Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ll have seen the internet buzzing with the words “Disney Plus”. Even prior to its recent release (November 11), Disney Plus was everywhere on the web. Controversies such as “Disney Plus not set for Amazon Fire TV release” have had the whole world of streaming sitting on the edge of their seats.
From pretty much the get-go, Apple TV users have known that they’ll be able to get their hands on Disney Plus. Here’s how to get things started.
Get Started By Signing Up
Before you start streaming your favorite Disney movies on Disney Plus, you’ll need to get signed up for an account. Start by signing up here for a free week trial, or get your favorite movies, shows, and sports for one low price by bundling Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN Plus right here!
Downloading and Watching
Before you learn about all the details revolving around the platform, you’ll probably want to know how to get it working on your Apple TV device. It’s not rocket science, but if you want to get things set-up as quickly as possible, here’s what to do.
First of all, sign up. Using the browser on your PC, laptop, smartphone, or tablet, go to Disney Plus’ website and follow the sign-up instructions. You’ll be prompted to enter your info and purchase the subscription, which is the only way to make things work.
After you’re done creating an account and subscribing to the service, go to your Apple TV and boot it up. Now, launch the App Store on the TV. The Disney Plus app will be in the Featured tab but you can also find it by searching for “Disney Plus” in the Search tab. Click on the icon, select Get, and wait for the app to download and automatically install. Start and log in to the Disney Plus app by entering the Disney Plus credentials that you’ve used for the subscription.
Now, all that remains is to sit back and enjoy the content. Navigate the Disney Plus app in order to browse or search for your favorite shows and movies. Once you’ve found what you’re looking for or have stumbled upon something that you want to watch, simply select Play.
That’s it! Again, it isn’t overly complicated, but knowing exactly what to do will definitely speed up the process.
Is it Available on Apple TV Right Now?
Yes. Disney Plus was officially launched on November 11 and has been available for Apple TV devices ever since. If you tried subscribing/using Disney Plus on your Apple TV on the launch day and were unsuccessful, don’t worry. This is definitely not because the app isn’t supported. Namely, the launch day was somewhat rocky and there were many issues over the first 24 hours.
This was likely the result of the unexpected blizzard of more than 10 million excited subscribers. Yes, Disney Plus got 10 million subscribers in little more than 24 hours after the launch. To put things into perspective, it took nearly three years for HBO Now to round up a five-million following. That number of people trying to get through the funnel at once was bound to cause some issues.
Don’t worry though, Disney Plus has since dealt with this and is absolutely available on all gen 4 or above Apple TV devices.
How Much Does It Cost on Apple TV?
A Disney Plus monthly subscription will set you back roughly $7. The per-year subscription is set at approximately $70. This goes the same for all devices that Disney Plus is available on – from Amazon Fire TV to Android devices. An available bundle that has been announced before the actual launch day will set you around $13 per month, but will also give you access to Hulu and ESPN+, in addition to Disney Plus. There is a seven-day free trial available on Disney Plus if you want to give this bundle a go.
Exclusives
Like any other streaming service out there, Disney Plus will come with its own set of ‘originals’. However, Disney is likely to set a new milestone regarding exclusives. First of all, Disney is a company that has bought out a variety of other famous companies. For instance, even though it’s still run as a separate company, Hulu is actually well under the Disney umbrella.
Doubtlessly, you’ve already heard all about Disney acquiring the rights to the Star Wars franchise, but Marvel, ESPN, Fox, and many other popular companies and networks are now under Disney’s wing, too. A prime example of an attention-grabbing exclusive show is The Mandalorian – a story set in a Star Wars universe that follows a bounty hunter that resembles Boba Fett from the original trilogy.
Naturally, they’ve already got tons of SW fans flocking before their service in order to gain access to this and all the future exclusive Star Wars content. Of course, Disney is now pulling the strings – with so many networks and services under its belt, one of the world’s leading companies is bound to offer even more exclusives on a regular basis.
What Not to Expect
So, you’ve heard a lot of good things about Disney Plus until now and you’re probably aware that there’s a very realistic chance that this service is going to topple Netflix. That being said, there’s something that Netflix can still proudly claim that Disney Plus can’t. For some reason, Disney Plus has decided that they’ll be releasing their original series the old-school way – an episode weekly.
Netflix still remains at the top of the streaming food chain for a variety of reasons, but their famous all-in-one season releases are still unmatched by any other service. On the other hand, some people may prefer weekly releases, so the Netflix innovation doesn’t come as a 100% good thing, but it will definitely divide people into Netflixers and Disney-heads (terms just coined).
Disney Plus, Apple TV, and the World of Streaming
Disney Plus hasn’t just shaken up the Apple TV users – it’s created a whirlwind in the entire world of streaming. Sure, Apple TV users have known that they’d gain access to the app for a while now, but its release has shown its true colors and its true power. A force that gets 10 million subscribers in little over a day is one to be reckoned with.
Have you already subscribed to Disney Plus on your Apple TV? Are you planning to? Feel free to discuss this and anything else Apple TV- or Disney Plus-related in the comments section below.
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