Disney+
- $7.99/month or $79.00/year
- The Disney Bundle: Stream Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+: $69.00/month with ads
- The Disney Bundle: Stream Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+: $75.99/month without ads
Netflix, Prime Video, and Hulu were unarguably the Big Three among streaming services until Disney+ came along. Currently, Disney+ is sitting at number three for the best on-demand streaming services, just below Amazon Prime Video.
Why should you get Disney+? Well, it's Disney! The name speaks for itself. But in case you need a little more convincing, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Advantages for Disney+
Exclusive Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars Content
Disney started ripping its content off Netflix back in 2017, and now that Disney+ is officially off the ground, it’s the only place you can find (most of) Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars movies and shows.
You’ll have access to hundreds of Disney movies and thousands of TV shows, including classics such as Hannah Montanna, Duck Tales, The Muppets, Boy Meets World, and many, many more. With Disney owning Fox, you can find all 30+ seasons of The Simpsons, the X-Men movies, Home Alone, Ice Age, and more.
Disney+ also features National Geographic.
Most Family-Friendly Streaming Service
Disney made its name off its beloved, family-friendly animated children’s films. Despite its many acquisitions over the years, family-friendly is still what it's known for. Some recent family-friendly releases include Encanto, Soul, and both live-action movies Mulan and Lady and the Tramp. Skipping the box office and going straight to the streaming service, Turning Red made a huge impact worldwide for its opening weekend on Disney+.
In 2021, Disney launched their ‘Star’ brand for viewers outside of the US, which contains its mature content Fox movies and FXX shows. This same content can be found in the US on Hulu.
Streaming on Four Screens at Once
Like Netflix, Disney+ allows you to stream from four different devices at once. The big difference is you need Netflix's premium subscription to use four devices.
Disadvantages of Disney+
Buffering Issues
While it’s been out for two years now, Disney+ still has issues with constant buffering from their service getting overloaded. While it has improved since its first release, many users still report experiencing it.
Premiere Access Adds Up
If you were hoping to watch the latest Disney movie at home instead of in theaters, expect to pay an additional $29.99 for early access in addition to your $7.99 monthly fee. While these movies will be free after usually three months, you may find it frustrating to have to pay an additional fee after you’re already paying monthly.
New Episodes Debut Weekly Just Like Regular TV
Unlike Netflix, which regularly drops whole binge-worthy seasons at once, you have to wait for weekly drops of each new episode for most of Disney's original shows. If you’re a big fan of sitting down and bingeing a whole new season in a day, you won’t have that luxury until the full season has aired. Until then, you’ll have to try your best to avoid any spoilers across social media!
Not A Lot of Original Content
While Disney+ is home to exclusive, high-quality classic animations previously locked away in the Disney vault, as well as Pixar movies and shorts and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as a Disney fan, you’ve likely seen them all before. And when Disney+ does get around to adding new original content, it’s few and far between.
If you’re not a huge fan of Disney, Star Wars, or Marvel, then there’s not much left for you on this streaming service. Disney+ has significantly less variety than the other three streaming giants. Also, not every Disney or Fox classic is available.
But, if you are a big fan of these brands, however, and you love watching them over and over, then a Disney+ subscription is definitely worth your money!
