In case you haven’t heard the big news (and it’s kind of hard not to), Disney, the titan of the media industry, is launching its own streaming service this year.
Mind Blown.
Our childhood will be forever immortalized on a streaming service. But wait! There’s more.
That’s right, folks: on November 12th, 2019, a platform called Disney+ (or Disney Plus) will become the new home of the Disney properties, which includes not just Pixar, but Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 21st Century Fox (which Disney acquired in a merger back in March of this year).
It’s ok- you can take a second to breathe. I know it’s super exciting! No more will we have to hunt the depths of the internet for our favorite Disney Classics and bounce from streaming service to streaming service.
In other words, this is a pretty big deal.
Netflix and has been the top runner for a while, but if you regularly watch on the platform, you’ve probably noticed that less and less Disney properties are available to stream (and my kids protest it everyday) Well, as much as things come and go on Netflix, soon (we’re talking early 2020), all Disney properties will migrate from Netflix to Disney+.
Parents, kids and childless millennials everywhere will rejoice at the opportunities Disney+ will bring to the table. You aren’t a snack, Disney+, you’re the whole damn meal.
So what’s the catch on this new, intriguing, but frankly inevitable streaming platform? Here’s everything you need to know about Disney+. Or Disney Plus, if you prefer.
Lets talk dolla bills (How Much Does it Cost?)
Let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we? Disney+ offers the competitive price of $6.99 a month–that’s $3 less than Netflix’s standard package of $12.99, and cheaper still than their basic plan of $8.99 a month.
You can also purchase a yearly subscription at $69.99, but members of the D23 Fan Club have the opportunity for a special package: 33% if you buy a 3-year subscription. This basically works out to a buy two years, get one free deal.
Disney+ will also offer a bundle that includes ESPN and Hulu for $12.99.
But wait! There’s more.
Whatta we get with the subscription?
The basic package ($6.99) includes four simultaneous streams, 4K video, ultra high-definition (UHD), and high dynamic range (HDR) picture quality when available, which are all features that are only offered in the Premium package of Netflix.
You also get unlimited downloads to your mobile devices and it’s ad-free.
Celebrate with me people- AD FREE.
I’m happy, because ya girl hates ads, and they seem to be popping up on social media more and more- but that’s a different rant for a different time.
OR
if monthly isn’t your thing, you can sign up for several different year-long subscriptions. This started at D23 where Disney Offered attendees their shot at being pioneering members for being the first ones to sign up.
Now you can just head over to the website and grab a yearly subscription. It’s currently 69.99 a month.
So whose it for?
Disney+ and chill just doesn’t quite have the ring to it.
But really…
It looks like everyone is the target audience, from kids to adults, cartoon fans to action-adventure lovers.
Most people like at least something from the Disney properties, so there’s probably something for everyone. Of course, Disney also loves to play to the nostalgia of the millennial generation whose bread and butter are its classic films, so there’s little doubt that we will be reminiscing over our favorites.
What Will I Be Able to Watch?
With the basic package (notice I said basic), you’ll have access to all the Disney properties.
This means not only your old favorites, but also new content scheduled to release in the next year like The Mandalorian, Lady and the Tramp, High School Musical: the Series, Marvel’s What If…?, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. (Life finds a way, am I right?)
Some of this, like The Mandalorian (a Star Wars story), is exclusive to Disney+, much like a Netflix Original. Basically, you’ll gain access to everything that has been or will be in theatres and then some. As the Disney+ website puts it: “Never-before seen original feature films, series, short-form content and documentaries.”
Here’s a list (ever-growing) of the new content that will be available on Disney+:
The Mandalorian
Lady and the Tramp
Noelle
High School Musical: the Series
Hero Project
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
Encore!
Into the Unknown (making of Frozen II)
Monsters Unknown
Timmy Failure
Wandavision
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
The Clone Wars
What If…?
Loki
She Hulk
Moon Knight
Ms. Marvel
At the D23 Expo last month (august 2019), where Disney fans get to hear new announcements and exciting developments such as coming attractions to the Disney theme parks as well as upcoming releases, more movies and TV shows were added to the list.
Some of them are currently untitled (say whaaaaat), but according to the D23 website, here’s what fans can look forward to in the coming years:
One Day at Disney (which looks really entertaining)
An Obi-Wan Kanobi series
A reprise of Lizzie McGuire (I legit screamed at this)
MuppetsNow (I screamed at this too- my kids and I love the Muppets)
Black Panther II
Soul
Raya and the Last Dragon
This is probably not an exhaustive list, but with how quickly the House of Mouse is able to put new media into production, you’ll be watching Disney+ forever.
So, does that mean that Netflix will no longer be the big dawg in the streaming world?
The dirty deets- What’s the Catch with Disney+
Up to this point, everything seems to be working in Disney’s favor.
*cough* I mean my favor
It’s definitely competitively priced, and the features sound awesome for the price. Disney fans are likely to find this streaming service worth their while.
However.
(because theirs always a but)
According to an article from The Stranger, Disney+ will not offer a binging feature.
Excuse me while I go cry into my sequined pillow while drinking my pumpkin spice cold foam (I’m looking at you carlye wisel)
Basically, for new shows, they will premier one episode at a time as opposed to being uploaded all at once.
Which, if you’re a Great British Baking show fan (because I am) Netflix is doing the same thing this year where they release it weekly.
And I don’t really know how I feel about it.
For those of us who enjoy the ability to control (or, rather, relinquish control over) how much we watch and when, this could be really really frustrating. No staying up till 3 am watching just one more episode.
Apparently, Disney wants us to be responsible adults… I mean… responsible families because its for the kids right?
the real goal is to promote more engagement with shows (like in the days of old, I suppose, when we all had to wait for the next episode of The Sopranos), but how well this will translate into our binging culture remains to be seen (or unseen, because you gonna have to be patient now 🤣)
So basically
Will Disney+ make other streaming services like Netflix and Hulu obsolete? 👀
Only time will tell, but it’s unlikely that everyone will automatically ditch their current subscriptions in favor of Disney+. If anything, fans might revolt at the streaming limitations and binge-less nights.
Whether you’re a die-hard Disney fan or just a casual viewer, if it’s something that interests you, be sure to take advantage of it- You’ll likely won’t regret it (unlike the 4 am nights you’ve been having with netflix)