it was renewed for a second season, despite originally only being intended for one.
Based on a James Clavell book, Shogun is set in war-torn Sengoku Japan, as different daimyos vie for control. The balance is tipped when English captain John Blackthorne is found washed up on the shore, and one lord takes him under his wing.
Shogun streamed on Disney Plus in the UK earlier this year, so it's all available to watch right now.
Only Murders in the Building season 4
Only Murders was my favorite thing that I streamed last time I signed up for the Disney Plus deal, and its newest season is currently airing weekly.
Starring Steve Martin, Selena Gomez and Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building is a comedy about three tenants of a housing block who make a podcast in order to investigate murders around the property.
Some episodes of Only Murders season 4 are available in the UK right now, and here's the full release schedule for more information on when new ones will arrive.
Lost
This is possibly a cheat option because it's not new and it's also on Netflix, but Lost celebrates its 20th birthday towards the end of September, and that makes it the perfect opportunity to re-watch this classic.
If you've been living under a rock (or on a mysterious island), Lost is about the survivors of a plane crash who find themselves marooned on an island in the middle of no-where. If that wasn't bad enough, there are some strange secrets about the place which takes all of six seasons to fully unravel.
