Disney Plus was released on November 12, 2019, changing the game for Netflix, giving them some competition. Disney Plus has become the new Netflix, except all about Disney. Their streaming server is the sole place for watching movies and TV show favorites from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and even National Geographic. So, if you’re all about Disney, I have some good news for you. 

   The Walt Disney Company just released Disney Plus’s new streaming tool called the “GroupWatch” feature, allowing invites for up to six subscribers to view together, seven in total. “Each user can pause, play, rewind, or fast forward for the whole group, keeping everyone connected” (CNBC). 

   This has been proven very convenient at the time, “Think of all the movies, television shows, and specials Disney has produced over the last (almost) 100 years.”(KFGO) Not to mention there is all 31 seasons of The Simpsons and the new hit series the Mandalorian. You are sure to never to get bored of all the Disney, as they are improving their website and growing by the minute. Disney Plus stands to become a bigger hit while many are stuck at home during this pandemic.

   Netflix originally came out with Netflix party well before Disney Plus, stirring some trouble for them. “Netflix Party made a Chrome extension, granting you permission to watch videos with your friends and chat together at the same time” (IGN). In a pandemic, being stuck home, streaming has gained more popularity and grown now more than ever. 

   The hard part is figuring out whether Disney Plus is more dependable than the GroupWatch. Sophomore Alina Baajour delivers her opinion: “I am a very Disney person so the new feature was very exciting for me, as I am under quarantine right now. I was so happy to hear it was a new way to stay in communication with my friends and bond with them over something I love and cherish.” Being stuck at home is not fun and so this became a way to get friends together and bond with each other.

   As Disney Plus streaming grows, so has Netflix Party. Junior Mia Rossello states, “Netflix provides movies from numerous different companies and genres which allows for a better variety of things to watch.” This gives people more styles of movies and TV shows. 

   The issue here is that Netflix requires a higher payment. “Disney+ is simply cheaper than Netflix, and it lets you stream in 4K and on up to four screens without upgrading. To get that with Netflix, you’d need Premium, which costs $84 more per year than Basic and $36 more per year than Standard” (HSI). Disney Plus allows a better deal and better streaming service at a lower rate.

   Because Disney Plus has gained a good reputation, Netflix has had to remove some fan favorites and Disney-owned content from the service. Netflix has had to remove films which include some from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Netflix’s popular Marvel TV shows like Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist. This caused a drop for Netflix as some of them were big hits, making Netflix lose some funds.

   Disney Plus allows more people to join one account, saving more money. You can get seven user profiles, while Netflix only gives five. Unlike Netflix’s genre-based categories for comedies, action, or drama, Disney Plus has Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic with a clutter of other films.

   As Netflix has been removing some fan favorites many have been moving not just from Disney Plus but to other servers such as HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. The next time you decide what you want to watch, think of the countless movies and TV shows you can binge-watch with your friends.