You may have noticed that Disney is wasting no time in creating new content, but did you ask why? Well, the Mad Titan Thanos is down, now, it’s time for a Clash of Streaming Titans. Disney is on its way to the streaming industry with its Disney+ service. It will be the new streaming home for movies and TV shows from Disney, Marvel, “Star Wars,” Pixar, National Geographic and more. However, just like several other channels, Disney+ is only available in select countries. Geo-blocking is something we don’t tolerate as the internet should be free-to-use by everyone. So, with that said, here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Disney+ anywhere.
Disney+ and It’s Whole Disney-fied Glory
The new Disney service is what everyone on the media is talking about. That’s mainly because it includes the work of Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and the newly acquired 20th Century Fox.
Yeah, you saw that right, Disney bought Fox, which means we’re expecting a new era of X-men. That’s good news actually, despite having huge success with some of the X-men movies, Fox struggled a lot with others like Dark Phoenix and the Fantastic Four (Old and remake).
Now with Disney owning the franchise, we can finally say that a good Fantastic Four movie will come up. Heck, we can even expect an X-men vs. Avengers movie. That’s not everything Disney+ is bringing to the table; I’ll give you a few samples later on in this article.
The service will be available on November 12th, 2019. So, make sure you get pre-order and start streaming when the time is due.
Pricing
Whenever a new streaming service emerges, it should study its pricing range to compete against other giants in the industry. Well, Disney+ did its homework pretty well, to be honest. Disney+ will cost around $7/month and $70/year in the United States.
That’s pretty cheap considering you’ll be able to stream on four simultaneous devices in Ultra HD. That definitely beats what Netflix is offering, don’t you think? Aside from that, Disney Plus will also be bundled with Hulu and ESPN Plus for consumers in the U.S. If you wish to obtain all three services together, you’ll have to shell out a $12.99 fee a month.
Hulu will still be ad-supported within the service, so get ready to see some ads popping up every now and then. With that out of the way, here are the prices of DIsney+ in different countries at launch:
- USA: $7/month, $70/year
- Canada: $9/month, $90/year.
- Netherlands: €7/month, €70/year.
- Australia: $9/month, $90/year.
- New Zealand: $10/month, $100/year.
Global Availability
This is the depressing part. Disney+ will only be available in select countries around the world. For now, it’s confirmed that the service will launch in:
- The United States
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Netherlands
- UK
- Ireland
- Spain
- Germany
- Italy
- Switzerland
If you don’t know how streaming services work, let me shed some light on the matter. Despite being on opposite sides in a streaming battle royale, Disney+ does have something in common with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime – they’re all use geo-blocking.
A streaming service applies what we call geo-blocking. A mechanism to protect its rights which blocks users based on their geographical location. Disney+ has a preview website, which allows you to check what the service would be like. Even that is geo-blocked outside the countries above. If you try to visit the website, this geo-error message will pop up:
Well, just like I was able to unblock Netflix, Hulu, and dozens of other services, Disney+’s case won’t be any different. Once you’re done with this guide, you’ll be able to stream Disney Plus no matter where you are across the globe. Check out the next section.
Disney+ – A Streaming Phenomenon Gone Global
So, Disney+ blocks your access according to where you reside. But how? Well, geo-blocking depends on a user’s IP address to determine their location. Once the channel figures out that you’re not within its area of coverage, it’ll automatically terminate your access.
But how does a streamer bypass this issue? It’s easy, use a Virtual Private Network. You might know it as a VPN; it’s a tool that secures your data and hides your online identity. When you connect to a VPN, your whole traffic will be rerouted through a secure tunnel to a VPN server in a gateway city of your choosing.
The moment you establish a connection, you’ll obtain an IP address in the country where the server is located. As a result, all restricted channels there will allow you access to their content despite your current physical location.
In Disney Plus’ case, you need to connect to a server in one of the countries where it’s available. Let’s take the US as an example. Why? Well, we noticed based on other streaming services that the biggest library is always in the US – Netflix and Amazon Prime. So, let’s assume that Disney+ will make its catalog region-selected.
Once you connect to a US server, you’ll receive an American IP address. Consequently, you’ll be able to stream Disney Plus in any region.
The Steps
Let’s make it a bit more frank. Here’s how you can unblock Disney+ anywhere in the world:
- Choose a VPN service provider that has servers in the countries mentioned above. In case you want recommendations, use ExpressVPN.
- As a second step, you should download their VPN application on your device. VPNs are compatible with Android, PC, iOS, Mac, and Fire Stick.
- Once you get the app, launch it, and sign in with your VPN account.
- Connect to a server where Disney+ has the rights to broadcast. Let’s stick to a US server for now.
- This might take a few seconds. When the Connected Sign shows up, check your IP address using this verifier.
- Now, head back to Disney+’s website and pre-order since you can now.
I suggested ExpressVPN above as it’s the VPN I’m currently using. You see that screenshot above, that’s thanks to ExpressVPN’s servers in the United States. That’s not all, I also have the American catalog of Netflix and Amazon Prime, despite their VPN blocking.
As for security, the provider comes with the latest military-grade encryptions along with a strict no-log policy. You can try it out. I’ve been using it for quite some time, and I didn’t need their refund policy. You can check what they have to offer and ask for your money back within 30 days in case you didn’t like what you see. Also, there are other top VPNs out there, take a look at a few of them in the table below.
- 30-Day Money-back Guarantee
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Apps For All Your Devices
- 24/7 Live Support
So, What to Expect on Disney+?
Before we dive into Dinsey+’s catalog, you should know that the service has a download option. You can download whatever content you want and stream it on the go. Furthermore, for those who are wondering what’s going to happen to our favorite Defenders, they will be there but not directly on Disney+.
Also, with the acquisition of Fox, many have wondered if the Merc’s Mouth will be sealed for good. Well, I don’t think so. Don’t forget that Disney owns most of Hulu, which means that these Rated series will be available on Hulu’s platform as an alternative. Disney+ will only target families, so if you’re going to miss the gory action, subscribe to Disney’s $12.99/month plan.
Disney will launch its service with around 500 movies and 7,500 TV episodes. To get a quick look at what’s coming, here are a couple of titles:
- Mickey Mouse Shorts
- One Strange Rock
- Raven’s Home
- Star Wars Rebels
- That’s So Raven
- The Incredible Dr. Pol
- The Simpsons
- Up
- Cars
- Fantasia
- WandaVision
- Loki
- Hawkeye
- Ms. Marvel
- Finding Dory
- Wall-E
- Wicked Tuna
- 101 Dalmatians
- A Bug’s Life
- A Goofy Movie
- Bambi
- Bao
- Big Hero 6
- Born in China
Originals are not the only content you’ll be getting with Disney+’s subscription. If the service will compete with the giants, it has to play their game. Netflix and the likes don’t solely rely on original content, which helps them expand their library to a bigger audience. Disney is going to do the same. Here’s what Bob Iger said:
“We are buying certain products from the outside opportunistically.”
Well, there you have it. The service is hitting the markets big; the Streaming Battle Royale begins on November 12th, 2019.
Disney+ – Device Compatibility
Disney Plus is coming in strong and it’s spreading its service across almost every platform available for streaming. Check the list below to see if your device is supported:
- iPhone
- iPad
- Apple TV
- Roku
- Chromecast
- Smart TVs
- Android TV
- Android
- PlayStation
- Xbox
- Windows PC
- macOS
And guess what? We finally have a first look at the new Disney+ application. Check it out.
Stream Disney+ Anywhere – Signing Off
Disney+ will offer loads of original shows and movies along with a wide selection of content from different portfolios. It’s a shame the service won’t be available everywhere, but that can be managed.
With a VPN, you can mask your identity and appear wherever you want in the world. Just connect to a server where Disney+ is available, and you can stream The House of Mouse’s content anywhere. So, what do you think about the new service? Will it be able to par with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime? Hit me up in the comments below.