Disney launches UK streaming service
Get all of the Disney films, books, music and TV shows you could ever want for £9.99 a month.
Disney is launching a subscription media streaming service in the UK this November.
DisneyLife, available on iOS and Android, is packed with Disney films, music, books and TV programmes, all for £9.99 a month. You even get a free app download every month. And of course, Pixar favourites are included in the subscription.
Star Wars and Marvel, among some of the most popular Disney-owned films, won’t be included in the launch.
Up to six family members can use one DisneyLife subscription and each person can create a personal profile using Elsa, Nemo, Woody, Snow White or Mickey Mouse.
To curb the kids' screentime, parents can set time limits on what can be watched during the week and at the weekend.
The app supports Chromecast but if you want to take it on the road, you can temporarily download content to devices which is handy when you’re travelling with kids. To help them improve their language skills you’ll be able to stream or read content in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
Disney is hoping to launch across Europe over the next year but we’ve got it just in time for Christmas.
Is it really worth it?
One of the biggest problems with this service is the narrow scope of its content. Though it’s cheery, fun and the only remedy for a terrible day, there’s only so much Disney magic one person can take. And it’s rather pricey.
After a Disney session you might want to balance it out with some blood, guts and gore from Game of Thrones or the Walking Dead, for example.
Let’s have a look at the competition to see how DisneyLife shapes up against three of the UK’s biggest media streaming services.
Netflix
Netflix allows you to stream films and TV shows from multiple devices in your home. You can either go for an HD subscription for one screen or you can pay £7.49 a month to access it on two screens or £8.99 for four.
The back catalogue on Netflix is pretty impressive. It has thousands of films and shows, including some of its own creations like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards and Sense8.
Find out more about other popular video streaming services at From Netflix to NOW TV: the cheapest way to watch films.
How is it for Disney content? Netflix has quite a small selection of Disney’s animated and live action films but it does have classics like Aladdin, Mulan and The Jungle Book as well as newer films including TRON: Legacy and Frankenweenie.
There are loads of Disney movies on NOW TV which has movies and the Disney Channel online.
Amazon Prime Instant Video
You can buy an Amazon Prime Instant Video subscription Get a 30-day free trial or students can bag an impressive six-month free trial. The service comes with Amazon’s Prime subscription which costs £79 a year and gives you free one-day delivery on many of Amazon’s physical items as well as its’ music streaming service. It works out around £6.58 a month which is great value if you regularly order from Amazon.
The video service works on a single subscription system but you’re allowed to stream content on two different devices simultaneously. You can only access video under the ‘Prime’ banner, though.
How is it for Disney content? In the UK, Amazon Prime Instant Video also has quite a limited selection of on-demand video from Disney. It’s got the like of Up and The Hunchback of Notre Dame as well as the less well-known: think Beverly Hills Chihuahua and that 60s classic, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes.
Spotify
Spotify is still the UK’s biggest music streaming service, giving users unlimited access to a vast music library for a set subscription cost. If you’re not sure about forking out the £9.99 monthly fee, you could go for the 60-day free trial. A subscription allows you to play on-demand music from a mobile device, offline listening to your playlist (but you’ll need to download them first so make sure you do it in advance).
It also comes in a free version which gives you access to the music library and shuffle play on mobile, but you’ll hear cheesy ads every few songs.
But of course, Spotify isn’t the only music streaming service out there. Read Cheapest and best music streaming platforms for more.
How is it for Disney content? There’s quite an extensive range of Disney songs as well as covers on Spotify. Between those and user-generated playlists you'll never be short of Disney karaoke material.
I’m still not sure if I should sign up
If you or your family are hardcore Disney fans and aren’t signed up to a subscription service already, this could actually be a good investment for you.
For those who only like to dabble in a bit of Disney and stream other content, I’d go for one of its competitors, especially if you’re not that bothered about Disney’s music and books.
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