In its short time on the market, Disney Plus has quickly become one of the leading figures in the streaming wars – and its line-up has got even stronger with the launch of new Disney Plus Star content.
This add-on service brings with it a vast library of content from the likes of Fox, FX and ABC, including sitcoms How I Met Your Mother and Scrubs, as well as iconic cult TV hits like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files.
Star’s roll-out has significantly diversified the range of films and series available, which had previously been restricted to generally family-friendly fare.
But do not fear: Disney Plus is still safe for children to browse through, thanks to parental controls which will put the more mature content firmly out of reach for little ones.
Check out the complete list of Disney Plus Star shows and Disney Plus Star movies or read on for everything else you need to know about the streaming service – including compatible devices and the price increase.
A guide to Disney Plus UK
How can you sign up? How much does Disney+ cost? And what are the best shows and films to watch? Find out everything you need to know about the Disney streaming service below.
What is Disney Plus?
Disney Plus is a major new streaming service owned by The Walt Disney Company which features a host of new and past TV series and films from Disney and its many subsidiaries.
That means you can not only expect to find Disney projects like Encanto, but also shows and films from:
- Pixar
- Marvel
- Star Wars
- Fox
- National Geographic
- Star
Disney+ subscribers have access to a range of shows and films made by Disney’s creative studios (FX, Fox, 20th Century Studios, ABC, Searchlight and Freeform) with Star – a section added after launch catering for more mature content.
As per streaming services like Netflix, you don’t have to buy each show or film you watch; instead, you pay a monthly subscription for access to all titles on the service’s massive library, completely ad-free.
Unlike other streaming services, however, Disney+ won’t release new shows in bulk, with original productions like Marvel’s Moon Knight instead airing weekly.
How much is Disney Plus?
A Disney Plus subscription costs £7.99 per month or £79.90 a year in the UK. Any pre-Star Disney Plus subscribers will note that there’s been a small hike in price. But even so, the price of Disney Plus will still be less than a Netflix premium plan which comes in at £11.99 a month.
While the vast majority of content on Disney+ is included in your subscription cost, the studio does occasionally release so-called Disney Plus Premier Access titles which are available for an additional fee.
The first title in this scheme was the live-action remake of Mulan, which landed on the service for an initial cost of £19.99 (on top of the subscription fee) and became a free title three months later.
Later releases such as animated adventure Raya and The Last Dragon, Cruella and Black Widow also launched via Premier Access, before also becoming free titles on the service.
However, since the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced, fans have seen a 48-day window between theatrical release and a film’s arrival on Disney+, as noted by the releases of Marvel films such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
In the United States, it was revealed in August 2022 that Disney+ will continue to cost $7.99 but that it will now include advertisements.
An ad-free version of the streaming service will now cost $10.99. These changes will come into place from December 2022 in the US.
No announcement has yet been made for the UK, but we can expect adverts to launch in territories outside the US in 2023.
We will be sure to update this article should any further changes be announced.
How do I sign up for Disney Plus?
You can sign up to Disney Plus on their website or through the Disney+ app.
You can download the app on most Android and Apple devices, as well as most Smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV Stick. Check out our guide to find out how to download the Disney Plus app.
Find out more about compatible Disney Plus devices.
You’ll be able to sign up to the service through Sky Q and NOW TV – Disney+ will be available as an add-on.
What devices are compatible with Disney Plus?
The Disney Plus app can be downloaded on most Apple and Android devices, Smart TVs and Amazon Fire TV streaming devices, as well consoles such as the PS4 and Xbox.
Read more about Disney Plus devices and how to set up Disney Plus on your Amazon Fire TV Stick.
How many devices can I watch Disney Plus on?
Disney Plus UK subscribers can watch on four screens at the same time. That’s the same as Netflix’s Premium Plan and one more than Amazon Prime Video. You can also register up to ten devices, and Disney Plus will support seven profiles.
Can I get Disney Plus on Sky?
Disney Plus has teamed up with Sky meaning you can get the Disney Plus app on your Sky Q box. You can watch the new service alongside your other Sky content, easy peasy. It’ll also just be added to your Sky bill. Even easier. Disney Plus is also available on NOW TV too.
Disney Plus on Virgin Media and BT won’t be integrated but you can still get the app.
What TV shows are on Disney Plus?
Top Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Fox shows are available for all subscribers, including:
- Star Wars series The Mandalorian, a live-action show set in the outer reaches of the galaxy between episodes VI and VII. The show eventually spawned spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett based on the iconic titular bounty hunter.
- Marvel Studios are rolling out an ambitious slate of shows set in its cinematic universe, starting with WandaVision (streaming now) and continuing with Moon Knight (streaming now), Ms Marvel (June) and several others currently in production.
- Star Originals including Lily James miniseries Pam & Tommy and fact based drama The Dropout.
- The Walking Dead season 11 is available to stream shortly after its US premiere, along with all ten previous seasons of the post-apocalyptic horror.
- 32 seasons of hit animation series The Simpsons.
- A new Toy Story series centred on new character Forky, called Forky Asks a Question. Viewers can also expect Lamp Life, an animated short exploring where Bo Peep was during the events of Toy Story 3.
- Earth to Ned, an original series from the Jim Henson Company that follows a titular blue-skinned alien and his lieutenant, Cornelius, who are sent to scout Earth for an eventual invasion. Instead, what happens is they become obsessed with popular culture – starting up their own chat show in the process.
- All seven seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, an animated series delving into what happened between Episode II and Episode III, as well as new spin-off Star Wars: The Bad Batch.
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The scripted show is set in the school in which High School Musical was filmed, and sees students putting together their own stage version of the film. Not confusing at all.
- A National Geographic show led by Jeff Goldblum called – amazingly – The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
If you want a full rundown of what you can watch we have a complete list of what’s on Disney Plus, or the best Disney Plus shows.
Later on, viewers can expect titles such as:
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- Several Marvel TV shows including She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Echo, Ironheart, Armor Wars and Loki season 2.
- A Star Wars Rogue One prequel series based around Diego Luna’s character Cassian Andor.
- An Obi-Wan Kenobi Star Wars series, starring Ewan McGregor as the main Jedi Knight.
What movies are on Disney Plus?
Disney Plus hosts a gigantic library of classic Disney movies (think Snow White), to Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Fox movies.
The biggest films to look out for include…
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- Oscar nominees such as the 2021 West Side Story remake and Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley.
- Death on the Nile – Kenneth Branagh’s starry Agatha Christie adaptation was added to the streamer only six weeks after its release in cinemas.
- The King’s Man – The Ralph Fiennes prequel is available along with the previous two instalments in the outlandish spy series.
- Mulan – the live-action remake was released onto the streaming service due to continued disruption from coronavirus.
- Hamilton took Broadway by storm back in 2015 and continues to be wildly popular. Now the award-winning musical has arrived on Disney+ for all theatre fans to see.
- Frozen 2. Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Disney made the hit sequel to the kid’s movie available from 3rd July.
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, along with all the previous Star Wars films, are available on Disney+.
- The Marvel Cinematic Universe. Almost all of the MCU superhero films will be available to watch, including Avengers: Endgame.
- Disney+ original movies including Togo and Lady and the Tramp
- 20th Century Fox classics including Mrs Doubtfire.
- The entire Pixar collection, including new releases Turning Red and Luca.
- The X-Men movies, including the acclaimed X-Men: Days of Future Past.
- Elephant – a feature-length documentary following elephants in migration, narrated by Meghan Markle.
- Dolphin Reef – a feature-length documentary narrated by Natalie Portman about a young dolphin called Echo.
- Mary Poppins Returns, the Emily Blunt-led sequel is set 25 years after the original film.
- A Cheaper by the Dozen remake
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Later on, viewers can expect titles such as:
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- Hocus Pocus 2 – A follow-up to the cult 1993 hit
- Pinocchio – A live action remake of the 1940 classic starring Tom Hanks as Gepetto.
- Disenchanted – The long-awaited sequel to the 2007 fan favourite Enchanted starring Amy Adams.
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You can find out more in our guide to the best movies on Disney Plus.
Is Disney Plus worth it?
There’s certainly a lot going for subscription service, with the Disney Plus cost (£7.99) being cheaper than Netflix’s standard package (£8.99). And while Netflix’s standard package only allows for viewing on two devices at once, Disney Plus allows for four screens to simultaneously view titles from one account.
At the launch of the service, a weak spot for Disney Plus was that its content was almost exclusively child and teen-friendly, leading to a shortage of mature titles for adults to dive into. However, that’s totally changed with the roll-out of Star on 23rd February 2021 – oh, and just in case you’re a parent nervous about your little ones watching something they should, here’s our explainer on the Disney Plus Star parental controls.
Marvel Studios have also begun producing first television series for Disney+ set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and She Hulk all launching in 2022 it will be the streamer of choice for comic book aficionados.
Disney Plus may well be the best streaming service for Marvel fans, Star Wars lovers or those with children – or indeed anyone with an interest in the streaming service’s rapidly growing choices for both young and old, at a very reasonable price.
Read more in our ‘Is Disney Plus worth it?’ analysis
How many people can watch Disney Plus at once?
One Disney Plus account can host seven profiles and can stream different shows from four separate screens.
Read more about how many screens can stream Disney Plus titles simultaneously – and a comparison with Netflix
Can I download Disney Plus films and TV shows?
Yes, you can download titles and watch them later on the Disney Plus app. Downloads will last 30 days
What is the difference between DisneyLife and Disney Plus?
Disney already had a subscription service in the UK, called DisneyLife. A £4.99 subscription granted access to a catalogue of 450+ Disney movies (including all the original versions of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book and so on).
Disney Plus confirmed during a Twitter Q&A that DisneyLife will be replaced with Disney Plus. Read more about the difference between DisneyLife and Disney Plus.
Read more on Disney Plus
- What’s on Disney Plus?
- Disney Plus Offers
- How to get Disney Plus on smart TV
- How much is Disney Plus?
- Best Disney Plus shows
- Best movies on Disney Plus
- Disney Plus devices
Want more Disney? Check out our guides to the best Disney Plus Star shows guide or Disney Plus Star movies, or visit our TV Guide.
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