Disney Plus has landed in Australia and New Zealand, one week after its initial release in the US, Canada and the Netherlands. The proposition is simple: stream everything from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar in one place (oh, and National Geographic).
You've probably heard about the big stuff on there, like 30 seasons of The Simpsons or Star Wars show The Mandalorian, but here are some other key points to note as you dive in to Disney Plus for the first time.
1. Most of the best originals are a year or more away
Were you hoping that Marvel had prepared a suite of original shows for launch? In terms of really exciting exclusives, The Mandalorian will have to tide you over for around a year. That's because The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the first big Marvel live-action series that has a rumored $25 million per episode budget, doesn't arrive until late next year. The most exciting thing to look forward to in the meantime is probably the seventh season of The Clone Wars animated series, coming in February 2020.
- Watch the Marvel movies in order on Disney Plus
- Or check out the best shows on Disney Plus
- The Simpsons' aspect ratio will be fixed on Disney Plus, but in 2020
2. Classic movies have DVD and Blu-Ray extras
When you select a movie, click on the 'Extras' tab and you'll get deleted scenes, blooper reels and other fun stuff usually reserved for home video releases. It's not comprehensive – a lot of the Star Wars extras from the DVD and Blu-ray releases aren't on here – but it is a way that Disney adds an extra layer of value to its own service. You wouldn't find these things on Netflix, for example.
3. The content library varies across regions
All the existing regions got The Simpsons on day one, but the movie line-up varies a whole lot. That's because of the different distributors who have the rights to show the movies across regions. So Australia currently has Avengers: Infinity War, while the US does not. In fact, Australia has a lot of movies the US isn't getting until later. This is likely to become a bigger deal as Disney Plus rolls out into more regions.
4. There are many hidden gems on here
From Pixar's short films to 1967's Disneyland Around the Seasons, where Walt himself discusses the then-new rides and attractions around the park, you don't have to dig too deep to find some of the less obvious movies and TV shows that Disney Plus has on offer. Hell, you can even watch 1928's Steamboat Willie on here. It means Disney Plus basically lives up to its goal of being a treasure trove.
5. You can request movies that aren't on the Disney Plus yet
Maybe your favorite Disney movie or show is on the service, or maybe it's coming later. But maybe you like an obscure '90s show that shows no sign of coming to Disney Plus yet (say, The Weekenders, or Pepper Ann). Maybe you want to stream Futurama alongside The Simpsons, without getting a separate Hulu account.
There's no guarantee that Disney will add it, of course, but there is an option to tell them what you want to see on the streamer. Click on 'Profile' when you're logged in to Disney Plus, and you'll see a 'Help' button. This takes you to a page where you can select 'Request a film or show' from a drop down menu. You can then enter three different titles of your choice.
