What is Premier Access on Disney Plus? Explaining the service and how to get Jungle Cruise

What is Premier Access? Is it the same thing as Disney Plus or a completely different service? Don't worry if you're confused - it's all a bit bewildering. Fortunately, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Premier Access is best described as an add-on to the Disney Plus streaming service, and it allows you to watch brand-new movies like Jungle Cruise and Black Widow.

If you're still none the wiser and wondering "what is Premier Access?", don't panic. We've broken down everything you need to know about the initiative below, including how it works and how much it costs in your region.

• Jungle Cruise Premier Access: See the deals in your area

Our guide will give you the lowdown on how to see these movies for as little as possible, too. Huzzah for bargains!

What is Premier Access?

Think of Premier Access like going to the cinema: Disney Plus is the theatre, and Premier Access is your ticket. However, there's one crucial difference. So long as you've got a Disney Plus subscription, you can see the film as often as you want. Rather than being a rental, it's more like a standard digital purchase.

So, how much does it cost? Premier Access for Jungle Cruise will set you back $29.99 in the US, £19.99 in the UK, $34.99 in Canada, and $34.99 in Australia (the price is the same for Black Widow, if you were wondering). While that may seem steep, and it arguably is if you're just buying for yourself, let's return to our theater ticket analogy. Compared to the cost of an entire family going to the cinema, it's actually pretty good value. Particularly if you include inflated snack and drink prices.

However, it's worth bearing in mind that you need to have an active Disney Plus sign-up first. More specifically, you cannot pay for or see Jungle Cruise (not to mention Black Widow) unless you have a Disney Plus membership. Without one, there's no way of watching either movie.

With that in mind, how much does a Disney Plus subscription cost? Although there are numerous Disney Plus bundles to choose from, a single month of the service is your cheapest option now that the Disney Plus free trial is gone. Sign up now and one month of Disney Plus will cost you $7.99 in the US, £7.99 in the UK, and $11.99 in Canada or Australia.

Not keen on sticking around? Because there's no binding contract, you can always cancel before being charged for the next month if you'd prefer to keep costs down (just remember, cancelling loses you access to anything you bought on Premier Access until you sign up again).

In other words, you'll be able to see Jungle Cruise or Black Widow as often as you like once you've paid for Premier Access... so long as you're an active Disney Plus subscriber. This makes its cost a little more palatable; if you're able and can do so safely, you could have a socially-distanced viewing party with your family or friends to justify the price.

These offers won't be available forever, though. Premier Access deals for Raya and the Last Dragon were removed after a month or two, so Black Widow and Jungle Cruise will almost certainly follow suit. You'll still be able to see the films if you already purchased them on Premier Access (phew), but everyone else will have to wait until their home release later this year.

Is anything else available on Premier Access?

Wondering if you can buy anything else through Premier Access? Although it normally offers one movie at a time, there's some crossover this month - Cruella is also available right now, as is Black Widow. 

It's unclear if anything else is going to make the jump to Premier Access during 2021,  though. But never say never. Go back a year and you'll find Disney insisting that it wouldn't launch Black Widow on Premier Access, for instance. Yet here we are. Could we see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings or Eternals make their debut on Premier Access as a result? Time - and the global situation - will tell.

Just don't think you'll automatically get them because you paid for Jungle Cruise, or Black Widow. Even if more movies do turn up, you'll have to pay again anyway. As an example, anyone who bought Mulan Premier Access still had to pay for Raya and the Last Dragon Premier Access. 

That may seem harsh at first, but it's fair enough if you think about Premier Access like buying a DVD. You don't get new discs arriving on your doorstep after buying one movie.

If you aren't keen to shell out cash again to see Jungle Cruise after paying for something like Black Widow, don't worry. Fans can eventually watch both as part of their standard Disney Plus memberships - they'll just have to wait. Namely, Mulan and Raya's Premier Access deals became unavailable to purchase a month or two after they launched. The films then appeared on Disney Plus for free later in the year, so those that missed the boat were eventually rewarded for their patience.

Which devices can use Premier Access?

Any device that supports Disney Plus will support Premier Access and, by extension, movies like Jungle Cruise, Black Widow, and Cruella. That list includes everything from smartphones to TVs, and some consoles are in the mix as well. 

We've got a full list for you below.

• Samsung or LG Smart TV
• PS4
• Xbox One
• Roku device
• Google Chromecast
• Apple TV
• Fire TV
• iOS/Android device
• Web browser

Will Black Widow and Jungle Cruise ever be free on Disney Plus?

Will Jungle Cruise and Black Widow ever be available for free on Disney Plus? Definitely. Much like Cruella before them, both films are coming to Disney Plus a couple of months after they debut on Premier Access. More precisely, all Disney Plus subscribers will be able to watch Black Widow from October 6 2021 and Jungle Cruise as of November 12 2021.

In other words, anyone on the fence about Premier Access (and those who aren't fussed about watching Black Widow or Jungle Cruise right away) are probably better to wait. Hold out for a few months and you'll be able to see the film as part of your standard Disney Plus membership.

It's probably going to be the same story with anything else on Premier Access. Once that movie has finished its theatrical run, it'll become available for all Disney Plus subscribers a few months later.

Premier Access deals

NOTE: A Disney Plus subscription (see deals here) is required to use Jungle Cruise or Black Widow Premier Access.

Premier Access deals for Jungle Cruise and Black Widow are live now, but costs vary depending on your region. We've listed a breakdown of these prices below, and you can order the movie as we speak (so long as you've got an existing Disney Plus membership, of course).

Premier Access deals - USA

Premier Access | $29.99 (Jungle Cruise) / $29.99 (Black Widow)
NOTE: You need an active Disney Plus subscription ($7.99 per month, $79.99 for a year, or $13.99 p/m for Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus) to access this deal.
If you have a Disney Plus subscription already, you'll be able to see Jungle Cruise after paying its one-off Premier Access fee of $29.99 (the same is true of Black Widow). Happily, it isn't a one-time thing either; once you've paid, you can watch the film as often as you like due to the fact that there isn't an expiry date. However, you will still need a Disney Plus membership.

View Deal

Premier Access deals - Canada

Premier Access | $34.99 (Jungle Cruise) / $34.99 (Black Widow)
NOTE: You need an active Disney Plus subscription ($11.99 per month or $119.99 for a year) to access this deal.
Got an active Disney Plus membership? Much like Black Widow, all that needs to be done to see Jungle Cruise is pay the one-off Premier Access fee this July. That allows you to watch the film as often as you like (so long as you've got an active Disney Plus sub, anyway).

View Deal

Premier Access deals - UK

Premier Access | £19.99 (Jungle Cruise) / £19.99 (Black Widow)
NOTE: You need an active Disney Plus subscription (£7.99 per month or £79.90 for a year) to access this deal.
If you've already signed up for a Disney Plus subscription, all you need to do to catch up with Jungle Cruise is buy its Premier Access deal. Once that's out of the way, you can see the film as often as you want and at your leisure so long as you've got an active Disney Plus membership - there's no limit or expiry date. The same is true of Black Widow.

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Premier Access deals - Australia

Premier Access | $34.99 (Jungle Cruise) / $34.99 (Black Widow)
NOTE: You need an active Disney Plus subscription ($11.99 per month or $119.99 for a year) to access this deal.
For those of you with an active Disney Plus membership (any of them will do), all that's left in order to see Jungle Cruise is this Premier Access deal. Once that's done, you can watch the film whenever you want - unlike view-on-demand services, it won't expire after you've paid for it. The same is true of Black Widow, which is also available through Premier Access.

View Deal

Want to know whether the streaming service is worth your time? Be sure to check out our Disney Plus review for details. As for what's just arrived on the service, check out our guide to everything that's new on Disney Plus.