There's one easy way to respond to the recent Disney Plus price hike: canceling Disney Plus. And you just got one more reason to (more on that below). I honestly think it's not a bad decision. I'm not able to do it personally (I'm currently walking my parents through Phase 4 of the MCU — a half hour at a time), but by the looks of Disney Plus' January schedule, I can't help but suggest that you cancel and come back.
This practice of ditching a service until it has the shows, movies or other content you want, is called 'churning' and streaming service executives hate it. But during tough times — and especially as we've all just spent pretty pennies on holiday shopping — canceling services you're not getting the most out of is the easiest way to save a little here and a little there.
And now that the original (ad-free) version of Disney Plus costs $10.99 per month, and $7.99 per month with ads, you're probably saving a little more if you cancel. And, trust me, you're going to come back. Mandalorian season 3 is March 1, Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury returns in Secret Invasion in the spring, and Loki season 2 is this summer.
But none of those big Disney Plus titles hit in January. What does? I'm glad you asked. It's time to look at what's coming to Disney Plus this month, to get a better idea of its value. Sure, Disney Plus has a strong library (I've already mentioned that's why I'm keeping my account), but I can't assume everyone else is watching the same things I am. So, let's look at what it's about to do for us.
All that said, we should note that some will keep Disney Plus for the back catalogue — but since it's hard to know how what's valuable to everyone, we focus on new arrivals. Speaking of the Disney Plus archive, I finally started watching Clone Wars, and here's what shocked me.
Should you cancel Disney Plus in January 2023?
So, anyone who was hoping for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to be on Disney Plus this month? Well, that's not happening. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever hits Disney Plus on February 1, 2023.
Its delay to 2023 was confirmed by the Disney Plus 2023 preview video. Currently the #2 movie of the year (behind Top Gun: Maverick) at the box office, Wakanda Forever may be taking a slow-stroll home, or its continued profits (only Avatar: The Way of Water could kick it off the top of the weekly ticket sales charts).
And with December being a bad month for big new shows and movies (apologies to fans of the revivals of Willow, A Night At the Museum and National Treasure), that Disney Plus price hike looks worse and worse with each passing day.
Disney Plus' new year begins on January 4, with the two-episode premiere of Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2. This extension of the Clone Wars series looks to be just as fun as its last outing, and some at Tom's Guide were excited by the news of its arrival.
That said, this being an animated Star Wars series, it's not exactly a Star Wars offering that everyone's plugged into. Those like myself, who missed Clone Wars the first time (and find its 133-episode seven-season batch too intimidating to start), just may not find it of interest.
New episodes air on the following Wednesdays (Jan. 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th), the same days Disney Plus gets new episodes of National Treasure: Edge of History. Disney's other revival series, Willow airs its three final episodes on January 4th and 11th.
January 4th also sees the following titles added to the Disney Plus library:
- The Boonies (S1)
- Locked Up Abroad (S12)
- Lost Treasures of Egypt (S4)
- Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom (S2)
- Primal Survivor: Over the Andes (S1)
- Underworld, Inc. (S1, S2)
On Friday, January 6th, the National Geographic series Strangest Bird Alive arrives on Disney Plus.
Wednesday continues to be the big day for Disney Plus on January 11th, with the debut of Chasing Waves, a Disney Plus Original documentary series (all episodes drop at once about Japan's place in surfing culture.
That same day, the Spanish-language YA series Gina Yei debuts, about a teen who wins a scholarship to the Caribbean Music Institute (CMI) in Puerto Rico.
Here are the Jan. 11 Disney Plus library additions:
- Airport Security (S4, S5, S6, S7, S8)
- Best in Bridal (S1)
- Bride & Prejudice (S1)
- Celebrity Ghost Stories (S5, S6)
- Evil Genius (S1)
- My Ghost Story (S1)
- SuperKitties (S1, 11 episodes)
Then, on Wednesday, January 18, the animated intergalactic movie King Shakir Recycle (already released in Turkey), makes its wider Disney Plus release on the service. It shows aliens enraged when we ship our garbage to their planets.
The library additions on that day are:
- Chibi Tiny Tales (Shorts) (S3, 14 episodes)
- Disney Junior Mickey Mouse Funhouse (S2, 5 episodes)
- Me & Mickey (Shorts) (S1, 20 episodes)
- Night Stalkers (S1)
- Secret Life of Predators (S1)
More library additions arrive on Friday, January 20th, with Ocean's Breath and Sharkatraz.
On Wednesday, January 25th, Disney Plus gains Mila in the Multiverse. This Brazilian sci-fi series finds 16-year-old Mila traveling the multiverse looking for her mother.
The 25th also sees the following titles added to the Disney Plus library:
- Bloody Tales of Europe (S1)
- Dino Ranch (S2, 6 episodes)
- Hacking the System (S1)
- Riding Britain’s Railways (S1)
The final Disney Plus additions of January hit on the 27th:
- American Blackout
- Challenger Disaster: Lost Tapes
- T. Rex Autopsy
Outlook: Who should cancel Disney Plus this month
Watching Willow or National Treasure? Big on animated Star Wars? I'd understand why you'd balk at my suggestion to cancel Disney Plus right now. But nearly everyone else can wait.
If, by chance, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives this month? Well, you can always come back to Disney Plus if you've been itching for it to arrive on the service for your first (or additional) viewing.
