Student browses the options available on Disney+. Joe Addison // AS Review
By Kiaya Wilson
The Walt Disney Company released a new streaming service, Disney+, on Nov. 12. This service includes TV shows and movies from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. It costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year.
The most important question to people deciding whether to purchase the service is: is it worth the money?
While Disney+ offers a large variety of things to watch, including old Disney classics, such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” and “The Fox and the Hound,” and new originals, such as “The Mandalorian” and “The World According to Jeff Golblum,” that can’t be found anywhere else, there are some downfalls to this service.
I have loved the Disney franchise since I was young, so I was excited for this service to launch. Seeing the service offer the movies and TV shows that I grew up watching made me even more excited. Since the launch, I have been unapologetically binge-watching “Kim Possible,” a show I loved watching while growing up. Along with classic Disney movies that shaped my childhood, such as “Robin Hood” and “The Aristocats.”
I do really enjoy the service, but I have noticed some small issues while streaming it.
I tried downloading the app on my laptop for easier access, but it wouldn’t install. My parents have also not been able to access it from our family television as they can with Netflix or Hulu. The only way they can stream on a television is with a device streaming Disney+ and an HDMI cable plugged into the TV.
When watching it on my laptop, the site automatically changes to the next episode without giving a countdown to when the next episode will start unless you exit out of the screen. I tend to find this somewhat annoying because it will change to the next episode during the middle of the credits without warning.
Overall, the list of issues that I have experienced is pretty small and none of them are issues that have made me want to stop streaming with Disney+. However, there are other factors to consider.
You don’t get the feeling of busting open the plastic case of a VHS tape or DVD case that would usually be part of the experience of watching an old Disney movie. With Disney+, all you have to do is select what you want to watch. This may be more convenient for people because you don’t have to worry about not having a VCR or DVD player, the tape getting messed up or the DVD getting scratched.
Not everyone can afford $6.99 a month. Seven dollars may seem like it’s not that much to most people, but there are a variety of people who can’t afford it because of rent, groceries, tuition or several other things.
There is no way to stream this service without internet access, and because not everyone has access to the internet, not everyone has access to the service. Therefore, if someone doesn’t have internet access, they can’t watch anything. Disney+ does give you opportunity to download certain episodes and movies so you can watch them without internet, but you do need to be on the internet first to download them.
I would say, if you have the access and curiosity about the service, it is worth the money. Especially if you are in love with the Disney franchise. It is a great way to go back into your nostalgic days of watching Disney Channel and introduce yourself to new series, movies or documentaries you may not have watched otherwise. I really enjoy it and know I am going to keep watching it.