Price: $7.99/mo. or $79.99/yr.
Free trial: N/A
On-demand library: 500+ titles
Disney+ is an on-demand streaming service that’s gained over 116 million subscribers since its December 2019 launch, so you’ve probably heard of it. Besides Disney movies and TV shows, Disney+ is also the streaming home of most things Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. (We almost forgot The Muppets and The Simpsons—d’oh!)
Disney+ also produces original content like The Mandalorian, WandaVision, Loki, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and even some shows outside of the Marvel and Star Wars universes, like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and The Beatles: Get Back. In all, there are over 70 Disney+ originals—not quite Netflix numbers yet, but this Mouse House is expanding fast.
At $7.99 a month, Disney+ is a decent streaming deal even if you don’t have kiddies in need of digital babysitting. It has over 7,000 movies and TV shows that aren’t available anywhere else, meaning you could clear all those beat-up Disney DVDs out of the garage and maybe park your car (or Tauntaun) in there again.
Disney+ is our obvious editorial pick for best on-demand streaming service for kids, but there’s plenty here for adults, too. Well, adults who are into cartoons, lightsabers, and superheroes, that is. If you need more PG-13-and-above fare, you can bundle Disney+ with Hulu and ESPN+.
If you want to save in the long run, you can take the plunge on Disney+’s $79.99-per-year deal. You’ll save $15.89 annually.
Or you can up your streaming game with a bundle that includes Disney+, ESPN+, and (ad-supported) Hulu for only $13.99 per month. You’ll save $6.98 per month on the cost of the three services separately. This bundle is also available with ad-free Hulu, ad-supported Hulu + Live TV, and ad-free Hulu + Live TV.
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Most streaming services offer a discounted annual plan, but not all of them let you know about it upfront, so always look into those FAQ sections. Disney+’s yearly $79.99 service plan can save you about $16.00 over monthly payments—a better choice if you plan to keep streaming all year.
Streaming TV’s favorite bundle, Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ for $13.99 a month, can save you about $6.00 a month, or $72.00 annually. This bundle also applies to ad-free Hulu (which can be had $19.99 a month).
| Service | Price | Editorial rating | Streams | Video | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | $7.99/mo. | 4.6/5 | 4 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
| Netflix | $9.99–$19.99/mo. | 4.3/5 | 1–4 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
| Prime Video | $8.99–$12.99/mo. | 4.2/5 | 3 | 1080p, 4K | View plan |
| Hulu | $6.99–$12.99/mo. | 4.4/5 | 2 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
| Peacock | Free–$9.99/mo. | 4.3/5 | 3 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
| ESPN+ | $6.99/mo. | 4.2/5 | 5 | 1080p | View Plan |
| HBO Max | $9.99–14.99/mo. | 4.5/5 | 3 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
| Paramount+ | $4.99–$9.99/mo. | 4.1/5 | 3 | 1080p | View Plan |
| Apple TV+ | $4.99/mo. | 3.9/5 | 6 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
| Discovery+ | $4.99–$6.99/mo. | 4.0/5 | 4 | 1080p, 4K | View Plan |
Data effective as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.
Disney+ is in the middle of the streaming pack, cost-wise. Apple TV+ and Paramount+ are cheaper, HBO Max is more expensive, and Netflix starts at the same price. They all have their own exclusive content, but Disney+’s equally-essential catalog of Marvel, Star Wars, and (of course) Disney properties is pretty compelling.
Did we say Disney+’s content is compelling? More like staggering: Disney+ carries almost every Disney classic and recent favorite, from 1940’s Fantasia to 2021’s Luca. We say “almost” every classic because there are a few gaps in the Disney+ collection, like the 2007 live-action fairytale Enchanted and 1970 farce The Boatniks, among hundreds of others. Don’t even ask about 1946’s Song of the South.
Still, with thousands of movies and shows to choose from, it’s unlikely you’re going to be mad about not finding Lindsay Lohan’s Herbie: Fully Loaded on Disney+ (it’s on HBO Max, fyi).
Disney+ made a major splash right out of the gate with its original The Mandalorian Star Wars series that gifted the world with Baby Yoda (sorry, sorry—“Grogu”). After that, Marvel took over the buzz with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki.
It’s not all about Star Wars and Marvel, though: Disney+ has also stepped up with more down-to-earth fare like Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. (an update on Doogie Houser from the ‘80s), Big Shot (a sports comedy starring John Stamos), and Just Beyond (a Twilight Zone for tweens).
On the movie front, you probably know about the animated Pixar offerings Soul and Luca, as well as Beyonce’s Black is King and Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever. Disney+ originals may be family-friendly, but they’re far from predictable.
Disney+ allows for up to seven personal profiles and gives you dozens of avatars from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic, The Muppets, The Simpsons, and other universes to choose from. We’re partial to Dug the Dog from Up.
If you want to keep the little kids away from the big kids’ content, Disney+ also features customizable, PIN-locked parental controls for each profile. PG-13 is as intense as the streaming service’s content gets, but it’s a nice option to have.
| Service | Streams | Offline downloads |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ | 4 | Unlimited |
Four simultaneous streams is a minor upgrade from the three most streaming services give you, for sure. If you have more housemates to keep entertained, Disney+ also offers unlimited offline downloads for up to 10 devices as a workaround. Bravo, Mickey!
| Device | Disney+ |
|---|---|
| Amazon Fire Cube, Stick, TV | ✓ |
| Android phones, tablets | ✓ |
| Android TV | ✓ |
| Apple TV (4th gen.) | ✓ |
| Apple TV 4K | ✓ |
| Chromecast, Chromecast with Google TV | ✓ |
| Echo Show | ✓ |
| iPhone, iPad | ✓ |
| LG TVs (select models) | ✓ |
| Nintendo Switch | ✗ |
| NVIDIA SHIELD Pro TV | ✓ |
| PC, Mac web browsers | ✓ |
| PlayStation 3, 4, 5 | ✓ |
| Roku Ultra, Express, Premiere, Stick, TV | ✓ |
| Samsung TVs (select models) | ✓ |
| TiVo Stream | ✓ |
| Wii | ✗ |
| Xbox One | ✓ |
Data effective as of post date.
Disney+ is compatible with every major streaming device there is, with the exception of Nintendo products. We’ve seen few streaming services that cover this many bases, so chalk up another win for Disney+.
Disney+ streams in 1080p HD, with some content available in 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, and Dolby Vision. Many older Disney movies and shows have been remastered to take advantage of Disney+’s eye-popping visual capabilities, but don’t expect the first few seasons of The Simpsons to look as sleek as The Mandalorian.
Disney+’s audio output is standard 2.0 stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, depending on the movie or show. Some newer titles feature Dolby Atmos audio, if your system can handle it.
The Disney+ home screen as seen on a computer browser.
Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and The Muppets? That’s a pop-cultural Mount Rushmore.
If you have children in the household, we think Disney+ is a must-have streaming service—but we wouldn’t limit it to just the kids (or kids at heart). The phrase “something for the whole family” gets tossed around a lot, but Disney+ fits that bill almost perfectly for just $7.99 a month.
The only real limitation of Disney+ is its lack of adult content above the PG-13 level (c’mon, it’s Disney). But, if you need more grown-up viewing in your streaming life, there’s always the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle starting at $13.99 a month. As with Disneyland and its other theme parks, Disney’s mission is to leave no customer unsatisfied—or cash left on the table.
Disney+ service costs $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Paying for a year of service upfront saves you about $16.00 annually.
Disney+ streams in 1080p HD (Blu-ray quality), with some content available in 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, and Dolby Vision. To get the full, clear picture, you’ll need a TV or device that supports these video formats.
Disney has released some movies, like Black Widow, on Disney+ the same day they arrived in physical theaters for an extra fee of $30. But, in late 2021, Disney has gone back to a theater-first model, with new movies being made available to stream on Disney+ (with no extra fee) 30 to 45 days after theatrical release.
Our TV experts spent many magical hours in the land of Disney+, rating the service on value, reliability, features, and customer satisfaction. Then we matched it up against other on-demand streaming TV services head to head to give a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses. For more information on our methodology, check out our How We Rank page.
Disney+ surpassed its four-year goal of reaching 60–90 million subscribers in only nine months, gaining a reported 100 million subscribers so far—and the streaming service isn’t even live worldwide yet.1, 2 While new hits like Onward, Beyonce’s Black Is King, and Hamilton attract viewers to Disney+, nostalgic fans can use the service to find their favorite Disney Channel Original Movies.
Using Google Trends data, we broke down searches across America to find each state’s most-searched Disney Channel Original Movie (we’ll call them “favorites”).3, 4
We decided to include films up until 2010 to nail that nostalgia factor and bring back all those warm, fuzzy memories of growing up with movies like Brink!, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, and Smart House.
This list might help bring back a few memories. Who remembers the basketball-playing twins in Double Teamed? West Virginia does. Basketball fans might also remember Full-Court Miracle. Or you might like the girl-powered gusto of Gotta Kick It Up!
Or did you see each of the sequels for Halloweentown, The Cheetah Girls, or Johnny Tsunami? Zenon: The Zequel was the follow-up favorite in three states: Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri.
We were also surprised at how many older favorites were getting revisited with their own Disney Channel Original Movies. Some were Disney Channel TV shows, like The Famous Jett Jackson, which came back with Jett Jackson: The Movie (a favorite for Illinois and Michigan).
And Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars isn’t a reboot of the Nickelodeon movie you might remember, but instead it’s a modernized version based on the novel (a favorite in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia).
What do you think about your state’s favorite? Any interesting connections?
| State | Movie |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Tiger Cruise |
| Alaska | Halloweentown |
| Arizona | The Even Stevens Movie |
| Arkansas | Zenon: The Zequel |
| California | Genius |
| Colorado | The Ultimate Christmas Present |
| Connecticut | Can of Worms |
| Delaware | Smart House |
| District of Columbia | Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century |
| Florida | Up, Up, and Away |
| Georgia | The Cheetah Girls |
| Hawaii | The Thirteenth Year |
| Idaho | Genius |
| Illinois | Jett Jackson: The Movie |
| Indiana | Tiger Cruise |
| Iowa | Zenon: The Zequel |
| Kansas | Dadnapped |
| Kentucky | Cow Belles |
| Louisiana | The Poof Point |
| Maine | Under Wraps |
| Maryland | ‘Twas the Night |
| Massachusetts | Miracle in Lane 2 |
| Michigan | Jett Jackson: The Movie |
| Minnesota | Right on Track |
| Mississippi | Cadet Kelly |
| Missouri | Zenon: The Zequel |
| Montana | The Luck of the Irish |
| Nebraska | Hounded |
| Nevada | Phantom of the Megaplex |
| New Hampshire | Stuck in the Suburbs |
| New Jersey | Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars |
| New Mexico | Get a Clue |
| New York | Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam |
| North Carolina | The Ultimate Christmas Present |
| North Dakota | High School Musical 2 |
| Ohio | The Scream Team |
| Oklahoma | Tiger Cruise |
| Oregon | Ready to Run |
| Pennsylvania | Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars |
| Rhode Island | Read It and Weep |
| South Carolina | Ready to Run |
| South Dakota | Quints |
| Tennessee | Pixel Perfect |
| Texas | You Lucky Dog |
| Utah | High School Musical |
| Vermont | Johnny Tsunami |
| Virginia | Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars |
| Washington | Jumping Ship |
| West Virginia | Double Teamed |
| Wisconsin | The Cheetah Girls 2 |
| Wyoming | Smart House |
While you’re staying inside and social distancing during the pandemic, you might enjoy some of our old favorites on Disney+. So, call up your friends, set up a simultaneous stream party, and revisit some classic Disney Channel Original Movies.
What do you think of your state’s favorites? Let us know in the comments below.
To find each state’s favorite Disney Channel Original Movie, we cross-referenced a complete list of Disney Channel Original Movies of Disney Channel Original Movies (with release dates up until 2010) against state-specific search data from Google Trends.
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