| November 20, 2019 | Juan Ibarra | editor-in-chief |
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In one fell swoop, Disney+ has done what took Netflix years to accomplish. But even with the smooth user interface and quality of life features, such as the skip intro button and profile selection, it isn’t enough to stand on its own.
While the extensive catalog of Disney, Marvel and Star Wars content is nice, this service isn’t exactly the “Netflix-killer” people thought it would become.
From the start, Disney+ presents a beautifully simple homepage where viewers can choose from Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar or National Geographic sections of content or scroll down to look through different categories like movies or classic TV shows.
The amount of content is staggering, and there are several heavy hitters, such as the entire Star Wars franchise and the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The catalog also includes older Disney animated movies going back to 1938’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
Apart from movies, TV shows are included from the 1990’s classics of “Recess” and “Doug” to modern Disney Channel shows like “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Andi Mack.” A large portion of the catalog includes Disney Channel original movies for any viewers wanting to relive their childhood.
And this is where the crux of Disney+’s strengths lie. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, and Disney uses it to its full advantage with this service. Any child growing up from the early ‘90s through today has grown up around Disney Channel, Marvel or Star Wars, and they know people are willing to pay the price for access to the content they remember fondly. Parents are inclined to buy the service as a way to show their children shows and movies they grew up with.
That isn’t to say Disney+ has nothing new, as it has a multitude of original programming. The live-action Star Wars program “The Mandalorian” is always at the forefront of the marketing and has received positive reaction overall thanks to the high budget and well-written script. While this isn’t indicative of the quality of future Disney+ shows, it does show the confidence Disney has on the level of quality they are willing to deliver in the future.
With a monthly price tag of $6.99, Disney+ is currently one of the cheaper monthly subscription services. With its sizeable nostalgic catalog along with new Disney+ exclusive shows like “The Mandalorian” and the multiple Marvel projects, people have good reason to purchase this service.
Netflix currently has three tiers: at $8.99, users get access to one screen at a time with only standard definition content. For the price of $12.99, users get HD content but only with two screens at a time. And the premium tier is a whopping $15.99 for access to four screens at a time with 4K Ultra HD content.
When taking those multiple price points and putting it up against Disney+’s $6.99 for up to 10 screens and 4K contents, Netflix is not looking too good.
Even with the high price tag, Netflix has shown that it is dedicated to producing content and value to their consumers.
And while Disney+ is a worthwhile investment for those who want to relive their youth, it remains to be seen if their original content will make the price worth investing in for longer periods of time.
