Best Ways to Set up Disney + Before Streaming
The day has finally arrived – Disney + launch day. As tempting as it was to call those sick today with a horrific Mandalorian case (and a stuffy nose), I’ve created a guide here to help you get started with Disney +. This includes how to quickly install the app across multiple devices, activate the free service (if you’re eligible for certain promotions), and what Disney + settings you need to tweak to get the best streaming experience.
This is assuming you can even subscribe to the service – yes, launch day.
Are there any great Disney + deals right now?
At the time we published this article, not really. The deal to be gotten was Early Access at $ 4 a month – for a three-year commitment – as I doubt you’ll ever see a Disney + hit again at such a cheap price, unless Mickey does some crazy magic for Black Friday this year.
If you want to stream Disney +, Hulu, and ESPN + , you can save $ 5 by buying them as a bundle deal, but that gets terribly specific – and it’s not really a deal, just a regular package.
However, hope is not lost. If you’re a Verizon unlimited customer, Fios Internet subscriber, or 5G home Internet subscriber, you can get at least one year of free Disney + ($ 70 value for annual prepaid customers). Visit Verizon’s website to activate a service that you can still use even if you’ve already purchased a Disney + subscription . You can also sign up for the Verizon app:
Where can I download Disney + for my favorite device?
Disney + is available on a variety of devices. Why bother with their user interfaces when you can go straight to installing the app instead?
You can also download Disney + for your Samsung and LG smart TVs, but external links are not available.
What about Nintendo Switch?
Sorry! I wouldn’t hold my breath for the Switch app for Disney +, but you never know. Hey, at least you have a bunch of Zelda games to play with.
What if I can’t get into Disney +? What’s happening?
A lot of people try to get into Disney +. Disney regrets you can’t watch Herbie Goes Bananas right now, but he probably should have known better.
Feel free to send our condolences to others on the official Reddit thread for all technology issues. Hope your device will work soon!
Are there any settings I need to change after installing the Disney + app?
Why yes! In fact, the first thing you do when you tap Disney + on your smartphone or tablet is open its settings menu and make a few changes. (You can probably also do this over the internet or your TV apps, I just can’t log into any of them at the moment to show you. Ah, launch day.)
First, and most importantly, you must set up different user profiles for everyone who will have access to your account – family members, of course. You can have up to seven and each can have their own cute little Disney-themed picture. Parents can also mark accounts as “Kids,” which limits the content they can see on the service to family items.
Back at the main settings screen, I recommend clicking on Application Settings, after which the following screen will appear:
I’ve already set my preferences, so what you’re looking at is not the default when you install the app and / or start the Disney + service for the first time. I set my device to only Disney + Wi-Fi streaming because I don’t want to burn my cellular plan, but you can also choose Automatic or Save Data if you’re a little nervous about it. how long will you watch.
Likewise, I only download content from Disney + over Wi-Fi, but I configured the app to capture high quality video – not the default. It will take up a lot more space on my iPhone, but that’s how I ride. (You can check what formats are available for a particular movie or TV show in the Details tab of its info page.)
While you can download whatever you want from Disney +, you will need to register your device online at least once every 30 days to re-authenticate your license. This shouldn’t be a problem for most people, but it’s good advice if you’re planning a long vacation and can’t deal with the thought of being away from your favorite classic animated films.
What’s on Disney + anyway?
We’ve covered this in some detail. Alternatively, you can simply open the manual within the app / website itself, but in case you need more help, we have resources.
And here’s a list of what’s coming to Disney + over the next few weeks (including today):
12 November, Tuesday
- The Mandalorian Chapter 1
- High School Musical: The Musical: TV Series – Episode 101 – “Audition”
- Lady and the Tramp (2019)
- Noel
- Bis! – Episode 101 – “Annie”
- Marvel Hero Project – Episode 101 – Sensational Jordan
- An Imaginary Story – Part 1 – “The Happiest Place on Earth”
- The World According to Jeff Goldblum – Episode 101 – “Sneakers”
- Forky asks the question – “What is money?”
November 15, Friday
- The Mandalorian Chapter 2
- High School Musical: The Musical: TV Show – Episode 102 – “Audition”
- Bis! – Episode 102 – “Beauty and the Beast”
- Marvel Hero Project – Episode 102 – The Incredible Elijah
- Imaginary Story – Part 2 – “What Would Walt Do?”
- World According to Jeff Goldblum – Episode 102 – “Ice Cream”
- Forky asks the question – “Who is a friend?”
Friday 22nd November
- The Mandalorian Chapter 3
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series – Episode 103 – “Miracle Research”
- Bis! – Episode 103 – “The Sound of Music”
- Marvel Hero Project – Episode 103 – “The Unstoppable Adonis”
- Imaginary Story – Part 3
- World According to Jeff Goldblum – Episode 103 – “Tattoos”
- Forky asks the question – “What is art?”
As you can see, Friday is your big content day for Disney +. Remember to shorten your daily work schedule (or make a fake appointment or two).
Where is Black Panther ?
Netflix, obviously. He will operate on another streaming service until the end of 2019, alongside Shorthaired Thor, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Thanos’ first big movie.
Can I share my Disney + password with friends?
Yes, even if someone is going to jump into the comments on this article and tell you what an asshole (or me) you are for suggesting this. Disney allows up to four simultaneous streams per account – for you and your family, of course – and will have some background magic to determine if you are actually sharing your account with your family or with a group of strangers online.
Kudos to Disney, at least for not launching Disney + with more expensive family plans with varying streaming options (and video quality settings). We hope this doesn’t inspire any changes if or when people share too much.
This is it?
Not really. One of the unannounced benefits of Disney + is that you can now watch every Star Wars movie in 4K with support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. Yes please.
Unfortunately, to balance this karma, we got a version of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope with another modification to the Greedo scene. I’m currently awaiting a re-release of the original trilogy in 4K, in which Greedo will most likely wear Sith clothes next to a neon EVIL sign to make it very, very clear that Han Solo did not do this and would never shoot first. Sigh.