If you haven’t already heard the news from the Disney lover in your life yet, content from the “happiest company on Earth” is now available on a device near you — in the form of a streaming service.
The Disney+ service, which launched in November 2019, includes all the Disney classics — along with popular content from Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. It also includes quite a bit of new original content and never-before-seen content as well.
One of the most anticipated content additions will go live on July 3, 2020, when the smash-hit Broadway production of Hamilton becomes available for all subscribers.
Expectations and excitement levels have been high for this one, and we know that many Clark readers are contemplating adding this service to their streaming options. That’s why we’ve taken some time to research some of the questions you may have about this new service.
Table of Contents
- How Much Does a Disney+ Subscription Cost?
- Can I Bundle Disney+ With Other Services?
- How Can I Watch Disney+?
- How Many People Can Use a Disney+ Account?
- What Movies and TV Shows Are Available On Disney+?
- Is There Original Content on Disney+?
How Much Does a Disney+ Subscription Cost?
Disney has positioned its new streaming service in what has proven to be a market sweet spot at $6.99 per month. That is just below the entry-level subscription for Netflix ($8.99 per month) and slightly more expensive than the basic Hulu subscription with ads ($5.99 per month).
You can get an even better deal on your Disney+ subscription if you’re willing to commit for a full year. Disney is offering an annual subscription for $69.99, which breaks down to just $5.83 per month.
Disney offered a 7-day free trial for users to try out the service upon its release, but that option went away in June 2020. This trial removal may have been a temporary measure in advance of the much-anticipated July 2020 release of Hamilton on the service.
UPDATE: Disney recently announced that it will be increasing prices effective March 26, 2021. Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect to see:
| Subscription Type | Pricing through March 25, 2021 | Pricing on March 26, 2021 and beyond |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription | $6.99 | $7.99 |
| Annual Subscription | $69.99 | $79.99 |
| Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle | $12.99 per month | $13.99 per month |
Can I Bundle Disney+ With Other Services?
There are some pretty exciting promotional deals out there associated with the Disney+ product.
Verizon Deal
Many Verizon customers are eligible to receive a free year of Disney+. Team Clark member Theo Thimou reported that the following Verizon customers should be eligible for the deal:
- Existing and new 4G LTE unlimited wireless customers
- Existing and new 5G unlimited wireless customers
- New Fios Home Internet customers
- New 5G Home Internet customers
So if you’re looking to make changes to your cell phone or internet provider, this could be an enticing option.
ESPN+ and Hulu Bundle Package
Disney+ is available as part of a streaming bundle with Hulu (with ads) and ESPN+ for $12.99. That is a $6 monthly discount off the regular price of all three products if purchased individually.
The inclusion of ESPN+ should be attractive to sports fans who are interested in the streaming service but are hesitant to break away from live television offerings due to the availability of sporting events. And with the shows and movies available on Hulu, the variety of content from the three services really could offer “something for everyone” in a household at a bargain price.
How Can I Watch Disney+?
This streaming service is available via smart TVs, phones, laptops, tablets and gaming consoles. Here’s a quick rundown of the ways Disney has confirmed that you’re able to watch:
- Amazon devices
- Apple TV
- Apple iPhone and iPad
- Android devices
- Google Chromecast
- LG devices
- PlayStation 4 (PS4)
- Roku devices
- Samsung devices
- XBox One
How Many People Can Use a Disney+ Account?
Since Disney produces content that appeals to all ages, it’s likely that pretty much any household will be interested in tuning into this service. Disney seems to have kept that in mind with what many would consider a pretty generous setup for a $6.99 subscription.
Disney+ subscribers are able to:
- Stream on as many as four devices at once
- Set up as many as seven user accounts within one subscription
- Make unlimited downloaded content available for offline consumption on up to 10 devices
You can quickly do the math on how that plan could be shared generously within a household.
What Movies and TV Shows Are Available On Disney+?
If you have a little more than three hours of spare time on your hands, you could watch this video that Disney released that highlights “basically everything” that was made available on Disney+ upon its release:
Needless to say, it’s a whole bunch of content. We won’t even attempt to list all of it (that’d ruin the fun, anyway), but we will hit some highlights of popular movies and shows you can watch on Disney+.
Animated Movies
- Alice in Wonderland
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Pinocchio
- Cars
- The Lion King
- Toy Story
- Moana
- Aladdin
- Finding Nemo
- Monsters Inc.
- Frozen and Frozen II
- Pocahontas
Popular Movie Titles
- Entire Star Wars series
- Iron Man and other Marvel titles
- The Rookie
- Miracle on 34th Street
- Mary Poppins
- Saving Mr. Banks
Cartoons
- The Simpsons (all 30 seasons)
- Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
- DuckTales
- Darkwing Duck
- Classic Mickey Mouse and Friends
- Doc McStuffins
- Puppy Dog Pals
- The Lion Guard
- Tangled: The Series
- My Friends Tigger and Pooh
In April 2020, Disney decided to use the platform for the digital release of the Pixar film Onward.
Onward was originally set for a global theatrical release in March, but the coronavirus pandemic that swept the world in early 2020 caused theaters to close and Disney to change course with its plans for the film. It will be interesting to see if Disney decides to use Disney+ as a platform for future movie releases in an attempt to grow its subscriber base.
Is There Original Content on Disney+?
In a relatively short period of time, Disney has put out a number of original releases to keep subscribers on board for things beyond the classics. So far, Disney has released original content in the form of new series, films, documentaries and short-form content. That includes some exciting new projects for fans of the popular Star Wars and Marvel series.
The original content collection includes the following as a few examples:
- Star Wars: The Mandalorian (series)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars (animated series)
- Lady and The Tramp (remake of original film)
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (series)
- Marvel: Hero Project
- Marvel: The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
- Into The Unknown: Making Frozen II (with Kristen Bell)
- Noelle (holiday film starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader)
- National Geographic: The World According to Jeff Goldblum (series)
- Disneynature’s Elephant (documentary)
Here’s a look at the trailer for The Mandalorian series, which took the internet by storm with its portrayal of “Baby Yoda”:
You can watch for new announcements about Disney+ original content here.
Final Thoughts on Disney+
Any household with young children is likely to give this Disney+ offering a long look, and I suspect that families may try to give that $12.99 bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ a trial run as a bargain monthly home entertainment bill.
It’s hard to not recommend at least checking this product out for $6.99 to see if it is something your household enjoys. And if you do check it out, let us know what you think in the comments below!
