Disney has confirmed another meaningful change to the way subscribers experience Disney+ and Hulu — and it's arriving in October. Whether you're a Disney+ subscriber, a Hulu member, or both, this update will affect the way you watch.

Say Hello to Disney+ Playlists

The headline change isn't a new movie or series — it's a new way to watch. Beginning in October, Disney+ will introduce Playlists, a feature designed to keep content playing continuously without requiring you to choose every individual title.

Disney describes Playlists as a

"continuous, lean-back viewing experience"
that still includes full playback controls. Think of it a little like tuning into a traditional television channel — you pick a theme and let Disney+ handle the lineup from there.

Subscribers can browse Playlists organized by franchise, character, genre, or even mood. Disney has already confirmed several options, including:

  • Action and Adventure Movies
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Pixar Movies
  • Mickey and Friends
  • Bluey
  • Modern Family

It's a notably different experience from the on-demand streaming model subscribers have grown used to — one that requires considerably less decision-making.

Halloween Will Put Playlists to Work Right Away

Disney isn't waiting long to lean into seasonal programming with the new feature. October's Halloween focus will be front and center, with several themed Playlists already confirmed:

  • Halloween Episodes
  • Halloween Movies
  • Halloween Throwbacks
  • Huluween Episodes
  • Huluween Movies
  • The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror

Disney says seasonal Playlists will continue to appear throughout the year, making the feature especially handy during holidays. Instead of manually building a Halloween marathon, you can simply select the right Playlist and let Disney+ do the rest. It also gives older titles buried deep in the library a better chance of being discovered.

Disney+ and Hulu Are Sharing More and More Programming

October's schedule makes clear just how much Disney+ and Hulu continue to overlap. Several releases are specifically listed for both services.

On October 2, Adventure Time: Side Quests Season 2 and Coven Academy Season 1 will premiere on both Disney+ and Hulu with all episodes available. The 2026 Austin City Limits Music Festival will also livestream across both platforms beginning October 2 and running through October 4.

The crossover continues throughout the month. Between Steps, a Hulu Original, will premiere on both platforms on October 5. Additional shared programming includes Merry Berry Love, Surviving Alaska: Women of the Wild, Megastorm, and several podcasts.

For anyone who remembers when Disney+ and Hulu felt like two entirely separate products with distinct identities, October's lineup looks noticeably different.

Hulu Gets a Major Library Refresh on October 1

Hulu is also welcoming a sizable wave of familiar titles as soon as the month begins. Here's a look at what's arriving:

October 1:

  • Die Hard (1988), Die Hard 2 (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), and Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
  • Edward Scissorhands (1990)
  • Ghostbusters (1984), Ghostbusters II (1989), and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call (2016)
  • Grown Ups (2010) and Grown Ups 2 (2013)
  • Hotel Transylvania (2012) and Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015)
  • All three Night at the Museum movies

The horror additions keep coming shortly after:

  • October 2: The Substance (2024)
  • October 3: Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019)
  • October 14: All five Hunger Games films, from The Hunger Games (2012) through The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)

Disney+ Has Big October Originals of Its Own

Disney+ is bringing plenty of its own new content to the table as well. Here's what's on the way:

  • October 1: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse+ Season 2
  • October 2: Pupstruction Season 3
  • October 7: Halloween special episodes of Big City Greens and Kiff, a Phineas and Ferb Halloween special, and all episodes of Vampirina: Teenage Vampire Season 2
  • October 14: VisionQuest premieres, with new episodes continuing on October 21 and October 28

Disney+ is also continuing its push into live programming. Dancing with the Stars Season 35 streams live on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET, and The Banana Bowl streams live on October 10 at 8 p.m. ET.

Disney's Streaming Vision Keeps Evolving

Taken together, October's lineup reflects a streaming service that looks quite different from the Disney+ that originally launched. It's no longer simply a library where you pick a Disney, Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars title and press play.

Today's Disney+ includes livestreams, podcasts, ABC programming, Hulu Originals, and now Playlists — a feature that shifts one of streaming's most fundamental behaviors. For years, streaming placed the viewer entirely in control of what played next. Playlists offer an alternative that asks far less of the subscriber.

October will provide one of the clearest looks yet at what this revised Disney streaming experience feels like — and with Hulu programming, live events, seasonal collections, and traditional Disney+ releases increasingly sitting side by side, the line separating the two services continues to get thinner.