On Tuesday, November 12, Disney launched a new video streaming service, Disney+, in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands.
After years in development, Disney+ is finally out and rivaling Netflix and other services alike in what is being called the #streamingwars. Currently, Netflix is considered to have 139.26 million users, but this is after 22 years of working the business. After only one day, Disney+ had over 10 million subscribers. They are estimated to have around 60 million by 2024 when worldwide service will be available.
In terms of budget, Disney+ comes in at a whopping $6.99 a month or $70 a year which is less than half the price of a monthly HBO Now subscription for $14.99. However, some people won’t even have to pay directly for the service. If you’re a Verizon customer with unlimited data, then your first year of Disney+ is free. When you sign up, you can also choose to bundle your deal and receive Hulu and ESPN as well for a total of $12.99 per month.
So, what exactly is Disney+ offering? When you log in, you’re giving the option to view by network: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic.
In the Disney section, “Out of the Vault,” is the saying referring to all of our old Disney favorites being released. This includes the princess movies and other animated jewels like The Lion King and Peter Pan. Likewise, every Disney Channel movie and series is available for streaming. Don’t forget about every live-action remake like Cinderella, movie franchises bought by Disney like Avatar, Disney docuseries like Disney Fairytale Weddings, and other movies produced under Disney like Remember the Titans. Pixar includes every movie series we love like Cars and Toy Story, as well as Pixar shorts like La Luna.
In 2009 Disney bought Marvel, the highest-grossing franchise across the globe. Unfortunately, the collection is not complete; the recent Spider Man series, beginning with Spider Man Homecoming, is missing because Sony still owns redistribution rights. However, you can find the rest Avengers series on the site (yes, including Endgame).
Three years after their acquisition of the MCU, Disney bought the Lucasfilm, including, most notably, the Star Wars franchise. Now, all Star Wars movies, specials, shorts, and series are included in the service.
National Geographic is likewise not a complete collection, but they are offering documentaries as well as docuseries. My favorite so far is The Kingdom of the Arctic Wolf.
Another special feature of Disney+ is their Originals. The Mandalorian, a new Star Wars series, is getting a lot of hype and living up to it, earning a 9.1/10 on IMBD and an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. For old High School Musical fans, there is a present for you too: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The show is set at East High where the students are putting on High School Musical: The Musical. I was wary going into it, but after two episodes, I’m hooked, and I’m counting down the days until Friday when the next episode is released. Noelle is an Original Christmas movie, focusing in on Santa’s children. Anna Kendrick plays Noelle, who must work to save her name and the future of Christmas.
Now I bring you a final word of advice when embarking upon your magical Disney+ journey. Do not forget you can choose an avatar. There are characters from each network. For me? I went with Neytiri from Avatar. It is truly an expansive experience. Why not dip your feet into the pool? Start with a 7-day free trial here.