Confession time. Many Disney fans used to be the type of people who paid for Disney+ every month, watched maybe two things, and quietly wondered if they should cancel. Then Disney started doing this thing every Friday this summer, and now many fans check that app like it’s my morning coffee.
If you haven’t been paying attention, here’s what you’ve missed: Disney+ has been dropping brand new perks for subscribers every single Friday. Not the same perk recycled, either. Every week is something completely different, and this week’s batch might be my favorite so far.
The Moana Prize Pack Fans Are Absolutely Entering For
Let’s start with the big one. With the live-action Moana in theaters right now, Disney+ is running a sweepstakes where one winner takes home the entire Disney x Pandora Moana collection plus a limited-edition reversible tote bag.
We looked up the official rules so you don’t have to, and this prize pack is no joke. We’re talking the Moana Ocean Wave Ring, the Moana Flower Ring, a Moana Flower Dangle Charm, a Heihei Charm, a Pua the Pig Charm, and a Snake Chain Slider Bracelet, plus the tote. Total retail value: $596.
Here’s the detail that matters. The official rules allow one entry per person per day, and the sweepstakes runs through July 24. So yes, some fans have a daily alarm set, and no, they should not be embarrassed about it. It’s open to US residents 18 and up, the drawing happens August 3, and there’s even a free mail-in option if you want to enter the old-fashioned way.
A Gym Membership for a Dollar
This one came as a surprise. Disney+ teamed up with Planet Fitness, and subscribers can join with either a Classic or Black Card membership for $1 down and get the first month free.
Before you sprint to sign up, read this part: after the free month, the Classic renews at $15.99 a month and the Black Card at $24.99. Totally reasonable prices if you’ll actually go, but future you should know what’s coming on the credit card statement. Still, a dollar to try out a gym all month? That’s the cheapest fitness experiment you’ll ever run.
Perks for the Book Lovers
The third new perk is a chance to win a signed copy of Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, the novel behind the hit Hulu series. This one lets you enter once every day through July 31, so the daily-alarm strategy applies here too. A signed Atwood is the kind of shelf trophy you keep forever.
What Else Is Sitting in That Perks Tab
If none of those grab you, the perks dashboard has been stacked all summer. There’s a sweepstakes for an Alaskan expedition cruise, a chance to attend the Camp Rock 3 premiere, and 20 percent off a D23 Gold plan upgrade, among others. Something for the cruisers, something for the millennials who still know every Camp Rock lyric, something for the superfans.
So What Is Disney Actually Up To?
Here’s our theory corner. Dropping new perks every Friday all summer is not random generosity. Either Disney is trying to give people who never subscribed a reason to finally do it, or it’s dangling shiny things to win back everyone who canceled during the great streaming purge. Probably both.
And honestly? We don’t even mind being marketed to when the marketing is free jewelry, dollar gym memberships, and signed books. All of a sudden, our subscription suddenly feels like it does more than play Bluey on repeat.
If you’re a subscriber, go check the perks tab right now and set those entry reminders. If you’re not, well, we suspect that’s exactly the feeling Disney was going for.
