Disney+ is Disney’s answer to Netflix and Prime Video and is a well-stocked video streaming service offering the entertainment giant’s selection of films, documentaries and TV shows.
Considering signing up but not quite sure what you’re getting in exchange for your hard-earned cash? We’ve compiled everything you need to know in this guide, so read it before you decide whether or not you want to take the plunge.
What does Disney+ offer?
There’s a lot more here than just Disney-branded movies and TV shows: Walt Disney Studios owns Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox), and Searchlight Pictures, and content from all of these can be streamed. (It will likely be the only streaming platform that will also allow you to watch future Star Wars, Disney, and Marvel movies).
That means you’ll get every movie and TV series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, every full-length Star Wars movie and TV series, and everything Pixar made, plus movies like Nomadland, Die Hard, The Last Duel, and The Grand Budapest Hotel and series including The Simpsons (32 seasons!), 24, Lost, The Walking Dead and Atlanta. There’s also the massive three-part documentary series The Beatles: Get Back.
Star, a general entertainment channel aimed at a “mature” audience, is integrated with Disney+ and also features new original series, including Only Murders in the Building and Dopesick. You can read more about Star in our explainer here: What is Star on Disney+?
The service also occasionally offers subscribers the option to rent a new film release for an additional fee. This so-called Premier Access has previously been used for films such as Black Widow, Jungle Cruise and Cruella and cost £19.99 per film. But there’s good news for those who’d rather not shell out the extra fee: All Premier Access movies released to date have finally been made available on Disney+’s standard service, usually after a few weeks.
In short, there is a lot to see here, much of it very entertaining. Disney+ is arguably a bit more kid-friendly than Netflix or Prime Video, but there’s plenty for adults to enjoy too. To see our top picks, read our article on the 25 best things to see on Disney+.
In terms of picture and sound quality, Disney+ is on par with Prime Video and Netflix and offers selected content in 4K Ultra HD resolution with HDR10, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio. There’s even a small amount of IMAX Enhanced content, which has treated some classics like Toy Story and the original version of The Lion King to 4K remastering, while others are offered in Full HD resolution with 5.1 surround sound.
How can I watch Disney+?
Disney+ is available on a variety of devices: Smart TVs, streaming hardware (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire Stick) and Xbox One/Series and PlayStation 4/5 gaming consoles, as well as through your computer’s web browser or mobile phone App on your smartphone or tablet. It’s also available on Sky Q in the UK.
How much does Disney+ cost?
Disney+ keeps things simple with a single pricing tier of £7.99 a month or £79.90 for a year (so save some if you’re willing to pay for a year upfront) in the UK and $7.99 per month / $79.99 a year in the US. So price-wise it’s broadly similar to rivals like Prime Video (also £7.99 a month) or Netflix’s cheapest £5.99 tier (which doesn’t give you access to HDR or 4K content).
