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Disney
- Disney Plus lets subscribers stream movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and more.
- The service costs $8/month or $80/year, and bundles with Hulu and ESPN+ start at $14/month.
- A cheaper Disney Plus subscription with commercials is expected to launch in late 2022.
Disney Plus is a streaming service with a huge library of on-demand shows and movies from Disney’s many brands. Since November 2019, the service has amassed nearly 130 million subscribers.
Disney Plus includes a mix of content from Disney’s vault and new programs developed exclusively for members. Subscribers can watch the studio’s animated films, new Pixar releases, and titles from “Star Wars” and Marvel franchises. Major film releases like “West Side Story” and “Encanto” also continue to add value.
Subscriptions start at $8 a month for ad-free streaming. Disney Plus can also be bundled with Hulu and ESPN+ for a starting price of $14 a month. In March, Disney announced it will add a cheaper subscription plan with commercials in late 2022.
Below, we’ve detailed everything you need to know about Disney Plus to help you decide if the service is right for your streaming needs.
What is Disney Plus?
Disney Plus is an on-demand streaming service created by The Walt Disney Company.
With Disney Plus, subscribers can watch thousands of Disney movies and series on their devices (smart TVs, phones, laptops, tablets, and gaming consoles). The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch anywhere, anytime.
Disney Plus content comes from Walt Disney Studios’ and Walt Disney Television’s biggest names: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox).
How much does Disney Plus cost?
Disney Plus costs $8 a month or $80 per year. With a subscription, you get ad-free access to all of the service’s streaming titles. Disney Plus does not currently offer a free trial.
There’s also an option to buy a bundled package with Hulu and ESPN+, which costs $14 a month for all three services. Individually, ESPN+ and the ad-supported version of Hulu each cost $7 a month. Subscribing to the bundle saves you about $8 a month.
The Disney bundle is also automatically included if you subscribe to any of Hulu’s live TV plans. Hulu + Live TV offers access to over 75 channels. Hulu (with ads) + Live TV with Disney Plus and ESPN Plus costs $70 a month.
You can read more about how to get the Disney Plus bundle with ESPN+ and the different versions of Hulu here.
Does Disney Plus have an ad-supported plan?
In March, Disney announced plans to offer an ad-supported Disney Plus subscription at a lower price, similar to Hulu and HBO Max. The ad-supported plan will launch in the US in late 2022 but a price hasn’t been revealed. The ad-supported plan will roll out to international markets in 2023.
Where is Disney Plus available?
Disney Plus is now live and available to stream in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, India, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ireland, Isle of Man, Monaco, Wallis and Futuna, French West Indies, French Guiana, New Caledonia, Japan, Indonesia, Latin America, Réunion, Mayotte, Mauritius, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea.
Are there Disney Plus gift cards?
Yes. If you’re looking for a great gift for that special Disney fan in your life, you can get them a Disney Plus gift subscription for $80. The gift subscription is available for new members only, and includes one year of the streaming service.
Learn more about how to buy a Disney Plus gift subscription.
What features and formats are supported on Disney Plus?
Disney Plus includes several features that make using the service more convenient.
The platform supports up to seven profiles per subscription. A special kids profile can also be used. This feature restricts Disney Plus streaming to titles that are rated TV-7FV and G.
Disney Plus also allows simultaneous streaming on up to four different devices. Unlimited downloads are provided as well via the Disney Plus app on up to 10 different smartphones and tablets.
You can even watch Disney Plus with up to six friends using the GroupWatch feature, but everyone watching needs to have their own subscription. This option syncs playback to create a shared viewing session, enabling friends and families to watch shows and movies together remotely.
When it comes to video formats, Disney Plus supports up to 4K resolution with high dynamic range (HDR), using the HDR10 or Dolby Vision formats. Dolby Digital surround sound and Dolby Atmos audio formats are supported on several programs as well.
Select Marvel titles also now support a larger IMAX aspect ratio. This means you can see even more picture on screen, revealing more action in certain scenes. A total of 14 movies incorporate IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio so far, and Disney says IMAX enhanced DTS sound will eventually be added.
How to watch Disney Plus
You can watch Disney Plus through many connected devices:
- Desktop web browsers
- Mobile devices and tablets (Android and Apple).
- Smart TVs (LG WebOS, Samsung Tizen, Android TV, Vizio SmartCast, Roku TV)
- Game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox)
- Streaming devices (Apple TV 4th Gen and later, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku)
Who should sign up for Disney Plus?
Disney Plus is an ideal service for Disney fans, whether they’re Marvel geeks or animation aficionados. It’s especially suitable for families with children who want to watch recent Disney movies and older Disney titles from the studio’s vault.
Though the lineup of original programming was a bit limited at launch, popular exclusives like “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Loki” “Hawkeye,” and “Moon Knight” continue to add value. Disney is also removing its content from a lot of other services, including Netflix, so Disney Plus will soon become the only subscription streaming platform with access to many of its titles.
You can read our full Disney Plus review here for detailed impressions, as well as our Disney Plus review from a parent’s perspective for specific thoughts on the platform’s family-centric features.
What shows and movies can I watch on Disney Plus?
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Virtually any Disney show or movie that’s already been released is available to watch on Disney Plus.
From classics like “Snow White” to recent hits like “Shang-Chi,” the service features a huge library of titles to choose from across Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Studio brands.
Disney Plus also includes exclusive original programming, like “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Loki” and “Hawkeye.”
Disney Plus has exclusive musical content as well, including concert films from Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, a film version of the Broadway show “Hamilton,” and Beyonce’s visual album “Black is King.”
Some new and upcoming releases include Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” Pixar’s “Seeing Red,” Marvel’s “Moon Knight,” and a musical documentary starring Olivia Rodrigo.
In addition to everything that comes included with your subscription, Disney Plus sometimes offers “Premier Access” releases. Premier Access titles cost an extra $30 to unlock, granting buyers early access to films that are still playing in theaters.
You can find more information about specific Disney Plus shows and movies below:
- Disney Plus movies
- Disney Plus shows
- Disney Plus Premier Access movies
- Marvel movies and shows on Disney Plus
- Star Wars movies and shows on Disney Plus
- Pixar movies on Disney Plus
- Kids movies and shows on Disney Plus
How does Disney Plus compare to other streaming services?
While services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video feature a rotating mix of movies and TV shows from different studios, Disney Plus is focused entirely on Disney content.
Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television offer an iconic library of family friendly movies, shows, and documentaries, but the Disney Plus collection won’t change much on a month to month basis.
At $8 a month, it’s very affordable compared to major competitors, and the discounted bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ adds even more streaming value.
Of all the major streaming services, it’s also one of the most generous in the areas of multiple-device streaming, profile additions, downloads, and 4K playback. Some competitors, like HBO Max and Netflix, require subscribers to pay for their most expensive plans in order to receive 4K support.
On the downside, Disney’s focus on family friendly programming might limit the service’s appeal to adults. That said, this approach could be changing. Disney Plus is set to update its parental controls to accommodate more mature titles when it adds shows like “Daredevil,” “Luke Cage,” and “Jessica Jones” to its lineup on March 16.
How do I sign up for Disney Plus?
You can sign up for Disney Plus directly through the Disney Plus website. To start streaming, you simply need to create an account by entering an email address and payment method.
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