Disney Plus can't compete with Netflix when it comes to original content, but its affordable price and iconic franchises make it a great value for families

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• Disney Plus launched in November 2019 and has amassed more than 50 million subscribers.
• A monthly subscription costs $6.99 a month, while an annual plan costs $69.99 a year.
• The service does a tremendous job anthologizing classic Disney movies and TV shows from decades ago that haven't been released in years and won't be available anywhere else.
• However, Disney's streaming service is family-focused, meaning none of the movies on Disney Plus are rated R.

Disney Plus launched in November 2019 to great fanfare. An aggressive marketing campaign and the popularity of "The Mandalorian" helped propel the service to a successful rollout, amassing more than 50 million subscribers in less than a year.

Though that number still pales in comparison to the 130 million Netflix subscribers around the world, Disney Plus has been able to carve out a sizeable piece of the streaming market, thanks in large part to iconic franchises, like "The Avengers" and "Star Wars," and the company's huge library of animated classics.

Now the streaming wars are heating up, with Disney Plus facing competition from newcomers, like HBO Max and Peacock, while it works to catch up to Netflix and Hulu. With Disney Plus preparing to launch a new batch of original programming this summer, including Marvel TV shows and a film version of "Hamilton," we took a look at the service to see how it stacks up against other streaming options.

Disney Plus review: Disney opens up the "Vault" for good

Disney Plus' greatest strength comes from Disney's iconic catalog of movies and shows, including dozens of classic animated films that have been locked away in the "Disney Vault" without being re-released for years. Recent releases, like "Frozen II" and "Onward," are included as well.

In the past decade, Disney has acquired the rights to Marvel Comics, Star Wars, the Simpsons, and 20th Century Fox, and the core of Disney Plus is built on nostalgia for these iconic media franchises. Subscribers can watch virtually any movie from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) or the Star Wars series, including blockbusters like "The Rise of Skywalker" and "Avengers: Endgame."

The streaming service has also done an impressive job cataloging dozens of original Disney cartoons and TV shows from decades past for modern consumption, from the 1960s "Spider-Man" cartoon that's spawned dozens of memes, to all 65 episodes of "Lizzie McGuire."

However, Disney Plus' greatest weakness might be its hard focus on family content, which has led to the exclusion of all R-rated movies on the platform. This means that popular R-rated films, like "Deadpool" and "Logan," are left off the streaming service entirely, despite their Marvel ties.

Disney Plus is still way behind Netflix on original shows

Like its competitors, Disney Plus offers exclusive original shows. But, with the exception of "The Mandalorian" and a reboot of "High School Musical," these new shows and movies haven't garnered much attention.

Unlike most streaming services, Disney Plus has chosen to give its original series, like "The Mandalorian," a weekly release schedule rather than launching the entire season on the same day for binge-watchers. This strategy helped "The Mandalorian" become the most watched streaming show in America during its initial run in November 2019.

Disney Plus is also home to a number of exclusive streaming movies, like a film version of the hit Broadway play "Hamilton," and "Artemis Fowl," an adaptation of the popular young adult novel. "Black is King," a new visual album from Beyonce, is set to debut on July 31. Disney Plus will also launch multiple series based on Marvel characters in the coming months, starting with "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" later this summer.

Personally, I find the service's growing selection of short films to be more interesting than Disney's current lineup of original shows thanks to their focused, artistic approach. Upcoming Star Wars and Marvel series could end up being big draws to Disney Plus, but rival services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, simply have a bigger and better assortment of original shows right now.

The low price and bundle options make Disney Plus especially appealing

Disney Plus costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, which makes it one of the most affordable streaming services on the market. The standard subscription is ad-free and includes support for up to seven profiles and unlimited downloads. Unlike Netflix, 4K and Dolby Vision HDR streaming are also included at no extra cost. Though the service initially offered a free seven-day trial for new subscribers, this promotion is no longer available.

There's also an option to buy a bundled package of Disney Plus, Hulu, and ESPN+, all of which costs $12.99 per month. Individually, the ad-supported version of Hulu costs $5.99 a month, while ESPN+ currently costs $4.99 per month. Subscribing to the bundle, rather than signing up for each service individually, saves you about $5 per month.

If you don't have other streaming services, the Hulu and ESPN+ bundle adds a ton of value with the discounted price. Hulu's large library of movies and shows is a nice complement to the family-friendly Disney Plus catalog, and ESPN+ provides access to live events, like UFC Fight Night.

Setting up the Disney Plus app

You'll need to sign up for a Disney Plus account before you're able to browse the Disney Plus catalog online or with the Disney Plus app.

Once your account is activated, you can watch Disney Plus via the official website or by downloading the app on your smart TV, streaming player, or mobile device. The Disney Plus app is available on Apple and Android devices, Roku, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Chromecast, Amazon Fire, and most smart TV brands.

You can create profiles for up to seven different viewers with a single account, and each profile will be able to create their own personal watchlist that carries over between devices. However, only four devices can stream using the same account at once, which is the same number as Netflix's $15.99 a month premium plan. Adults can create kid profiles to restrict PG and PG-13 content for children as well.

Navigating the Disney Plus interface

The Disney Plus interface is relatively standard fare for a streaming service. The Disney Plus landing page lacks the busy animated thumbnails and flashy trailers that Netflix showcases on its home page, but a carousel displays new and popular content at the top of the page and the most popular franchises on Disney Plus are pre-sorted into simple categories, like "Marvel," "Pixar," and "Star Wars."

Disney Plus does suffer from some small navigation issues that can become ongoing problems depending on your viewing habits. For example, choosing a show or movie from the "Continue watching" tab will always leave you where you left off, with no option to "Play from beginning."

It's not a huge deal, but what if, for example, you fell asleep at the end of a movie, or your roommate watched the episode before you? Now you run the risk of spoiling yourself while you try to rewind to the beginning.

Another issue is that parent accounts are not protected by a pin or other security measures. While Disney Plus doesn't carry R-rated movies, kids can simply use the change profile function the same way an adult would to access PG-13 movies on a different profile.

Disney Plus gives premium performance and features for cheap

In terms of streaming quality, Disney Plus is on par with Netflix at a fraction of the cost. By offering 4K resolution support, HDR color depth with Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos audio capabilities with every subscription, Disney Plus is doing its best to guarantee that subscribers can maximize their home theater.

Disney Plus also allows you to download movies and shows for offline viewing on up to 10 devices, making it ideal for personal trips and family vacations.

The bottom line

The low price and iconic catalog of Disney Plus should make the service a solid investment for any movie-watcher, but the platform is clearly built to appeal the most to families with children. I'm curious to see if upcoming Disney Plus shows are compelling enough to the same adult audience as "The Mandalorian," because after eight months of subscribing, my excitement over nostalgia has already begun to wane.

For non-parents, the aged catalog of Disney Plus will eventually wear thin, but the Hulu and ESPN+ bundle or another streaming service can provide a perfect complement to Disney Plus.

Pros: Affordable price, timeless library of Disney classics, robust kids catalog ideal for families, exclusive Star Wars and Marvel titles, 4K and HDR streaming included

Cons: No R-rated films, fewer new and exciting library additions compared to competing streaming services, original programming is still far behind Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu