Since its launch in 2019, Disney+ has been a reliable hub for some of the most important movies in film history. There’s every Disney animated film from “Snow White” forward, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pixar and the Muppets, Star Wars and Avatar. But the pipeline of new content has slowed dramatically, and as the price continues to rise, we think it’s time to give Disney+ the shove.
Take a look at Disney’s summer streaming announcement.
What time is it?! Summertime on #DisneyPlus! ☀️ We’ve got the ultimate watchlist for fun in the sun (and on screen) all summer long. pic.twitter.com/GOnuSf7qkb
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) May 23, 2024
What first seems like a solid lineup crumbles quickly when you look closer. There are just five titles that are new and exclusive to Disney+ here. Anniversaries don’t count as new content. Titles that require Hulu shouldn’t count either.
Variety reports Disney+ has just 11 new originals in the first half of 2024. That’s a ridiculously low number. Even Apple TV+ turned out 28. Netflix turned on the fire hose for 174 originals, but that’s still nearly 30 fewer than the first half of 2023.
There’s no denying the power of the Disney library, but is it worth $7.99/month with ads or $13.99/month ad-free? If you have small children who need constant access to the family movies, it may be non-negotiable. I’ve subscribed to Disney+ since launch, and I almost never find myself watching. My kids default to Netflix. The Netflix children’s interface is far more intuitive for young children than Disney+, where they may need to go to the search bar and spell something correctly to find the title they want.
Disney+ seems unable to create a true hit outside its Marvel and Star Wars titles. Last winter’s Percy Jackson series appeared to gain traction, but that’s the exception to the rule. Star Wars fans, in particular, have been irritated by the wildly differing quality of each series.
Disney’s theatrical output has slowed to a crawl as Marvel tries to pull itself together. “Captain America: Brave New World” is stuck in reshoot hell and “Blade” seems doomed to cycle through directors forever. “Inside Out 2” was a great treat, but that won’t appear on the platform for several months. If you give Disney+ the heave-ho, the only thing you’re really missing is “more of the same.”
There is one way we’d still recommend Disney+. If you get Hulu Live TV, you get free Disney+, ESPN Select, and Hulu. You’d also get 32 of the top 35 cable channels and an unlimited DVR.
What Are Better Alternatives to Disney+?
If you have very young children, PBS Kids is free, and packed with educational programming kids will love like “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” and “Wild Kratts.” If you want the full library, you can sign up through Prime Video and get every episode for just $4.99/month.
Paramount+ is a great service to try, since you’ll gain access to hits from Nickleodeon like “PAW Patrol,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” “Peppa Pig,” “Rugrats,” and “Blues Clues.” There’s a lot to like for adults as well.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., and more. Get free access with a Walmart+ subscription.
Paramount+ includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
Apple TV+ may not be the first service to come to mind, but they have wonderful children’s shows from the “Peanuts” universe, “Fraggle Rock,” “Doug Unplugs,” “Helpsters,” “Pinecone & Pony,” and “Eva the Owlet.”
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
As mentioned, Netflix has a great kids interface and lots of very popular series like “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir,” “The Magic School Bus,” “Jurassic World: Chaos Theory,” “Star Trek: Prodigy,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
If you do decide to ditch Disney+, you can always come back when you miss the library. But during the summer months when Disney has throttled down its content pipeline, it’s a great time to give it a rest. It’ll be there when you need it again.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”