admin Disney+ (AKA Disney Plus) is now available in the UK and US, with other regions to follow soon. But is it worth the price of admission? Let’s explore…
Disney+ is here and it has its sights set on dethroning Netflix as the No. 1 streaming service. This is an audacious goal, given Netflix’s huge lead over Disney, but it’s not entirely impossible; Disney has amassed a LOT of content in recent years, so it’s ideally placed to cause Netflix a lot of problems.
I signed up for Disney+ for the purpose of this post. I also have Netflix and Amazon Prime Video (and Sky). However, I think I may have to reconsider this; I hardly watch the latter and, annoyingly enough, it costs the most.
Okay, so what’s the deal with Disney+? Is it okay? Bad? OK?
Disney+ update (after 12 months of use)
First and foremost, since I first wrote this post There is a whole development going on with Disney+. It’s now almost twelve months since this original post was published, so let’s give you a quick update and show you what’s changed.
The first and best thing is that Disney+ is no longer “family oriented.” I mean, it’s still core, but there’s a ton of r-rated content now from Disney’s ever-growing list of production houses.
To be clear, Disney owns a lot of content. The following studios are all present in Disney Plus: Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Disneynature, Disneytoon Studios, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, National Geographic and select films from 20th Century Studios, Hollywood Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Caravan Pictures.
You also have Star, which is basically Fox content for the UK. This includes things like American Dad and Family Guy, as well as countless r-rated films. It’s great. Easily the best thing to happen to Disney+ since The Mandalorian.
And to further cement my love for Disney+, the guy who created Netflix’s Fargo series is currently working on an Aliens TV series. That’s right: the man who created one of the best shows ever is currently bringing xenomorphs into a TV show format.
I literally can’t wait to see how that turns out. The only downside? We probably won’t see Disney’s Aliens TV show until late 2022 at the earliest – production hasn’t even started yet (July 2021).
That’s it for my quick 12 month update.
Below are some initial ones Pros and cons for Disney+ based on my current usage, experience setting it up, and the quality of content currently available.
As always, let’s get the good stuff out of the way first…
Disney+ PROS – Why You Should Get It…
1.) Disney owns EVERYTHING
Disney is a mega company. It literally owns everything. If you’ve watched ten movies in the last two months, chances are that well over 70% of them were owned or produced by a Disney-owned studio or production company.
For this reason, Disney has a ton of content at its disposal – from movies to TV shows. And that will keep users engaged with regular updates and new things to watch. Netflix currently has more choice, but this lead won’t last forever – Disney has the content and resources to catch up very quickly.
It could also prevent Netflix from showing Disney content, which would have a hugely negative effect on Netflix’s business. I think Netflix knows this too, which is why it has been working hard on its own shows like Better Call Saul and House of Cards. To succeed, you can’t just use content; you also have to create content – just like Disney.
2.) All the latest Disney movies
When you think of Disney films, you often think of children’s films and cartoons. But this is really no longer the case; Disney owns a large portion of film franchises, many of which are aimed at adults. Aliens, Terminator and Predator, anyone? These are all owned and operated by Disney. Ditto Star Wars, Avatar, Deadpool, Die Hard and Plant of The Apes to name a few.
And because these movies are Disney movies, you don’t have to wait to watch them. Disney owns the IP, which is why you can now watch newer movies like Toy Story 4 on Disney+, while having to wait months for it to hit Netflix, if at all.
3.) The Mandalorian (it’s worth it for this alone)
The new Star Wars films (the JJ Abrams series) are quite divisive; some love them, others utterly hate them. But one thing everyone seems to agree on is that The Mandalorian is freaking awesome. Some even say this is the best thing to happen to Star Wars since Return of The Jedi… And you can ONLY watch The Mandalorian on Disney+.
I’m a few episodes in and it’s fucking fantastic, easily the best Star Wars thing I’ve seen in years. It looks and feels like a real Star Wars, the story is brilliant, the set pieces are crazy and the characters are compelling and real. Honestly, I would pay for Disney+ just to get access to The Mandalorian.
4.) The Simpsons?
If you’re a Simpsons fan but have never watched it without ads, you’re in luck. Thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, Disney now owns the rights to The Simpsons, so you can binge watch the entire catalog on Disney+ without ads!
I’m a huge Simpsons fan so this is a huge USP for me. I love being able to go back and rewatch classic episodes. It makes the show so much better, as you can work your way through season by season, rather than watching the odd episode on Sky every now and then.
5.) It’s cheaper than Netflix
This is a big problem: Disney+ is MUCH cheaper than Netflix. You can get access to the streaming service for just €5.99 per month or €59.99 for 12 months. That’s cheaper than Netflix and Sky and will be the main reason why millions of people try Disney+ in the coming weeks and months.
6.) 20th Century Fox Content
As previously noted, Disney now owns 20th Century Fox. And that includes all of its TV and film IP. If you watch a lot of movies, you know that 20th Century Fox makes a LOT of movies, so this deal puts Disney+ in a great spot when it comes to new TV and movie content, going all the way back to the early 2000s.
20th Century Fox is responsible for some of the biggest and best film and film franchises of the past decades. You can see how many film franchises 20th Century Fox owns and controls here – spoiler: it’s A LOT!
7.) The Marvel Universe (Soon It’ll Have Them All)
Disney owns Marvel Studios, so once Disney’s deal with Netflix closes, you’ll be able to watch ALL available Marvel movies under one roof for the first time. And do you know what that means? You can watch them all in order like a real nerd.
Here’s the current lineup of Marvel movies for Disney+
Once Disney’s Netflix deal is completed, Disney will likely add ALL Marvel movies to Disney+, making it the only place you can watch all the movies under one roof.
8.)National Geographic
Do you like documentaries? Well, Disney+ has you covered in this context too, thanks to the fact that it owns National Geographic. When you open Disney+, you will see that there is a special National Geographic channel. Here you’ll find a wide range of documentaries, from things like COSMOS to Origins: The Journey of Humankind. It’s pretty cool, honestly.
9.) It works on all platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, PS4, Xbox
Once downloaded, Disney+ works on virtually every major computing platform – from iOS to Android to Windows and macOS. Disney+ also works with Chromecast, Roku, and Amazon’s Fire TV sticks and devices. Basically, any device you have can run Disney+, even if it’s just a phone or tablet.
Disney+ disadvantages?
For a brand new steam service, there are very few downsides to Disney+. From day one, Disney+ has 500 films and more than 300 series – Including 26 brand new original series. That’s an impressive amount of content for a brand new service. Disney also has some of the best movies and TV shows under its control, so that’s another one.
You do not currently have access to ALL Disney content; However, more will be added in 2020: according to Disney, approximately 500 new films.
Once Disney’s ongoing deals with Amazon and Netflix are finalized, it’s likely we’ll see all Disney films and franchise films under one roof, although this could take some time. Maybe 12-24 months.
But the foundation is incredibly solid and that’s why the service already has 28 million subscribers.
Can Disney+ beat Netflix? Yes, it’s entirely possible that Disney could overtake Netflix in the coming years.
But right now, Netflix is still in a very strong position; it makes some of the best original TV shows in the world and that won’t change anytime soon.
I will most likely subscribe to both in the long run, as each platform offers things you can’t get anywhere else.
The services most likely to suffer from Disney+ isn’t Netflix; it’s more likely to be Amazon and HULU.
Netflix and Disney have the resources and brand pull to create new brands every year in the form of original TV shows and movies.
Both have a good reputation in this regard too, although Disney has been doing this for some time.
Amazon and HULU’s original programming, while good, isn’t quite on the level of Netflix or Disney.
I see Disney+ becoming extremely popular with users, especially if it manages to make the transition to appealing to both adults and children, like Netflix is doing.
Disney has a lot of kid-oriented content.
But on the other hand, it also has a lot of content for older users. Disney needs to make sure it caters to everyone, just like Netflix does. When that happens, it is essentially unstoppable.
Although I don’t think Netflix will go bankrupt anytime soon. Most users simply subscribe to both services and get the best of both worlds. Why choose if you don’t have to?
And be sure to take a look What are movies everywhere?
