Disney+ menu

Disney+ is Here — Is it Worth Your Money?

After months of hype, this week The Walt Disney Company officially launched its streaming service dubbed Disney+. While the platform experienced some hiccups on Tuesday (the day of its debut), the company announced that it had already reached 10 million sign-ups by Wednesday — although it’s worth noting that this isn’t the same as paid subscribers as the service is offering a seven-day free trial. In any case, this news sent $DIS stock soaring to an all-time high, which was good news for investors like myself. Setting all that aside, now that Disney+ is here, is it worth your money?

This might be a bit shocking to hear from a self-proclaimed Disney fanatic like myself but I wouldn’t say it’s a slam dunk just yet. Sure the $6.99 price tag is attractive when compared to other options (*cough* Netflix *cough*) but that’s partly because the amount of original content is nowhere near what others already have. For example, Marvel teased both at San Diego Comic-Con and at D23 that it has a slate of series on the way but, sadly, those won’t arrive for several months or even years. In the meantime, Jon Favreau’s The Mandalorian has been getting some strong reviews while, personally, I’ve fallen in love with docuseries The Imagineering Story and The World According to Jeff Goldblum. Yet, even in the case of these shows, new episodes are being released on a weekly basis instead of all at once a la Netflix.

Of course, as appealing as Disney+’s exclusives might be, the real pitch was that the platform would have a massive library of Disney classics and not-so-classics alike. On that front, the service has mostly delivered — although good luck finding specific episodes of your favorite shows as titles apparently haven’t been integrated into the service’s search engine. Also, some fans have complained about odd changes, edits, and cropping of certain programs. Still, if you’ve ever wanted to watch obscure live-action films from the 60s or binge 30 years of The Simpsons, here’s your chance.

Ultimately, if you are still interested in Disney+ and don’t feel like waiting, I do have a couple of recommendations for you. First, if you’re a Verizon customer, you’ll definitely want to look into the terms and conditions of their “Disney+ on Us” promotion that will score you a free year of the service. Also, if you’re looking beyond family-friendly content, you might consider the Disney streaming bundle that includes Disney+, ESPN+, and ad-supported Hulu for $12.99 a month. And then there’s the seven-day free trial I mentioned earlier if you want to explore the service a bit before deciding to pony up the money.

As a hardcore Disney fan, Disney+ is a no brainer — which is why I purchased a three-year subscription from Disney fan club D23 back in August. However, with so much of the service’s best content potentially still to come, I honestly think some viewers might be better off saving their $6.99 a month for a while longer. That said, if you’re looking to make the switch away from a more expensive option, then perhaps Disney+ or the bundle option might just be right for you.

Author

Kyle Burbank

Kyle is a freelance writer and author whose first book, "The E-Ticket Life" is now available on Amazon. In addition to his weekly "Money at 30" column on Dyer News, he is also the editorial director and a writer for the Disney fan site LaughingPlace.com and the founder of Money@30.com.

Other Articles by Kyle Burbank

Alaska Airlines plane

Travel Tuesday: Alaska Airlines is Offering a Status Match Challenge to Delta Elites

A few weeks back, Delta announced numerous changes impacting their most loyal customers. While I personally focused on the SkyClub entry rules and restrictions that are on the way, the adjustments made to the SkyMiles program were arguably even more disruptive. Not only did the airline move to a model...
Fellow Ode 2 Coffee Grinder

My Quick Review of the Fellow Ode 2 Coffee Grinder

A couple of weeks back, in my column on Fioney, I somewhat lamented a recent splurge purchase — not because I was necessarily upset with what I bought but what the process of doing so said about some of my personal finance failings. The item in question was the Fellow...

Should You Buy, Lease, or Finance Your Next Smartphone?

Remember a few years ago when you thought that friend of yours who always had the latest model iPhone was crazy for spending that much? That’s changed in recent years as carriers and others now allow you to essentially lease your device. Taking a page from the auto industry, you...

Considering its new, lets just wait and see in the future if your $6.99 subscription will be worth.

At a lower cost compared to other streaming services, it is worth a try specially for disney fans out there.

Comments are closed.

The "Email" field is empty, you must enter some text to proceed.The text you entered in the "Email" field appears to be invalid, please edit it and try again
Get Posts in Your Inbox
Featured Articles
Alaska Airlines plane

Travel Tuesday: Alaska Airlines is Offering a Status Match Challenge to Delta Elites

A few weeks back, Delta announced numerous changes impacting their most loyal customers. While I personally focused on the SkyClub entry rules and restrictions that are on the way, the adjustments made to the SkyMiles program were arguably even more disruptive. Not only did the airline move to a model...
Fellow Ode 2 Coffee Grinder

My Quick Review of the Fellow Ode 2 Coffee Grinder

A couple of weeks back, in my column on Fioney, I somewhat lamented a recent splurge purchase — not because I was necessarily upset with what I bought but what the process of doing so said about some of my personal finance failings. The item in question was the Fellow...

Should You Buy, Lease, or Finance Your Next Smartphone?

Remember a few years ago when you thought that friend of yours who always had the latest model iPhone was crazy for spending that much? That’s changed in recent years as carriers and others now allow you to essentially lease your device. Taking a page from the auto industry, you...
Bilt and Curve credit cards

Bilt Has Seemingly Shut Down Rewards on Curve Transactions

Ya know, some weeks I really struggle to find a quick tip post to share. And then there are weeks like this that are so overflowing with news that I don't even know where to start. So, since I trust you've already read about the big news regarding Delta SkyMiles...