Disney Plus guide to movies, shows, pricing, and why you should get it!

Publish date: 2022-02-08

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

A few years ago, Disney Plus announced the company’s plans to launch its own streaming service that would compete directly with services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and plenty of others. Disney Plus formally launched in November 2019 and quickly became one of the most popular streaming services in existence.

So what is Disney Plus, what does it offer, and what else should you know about the service? This master guide serves as the place to find answers to all your Disney Plus questions. Don’t already have Disney Plus? Get it via the button below as part of a bundle that also includes Hulu and ESPN Plus.

Disney Plus bundle

What is Disney Plus?

For now, most of the content consists of Disney’s massive library of pre-existing shows and movies. This includes newer content as well as Disney classics straight from the Disney Vault. Of course original content is also part of the plan, and there are already some great exclusives to be found here — including the highly popular Star Wars show, The Mandalorian. Then there are the new Marvel Cinematic Universe shows like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki.

Is Disney Plus worth it?

Is Disney Plus worth it? Absolutely! This streaming represents enormous value for consumers, especially families. Instead of paying individually for all your favorite Disney movies or shows, Disney Plus gives you access to its entire library for a monthly fee. Disney Plus is also being very aggressive with adding highly anticipated new Disney movies to its library relatively soon after they leave the theaters. In 2021, it even add a few movies to the service at the same time they were released to theaters, including Cruella, Black Widow, and Jungle Cruise.

Of course, if you don’t have kids and aren’t a Disney fan, you won’t find that much here worth getting. Most of the content is family-friendly, so more mature options are rarely found (although some of the new MCU shows do have some adult language).

Can I get Disney Plus in my country?

Disney Plus first launched back on November 12, 2019 in the following markets:

Shortly after, it’s expanded to other countries including:

It’s also worth noting that the service has recently launched in India, though the arrangement is a bit different, as it’s actually part of the India-based Hotstar streaming service. You can learn more about Disney Plus in India here.

On September 15, 2020, Disney launched the service in the following European countries:

On November 17, 2020, the service launched in Latin American countries. They include:

On February 23, 2021, the service launched in Singapore. In late 2021, the service launched in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.

While the timeline could change, right now here’s a rough guideline on when to expect other countries to get Disney Plus:

How much is Disney Plus?

For those in the United States, Disney Plus will set you back just $7.99 a month, though you can save extra money by paying $79.99 upfront for an annual subscription.

Pricing outside of the United States varies:

Read more: Mulan on Disney Plus – Everything you need to know

Can I bundle Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus?

Since Disney owns both Disney Plus and Hulu, you might think there’s a way to bundle the two services at a discounted price. Well, you’d be right.

It doesn’t stop there though. Disney also throws in its sports-centric ESPN Plus.

The Disney streaming bundle comes in two tiers. Since Hulu is offered with or without ads, you can save a few dollars but opting for the ad-supported version.

For $13.99 per month, you’ll get access to Hulu (with ads), Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. For $19.99 per month, you’ll get access to Hulu (no ads), Disney Plus, and ESPN Plus. Whatever option you choose, Disney Plus is always ad-free, and live games on ESPN Plus will include ads.

Disney Plus bundle

See also:

Can I get Disney Plus for free?

Disney Plus originally offered a seven-day free trial. Sadly, you can’t test drive the service anymore. You’re either in or out and have to pay from day one.

You can theoretically piggyback on someone else’s account. A Disney membership is, strictly speaking, supposed to be used only within one household, but the company hasn’t yet made moves to stop account sharing. That’s not really free though. Even if you don’t pay, someone needs to have a paid account.

One way to get Disney Plus for free, though, is via third parties.

Have Verizon or thinking about switching to Big Red? You can get Disney Plus for free!

If you are a current or new subscriber to select Verizon Wireless’ unlimited 4G or 5G plans, you can get up to a full year of Disney Plus for free. This deal is also available for new customers for Verizon’s Fios internet and 5G home internet services. The great news is there are also options to add the Disney Plus-Hulu-ESPN Plus bundle. That means you’ll get all three services for basically the price of one. Can’t beat that!

How do I sign up for Disney Plus?

Before signing up for Disney Plus, check the list above and make sure that it has launched in your region. If it has, signing up is really easy. Click here for a quick guide on how to do it. If you don’t mind the short of it, the easiest way is to head over to Disney Plus’ website and sign up there.

What platforms and devices support Disney Plus?

Disney Plus is available on a wide variety of platforms devices. Here’s a list of what’s been confirmed:

The company has not confirmed Disney Plus support for the Nintendo Switch console. However, an early promo slide for the service did show Disney Plus running on that device. It’s possible it will be added in the future.

One thing to note, while the device you use to watch Disney Plus will offer the same content across the board, only Android and iOS devices will allow you to download your shows for offline viewing.

Does Disney Plus support 4K? And if so, what devices do you need?

Yes, Disney Plus supports 4K on a variety of devices! Devices include:

That’s not necessarily a complete list, but it’s close. As for what you can watch in 4K? Quite a few Disney Plus movies and TV shows support 4K streaming. That includes all of the classic and prequel Star Wars films, which are being presented in 4K for the first time on the service. The Force Awakens and Rogue One also support 4K.

In November 2021, a number of MCU films on the service added IMAX Enhanced versions alongside the regular versions of those movies. Those editions switch the aspect ratio to  IMAX’s 1.90:1 aspect ratio for any scenes in those movies that were shot in the format

For more on what to watch in 4K on Disney Plus, as well as a full list of supported devices, head to our Disney 4K guide.

What’s on Disney Plus? A look at all the shows and movies

Disney Plus includes access to hundreds of movies and thousands of TV shows from its 90 years of content. This includes all those great animated films and live-action movies from the Disney brand, including the Disney Vault full of classics such as Snow White, Cinderella, The Lion King, and many others. Disney also features all of the Pixar movies you know and love, as well as tons of Star Wars shows and films. Marvel fans will find the vast majority of their favorite movies, and there are even tons of TV shows from the National Geographic Channel.

Classic content from The Disney Channel is also available on the service. That includes shows like Duck Tales to Hannah Montana, with thousands of episodes and over 100 movies.

It also has a number of family-themed TV shows and movies from its recent Fox purchase. That includes The Simpsons, with all 30 seasons available from day one on the service.

Of course, not everything Disney has ever made will be found on the service, yet. Because of a current contract with Netflix and others like HBO, some shows and movies won’t make their way to the service until a bit later. Disney plans to transition all its content away from the competition over the next few years.

As we mentioned earlier in this guide, Disney Plus has plenty of exclusive content too! Here are just some of the exclusive shows and movies on the service right now:

Looking for more to watch? Click here for a full list of every movie and show on Disney Plus right now!

Curious about what new content we can expect on the service in the future? Here’s a quick look at just some of the original films and TV shows coming to Disney Plus in the future:

That’s just a small taste of what is to come. For more details on upcoming shows and movies, head here! Also check out our guide to the upcoming Disney Plus Marvel TV shows and upcoming Disney Plus Star Wars features.

Is everything on Disney Plus family-friendly?

Disney Plus first launched as an exclusively family-friendly streamer, with all of its content fitting between TV-Y and TV-14 ratings.

With Disney regaining control of some of its Marvel Netflix-co-productions, that’s changing.

The Defenders series, which include Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and The Defenders, along with the Punisher, are all rated TV-MA. Now that they’re moving from Netflix to Disney Plus, they mark a shift in the types of content that can appear on the Disney streamer.

There have been other more mature Disney-owned Marvel shows like M.O.D.O.K. and Hit-Monkey since the launch of Disney Plus, but they’ve been on Disney’s other major streamer Hulu so far.

We don’t know yet if Disney plans to move all Marvel content under one roof at some point.

Star brand added to Disney Plus internationally

On February 23, 2021 Disney Plus added the Star brand to its various content categories in Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. This brand added content owned or acquired by Disney that has more mature content. This includes TV shows and movies from the 21th Century Fox library, including Family Guy, Aliens, Die Hard, Predator, and much more. The Star brand will not be added to the US version of the service. That kind of content will still be available on Disney’s Hulu service. Star will also be the home for original content from the US-based Hulu and will add more original local content in the future.

What about all of that Fox content and Hulu?

As mentioned, Disney has now acquired much of the content of 21st Century Fox. That means Disney will have the movie and TV rights to franchises like Aliens, Predator, Planet of the Apes, and the X-Men-Deadpool Marvel Comics characters. However, this service is meant for a family audience, which means that much of Fox’s franchises, which are made for an older audience, won’t show up on the Disney streaming service in the US.

However, former Disney chairman Bob Iger has stated that a number of former Fox franchises will be rebooted in some way for Disney Plus. That has since happened, with new movies in the Home Alone and Diary of a Whimpy Kid films now added to the service, with more on the way.

The good news for Disney is that it now effectively controls all of Hulu. It originally owned 30 percent, and then it bought the 30 percent share once owned by Fox. It has since made a deal with Comcast to buy the remaining interest it has in Hulu over the next few years, but Comcast also agreed to give operational control of the service to Disney. Hulu currently has about 33 million subscribers. Disney has indicated that it will offer content of the properties that it bought in the Fox deal on Hulu, rather than on Disney Plus.

Some hows that were slated originally for Disney Plus were moved to Hulu. That includes the TV adaptation of High Fidelity, and the Love, Simon spin-off show Love, Victor.

The best shows and movies on Disney Plus

As you can tell, there’s a fair amount of content on the service and the list continues to grow. To make it easier to find the shows you like, the Android Authority team has put together specific guides that dive into various genres, as well as our thoughts on the best movies and best shows:

Just looking for what’s new? Check out the list of what’s new to Disney Plus this month.

Interface and other features

The app and UI include special sections for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic brands. There will also be sections in the interface so users can see all of the service’s movies, TV shows, and original content. It recently added a “Continue Watching” section so users can see which movies and shows they stopped watching in the middle, so they can quickly resume them.

Users will be able to create up to seven custom individual profiles. Kids can see the shows and movies they are interested in, while their older parents can see their preferred content.

The service also has a Kids Mode. It includes parental controls so moms and days can keep their sons and daughters from seeing content that’s out of their age group. Disney Plus recently added a GroupWatch feature, which allows up to seven people to watch shows and movies from the service together, via remote viewing.

Read more: How to watch Disney Plus with friends only via GroupWatch

Recently, the service added a “share” button for its mobile apps. Subscribers can go to a Disney Plus movie or TV show and then tap on the “share” icon. Those users can then send a link to that content to their family or friends via messaging apps or social media accounts. The recipients must have a paid Disney Plus subscription in order to access the account.

Disney Plus vs the competition

The service has a ton of content, but it’s still pretty light on the exclusives, even if Disney is working hard to change this. Disney also tends to focus on family-friendly content, so more mature-themed shows are basically nonexistent for the US audience. If you’re looking for family-friendly viewing and love what Disney produces, it’s an absolute no-brainer. This is further helped by its relatively low price tag, at least compared to many competitors.

Prefer programming that’s a bit more on the adult side? Netflix might be a better choice for many. For more direct comparisons, hit up the articles below:

Other frequently asked questions

Q: How long will it take for new movies to reach Disney Plus?
A: The answer to that varies. We’ve seen Onward and Frozen 2 come to the service crazy fast, due to the pandemic. Some movies like Mulan and Rya and the Last Dragon, have dropped on the same day as their theatrical release, for an extra fee. But typically, you’re in for a wait of 5-8 months after theatrical release. You can read our dedicated post here to see how long it takes for movies from theaters to reach Disney Plus.

Q: How many profiles can you have?
A: You can have seven profiles per account. Each profile can pick a different avatar, with more than 200 available from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and the Star Wars universe.

Q: Does it have parental controls?
A: Yep, it sure does! You can lock out profiles made for children with a PIN number, and you can limit their access to certain content by setting up rating barriers. Unfortunately, there are no options for time limits or anything like that, at least for now.

Q: How many people can stream at a time?
A: Four devices can stream simultaneously.

Q: Can you share an account with friends and family?
A: Yes, Disney recognizes that some will share, and while it encourages users to get their own accounts, they are allowing it for now. That said, they claim to have backend technology that helps them identify who is sharing accounts and could crackdown if it hinders the service’s growth. So far though, Disney Plus doesn’t seem to have a growth issue!

Q: Does Disney Plus have ads? 
A: No, the service is ad-free. That said, some users will see a Starz ad one time when finishing the sign-up process as part of a deal with Starz to get more content on Disney Plus sooner, but this is seemingly happening at random and won’t affect most users (and even if it does, it’s a one-time ad!).

Q: How many subscribers does Disney Plus have?
A: Disney stated in October 2022 that the service has around 118 million subscribers. It continues to add more markets, and the coronavirus pandemic has likely led to even more sign-ups from bored folks stuck at home.

Q: I need to know how to turn off subtitles but can’t figure it out.
A: While it’s easy to overlook, turning on or off subtitles isn’t hard at all. For most devices: Simply tap on the screen to reveal control buttons, select subtitles from the top right corner. You’ll now be given the option to select on or off. For Roku users, just hit the asterisk symbol on your remote. For Apple TV users? Swipe down from the top of Apple TV’s remote touchpad. Swipe over to subtitles, select off.

Q: How long is the free trial and has it changed with COVID-19 going around?
A: While a lot of streaming services have extended trails to 30 days, Disney Plus isn’t one of them. It used to have a seven-day free trial for new subscribers but that has since been discontinued.

Q: I want to know how to gift the service to someone. Can I?
A: Yes, you can gift Disney Plus to others, easily! You can buy a one-year gift subscription for US residents for $79.99.

Q: Will the content be the same in all countries?
A: No. The new Star brand means that the service will have a lot more mature content for subscribers internationally. Subscribers in the US will have access to just family-friendly content for the most part.

Q: I’m not getting my money’s worth out of the service. How do I cancel?
A: Cancelling is easy. Check out this guide for the exact steps you need to take.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up for the service now.

Disney Plus bundle

Help other readers out

Have you used the service yet or are you a current subscriber? If so, make your voice heard in our polls below and then go ahead and post your own mini-review in the comments!

Would you recommend Disney Plus to a friend?

82 votes

Yes

79%

No

21%

Is the pricing for Disney Plus fair for what's provided?

77 votes

Yes

73%

No

27%

What device/platform do you use Disney Plus on primarily?

146 votes

Android

27%

iOS

11%

Apple TV

4%

Google Chromecast

5%

Gaming console

7%

Roku

8%

Amazon Fire

7%

PC

3%

Smart TV

28%

Any streaming services you'd recommend over Disney Plus?

101 votes

Hulu

16%

Netflix

48%

Amazon Prime

6%

Apple TV Plus

7%

None

24%

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