Disney+ guide: Subscription, features and prices
Claire Nottage • August 28th, 2024
Launched in 2020, Disney+ burst onto the already well-established streaming scene to compete with the likes of Netflix, NOW TV and Amazon Prime. With everything from classic Disney princess films to educational family viewing on National Geographic, Disney+ is a serious contender for the top position amongst the streaming apps currently available.
So what does Disney+ have to offer and is it worth the money? In this guide we take a look at what you can watch on Disney+, how to watch it, and whether it could be a good investment for keeping the whole family entertained.
Introduction
Disney+ is a subscription streaming service that gives you access to thousands of Disney films and TV shows on demand – on your TV, tablet, games console or smartphone – from Pixar classics such as the Toy Story films to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour movie. Disney+ is also the home of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will be a huge pull for many, and is a must for Star Wars fans too, as Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012.
However, as well as being stuffed with Disney princess classics, Pixar favourites and sci-fi and superhero successes like Star Wars and Marvel, it should be noted that Disney+ is not just for kids. In 2019, Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, which gave it the rights to TV shows as the Simpsons and Modern Family as well as hit films including Avatar and the Sound of Music. These can all be found under the Star banner within the Disney+app, alongside a host of addictive drama series, from classic Gray’s Anatomy to new drama Filthy Rich.
At the same time as buying 20th Century Fox, Disney also acquired National Geographic, so if you fancy watching something a little more brain-enhancing, there are hours of shows on history, wildlife and science to delve into, on subjects ranging from the Nasca Lines to climate change.
How to watch Disney+
Obviously, Disney+ isn't free, and there are now several levels of Disney+ subscription to choose from. If you're happy enough to put up with your viewing being interrupted by adverts, then the basic Disney+ Standard With Ads option can be had for £4.99 per month, which is about as cheap as TV subscriptions get. However, unlike the two higher tiers there's no option to save money by paying a single reduced annual fee. This subscription supports up to 5.1 audio and up to 1080p Full HD video, which you can steam on two devices at the same time.
Want an advert-free subcription? Then you'll need to pay an additional £3 per month for the Disney+ Standard subscription. That's £7.99 per month and in this case you can also make a decent saving by making one payment of £79.90 upfront, meaning you'll effectively get two months free (and presumably protect yourself from any further price rises during that period). It also means you'll only be spending just over £20 per year to free yourself from those pesky ads (but you'll still see promotional material for other Disney+ programming). You also get the same streaming quality for two devices, but can also download to up to ten devices.
Finally, you can opt for the Disney+ Premium service. This offers ad-free viewing, although again, you'll still see trailers for other Disney+ programmes. However, as the high end subscription, it also comes with Dolby Atmos audio and 4K UHD & HDR video. Plus you'll be able to simultaneously stream on four devices, and download to ten others. All this will cost £10.99 per month, or £109.90 per year if you choose to make the upfront payment. Again, that arrangement saves you two months' fees.
If you already have a TV subscription with Virgin Media or Sky, you can watch the Disney+ app through your TV box, although this may be a paid extra if not included in your current package. However, if you are a BT or TalkTalk TV customer, you won't be able to do this as YouView does not yet support Disney+. There are a number of alternatives available though – here's a list of other ways to watch Disney+.
- Smart TV – All Smart TV’s support Disney+ – simply download it from your TV’s app store and create an account
- Roku – The streaming stick Supports 4K and Dolby Atmos on Disney+ depending on the TV and Disney+ subcription you have
- Amazon Firestick – Note that you need Fire OS 5.0 and later to access Disney+, and only the 4K Firestick will support streaming in 4K
- Games Consoles – Xbox One, Series X and Series S all support Disney+ although only the later models support 4K, HDR and IMAX Enhanced. Also Playstation users with PS4 or PS5.
- Desktop or laptop computer – Stream Disney+ on a Mac using Safari, Chrome or Firefox, and on a PC using Chrome Firefox or Edge
- Smartphone – Any Apple or Android smartphone will support Disney+
- Tablet – Apple iPads, Android tablets and Amazon Fire tablets will support Disney+, although you may need the newest operating system
What you can watch on Disney+
Disney+ offers the viewer six different categories to choose from. Simply click on the tab at the top of the page to go to the section that interests you. Within each section, there are further subdivisions to make finding what you want a piece of cake. From the latest Star Wars spin-offs, to an in-depth documentaries on everything from sharks to spacecraft – the choice is entirely yours.
Disney
This is the biggest section, aimed at children and families, containing Disney classics such as The Aristocats and The Jungle Book, along with live action modern versions including Beauty and The Beast. There are several sub-sections devoted to entire franchises, including Frozen and Mickey Mouse. There are also sections devoted to The Disney Channel and Disney Junior (previously available as part of Sky TV Kids) that will appeal to younger viewers. Plus, with action and adventure sections including recent box office hits such as Jungle Cruise as well as Disney shorts, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Pixar
This section is devoted to Toy Story, Cars and all other Pixar films, not forgetting The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille and A Bug’s Life. The most recent Disney+ originals, such as Elemental and Lightyear, can be found here as well as a huge selection of Pixar shorts, many of which have been commissioned exclusively for Disney+ such as the Forky Asks A Question series, a spin-off from Toy Story 4.
Marvel
From the Avengers to Marvel Defenders, this section is stuffed with everything Marvel. Both newcomers and entrenched Marvel fans can enjoy their favourite shows and Disney even has a subsection with the films in Marvel Universe order. The Moon Knight series and Wandavision are also included as well as sections devoted purely to Hawkeye and Spiderman.
Star Wars
Watch the original films that exploded into cinema screens in the 1970s or catch up on the latest movies in the Star Wars galaxy such as Rogue One and Solo. Amongst many others, fans will enjoy watching the Mandalorian series, the Book of Boba Fett, Young Jedi Adventures and the latest arrival in the Star Wars stable, The Acolyte.
National Geographic
Balancing entertainment and education, National Geographic also now comes under the Disney banner. From lighthearted looks at science with The World According to Jeff Goldblum and the ever popular Air Crash Investigations series to fascinating historical and natural world documentaries, National Geographic also has sections devoted entirely to Space Exploration, World War II and Nat Geo Kids, so there is something for everyone here.
Star
Star is Disney’s truly grown-up section and rival to Netflix. With entire sections devoted to romantic comedies, thrillers, sci-fi and action movies, Star is also home to reality TV dramas The Kardashians, an array of adult animation including American Dad!, and original productions Love, Victor and Life & Beth.
Features of Disney+
Disney+ is one of the most technically advanced streaming services available, offering exceptionally high quality video and audio at no additional cost (unlike with NOW TV or Sky Cinema where a premium is charged to watch in HD). Of course, you can upgrade to 4k UHD and HDR with a Disney+ Premium subscription.
However, be aware that you will only be able to take advantage of these features if you have the equipment to support it. Note that not all Disney+ content is available with all features; for example, at the time of writing, IMAX Enhanced is only available with Marvel titles.
- 4K Ultra HD – Available with a vast amount of Disney+ content, including Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar. Full HD (1080p) is also offered as standard
- HDR – Higher Dynamic Range offers richer, more accurate colours than Standard Dynamic Range, resulting in a greater visual impact
- Dolby Vision – Much like HDR, Dolby Vision also improves colour and contrast, but is dynamic too, providing extra detail in both darker and brighter scenes
- Dolby Atmos – First trialled for Disney’s Brave, Dolby Atmos provides an immersive surround sound experience for whatever you are watching
- IMAX Enhanced – The Expanded Aspect Ratio provides up to 26 per cent more picture on the screen, allowing for a more cinematic experience and for the viewer to see the film as the movie director originally intended
Alternatives to Disney+
Since its launch, Disney+ has scooped up the majority of its own productions, by removing them from competitor streaming services. That means that if you want to watch Marvel and Star Wars, for example, you can now only do so by subscribing to Disney+. However, if you are just looking for a good range of movies and TV shows, then there are several alternative streaming services to choose from.
NOW TV
NOW have really upped their game in recent years, and now offer four varieties of what it calls 'memberships'. There's the Sports Membership, which offers all the 12 Sky Sports channels live, along with every Sky Sports+ stream. Unusually, the Sports option is available on a short 24 hour membership – helpful if there's just the one special match you need to see.
The Entertainment Membership offers a range of Sky originals, along with Documentaries and Kids favourites, and the Cinema Membership brings you a mixture of all time classics and the latest premier blockbusters. Finally, there's also the Hayu Membership, which has the best of American reality TV, if that's your thing. NOW TV is also now available on over 60 compatible devices, so you have a world of viewing options.
Netflix
While Netflix prices have increased considerably over recent years, it's still the UK's favourite streaming service. Netflix offers an excellent and constantly changing array of content, and similar to Disney+ has several tiers of subscription with the higher rate freeing you from those dreaded adverts. There's a catalogue of children’s and family films from Dreamworks and Sony Pictures Animation, with favourites such as Paddington (one and two), Madagascar, Shrek and Paddington on offer. Plus there are hours of entertainment for the grown-ups to choose from too, with hundreds of box sets, films and documentaries.
Amazon Prime
If you want to watch a particular Disney film or TV series but don’t want to pay for Disney+, you can choose to buy or rent via Amazon Prime instead, although this will quickly work out more expensive. You may find the odd Disney film included with Amazon Prime for free but these are few and far between. However, there are plenty of popular, free alternatives included, from Angry Birds and Antz to Kung Fu Panda and Thomas and Friends, as well as plenty of box sets and films for adults.
