Disney+, the streaming video service from Disney, is finally live in the UK, five months after its US launch. You’ll be able to read my full review of the service soon – but for now, here’s the important stuff – how to subscribe to Disney+, how to watch it – and WHAT you can actually watch on it.
What Is Disney+?
Disney+ is Disney’s answer to Netflix and the other giant streaming services. It launched in the US back in November 2019, and as of February 2020 has already gained 28.6 million subscribers (with 10 million of those on the first day.)
The service is streaming-only, so it won’t work without an internet connection and a supported device. Disney+’s content is considered family-friendly with shows and movies from five Disney-owned “‘worlds” – Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and Disney itself. You can read our comprehensive Disney+ review here.
How Much Does Disney+ Cost?
In the UK, Disney+ will cost £5.99/month, or £59.99 (so £4.99/month) if you subscribe for a full year.
There’s also a 7-days free trial, if you want to try things out first, but the subscription will auto-renew after the trial, so remember to cancel if you don’t want it.
For the price, you get high-quality (up to 4K) and advert-free viewing, up to four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads on up to ten devices, and up to seven different user profiles. Additionally, parents have the ability to set Kids Profiles with age-appropriate content.
Keep in mind that for the time being, Disney+ is planning to cut down its bitrate and streaming quality, due to the current UK lockdown and so many people having to work from home.
How Can I Watch Disney+?
As a streaming-only service, the only way to watch Disney+ is via broadband. You can watch it on your Desktop/Laptop, phone and tablet.
If you want to watch it on the telly, you would either need a “Smart TV” with the Disney+ app, or a supported streaming device.
At launch, Disney+ is supported on the following devices:
- Amazon Fire TV
- Roku devices
- Chromecast
- Apple TV
- Android Phones / Tablets (Here’s the app)
- iOS Phones / iPads (Here’s the app)
- PS4/XBOX
- Some Smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Hisense and Philips
- Sky Q (Thanks to a deal with Sky)
Having just launched this morning, you might not see the Disney+ app on the “New Apps” lists of some of these devices – yet. On the Fire TV, Roku and Samsung TV, I had to manually search for the app before I installed it.
What Can I Watch On Disney+?
Earlier this month, Disney announced the full launch lineup which is now available – and it’s an impressive list, especially if you’re a fan of these franchises.
Superhero fans now have access to over 30 Marvel films including Captain Marvel, Black Panther and all the Avengers films, as well as over 50 Marvel series including Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Marvel’s Runaways.
The two Tom Holland Spiderman films are unfortunately missing, and also don’t expect to find Netflix’s deceased Marvel shows, like Daredevil and Jessica Jones.
Disney+ is also a great destination for Star Wars fans, with Star Wars Episodes 1 through 8 streaming on the service, and the most recent Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arriving at a later date. (In the US, its release is going to happen earlier than expected – so we hope the same happens in the UK).
Star Wars fans can also enjoy the entire collection of the critically-acclaimed animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, including the new Season 7, which will air two episodes every week until we catch-up with the US.
And of course, the highly anticipated Disney+ Original series, The Mandalorian from executive producer and writer Jon Favreau, is also now available.
The Mandalorian is the first live-action TV series set in the Star Wars universe, and it follows the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, far from the authority of the New Republic.
In the US, the show aired new episodes week-by-week, and the entire series finished its run months ago. In the UK, the two first episodes are now available, with the third coming this Friday at 8am. From then on, a new episode will be released in the UK every Friday at 8am.
The Mandalorian is not the only Disney+ original, with over 25 exclusive Disney+ Originals already available, including High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, The World According To Jeff Goldblum, a live-action version of Lady and the Tramp, and The Imagineering Story.
You can also find all the Disney classic films, from Cinderella, Sword in the Stone and The Little Mermaid, to recent blockbusters like Frozen, and 2019 live-action version of The Lion King.
Frozen II has already been released on Disney+ in the US (earlier than expected), but in the UK, it is currently set to arrive on Disney+ on July 17.
But wait, there’s more – Over 20 Pixar films are now available, including Toy Story 4, Finding Dory and Up, alongside brand new shorts Lamp Life and Pixar in Real Life, a live-action series bringing iconic characters and moments from Pixar films into the real world.
The National Geographic part brings with it documentaries like the BAFTA-nominated Jane, the Sundance Audience Award-winning Science Fair, and conservation-focused Into the Okavango, as well as popular National Geographic series such as One Strange Rock, hosted by Will Smith.
And great news for Simpsons fans – more than 600 episodes are now available to binge on, from Season 1 to Season 30. The new season will air on Sky first, and will later be added to Disney+.
You can find a list of ALL the content available on Disney+ right now, here.
Also Availible on Android Tv Os (Nvidia Sheild Mi Box etc).