When the Walt Disney Company released the news of the streaming service Disney+ back in November 8, 2018 many eagerly awaited its official launch. At last Disney+ launched on November 12, 2019. It has now been one week since it’s official launch and Disney fans and subscribers have had a lot to say since then.
On its official launch date on November 12, more than 10 million people signed up for Disney+ in its first 24 hours. The streaming service offered a pre-order option as well that many signed up for. Though the pre-order option didn’t seem to do much. Those who signed up for the pre-order option still had to wait until 6 am to officially begin using the streaming service. This brought forth many complains by fans. Among those who signed up for the pre-order option, I too was disappointed in this. When Disney announced the release date of Disney+ it was only known that the launch date was November 12 but the time when users could begin streaming was not mentioned. Therefore, this had many fans confused and upset. Comments on Disney+’s official Instagram page and Twitter page were flooded with fans asking why they couldn’t stream anything yet. Users had no other option than to wait until 6 am to officially start streaming content, even those who had pre-ordered. When it was finally 6 am and even past it, various users took their complains to social media platforms stating that they were facing problems trying to access the streaming service. Many users experienced service errors on launch day due to the heavy amount of people trying to login and access the streaming service all at once.
Source: Twitter
In spite of that inconvenience, users and fans reported being more than satisfied with the content on the streaming service when they signed in for the first time. Many used the word “magical” to describe the streaming service. The interface was very visually appealing and easy to use as well. When I first logged in on my TV, I had to take a few moments to take in everything as there was so much content. There was a huge selection of movies to choose from, series, throwbacks, and new movies and shows created by Disney+. There was content for everyone and for all ages.
Source: CNet
One of the things that were however disfavored by users and fans was that Disney+ was only set to be streamed on select supporting devices. The only devices where users are able to stream Disney+ are: Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, Roku boxes, Google Chromecast and Chromecast-enabled devices, Apple iPhone, IPad, iPod Touch, Android phones and Android TV, Apple TV, Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4, Android-based Sony Smart TVs, Chromebooks, and Samsung and LG devices. Although the list is pretty broad, the initial list of supported devices did not include Amazon Fire TV, fire sticks, and Fire tablets. This was at first disfavored by many users as many were hoping to stream Disney+ on Amazon Firestick. Amazon was initially not included in the list due to a dispute over ad revenue. Disney and Amazon had initially been on a disagreement over advertising rights to Disney apps. It was until recently that the Wall Street Journal released the announcement that a deal had been reached between both companies to allow Disney+ to be streamed on Amazon devices. Since this announcement, positive feedback has been received by many users and fans that are now able to stream Disney+ on their Amazon devices.
Source: Disney+
In regards to Disney+’s content, there have been many positive reviews coming in by users and fans. The new Star Wars series “The Mandalorian” has specifically received a lot of great feedback from fans. Many users are pleased that they can stream not just Disney content but also Marvel and Star Wars. Users were also pleased with the streaming service’s prices. The set prices for Disney+ start at $6.99 a month and $69.99 for a year. There is also a special bundle offered for the cost of $12.99 a month which offers full access to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ all for that price. On top of this, there is also an option for users to do a free 7-day trial. This is a great way to watch all that is offered and decide whether you would like to invest in subscribing or not after your trial is over.
All in all, here are my thoughts on what I think of Disney+. I subscribed for the annual subscription for $69.99 after hearing so many good things about it from the news announced at the D23 Expo in August. I also did my research and looked up reviews of those who were able to get Disney+ before its launch in the U.S. I saw various YouTube channels from people in Netherlands sharing all the content included on Disney+ as it launched in the Netherlands before the U.S. I gave in and pre-ordered it excited to finally start watching everything. With a week of watching various content, I can say that I have mixed feelings about Disney+. I do think there is a large selection of content to watch but I was a little disappointed to see that there is still a lot that is not included. I initially thought that ALL Disney movies and series would be featured, and was a little let down when I saw that this was not the case. Many movies and shows I was hoping to watch were not included like Enchanted, Toy Story 4, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Up, Sky High, Daredevil, Avengers: Infinity War, Spider-Man Homecoming, Spider-Man Far From Home, Thor-Ragnarok, The Proud Family, Life with Dereck, and Sonny with a Chance. I was also really hoping to see the new series that are set to debut soon. I was really excited about the new Lizzie McGuire series and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and the other Marvel series. However, Disney+ has announced that many movies and series will be available this upcoming year in 2020 as select films and series’ streaming rights are still tied up with other services such as Netflix. The steaming rights of the films and series not yet available have to expire before they can be seen on Disney+. And as far as recent films that have come out this year in 2019 like The Lion King and Alladin live actions and Toy Story 4 we will have to wait patiently until they are released onto Disney+. Another thing that I found quite odd was that there is no “Continue Watching” panel to resume watching content where you left off. Maybe it’s because I’m accustomed to seeing it on Netflix, but at first I didn’t like that this option was missing. In order to continue watching a movie or series where you left off, you have to manually locate it in the search bar or scroll through various other movies and series to find what you want to continue watching. I didn’t like the trouble of going through everything to resume watching a certain movie or series but now I have come to like it as it saves you the embarrassment of displaying certain content you don’t want other people to see when you first log in. The absence of a “Continue Watching” panel gives you the freedom to watch anything knowing that it won’t appear on your home screen when you first log in.
Source: CNet
Ultimately, with just a week after its official release date, Disney+ has gained millions of subscribers and continues to gain more. The reviews and commentary keep coming in by both those who are pleased with the streaming service and those that aren’t. As a subscriber, I am pleased with the content but I am definitely hoping that more is added in upcoming years. If you found this review helpful and would like to potentially subscribe to Disney+ you can go here to sign up or get more information. Happy watching!
Source: Twitter