Is Disney Plus Worth It?

“Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat?” Wouldn’t you think their world domination’s complete? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at whether Disney+ is worth it. Disney+ caused quite the stir when it launched November 12, 2019 in the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands - don’t worry, it’ll reach the rest of the world by March 2020. Announced roughly a year prior, the expectations have been high for what has been marketed as the place where Disney’s many, many properties could be watched with a simple click. For this breakdown, we’ll be looking at a number of categories, such as User Experience, Content, Originals, Upcoming Releases and Pricing, then giving a grade on our patented MojoMeter! Alright, let’s dive in. User Experience Well… don’t ask the people who were using Disney+ on the first day. Though glitches have been a dime a dozen in the service’s infancy, when the interface works, it WORKS. The actual look of the service is eye-catching and adapts to whatever property you’re searching for. Disney+ can be streamed on pretty much every platform and device, whether it’s on a desktop, iOS, Apple TV - and the app - Android mobile and TV, Amazon’s Fire TV and Fire HD, Chromecast, smart TVs, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows 10. When you wish upon a streaming service, the House of Mouse delivers. Disney doesn’t really have to try to “sell” its content, but it does understand the diverse interests of the market. So, categories! The homepage features banners for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and even National Geographic to filter the available films and TV shows. Like Netflix’s “My List,” there’s a place to save titles for future viewings, called Watchlist - similar to Amazon Prime Video. And, just in case you don’t want to binge a show in one sitting, you can turn off “Autoplay.” Netflix, eat your heart out. There are specific tabs for Originals, Movies, and Series as yet another way to narrow down your search, and each has subgenres. Just in case you want a bit more of a curated feel, the Search feature has collections devoted to beloved characters or properties - such as “Princesses,” “Disney Channel,” and “Darth Vader.” Perhaps one of the biggest selling points for parents is the option for a “Kids Profile,” which limits the content to strictly child-friendly properties. Content Like we said, Disney owns a lot, and we didn’t even mention their acquisition of Fox, which means “Home Alone,” “Avatar” and others are also on Disney+. Oh, yeah, and all seasons of “The Simpsons,” no big deal. However, one of the biggest criticisms so far is how the aspect ratio has been adjusted on the episodes, which cuts off some great sight gags and makes characters appear a bit wider than we’d like. We’re not even going to get into the weird choice to yet AGAIN change the Greedo scene in “A New Hope.” If you want to watch an animated Disney movie and if applicable, its sequels, Disney’s got you covered. You may even find a movie or 7 that you’ve never heard of, but we’re sure “The Shaggy D.A.” was the FIRST thing you watched. The advent of Disney+ means your requisite binge of the Marvel movies before the next one hits theatres is about to get a lot easier, sobbing uncontrollably at every Pixar film and/or short can be a daily occurrence, and you can watch the readily available princess and fairytale classics. Like Netflix, content does vary depending on where you are, but there’s more than enough to pass the time - and to have us subtly tell you to call in sick tomorrow just to watch every season of “Darkwing Duck” in glorious high quality. “Let’s get dangerous.” Though newer films like “Coco” and “The Last Jedi” are still tied up in Netflix agreements, you can get your fill of many TV shows and films from your childhood - the Disney vault is a thing of the past, people. Originals Sure, Disney has a decades-long legacy of beloved films and shows, but what can you find on Disney+ that you can’t find elsewhere? Well, Disney has been deep in producing both scripted and unscripted content, and even though we have to wait awhile to see some of it on the app, it’s a gamechanger. At launch, “The Mandalorian,” a “Star Wars” space western featuring a rascal similar to Jango and Boba Fett, was a huge draw. Like other original shows, a new episode will be released each Friday - as opposed to all at once. If you really want to see a day in the - uh - life of Jeff Goldblum as he tries new things - and who doesn’t - there’s a show for that, as well as Best Titled Show of the Year: “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” In terms of films, the live-action adaptation of “Lady and the Tramp” and “Noelle” starring Anna Kendrick were both released on day 1. Upcoming Releases Yes, we said day 1. Over the next 2 years, Marvel series centering on Loki, Scarlet Witch, Ms. Marvel, and others will get rolled out, in addition to further expansions in galaxies far, far away for Cassian Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a much-deserved return to “The Clone Wars.” Several franchises will also get revivals and brand new entries, from “Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe” to a “Home Alone” reboot and “Hocus Pocus 2.” The future has Mouse ears for sure. Pricing Now it seems like Disney+ is too good to be true, doesn’t it? Well, it also doesn’t cost much - only $6.99 a month, or $69.99 a year USD. Since that’s half of Netflix’s price, and will only continue to become more of a competitor as more series and films become available, this may be the time to say goodbye to a service or two - especially if you opt for the $12.99/month bundle of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN. Aaaaand considering your account can include up to 7 profiles and have 4 devices running at the same time - plus unlimited downloading to watch offline - we’re feeling a bit like Thanos with the Infinity Gauntlet right now. Verdict So it’s affordable, comprehensive, and user-friendly - when the entire rest of the world isn’t also trying to use it. As long as the technical kinks get worked out and Disney continues to try to figure out the right series and films to greenlight, Disney+ looks primed to be a hit with demographics across the board. Our Mojometer score? Well, if you’re a “Simpsons” fan, it’s a “Meh,” but if you like literally ANYTHING else, it’s a Must Have.