Let’s be honest: Disney knows how to create magic. It isn’t a challenge for them to earn a pretty penny while they do it, either. They are the ones behind the happiest place on Earth, the longest-running children’s cartoon character of all time, and some of the highest-grossing movies of all time. But now there’s a brand new streaming app you may have heard about coming out soon. Disney Plus, also known as Disney+.
We know what you’re thinking: “Oh, great. Another streaming service to pay for!” But hang on to that for just a minute. Because this just might be another flick of the wand: pure magic. Disney Plus definitely looks promising, and it may just become your go-to for streaming content.
What Is Disney Plus?
Disney Plus is the next step in the ever-growing trend of streaming services. Streaming services are booming in popularity. More people now have a streaming service than a cable or dish package. It’s no mystery why people are choosing streaming services over traditional TV.
It’s also no mystery to see why people are excited to see Disney take their turn at the winning formula. After all, it seems people are always excited to see that familiar logo pop up on new upcoming products.
Disney Plus promises to offer more than any other streaming service available today. And from the looks of it, Disney might be right about that. The idea is that the majority of what Disney owns will appear on the service. Last we checked, that was a lot of stuff.
In the past, we saw infrequent appearances from Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney princesses on available streaming platforms like Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Now. And it was never a guarantee that they would appear at all. But the Disney Plus app will allow us to view many of the Disney movies we love any time we want. Many of those classic Disney movies that we owned on VHS but are collecting dust now. Disney+ might just breathe new life into those classics.
Disney Plus will also have other offers to go along with its basic bundle. So you’ll have plenty of content to choose from. Such as Disney, ESPN, and a Hulu package you can add on.
When will it go live
You can expect to see Disney Plus very soon. Before the end of 2019 soon. You’ll be able to start streaming on November 12, 2019. That is unless something comes up and things change. But you can absolutely expect to see all your favorite Disney favorites this year!
Despite its launching in just a few months, there hasn’t been as much marketing for Disney Plus as you’d expect. But plans to launch such a platform have been in motion for a very long time. Disney actually acquired 20th Century Fox and Hulu both earlier this year. Both of those will be included in the November launch, with Hulu and Fox content offered on the platform or as package deals.
Disney Plus was first announced back in September of 2017. The plan was to create a high-end streaming service dedicated to Disney's massive library. It will likely compete with Netflix the most, even though it actually probably won't have as much content as Netflix does. But Disney's idea here is quality over quantity, and they're hoping to bring in viewers who just want to see nothing but Disney's amazing exclusive content.
Pick up a PS4 or Roku so you can stream in time for its November release!
Why Will Disney Plus Be Better than Other Streaming Services?
While "not as much content" may turn off some viewers, ask yourself this: "Where else will I find the entire Star Wars saga in one place, ready to marathon?" Just like any other streaming service, this one has plenty of binge-worthy content. But it’s what you’re binging that’s the selling point.
Disney may be worth billions, but beating Netflix won't be a walk in the park. Did you know that Netflix has more than 140 million subscribers? That number isn't exactly seeing a decline, either. But with Disney Plus, who knows how those numbers will be affected. Perhaps, due to their different kinds of content, they won't even compete at all. They might work well together to cater all of the content we could ever want to stream.
Say goodbye to the outside world.
There are other streaming services, but none quite have a name like Netflix. So, to say this early on that Disney Plus may have it running for its money says a lot about Disney and their content.
Netflix has a lot of original content that they produce themselves. To an almost fascinating level, they add new content to have new content quickly added to their platform frequently and rapidly. With Disney Plus stating that they won't stream R-rated material on their platform, Netflix just might hold their place as the go-to for edgy original dramas. But they have a variety of content, from comedy specials, original movies, and kids' content.
Even then, Disney Plus is known for nailing their original ideas, so what they offer stands out on its own. If you can afford to have two streaming services, we just might recommend holding onto your Netflix for now. But you should absolutely be excited for Disney Plus.
Why? Because of the shows!
Confirmed Disney Plus shows
As we mentioned earlier, Disney has been busy adding to their collection of things they own. What else would the second richest entertainment business do? Within the last couple of decades, Disney has acquired multiple billion-dollar companies: Lucasfilms, Marvel, and 20th Century Fox. The “big three,” if you will. What came with those purchases? Box-office jackpot after box-office jackpot.
Besides that, Disney has acquired some of the most popular TV shows and channels. The longest-running sitcom of all time, "The Simpsons," will be available to stream on Disney Plus at launch. All 639 episodes, in fact.
On day one, Disney Plus will include "The Mandalorian," the first-ever live-action Star Wars show. Disney's frequent collaborator, Jon Favreau, has taken over the role of writer, director, and showrunner. It will take place between the fall of the empire and the rise of the First Order, and it will star Pedro Pascal as the titular character.
Pixar is releasing its own series of animated short films called Sparkshorts, intending to discover new storytellers and animators.
Marvel is also coming out with original TV shows "Wandavision," "Falcon and Winter Soldier," and "Loki." They will directly tie into the MCU movies and even impact the outcomes.
Jeff Goldblum is getting his own show where he examines the things in our lives. The normal stuff we don't think about. He goes over their history, their science, and the ways they change our lives. But best of all, it's Jeff Goldblum, and we get to hear him talk for an entire series.
You can also expect a "High School Musical" series. Forky, from the new Toy Story movie, is also getting his own show!
This is only a small fraction of the exciting exclusives of the things coming to Disney Plus, and we haven’t even discussed movies yet.
Confirmed Disney Plus movies
What truly has people most excited about Disney Plus is the massive amount of classic movies being added to the list. There’s nothing more iconic than Disney’s incredible library of films. So far, about 500 movies are expected to be added in the first year!
But aside from the classics, Marvel is expecting to make a huge appearance in the first year. Disney Plus's day-one list includes "Captain Marvel," "Iron Man," "Iron Man 3," and "Thor: The Dark World." They are expected to add eight more within the year. That includes "Ant-man and the Wasp," "Avengers: Endgame," "Infinity War," "Black Panther," "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "Iron Man 2," and "Thor: Ragnarok."
Star Wars fans, don't worry. You'll get quite the day-one selection as well. Finally, we'll be able to stream the original Star Wars trilogy in order, in one place. Disney Plus will also add "The Last Jedi," "Rise of the Skywalker," and "Solo" in the first year.
Disney has also announced a bunch of incoming original and new movies. For example, we're getting a "Lady and the Tramp" remake, starring Tessa Thompson and Justin Heroux. We all know the story of this puppy love movie.
A few original movies will be added, including "Noelle." It's a story about Nick Kringle starring Bill Hader and Noelle played by Anna Kendrick where they have to save Christmas. And for the first time, we're getting a Phineas and Ferb movie, which is very exciting for those who are fans of the Disney Channel cartoon.
For the fans of the very popular book "Stargirl," here's some good news: it's finally getting a movie adaptation. It will be landing exclusively on Disney Plus in the first year. There are a lot of movies to be excited about!
What’s it going to cost you?
The best part about Disney Plus is hands down is how cheap it is! Do you have multiple streaming services like Hulu and Netflix and are bothered by the lack of new content? Or maybe you’re lacking the classic content? Either way, Disney Plus might have you covered.
The basic price of Disney Plus is $6.99 a month. That's actually pretty cheap for a streaming service. But we understand if it’s still a little frustrating. It feels like you’re just adding onto the price of all these streaming services you’re already subscribed to. But remember earlier when we said that Disney has purchased Hulu from Comcast?
Disney Plus comes with Hulu if you opt-in for the package deal for $12.99. The package also comes with ESPN Plus so that you can watch any game at any time. This includes live broadcasts of any spot airing on ESPN. That’s all for the price of Netflix’s monthly package.
While you may be iffy spending those extra bucks, think about it for a moment: Disney Plus alone is around $7, but Hulu and ESPN Plus each cost around $6 or $7 alone. By signing up for this package, you end up saving around $5 a month.
The bundle will surely compete with streaming apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Just with a focus on family and child-safe content, live sports broadcasts, and exclusive original TV shows. Netflix's monthly premium membership will cost you about $16, and its basic membership will cost you the same as the Disney Plus combo package. Amazon Prime, on the other hand, costs $119 a year.
All things Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic
More than ever before, you'll get more content than Netflix and Hulu and Amazon, and it will be almost all of Disney's properties. It's a big deal! You’re getting a concentrated dosage of Disney for the first time ever!
This is just unprecedented. There’s a lot to be excited about, and the price makes it seem almost too good to be true. That is if you’re a Disney fan. If not, it may seem like just another streaming service. But even if you’re a Star Wars fan or a Marvel fan… you’re getting both Star Wars and Marvel, together in one place.
National Geographic is very popular, but its inclusion on Disney Plus may just open it up to a broader audience. But due to Disney's goal of including only family-friendly content on the streaming app, surprisingly not everything on National Geographic will make its way over. Some have stated that the graphic content, such as animal violence and disturbing historical moments, may not make the cut. However, they could still make their way to Hulu, much like "Marvel's Ghost Rider."
National Geographic, Marvel, and Star Wars may be leaving Netflix and may be limited on Hulu rather soon. Disney has announced that no new Disney or Marvel shows and movies will be appearing on Netflix. However, some Marvel content may still appear on Hulu, like "The Runaways" and "Cloak and Dagger." Besides that, Disney Plus will be your new go-to for anything Disney. And what more could you want?
How can you stream it?
Disney Plus won't be limited to any certain devices that we know of yet. It supports phones, tablets, gaming systems, computers, smart TVs, and media boxes. Disney hasn't confirmed if it will be available on Apple TV, Chromecast, or Amazon Fire TV just yet, though they did include photos of those devices at their presentation back in April.
Disney Plus will stream in full HD and 4K, but not for every title. It will likely be the higher budget Marvel and Star Wars movies as well as some National Geographic documentaries. They haven't specified if those higher-quality movies will cost extra or not or if its part of a different package deal.
It isn't known quite yet if you will be able to stream on multiple devices or not. Netflix and Hulu have their basic packages that still let you stream on multiple devices and let you add more at a higher cost. Disney Plus will likely do something similar, but it isn't known quite yet if they'll have more than just those two already announced package deals.
Any Disney Plus user will be able to download the content they stream for offline viewing.
Will Disney Plus Affect Other Streaming Platforms?
Disney Plus will likely have a significant impact on other streaming services. Many of the available streaming services aside from Hulu and Netflix offered little to be desired in terms of content. HBO Now and the Starz streaming app, as well as others, kind of hopped on the streaming service trend with only a limited selection to offer. HBO Now notoriously has a “sign up and then cancel” rate, due to limited exclusive content like "Game of Thrones" and "Big Little Lies" coming and going rather quickly.
Netflix and Hulu, on the other hand, have done an excellent job of holding their own. They offer a combination of exclusive content, foreign language/indie film content, and an endless shuffle and recycle of incoming and outgoing movies and shows.
Disney Plus seems to take advantage of every angle of the streaming game. They have exclusive content that will be added all the time as well as a steady stream of the classics.
Will Netflix lose subscribers? Who knows? It seems they both still have a lot to offer that the other doesn’t. It would seem they would work well in tandem with one another if you can afford to pay a minimum of $20 a month on streaming content. That’s not so bad, especially if you tack on a few extra bucks for the Hulu and ESPN Plus package. With that said, Disney Plus might actually bring more subscribers to Hulu.
Disney Plus Will (Probably) Blow You Away!
You don’t have to be an avid Disney fan to see a great opportunity here. For what Disney Plus is offering, the price is excellent! While it may not have anything for those who love edgier content and drama, it will still have so much to offer.
If you can afford it, get the package deal: Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus. This just might be the winning combination when it comes to streaming content. You may even say goodbye to your Netflix after that.
What Disney Plus show or movie are you most excited for?
